Both Credit Genius and Credit Sesame are credit apps. Both apps are free to start. Both apps will give you a credit score.
But If you want to compare the two apps or just need to know how they work so you can make better decisions, this is a comparison of the main differences between the two in layman’s terms.
What Credit Sesame does
Credit Sesame is primarily a credit tracking app. Credit Sesame provides you with your VantageScore through TransUnion, monitors the data contained within your credit report for changes, and sends notifications when anything in your file changes.
In addition, Credit Sesame makes basic suggestions about personal finance products that may be relevant to your credit profile.
The features included in the free version include all of the standard credit monitoring features. The premium service includes additional detail, monitoring across multiple bureaus, and added identity theft prevention services.
Credit Sesame was launched in 2010. It has been used by a large number of consumers. Therefore, if you’re looking for a straightforward and easy-to-use way to passively view your credit score, then Credit Sesame may meet those requirements.
What Credit Genius does
Credit Genius takes an alternative approach to how credit is managed. The primary focus of Credit Genius is not just tracking information currently in your report but also helping you improve it.
The platform has four key characteristics. The Backdating feature allows users to submit historical rental payments to Experian, which can turn those payments into credit-enhancing assets.
The AI-powered Credit Assistant analyzes each user’s credit profile and then identifies and provides personalized recommendations on the best course of action to take to increase their score.
Credit Games makes financial literacy fun by using interactive educational tools in the form of games to help individuals understand real ways to improve their credit.
Real-Time Experian Monitoring provides instant notifications when any changes occur to your Experian file.
The core difference
Credit Sesame shows you your score. Credit Genius is about changing it.
Depending on your stage in your credit journey, that distinction will vary. For example, if you already possess a healthy credit profile and are simply seeking a way to track your file for any changes and potential fraud, a monitoring-based application may meet all of your needs.
However, if you are building credit from scratch, attempting to recover from past financial issues or are searching for specific actions to perform to enhance your score, the features that provide the most value are those that create new positive credit activity in your file, not those that provide access to existing data.
Bureau coverage
Credit Sesame has a free version using TransUnion. Credit Genius monitors Experian. In the U.S., no other bureau is used by lenders more often than Experian for their credit decision-making.
This matters. Not all positive credit activities report to all three bureaus. If your rent is reported to Experian and your file is monitored there, then your positive changes are going to be seen when you go to apply for an apartment, a car loan or a credit card.
Rent reporting
Rent reporting is not a core function offered with Credit Sesame. It is available with Credit Genius and includes backdating, allowing users to upload months or even years of prior rental payments to Experian at once, instead of having nothing but the date of enrollment.
For renters, this is one of the biggest differentiators in functionality between Credit Genius and Credit Sesame. There is no way to convert past rent payments into current credit history through Credit Sesame.
AI and personalization
Credit Sesame recommends financial products that align with your credit profile; therefore, it generally recommends products where you may be qualified.
Credit Genius extends the idea of personalization by offering an AI-powered Credit Assistant, which analyzes the data in your credit file and then tells you exactly what actions to take to increase your credit score based on your own set of circumstances.
Credit advice is generic when everyone receives the same advice. Personalized advice is when the next step is based on what is contained within your credit file.
Financial education
Credit Sesame does have some education content. Education is built into the user experience in Credit Genius through Credit Games, which are interactive, gamified learning modules based on the idea that consumers learn and retain financial concepts much better if they are engaged rather than passively.
Who each app is built for
Credit Sesame is a good option for individuals who already have an existing credit file, are not trying to make substantial improvements to their credit score, and want a free tool to monitor their credit activity and receive alerts.
Credit Genius is designed for those who want to build or improve their credit. This can include renters who would like to see their payments included in their credit history, individuals with very little or no credit history, and anyone seeking to get personalized and actionable AI-based direction regarding what steps should be taken next.
The bottom line
Credit Sesame and Credit Genius both fall into the same category. However, they have distinct functions. Credit Sesame is a credit monitoring app. Credit Genius is an app designed for building credit, with monitoring included.
Both can be used if you want to monitor your scores. However, if you want to improve them, this makes a significant difference.
