How to get a free credit score in Canada
You can check your credit score in Canada for free — and checking your own score never lowers it. The catch is that there isn’t one score: Canada has two credit bureaus, Equifax and TransUnion, and they use different models, so your two numbers rarely match. This guide shows exactly where to get each one free — Borrowell for Equifax, Credit Karma and your bank app for TransUnion — and why a free score can differ from the one a lender actually pulls.
The short answer
- Equifax scoreBorrowell — free, weekly, no card needed
- TransUnion scoreCredit Karma or your bank app (CIBC, RBC, BMO, Scotia)
- Does it hurt?No — checking your own score is a soft inquiry
- The range300–900 — a 3-digit number, higher is better
What a credit score actually is
A credit score is a 3-digit number, typically 300 to 900, derived from your credit report by one of Canada’s two bureaus.Your credit score is a three-digit number, typically between 300 and 900, that summarizes how you have handled credit. The higher the number, the lower the risk you appear to lenders. It is calculated from the information in your credit report — your history of loans, credit cards, payments and inquiries — which is held by one of Canada’s two credit bureaus. Think of the report as the raw record and the score as the grade derived from it. For the full record behind the number, see our companion guide on how to get your free credit report.
Canada has two credit bureaus: Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada. Each builds its own score using its own model — Equifax uses its ERS 2.0 model and TransUnion uses CreditVision — so the same person’s two scores commonly differ by 20 to 50 points. That is normal and not a sign that something is wrong. It simply means there is no single "your score"; there are two, and they tell slightly different versions of the same story.
Checking your own score never lowers it
Checking your own score is a soft inquiry and has no effect. Only a lender’s hard inquiry when you apply for credit can.This is the reassurance most people need first: checking your own credit score is a "soft inquiry," and soft inquiries do not affect your score at all. You can look at it every day if you want, through any of the free services below, with zero penalty. The only kind of inquiry that can move your score is a "hard inquiry" — the credit check a lender runs when you apply for a loan, credit card or mortgage. Watching your own number is always safe; applying for new credit is what carries a small, temporary cost.
Where to get a free credit score
Borrowell shows your Equifax score; Credit Karma and the big banks show TransUnion. Each note flags which bureau it pulls.These are the verified free options in Canada. Notice the bureau tag on each card — it is the key to the strategy in the next section. Borrowell pulls Equifax, while Credit Karma and the banks pull TransUnion.
Borrowell
Updated weekly
Free Equifax score with no credit card required. You provide your SIN so Borrowell can verify your identity. This is the easy way to watch the Equifax side of your credit.
Credit Karma Canada
Updated weekly
Free TransUnion score, active in Canada in 2026. Because it pulls TransUnion, it complements a Borrowell account nicely — together they show you both bureaus.
Your bank’s app
Often branded “CreditView”
CIBC, RBC, BMO and Scotiabank offer eligible clients a free TransUnion score right inside the banking app. Some other banks and fintechs (for example TD and Neo) also offer one — check your own bank’s app.
The trick: watch both bureaus for free
Sign up for one Equifax source (Borrowell) and one TransUnion source (Credit Karma or your bank) to monitor both bureaus at no cost.Here is the insight that most "check your score" articles miss: because each free service shows only one bureau, you can cover both at no cost by signing up for one of each. Borrowell shows your Equifax score; Credit Karma and the banks show TransUnion. Pair a Borrowell account with either Credit Karma or your bank app, and you are watching the full picture — both bureaus, completely free.
Two free accounts → both bureaus monitored. Since the two scores commonly differ by 20 to 50 points, seeing both is far more useful than relying on either one alone.
Why your free score differs from a lender’s
Free scores are "educational" bureau-model scores; about 90% of major Canadian lenders pull a FICO score instead.Do not be surprised if the number a lender quotes you differs from your free score. The free scores you see are "educational" scores — built on the bureau models (Equifax’s ERS 2.0 and TransUnion’s CreditVision). But about 90% of major Canadian lenders actually pull a FICO score when they make a credit decision. Different model, sometimes a different number. Combine that with the two bureaus disagreeing by 20 to 50 points, and it is easy to see three different "scores" for the same person.
None of that makes the free score useless — it just means you should treat it as a directional guide, not the exact figure a lender will see. If your educational score is climbing, your FICO is almost certainly climbing too; if it drops, dig into why. Use the free score to track the trend and catch problems early, and expect the precise number on a loan application to be its own thing.
What affects your credit score
The main inputs are payment history, credit utilization, length of history, new credit and inquiries, and credit mix.Both bureau models weigh broadly the same ingredients, even if the exact math is proprietary. In general terms, these are the inputs that move a Canadian credit score:
Of these, payment history and credit utilization are generally the heaviest hitters — paying on time and keeping balances well below your limits does most of the work. The exact weights are not published, so be wary of any tool that claims to know them precisely. Watching your free score regularly is the simplest way to see which of these levers is helping or hurting you over time.
Go deeper on your credit
Your score is the grade — the report is the record, and your credit shapes the rates you’re offered. These guides take it further.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions on where to check free, whether it hurts your score, what counts as good, why scores differ, and SIN safety.How can I check my credit score for free in Canada?
You have several no-cost options. Borrowell gives you a free Equifax score, updated weekly, with no credit card required (you provide your SIN so they can verify your identity). Credit Karma Canada gives you a free TransUnion score, also updated weekly. And CIBC, RBC, BMO and Scotiabank offer eligible clients a free TransUnion score (often branded "CreditView") right inside their banking apps — some other banks and fintechs such as TD and Neo offer one too, so check your own bank’s app. Signing up for one Equifax source and one TransUnion source lets you watch both bureaus for free.
Does checking my own credit score lower it?
No. Checking your own score is treated as a "soft inquiry," and soft inquiries do not affect your credit score at all. You can check it as often as you like with no penalty. Only a "hard inquiry" — when a lender pulls your credit because you applied for a loan, card or mortgage — can have an impact. So watching your own score regularly through Borrowell, Credit Karma or your bank app is completely safe.
What is a good credit score in Canada?
A Canadian credit score is a three-digit number that typically ranges from 300 to 900, with higher being better. The two credit bureaus, Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada, use different models (Equifax’s ERS 2.0 and TransUnion’s CreditVision), so the exact bands differ slightly and the same person’s two scores commonly differ by 20 to 50 points. Treat the number as a directional guide to your credit health rather than a single fixed figure — and remember a free educational score can differ from the score a lender actually pulls.
Why is my free score different from my bank’s or a lender’s?
Two reasons. First, the bureaus disagree: Equifax and TransUnion use different scoring models, so the same person’s two scores commonly differ by 20 to 50 points — a Borrowell (Equifax) number and a bank-app (TransUnion) number will rarely match exactly. Second, the free scores you see are "educational" scores built on the bureau models, while about 90% of major Canadian lenders actually pull a FICO score when they make a decision. So your free score is a directional guide to your credit health, not the precise number a lender will see.
Borrowell vs Credit Karma — which bureau does each use?
Borrowell shows you your Equifax score, while Credit Karma Canada shows you your TransUnion score. The major banks (CIBC, RBC, BMO, Scotiabank) also show TransUnion. That is exactly why pairing two sources is so useful: sign up for Borrowell for the Equifax side and either Credit Karma or your bank app for the TransUnion side, and you can monitor both bureaus completely free. Because the two scores can differ by 20 to 50 points, watching both gives you a fuller picture than relying on either one alone.
Is it safe to give my SIN to a free credit-score service?
Services like Borrowell ask for your SIN to verify your identity and match you to the correct credit file — this is a standard part of pulling a credit report and is a soft inquiry that does not affect your score. The important caveat is to use only reputable, established providers. The bureaus themselves (Equifax and TransUnion) and well-known services such as Borrowell and Credit Karma are the trusted options; never hand your SIN to an unknown site that promises a free score. When in doubt, the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) publishes guidance on credit reports and scores at canada.ca.
General information, not financial advice. Free "educational" credit scores are directional and can differ from the FICO score a lender actually pulls, and your two bureau scores (Equifax and TransUnion) commonly differ by 20 to 50 points. Provider details and score availability can change — confirm specifics with the bureau or provider, and see the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) guidance on credit reports and scores at canada.ca. For the record behind the number, read our guide on getting your free credit report.