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Quicken vs Credit Karma

Quicken logo

Quicken

Software

Take control of your finances

From
$3.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Credit Karma logo

Credit Karma

Software

Free credit scores, reports, and more

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Credit Karma has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Quicken quicken Simplifi (cloud version) costs $3.99 annually if billed yearly, but renews at full price $6.99/month unless cancelled before renewal; Credit Karma state tax filing costs 15 USD even though federal filing is 0 USD
  • They diverge on capability: Quicken covers Budget creation, Credit Karma covers Free credit score.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Quicken and Credit Karma actually diverge.

Attributes where Quicken and Credit Karma differ
AttributeQuickenCredit Karma
Starting price$3.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Windows, macOSWeb, IOS, Android
Founded19832007

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Quicken

  • Budget creation
  • Bill management
  • Investment tracking
  • Tax planning
  • Bank accounts
  • Investment accounts
  • Credit cards
  • Windows support

Only in Credit Karma

  • Free credit score
  • Credit report monitoring
  • Credit card recommendations
  • Tax filing
  • Credit bureaus
  • Financial institutions
  • Web support
  • Android support

Both cover

  • IOS support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Quicken

  • Individuals managing personal finances via Quicken Simplifi cloud app for budgeting and savings trackingnot Credit Karma
  • Freelancers and self-employed managing business and personal finances via Quicken Business & Personal plannot Credit Karma
  • Users preferring local data storage via Classic desktop editionsnot Credit Karma

Credit Karma

  • Monitoring a credit score and the factors affecting it for freenot Quicken
  • Comparing credit card and loan offers with Approval Oddsnot Quicken
  • Filing federal tax returns at no chargenot Quicken

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Quicken

  • Quicken Simplifi (cloud version) costs $3.99 annually if billed yearly, but renews at full price $6.99/month unless cancelled before renewal
  • Renewal pricing significantly higher than introductory rate; annual cost jumps from $47.88 (promotional) to $83.88 (regular renewal)

Credit Karma

  • State tax filing costs 15 USD even though federal filing is 0 USD
  • Credit Spark builds score history against TransUnion, and the site states that not all lenders use TransUnion credit reports or scores
  • Card and loan listings are advertising placements, disclosed on the site as compensation from third party advertisers
  • Send and score update frequency limits are not published on the site

Pricing, plan by plan

Quicken

$3.99/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Quicken review.

Credit Karma

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Credit score monitoring
    • Credit reports
    • Personalized recommendations

Which should you pick?

Choose Quicken if

  • You need budget creation.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want bill management.
Quicken review

Choose Credit Karma if

  • You need free credit score.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want credit report monitoring.
Credit Karma review

Questions people ask

Is Quicken or Credit Karma better?
Neither clearly leads. Quicken starts at $3.99/month and Credit Karma at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Quicken or Credit Karma?
Credit Karma has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $3.99/month for Quicken and Free for Credit Karma.
Does Quicken or Credit Karma run on more platforms?
Quicken runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS. Credit Karma runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Credit Karma for free?
Yes. Credit Karma has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Quicken starts at $3.99/month.
What is Quicken best used for?
Quicken is most often used for individuals managing personal finances via quicken simplifi cloud app for budgeting and savings tracking, freelancers and self-employed managing business and personal finances via quicken business & personal plan, users preferring local data storage via classic desktop editions. Of those, individuals managing personal finances via quicken simplifi cloud app for budgeting and savings tracking and freelancers and self-employed managing business and personal finances via quicken business & personal plan are not what Credit Karma is typically brought in for.
What can Quicken do that Credit Karma cannot?
Quicken covers Budget creation, Bill management, Investment tracking, Tax planning. Credit Karma covers Free credit score, Credit report monitoring, Credit card recommendations, Tax filing. Both handle IOS support.
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