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Best no-annual-fee credit cards

Cards that cost nothing to keep, ranked by what they earn each year on typical spending. A no-fee card is also the benchmark Ledger uses to judge whether a fee card is worth it.

Based on $2,070/month spending: dining $300, groceries $500, hotels $80, flights $100, gas $150, streaming $40, everything else $900.

Rerun this ranking with your spending
  1. 1
    Hilton Honors CardHilton points with no annual fee
    Fee
    $0
    Bonus
    $350
    Year 1
    $856
    Yr 2+
    $506
  2. 2
    Wells Fargo Active CashFlat 2% back on everything — nothing to track
    Fee
    $0
    Bonus
    $200
    Year 1
    $697
    Yr 2+
    $497
  3. 3
    Citi Double CashFlat 2% back
    Fee
    $0
    Bonus
    $200
    Year 1
    $697
    Yr 2+
    $497
  4. 4
    Capital One Savor Cash RewardsFood and fun spending with no annual fee
    Fee
    $0
    Bonus
    $200
    Year 1
    $650
    Yr 2+
    $450
  5. 5
    Capital One VentureOne RewardsTravel miles with no annual fee
    Fee
    $0
    Bonus
    $280
    Year 1
    $715
    Yr 2+
    $435
  6. 6
    Chase Freedom UnlimitedA no-fee everyday card with an easy bonus
    Fee
    $0
    Bonus
    $200
    Year 1
    $627
    Yr 2+
    $427
  7. 7
    Chase Freedom FlexPeople happy to activate 5% categories each quarter
    Fee
    $0
    Bonus
    $200
    Year 1
    $620
    Yr 2+
    $420
  8. 8
    Costco Anywhere VisaCostco members — 2% at Costco, and it works in Costco warehouses (Visa only)
    Fee
    $0
    Bonus
    —
    Year 1
    $418
    Yr 2+
    $418
  9. 9
    Wells Fargo AutographThe best no-fee card for travel and dining categories
    Fee
    $0
    Bonus
    $200
    Year 1
    $609
    Yr 2+
    $409
  10. 10
    American Express Blue Cash EverydayGrocery and gas rewards with no annual fee
    Fee
    $0
    Bonus
    $200
    Year 1
    $604
    Yr 2+
    $404
  11. 11
    Capital One QuicksilverSimple 1.5% back with no foreign fees
    Fee
    $0
    Bonus
    $200
    Year 1
    $573
    Yr 2+
    $373
  12. 12
    Bank of America Travel RewardsSimple travel rewards with no annual fee
    Fee
    $0
    Bonus
    $250
    Year 1
    $623
    Yr 2+
    $373
  13. 13
    Chase Freedom RiseA first card with no credit history — 1.5% back on everything
    Fee
    $0
    Bonus
    —
    Year 1
    $373
    Yr 2+
    $373
  14. 14
    Bank of America Customized Cash RewardsPicking your own 3% category — change it monthly
    Fee
    $0
    Bonus
    $200
    Year 1
    $560
    Yr 2+
    $360
  15. 15
    Discover it Cash BackFirst-year Cashback Match doubles your rewards
    Fee
    $0
    Bonus
    $300
    Year 1
    $648
    Yr 2+
    $348
  16. 16
    Discover it SecuredBuilding credit while still earning cash back
    Fee
    $0
    Bonus
    —
    Year 1
    $286
    Yr 2+
    $286

How we rank

Ledger adds up each card's sign-up bonus, the rewards it earns on the spending above (respecting caps), and a realistic share of its credits, then subtracts the annual fee. Points are valued at our estimates — in the calculator you can switch to cash-out (≈1¢) or transfer-partner (≈2¢) values, add the cards you already have, and see which new card adds the most.

Updated Oct 30, 2026.