Equifax and TransUnion are the two main credit bureaus in Canada. Each one collects the information lenders send about your credit accounts, keeps its own credit report on you, and calculates its own credit score from that report. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) notes that the bureaus “only collect information about your credit activity in Canada” (FCAC, credit report and score basics). This page compares the two; the rest of our guides to credit scores in Canada cover how a score is built and what moves it.
Because the two companies keep separate files, your Equifax and TransUnion reports can hold different information, and your two scores usually aren’t the same number.
How the two bureaus compare
| Feature | Equifax | TransUnion |
|---|---|---|
| Score scale | Usually 300 to 900 | Usually 300 to 900 |
| Free credit score online | Free in all provinces and territories | Free in Ontario and Quebec, as part of the Consumer Disclosure |
| Free credit report | Online, by mail, by phone, or in person in some provinces | Online (the Consumer Disclosure), by mail, by phone, or in person in some provinces |
| Phone line | 1-800-465-7166 | 1-800-663-9980 |
| Hard inquiries kept | 3 years | 6 years |
| Positive information | Paid-in-full accounts stay while open; closed accounts up to 10 years | Up to 20 years, even after the account closes |
| First bankruptcy | 6 years after discharge | 6 years after discharge; 7 in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Quebec |
| Court judgments | Usually 6 years | Usually 6 years, longer in some provinces |
The score scale is the FCAC’s (“Scores usually range from 300 to 900”), the access rows and phone lines come from its page on getting your credit report and credit score, and the retention rows from its page on how long information stays on your credit report. The same number doesn’t carry the same label in every scoring model; credit score ranges in Canada sets out Equifax’s published rating bands and what they mean.
Why your scores differ between bureaus
There are two separate reasons.
Different information. Lenders send information about your accounts to the credit bureaus, but not every lender reports to both. An account, a late payment or a collection can appear in one file and not the other. Inquiries differ too: a lender that checks only one bureau leaves an inquiry on that report alone.
Different formulas. Even with the same information, the score depends on the formula. In the FCAC’s words, “Credit bureaus and lenders use different formulas to calculate your score, but they don’t share the exact details.” It adds that the score you see may differ from the score a lender sees, because a lender may give more weight to certain information. How credit scores are calculated covers the factors the models have in common.
A small gap between the two scores is ordinary. A large one is a reason to pull both full reports and compare them line by line, looking for an account on only one report, a payment marked late on one and on time on the other, or a collection reported to only one bureau. When one score changes suddenly, why a credit score drops walks through the usual causes.
Which lenders use which bureau
There is no public list of which lenders check which bureau, and a lender can check one bureau for one product and the other, or both, for another. The lender can tell you which bureau it plans to check when you apply. For a mortgage, both files can come into play; the credit score needed for a mortgage covers what lenders look for.
Getting your reports and scores
Both bureaus give you your credit report for free, online or by mail, and the FCAC confirms that checking your own report or score doesn’t affect your credit score. The free score is where they differ: Equifax’s is free in every province and territory, while TransUnion’s is free only if you live in Ontario or Quebec. How to check your credit score for free lists the bureau and third-party options.
How long information stays on each report
Most negative information follows the same schedule at both bureaus: late or unpaid credit cards and loans stay for up to 6 years, and a consumer proposal comes off 3 years after you’ve paid off the debts in it or 6 years after you sign it, whichever comes first. The bureaus part ways on hard inquiries, on positive information, and on bankruptcies and judgments in some provinces, as the table shows. How long a hard inquiry stays on your report and how long bankruptcy stays on your credit cover those two timelines in detail.
Errors, fraud alerts and freezes
Each bureau corrects only its own file, so an error that appears on both reports goes to both, on each bureau’s dispute form. How to dispute a credit report error walks through the process, from gathering documents to adding a consumer statement.
When identity theft is a possibility, the FCAC lists asking both Equifax and TransUnion for a fraud alert, which tells lenders to contact you and confirm your identity before approving credit. Some provinces and territories also allow a security freeze, which blocks lenders from your report until you remove it; the FCAC’s page on checking your credit report for errors and fraud explains both.
Related pages
Sources
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources, last checked against them on September 25, 2026. How we check facts.
- Financial Consumer Agency of Canada: How long information stays on your credit report