Is Experian free?

Quick answer: Your Experian Credit Score is free forever, and you can see your Experian Credit Report for free through the Experian app. A free Experian account costs nothing to set up, and checking your own score won’t affect it. Paid plans like CreditExpert and Identity Plus are optional extras.

If you’ve wondered whether Experian is free, the short answer is yes. You can check your Experian Credit Score for free, and it’s free forever. You can also see your Experian Credit Report for free through the Experian app, all with a free Experian account.

Experian does offer paid plans too, such as CreditExpert and Identity Plus. These are optional. They add extra features on top of the free services, but you don’t need them to see your score or your report.

This guide separates what’s free from what’s optional and answers the most common questions about Experian’s cost, so you know exactly what you can get without paying.

Is Experian free to use?

Yes, Experian is free to use. With a free Experian account, you can check your Experian Credit Score as often as you like, at no cost.

Checking your score won’t harm it. When you look at your own score, it counts as a soft check, or soft search, so it won’t affect your score or your chances of getting credit. For more detail, our guide explains how credit checks work.

What can you get from Experian for free?

Quite a lot. A free Experian account gives you a clear view of how lenders are likely to see you, plus tools to understand and work on your credit. Here’s what’s included at no cost:

1. Your free Experian Credit Score — updated monthly when you log in. It runs from 0 to 1250. A higher score means a better chance of being accepted for credit, and at better rates. If you’re new to this, our guide explains what a credit score is.
2. Your free Experian Credit Report — which you can get free through the Experian app. This is your financial track record, and it contains crucial information that lenders check.
3. Experian Boost — which could raise your score instantly.
4. Compare credit cards, loans and mortgages — see the offers you’re eligible for, with your approval chances shown before you apply.

The free Experian account is used by over 16 million people, and it’s the UK’s most trusted credit score and report.

Is the Experian app free?

Yes. The Experian app is completely free. It’s also where you can see your free Experian Credit Report. So, if you want your report as well as your score, the app is the place to go.

Is Experian Boost free?

Yes, Experian Boost is free. It’s the only way to instantly raise your Experian Credit Score in the UK. You connect your current account, and Boost looks for positive patterns in how you manage your money, like regular council tax payments, savings, and digital subscriptions such as Netflix or Spotify. Find out more about how Boost can improve your score.

To understand the bigger picture, see our guide to what affects your credit score.

Is Experian’s credit report free?

Yes, your Experian Credit Report is free through the Experian app. It contains information lenders look at to decide whether to lend to you and at what rate, so it’s really useful to see what they see.

You can also get a free copy of your statutory credit report. This shows a basic view of your credit history and is something all credit reference agencies must produce by law. Please note the statutory report doesn’t include your Experian Credit Score, or any other benefits you get with a free Experian account.

Does Experian cost money?

Some Experian products do cost money, but the core services are free. Your free Experian account, the Experian app, your Experian Credit Score and your Experian Credit Report don’t cost anything, and that doesn’t change.

The paid plans are optional upgrades. They add features like daily score updates, personalised score improvement plans, fraud alerts and extra support.

Here’s how the free account compares with the two main paid plans, CreditExpert and Identity Plus:

Both paid plans come with a 30-day free trial for new customers. If you’re not sure which option to go for, we have a guide to help you work out which product is right for you.

Which Experian products do you have to pay for?

The features you pay for are the ones that go beyond checking and understanding your credit. CreditExpert at £14.99 a month and Identity Plus at £10.99 a month add things like daily updates, fraud and web monitoring, expert support, and CreditLock.

CreditLock lets you lock your Experian Credit Report in a single tap or click, which limits criminals’ ability to take out credit in your name. It’s available on the paid plans only.

The Experian app, free account, Experian Credit Score and Experian Credit Report are all free. You only pay for Experian if you choose one of the optional paid plans.

Can I get an Experian free trial?

You have two free options. You can open a free Experian account, which stays free with no trial period to worry about. Or you can try a paid plan free for 30 days.

Both CreditExpert and Identity Plus come with a 30-day free trial for new customers who haven’t used them before. You get the plan’s features for those 30 days, and there’s nothing to pay if you cancel within the trial. After that, CreditExpert is £14.99 a month and Identity Plus is £10.99 a month. You can cancel anytime.

FAQs

How much does Experian CreditLock cost?

CreditLock isn’t sold on its own. It comes as part of CreditExpert at £14.99 a month and Identity Plus at £10.99 a month, both of which have a 30-day free trial for new customers. CreditLock lets you lock your Experian Credit Report to help limit criminals’ ability to take out credit in your name.

Can you use Experian without paying?

Yes. You can use Experian without paying anything. A free Experian account gives you your Experian Credit Score, your Experian Credit Report through the app, Experian Boost, and the option to compare credit products. Paying is only for optional extras.

How much does Experian cost per month?

The free Experian account costs nothing per month. If you choose a paid plan, CreditExpert is £14.99 a month and Identity Plus is £10.99 a month, each after a 30-day free trial for new customers. There’s no monthly cost unless you opt into one of these plans.

What does Experian credit monitoring cost?

Experian doesn’t charge for checking your score or report. Monitoring-style features, like daily updates, alerts to changes on your report, and fraud and web monitoring, come with the paid plans: CreditExpert at £14.99 a month and Identity Plus at £10.99 a month. Both start with a 30-day free trial for new customers.

How much does CreditExpert cost?

CreditExpert costs £14.99 a month, with a 30-day free trial for new customers who haven’t used it before. There’s nothing to pay if you cancel within the trial, and you can cancel anytime. It adds daily score and report updates, a tailored action plan to improve your score, fraud and web monitoring, CreditLock, UK-based expert support, and more.

How much does Identity Plus cost?

Identity Plus costs £10.99 a month, with a 30-day free trial for new customers. It focuses on protecting you from fraud: it includes CreditLock so you can lock your Experian Credit Report, fraud alerts, web monitoring and expert fraud support. One in four people have been a victim of fraud, so some people choose it for extra peace of mind.

New customers only. Free trial period starts on registration. Further ID verification may be required to access the full service, which can take up to five days. Identity Plus is £10.99 a month and CreditExpert is £14.99 a month after the free trial ends. You can cancel anytime.