PSA vs BGS vs CGC: Which Card Grading Company Should You Choose?
Comparisons
PSA vs BGS vs CGC: Which Card Grading Company Should You Choose?
Compare PSA vs BGS vs CGC card grading companies. Pricing, turnaround times, grading scales, and which company is best for your cards.
CardGrade.io Editorial·Published Sep 29, 2025 · Updated Feb 26, 2026·10 min read
Choosing the Right Card Grading Company
Deciding between PSA vs BGS vs CGC is one of the most important choices a card collector or investor can make. Each grading company has different standards, pricing, turnaround times, and market reputations. The right choice depends on what you collect, your budget, and your goals.
This guide breaks down every meaningful difference between the three major card grading companies so you can make an informed decision before submitting your cards.
Quick Comparison: PSA vs BGS vs CGC
Feature
PSA
BGS
CGC
Founded
1991
1999
2020 (cards)
Grading Scale
1-10 (whole numbers)
1-10 (half-point increments)
1-10 (half-point increments)
Sub-Grades
No
Yes (Centering, Corners, Edges, Surface)
Yes (Centering, Corners, Edges, Surface)
Top Grade
Gem Mint 10
Pristine 10 / Black Label
Pristine 10
Starting Price
~$20/card
~$20/card
~$15/card
Turnaround
65-120+ business days (economy)
40-90+ business days
30-60+ business days
Market Premium
Highest resale values
Strong for specific categories
Growing acceptance
Best For
Sports cards, general collecting
Pokemon, condition-sensitive buyers
Budget-conscious, newer collectors
Grading Scales Explained
PSA: The 1-10 Whole Number Scale
PSA uses a straightforward 1 to 10 scale with whole numbers only. There are no sub-grades on the label. A PSA 10 is a PSA 10 regardless of whether centering was perfect or just barely within tolerance. This simplicity is both a strength and a weakness.
Strengths: Easy for buyers to understand. A PSA 10 is the gold standard, and there is no ambiguity about what it represents in the marketplace.
Weaknesses: No granularity. Two PSA 9 cards might have very different conditions. One could have been borderline PSA 10 with slightly off centering, while another might have multiple minor flaws across all categories.
BGS: Half-Point Increments with Sub-Grades
BGS provides a final grade in half-point increments (9, 9.5, 10) along with four visible sub-grades: Centering, Corners, Edges, and Surface. Each sub-grade is also on a half-point scale.
The BGS Black Label is the pinnacle. When all four sub-grades are 10, the card receives a special black label instead of the standard gold. BGS Black Labels are exceptionally rare and command massive premiums.
Strengths: Maximum transparency. Buyers know exactly what condition each attribute is in. A BGS 9.5 with all 9.5 sub-grades is demonstrably different from a BGS 9.5 with a 9 centering sub-grade.
Weaknesses: More complex for casual buyers. The sub-grade system can feel overwhelming for newcomers to the hobby.
CGC: Combining the Best of Both
CGC adopted the half-point scale with sub-grades, similar to BGS. Their system was designed with lessons learned from both PSA and BGS.
Strengths: Modern approach, transparent sub-grades, competitive pricing, and faster turnaround than PSA or BGS for most service levels.
Weaknesses: As the newest entrant, CGC cards generally carry lower resale premiums than PSA or BGS equivalents. Market acceptance continues to grow but has not yet matched the established companies.
Pricing Breakdown
Grading costs vary significantly based on service level, card value, and turnaround time. Here is a comparison of typical pricing tiers as of 2026:
All three companies require you to ship your cards to their facility and pay return shipping. Factor in:
Outbound shipping: $8-15 for USPS Priority with tracking
Insurance: Recommended for any card valued over $50
Return shipping: Included in some tiers, additional $10-20 in others
Handling fees: Some tiers include per-order handling fees
The total cost per card, including shipping, can easily reach $30-40 even at economy pricing when you account for all fees.
Turnaround Time Reality
Published turnaround times are estimates, and actual wait times frequently exceed them. Here is what collectors typically experience:
Company
Published Economy
Realistic Economy
Published Express
Realistic Express
PSA
65 business days
90-150 business days
5-10 business days
5-15 business days
BGS
40 business days
60-120 business days
5 business days
5-10 business days
CGC
30 business days
40-75 business days
5 business days
5-10 business days
CGC consistently delivers the fastest turnaround at economy tiers. PSA's economy service has been the most variable, with wait times spiking during high-demand periods. Express services at all three companies are relatively reliable.
Which Company for Which Card Type?
Sports Cards (Baseball, Football, Basketball)
Best choice: PSA
PSA dominates the sports card market. A PSA 10 sports card sells for 10-30% more than the equivalent BGS 9.5 or CGC 10 in most cases. The liquidity advantage is significant because PSA is what most sports card buyers search for on eBay, COMC, and other marketplaces.
For high-value vintage sports cards, PSA is almost always the right call. The market has decades of pricing data built around PSA grades, and collectors trust PSA for authentication of older cards.
Pokemon Cards
Best choice: BGS or CGC (with PSA for high-end vintage)
The Pokemon market is split. BGS has built strong credibility in the Pokemon community, particularly for modern sets. A BGS Black Label on a desirable Pokemon card commands extraordinary premiums. CGC has also gained significant traction among Pokemon collectors, especially for modern product.
For vintage Wizards of the Coast (WOTC) era Pokemon cards, PSA remains competitive due to its authentication reputation and the high resale premiums on PSA 10 base set holos.
Other TCG (Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh)
Best choice: CGC or BGS
CGC has aggressively pursued the TCG market with competitive pricing and faster turnaround. For Magic: The Gathering, both CGC and BGS are well-respected. PSA has less market penetration in the MTG space.
Modern Cards (Any Category)
Best choice: Depends on your goal
Maximize resale value: PSA for sports, BGS or PSA for Pokemon
Minimize cost: CGC offers the lowest per-card pricing
Fastest turnaround: CGC at economy tiers
Maximum detail: BGS or CGC for sub-grade transparency
Grading Standards Compared
Centering
Grade Level
PSA Tolerance
BGS/CGC Tolerance
Top grade (10)
60/40 front, 75/25 back
50/50-55/45 front, 55/45 back
Second grade (9/9.5)
65/35 front, 90/10 back
55/45 front, 60/40 back
PSA is notably more lenient on centering for their top grade. A card with 58/42 centering can achieve a PSA 10 but would likely receive a BGS centering sub-grade of 9 or 9.5.
Corners, Edges, and Surface
All three companies evaluate these attributes, but the granularity differs. BGS and CGC break them out as individual sub-grades, while PSA rolls them into the overall score. In practice, PSA's standards for corners and edges at the 10 level are comparable to BGS and CGC, but the lack of sub-grades means you cannot identify which attribute caused a downgrade without re-evaluating the card yourself.
Market Premiums and Resale Value
The grading company you choose directly impacts resale value. Here are typical market premiums relative to raw card value:
Grade
PSA Premium
BGS Premium
CGC Premium
Top grade (10/10/10)
3-10x raw value
4-15x (Black Label)
2-6x raw value
High grade (10/9.5/9.5)
3-10x raw value
2-5x (Gold Label)
1.5-4x raw value
Mid-high (9/9/9)
1.5-3x raw value
1.3-2.5x raw value
1.2-2x raw value
PSA 10 cards generally sell for the highest absolute prices in sports cards. BGS Black Labels command the highest premiums in the Pokemon market. CGC offers good value but lower premiums overall.
When to Choose Each Company
Choose PSA When:
You collect sports cards (baseball, football, basketball)
Maximizing resale value is your priority
You want the most widely recognized label
You are grading vintage cards that need authentication
Liquidity and sell-through rate matter most
Choose BGS When:
You want sub-grade transparency on the label
You collect Pokemon or TCG cards
You are chasing Black Labels on pristine cards
You want buyers to see exactly how the card was evaluated
The card's condition is exceptionally high and sub-grades prove it
Choose CGC When:
Budget is a primary concern
You need faster turnaround times
You are grading modern cards in larger quantities
You want sub-grades at a lower price point
You collect TCG cards (MTG, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh)
Pre-Screen Before You Submit to Any Company
Regardless of which company you choose, pre-screening your cards saves money by identifying cards that are unlikely to achieve your target grade. Submitting a card with 70/30 centering to PSA when you need a 10 is a waste of $20+ in grading fees.
CardGrade.io's AI-powered grading pre-screens your cards using CGI Vision AI, which analyzes 47 inspection points in 29 seconds with 92.8% accuracy. The system predicts grades for PSA, BGS, and CGC simultaneously, so you can compare expected outcomes across companies before you commit.
With 3 free credits and no credit card required, CardGrade.io is the smart first step before any grading submission. Trusted by over 540 teams, it takes the guesswork out of choosing the right company and the right cards to submit.
How CardGrade.io Helps You Decide
CardGrade.io does not just tell you a predicted grade. It shows you the breakdown across centering, corners, edges, and surface, mapped to each company's standards. You might discover that a card would likely earn a PSA 10 but only a BGS 9.5 due to stricter centering tolerances, helping you choose PSA for that particular card.
Use CardGrade.io's grade predictor to compare expected grades across all three companies and make data-driven submission decisions.
Summary
The PSA vs BGS vs CGC decision comes down to what you collect, your budget, and your goals. PSA offers the highest resale premiums for sports cards and the most recognizable label. BGS provides the most detailed grading with sub-grades and commands top premiums on Pokemon cards. CGC delivers the best value with lower pricing and faster turnaround.
No matter which card grading company you choose, pre-screening with CardGrade.io ensures you only submit cards with the best chance of hitting your target grade. That means less money wasted on submissions that disappoint and more high-grade slabs in your collection.
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The CardGrade.io editorial team writes about card grading, AI technology, and collecting strategy. Our guides are researched against official PSA, BGS, and CGC standards.
