There are five card grading companies that matter in 2026: PSA, CGC, Beckett (BGS), TAG and SGC. PSA grades about seven of every ten cards and still gets the highest resale prices. CGC is a clear second and the value pick for Pokémon. And the biggest change since I first wrote this guide is who owns them: Collectors, the company behind PSA, bought SGC in 2024 and Beckett in 2025, so three of the five now share a parent.
Below is how the top 10 compare on price, speed and resale value, and which one I’d use for which kind of card.
Last updated September 2026. Prices and turnaround times are from each company’s own pricing page on September 27, 2026, and they’ve changed several times this year, so check the linked page before you submit. Volume figures are from GemRate.
The top card grading companies compared
| Company | Share of cards graded (2025) | Cheapest open tier (Sept 2026) | Owner | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 72% | $59.99, 90–100 business days | Collectors | The highest resale value, sports and TCG |
| CGC Cards | 18% | $17 bulk (25 cards), 150 working days | Certified Collectibles Group | Pokémon and other TCGs on a budget |
| SGC | 5% | $50, 40+ business days | Collectors | Vintage cards, and the look of the tuxedo slab |
| Beckett (BGS) | 3% | Check Beckett’s status page | Collectors | Subgrades, and chasing a Black Label |
| TAG | 2% | $149 (5 business days); cheaper tiers paused | Independent | A detailed, photo-backed report on every flaw |
The short version: if you might sell the card, PSA. If it’s Pokémon and the difference between a PSA 10 and a CGC 10 is small for your card, CGC saves real money. The other three are for specific reasons, which I’ll get to.
Who owns the grading companies now
Collectors Holdings, the parent company of PSA, bought SGC in February 2024 and agreed to buy Beckett in December 2025. SGC and Beckett still run as separate brands with their own slabs and standards, but together the three graded about 80% of all cards in 2025. That leaves CGC and TAG as the only large independents.
Not everyone is happy about it. A collector filed an antitrust lawsuit in April 2026 asking a court to make Collectors sell SGC and Beckett. It’s still in the early stages.
1. PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator)
PSA is the standard the rest are measured against. It graded 19.3 million cards in 2025, more than every other company combined, and its red-label slab is what most buyers expect to see on an expensive card. PSA uses a 1 to 10 scale with half grades from 1.5 to 8.5. The PSA grading scale explained covers what each grade means.
The catch in 2026 is capacity. Submissions surged, the backlog peaked at over 12 million cards in July, and PSA paused its cheapest Value tiers in June. In their place, a new Standard tier launched on September 14 at $59.99 per card (for cards worth up to $1,000), with an estimated 90 to 100 business days.
Pros
- The highest resale value. By PSA’s own figures, a PSA 10 outsells a BGS 9.5, CGC 10 or SGC 10 of the same card 96% of the time.
- The easiest slab to sell. Buyers know it, and the population report is the one the market uses.
- A smooth online submission process, with grades posted as each card is finished.
Cons
- Slow and expensive right now: $59.99 is the cheapest open tier, with a wait of three months or more.
- If PSA decides your card is worth more than the value you declared, it bills you for the higher tier.
2. CGC Cards (Certified Guaranty Company)
CGC is the second-biggest grader and the fastest-growing of the majors: it graded 4.9 million cards in 2025, more than double the year before. It started with comics, moved into Pokémon and Magic, and merged its sports brand (CSG) into CGC Cards in 2023. It has a quarter of all TCG grading and is picking up sports cards quickly.
CGC’s top grade is the Pristine 10, for a card that’s virtually flawless with 50/50 centering. Below it, Gem Mint 10 is the equivalent of a PSA 10. CGC no longer gives subgrades on new cards, and the old “Perfect 10” label has been retired.
Pros
- The cheapest of the majors: $17 a card in bulk (25-card minimum, cards worth up to $500) or $20 for Economy.
- Well accepted for Pokémon. On modern Pokémon the price gap between a CGC 10 and a PSA 10 is much smaller than it is for sports cards.
- A clear, well-made slab, and a Pristine 10 above Gem Mint for the best cards.
Cons
- For modern sports cards, a CGC 10 still sells for well under a PSA 10.
- Bulk is slow (around 150 working days), and prices went up twice in 2026.
3. SGC (Sportscard Guaranty Corporation)
SGC has been grading since 1998 and is known for its black “tuxedo” slab, which makes vintage cards look fantastic. It’s been owned by Collectors since 2024. For years SGC was the cheap, fast alternative to PSA, but that changed on September 2, 2026, when its cheapest tier rose from about $18 to $50. Its volume was already falling before the price rise: SGC graded fewer cards than TAG in June.
The top SGC grade is the 10 Pristine, which gets a gold label, followed by 10 Gem Mint.
Pros
- The best-looking slab for vintage and tobacco-size cards, and well respected by vintage collectors.
- Faster than PSA’s cheapest tier: $50 for 40+ business days, for cards worth up to $1,500.
Cons
- No longer a budget option.
- An SGC 10 usually sells for less than a PSA 10, especially for modern cards.
4. Beckett Grading Services (BGS)
Beckett is famous for subgrades: four separate scores for centering, corners, edges and surface, printed on the label. A card that gets a 10 in all four earns the Pristine 10 Black Label, the rarest slab in the hobby and, for some modern cards, worth more than a PSA 10. The everyday “gem” grade at Beckett is a 9.5.
Beckett has had a rough year. Collectors bought it in December 2025, a data breach from late 2025 exposed about a million customer accounts, its cheaper grading tiers were paused in August 2026, and beckett.com and the Beckett app have been down for “infrastructure enhancements” since September 9. Reports conflict on which tiers are open, so check Beckett’s status page before you send anything.
Pros
- Subgrades tell you exactly why a card got its grade.
- The Black Label is a genuine chase slab with its own premium.
Cons
- A BGS 9.5 sells for much less than a PSA 10 of the same card, often less than half for modern sports.
- Limited service and no website at the moment.
5. TAG Grading
TAG grades cards with imaging rather than by eye alone. Each card gets a normal 1 to 10 grade plus a TAG Score out of 1,000, and a digital report that shows every flaw it found, with photos. Cards scoring 990 or more are TAG Pristine. It’s the most transparent grading you can buy, and TAG nearly doubled its volume in 2025.
Demand outran it in 2026. Its regular tiers are paused, leaving Priority at $149 a card (5 business days). TAG says it will reopen the cheaper tiers in limited “drops” once its backlog clears.
Pros
- You see exactly why a card got its grade, down to each defect.
- The 1,000-point score separates two cards that would both be “10” elsewhere.
Cons
- Only the expensive tier is open right now.
- Resale value is less established than PSA’s.
6–10. Other card grading companies
These are smaller and less established. They can be fine for your personal collection, but expect less when you sell.
- 6. ARENA Club: co-founded by Derek Jeter, it pairs computer-vision grading with its own marketplace, and ran a national ad campaign in 2026.
- 7. KSA: a Canadian grading and autograph company operating since 1996. Most KSA slabs you’ll see are hockey cards.
- 8. Rare Edition: gives every card a detailed report showing what the graders saw.
- 9. C3 Grading: a newer independent that’s been getting attention as an alternative to the big names.
- 10. HGA (Hybrid Grading Approach): known for custom labels designed to match each card. HGA has reportedly paused new submissions, so check its status before sending anything.
Which grading company should you use?
- A card you might sell: PSA. The premium usually covers the higher fee.
- Modern Pokémon or other TCG cards: CGC, unless the card is valuable enough that a PSA 10 premium is worth the wait and cost.
- Vintage cards for your own collection: SGC, for the slab.
- A modern card you think is perfect: BGS for a shot at a Black Label, or TAG to find out exactly how close it is.
- Anything worth less than the grading fee: don’t grade it. How to select cards for grading helps you decide.
Before you send anything, see how to prepare your cards for grading and how to ship them.
FAQ
What is the best card grading company?
For resale value, PSA. It grades most of the cards in the hobby and a PSA 10 almost always sells for more than a 10 from anyone else. For cost, CGC is the best value, especially for Pokémon.
What is the cheapest card grading company?
Among the major companies, CGC, at $17 a card in bulk (25 cards minimum) as of September 2026. PSA’s cheapest open tier is $59.99 and SGC’s is $50.
Does PSA own SGC and Beckett?
Yes. Collectors, PSA’s parent company, bought SGC in 2024 and Beckett in 2025. All three keep their own brands and grading standards.
Is a CGC 10 as good as a PSA 10?
For the card’s condition, roughly yes: both mean Gem Mint. For resale, a PSA 10 usually sells for more. The gap is small on many modern Pokémon cards and much bigger on sports cards.
Buying graded cards? Here’s how to spot a fake PSA slab, even one with a real cert number.
