Self is a 24-month credit-builder loan. You pick $25, $35, $48, or $150 a month. Payments report to all three bureaus, and leftover principal is returned at the end minus interest and a $9 admin fee.

Kikoff Credit Account is a $5–$35/month revolving store line ($750 / $2,500 / $3,500). No hard pull, 0% APR, reports as revolving credit. You buy inside Kikoff’s catalog, not out in the world.

No annual fee secured card from Discover: $200 deposit, cash back, reports to all 3. Graduation path was a reason it ranked first — but new applications were paused June 2026 after the Capital One deal. Confirm live status before you apply.

The only official site for free Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion reports. Pull all three before you buy repair, a builder, or a monitoring upsell. This does not build credit. It shows what to build on.

Chime Credit Builder is a secured-style Visa with no credit check, no interest, and no annual fee. You move money onto the card, spend it, and Chime reports. Best if you already bank with Chime.

Bilt is the rent card people actually want: pay rent, earn points, and hold a real revolving tradeline. It is not a thin-file guaranteed approval. If you can get it, it often beats paying a rent-reporting app.

Capital One’s no-annual-fee secured card. Some applicants open with a $49 or $99 deposit. Reports to all three bureaus. No cash back — you are buying a tradeline and a shot at a Capital One unsecured card later.

Free Experian feature: connect bills (utilities, phone, some streaming/rent) and Experian can count on-time payments in some Experian scores. Equifax and TransUnion are unchanged.

Quicksilver Secured is Capital One’s cash-back secured card: $0 annual fee, ~1.5% back, $200 deposit, reports to all three bureaus, review for unsecured around six months.

Digital Federal Credit Union’s credit-builder loan is a traditional CU product: you join, take a small installment loan, and payments report. APR is often better than Self; setup is slower.

Self’s Visa is a secured card you can add after using the Credit Builder Account. $100-style deposit, reports to all three bureaus, annual fee after the first year. Use it to add revolving mix next to the installment loan.

Self reports rent to all three bureaus at no charge. That is the default free rent-reporting option. Paid add-ons exist for other bills and for back-reporting prior months.

Boom is a consumer rent-reporting app. No landlord required. Reports to the major bureaus and can back-report prior on-time months (often 24 months, ~$25). Strongest dedicated DIY rent option if Self’s free rent reporting is not enough.

Credit Strong (Austin Capital Bank) reports a CD-backed installment loan, including larger ‘Magnum’ sizes. Payments go to all three bureaus. Cost scales with the size of the tradeline you want on file.

Grow Credit reports eligible subscriptions (streaming, etc.) as credit-card-like activity. No interest because you cannot revolver. You pay a monthly membership instead.

Optional installment add-on for Kikoff members. Payments report alongside the Credit Account so you can show both revolving and installment history.

Piñata is a consumer rent-reporting app with a free core tier. Strong budget pick. Confirm which bureaus the free plan actually hits before you skip Boom.

Kovo is a credit-builder membership with rewards. WalletHub has ranked it at the top of builder apps for bureau coverage. Confirm current price, bureaus, and whether missed payments report.

Current’s Build Card is a deposit-funded Visa that reports as credit. Same idea as Chime Credit Builder: no interest, no traditional deposit, banking relationship required.

MoneyLion Credit Builder Plus pairs a 12-month builder loan ($500–$1,000 typical) with a paid MoneyLion membership. On-time repayments report to all three bureaus.

Extra builds credit without a conventional credit card. You pay a membership; Extra reports. It is a Kikoff/Grow-class product, not a Chase card.

Ava’s Save & Build account is a 0% interest savings-style builder bundled with Ava membership. Payments report. After the term, savings can come back. Pair with the Ava Card if you also need revolving history.

The Ava Card reports subscription-style / builder-card spend without a traditional security deposit. It lives inside Ava’s paid membership, not as a free Discover competitor.

BofA’s secured cash-back card. Deposit-backed, reports like a normal card, earns customized cash back. Strongest if you already bank at Bank of America.

WalletHub shows up on rent-reporting roundups because it can report bills/rent for some users. Confirm the live reporting product, bureaus, and fee. The free WalletHub score is not a builder.

Citi’s secured Mastercard is a deposit-backed card that reports to the major bureaus. Use it only if Citi is the issuer you want; Discover and Capital One are usually the cleaner national comparisons.

Kikoff reports rent to Equifax as part of the Credit Account. Optional 24-month back-report for a one-time fee. Not a 3-bureau rent product.

Navy Federal’s secured rewards card for members. $0 annual fee is common. Reports like a normal card. Only if you can join NFCU.

Kikoff’s secured card is a deposit-backed card for members who want revolving history they can spend outside Kikoff’s store. Confirm current deposit, fees, and bureau reporting before you apply.

OpenSky is the no-credit-check secured Visa. You fund a deposit; they skip the underwrite. It reports. It also charges an annual fee, which is why it loses to Discover if you can get Discover.

OpenSky Plus is the credit-check sibling of the original no-credit-check OpenSky Visa. Better terms if you can underwrite. Still a secured card with a deposit.

Free Capital One CreditWise: score, report monitoring, simulator. Use it to watch the file. Use a builder to change the file.

Wells Fargo’s secured card is a bank-issued revolving line with a deposit. Fine inside the Wells ecosystem. Capital One Platinum Secured is usually cheaper to enter.

Credit Karma Money’s Credit Builder lets you set aside money and build credit/savings together inside Credit Karma. Confirm it is still offered and which bureaus receive the tradeline.

LevelCredit is the RentReporters rebrand: paid rent reporting, optional long back-dating. Compare bureaus and enrollment fees to Boom, Piñata, and Self before you pay a setup charge.

U.S. Bank secured Visa for customers who want to stay with their bank. Compare the deposit to Capital One before you freeze $300–$500.

Green Dot’s secured card is aimed at people in the Green Dot / GO2bank world. It can report. Fees have historically been the reason to prefer Discover or Capital One instead.

PenFed has offered secured cards to members. Credit-union pricing can beat OpenSky. Eligibility and the current product name must be checked on penfed.org.

Fig’s credit-builder savings account is a low-cost way to start installment history by saving on a schedule. Verify current reporting, fees, and state availability — this product has been revised over time.

TomoCredit underwrites from bank data instead of a classic FICO cutoff. It can be a path to a spendable card when secured-card issuers bounce you. Verify the live product.

Applied Bank issues a secured Visa aimed at rebuilders. Expect a deposit and an annual fee. Use only after $0-AF cards decline you.

StellarFi reports bills you already pay as credit tradelines. Useful in theory. As of 2026 it has been paused for new users. Do not apply until the company says it is open.