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PSA, CGC, BGS, ACE, TAG or SGC: which grading company?

A PSA slab sold for the most on 3 of the 4 cards we checked today. The right company depends on the card and on what you want back. The tables below use today's fees and prices from our own card data.

Checked October 12, 2026. We update this page when the facts change.

A Pokémon cardA Pokémon card
Pick one

What matters most to you?

The highest resale price

PSA, on 3 of the 4 cards we checked today.

  • Most buyers search for PSA slabs first.
  • The table below names the winning slab card by card.

The lowest fee

SGC today.

  • Its Standard service is $15.00 a card.
  • Add postage both ways. A company abroad costs more to reach.
  • The cheapest company changes as fees do.

Graded close to home

PSA, CGC, BGS, TAG and SGC all grade in the US.

  • ACE grades in Britain.
  • Cards sent abroad need customs forms both ways.

Knowing why it got its grade

BGS or TAG.

  • BGS prints four subgrades on the label.
  • TAG gives a report that shows each mark it found.

A card I will keep

Any of the six.

  • Resale gaps do not matter for a card you keep.
  • Pick on fee, and on the look of the slab.

Which slab sells for the most, card by card

From our own card data, read today. Each card's page lists every company's slab.

CardRawSells for the most inSecondLowest of those sold
Charizard 4 (Base Set)$334PSA 10 at $12,307SGC 10 at $7,305CGC 10 at $4,356
Umbreon VMAX 215 (Evolving Skies)$1,855TAG 10 at $4,499PSA 10 at $3,885SGC 10 at $1,755
Charizard ex 199 (151)$320PSA 10 at $1,400TAG 10 at $1,100BGS 9.5 at $616
Mew ex 193 (151)$29.01PSA 10 at $220TAG 10 at $158SGC 10 at $48.00

What each company charges today

CompanyCheapest open serviceFee a cardWhat is open todayWhere the figure is from
PSAStandard$59.99Value services are paused. Standard is open, quoted at 90 to 100 business days.Its own price list, read October 11, 2026
ACECore$15.88Open. It is a UK company, and its two cheapest services are for members.Its own price list, read October 11, 2026
CGCEconomy$20.00Every service is open. Economy is the cheapest with no minimum number of cards.As reported, October 11, 2026
BGSExpress$79.95Its website has been offline since September 9, 2026. Base and Standard are closed. Express is taken through a temporary form, at its Texas office.As reported, October 11, 2026
TAGLimited drop$59.00Its usual services are closed. Cards go in through limited drops, at a higher price.As reported, October 11, 2026
SGCStandard$15.00Open.As reported, October 11, 2026

One card in every company's slab

One card, Charizard 4 (Base Set), in each company's slab. Raw, it sells for $334.

CompanyIts top gradeSells for
PSA10$12,307
SGC10$7,305
BGS9.5$7,192
TAG10$5,570
CGC10$4,356

The six companies

CompanyWho it isToday
PSAPSA is the largest card grading company, based in the United States.Value services are paused.
ACEACE Grading is a British company that prices in pounds.Open.
CGCCGC is a US company that grades comics and games as well as cards.Every service is open.
BGSBGS is Beckett's grading service, known for the four subgrades on its label.Its website has been offline since September 9, 2026.
TAGTAG is a newer US company that grades by machine scan.Its usual services are closed.
SGCSGC is a long standing US grading company, known for the black insert in its slab.Open.

How to choose for one card

  1. Look the card up.Its page shows what each company's slab sells for.
  2. Take off the fee.Use the fee table above, and add postage both ways.
  3. Think about the grade.A company's top grade is harder to get than its second.
  4. Pick the largest gain.The company with the most left after costs wins for that card.

Our grading guide has a calculator that does the sum.

A card being scannedCharizard$334 rawOur scannerOr scan the cardScan it and open the grade advice. It weighs all six companies for that card.Scan a card →

Common questions

Which grading company is best for Pokémon cards?

For resale price, PSA on most cards. For cost and speed the answer changes with each company's fees and queues. Check the card's page for what each slab sells for.

Is ACE Grading as good as PSA?

ACE is a British company with lower fees. Its slabs sell for less than PSA slabs on most cards. For a card you keep, that gap does not matter.

Is CGC or PSA better for Pokémon?

PSA slabs sell for more on most Pokémon cards, and CGC charges less. Compare the two prices on the card's own page, then take off each fee.

Why do BGS slabs have four numbers?

They are subgrades for centering, corners, edges and surface. The grade on the label comes from those four.

Can I move a card from one company's slab to another?

Yes. It is called a crossover. The new company grades the card afresh, and the grade can go down as well as up.

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