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Software · head to head

Square Cash vs Credit Karma

S

Square Cash

Software

Send money easily with Square Cash

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Credit Karma logo

Credit Karma

Software

Free credit scores, reports, and more

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Square Cash cash App Green status (higher savings rate, free in-network ATM withdrawals, overdraft coverage) requires spending $500 or depositing $300 in Qualifying purchases/deposits per month, per the App Store listing; Credit Karma state tax filing costs 15 USD even though federal filing is 0 USD
  • They diverge on capability: Square Cash covers Money transfers, Credit Karma covers Free credit score.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Square Cash and Credit Karma actually diverge.

Attributes where Square Cash and Credit Karma differ
AttributeSquare CashCredit Karma
Pricing modelfreefreemium
PlatformsIOS, AndroidWeb, IOS, Android
Founded20142007

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Square Cash

  • Money transfers
  • Instant deposits
  • Transaction history
  • Customer support
  • Bank accounts

Only in Credit Karma

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

Both cover

  • IOS support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Square Cash

  • Budget Managementnot Credit Karma
  • Expense Trackingnot Credit Karma
  • Investment Trackingnot Credit Karma

Credit Karma

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

Where each one falls short

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

Square Cash

  • Cash App Green status (higher savings rate, free in-network ATM withdrawals, overdraft coverage) requires spending $500 or depositing $300 in Qualifying purchases/deposits per month, per the App Store listing

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

Square Cash

Free
  • FreeFree
    • P2P transfers
    • Instant deposits
    • Mobile app

Credit Karma

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Square Cash if

  • You need money transfers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on IOS, Android.
  • You also want instant deposits.
Square Cash 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 Square Cash or Credit Karma better?
Neither clearly leads. Square Cash starts at Free and Credit Karma at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Square Cash or Credit Karma?
Square Cash starts at Free and Credit Karma at Free.
Does Square Cash or Credit Karma run on more platforms?
Square Cash runs on IOS, Android. Credit Karma runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Square Cash for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Square Cash best used for?
Square Cash is most often used for budget management, expense tracking, investment tracking. Of those, budget management and expense tracking are not what Credit Karma is typically brought in for.
What can Square Cash do that Credit Karma cannot?
Square Cash covers Money transfers, Instant deposits, Transaction history, Customer support. Credit Karma covers Free credit score, Credit report monitoring, Credit card recommendations, Tax filing. Both handle IOS support, Android support.
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