Which card earns more rewards, the Apple Card or Chase Freedom Unlimited?

The Chase Freedom Unlimited has a higher base earn rate (1.5X vs 1X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.

What benefits does the Apple Card have that the Chase Freedom Unlimited doesn't?

The Apple Card offers travel credits. The Chase Freedom Unlimited focuses more on earn rates than premium perks.

Should I get the Apple Card or the Chase Freedom Unlimited?

Both cards have the same $0/yr fee. Choose based on which bonus categories match your spending — check the earn rate comparison above.

Apple Card vs Chase Freedom Unlimited

Both cards cost $0/yr. The Apple Card leads on everyday spending; the Chase Freedom Unlimited on travel.

Card data as of October 12, 2026.

Credit card comparison
Overview
	Apple Card Goldman Sachs · No annual fee	Chase Freedom Unlimited Chase · No annual fee
Annual fee	$0	$0
Welcome offerCurrent public offer	—	$200 cash back
Rewards	Cash back	Cash back
Foreign transaction fee	None Lowest	3%
Network	Mastercard	Visa Signature
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
Dining	1%	3% Highest
Drugstores	1%	3% Highest
Everything else	1%	1.5% Highest
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
Travel	Extra 2% Booking.com Travel Credits · $2 per transaction	—
Rideshare & transit	$60 Uber One trial · $60 one-time	—
Dining & delivery	—	Free DashPass membership for 6 months · $60 one-time
Perks & access— means none on record
Car rental	5%+ off Hertz rentals + perks	—
Other perks	Share card with family and teens Interest-free payments on Apple gear Color-coded spending insights	24/7 travel assistance when you're away from home
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
Trip insurance	—	Up to $6,000 trip cancellation and interruption coverage · up to $1,500
Rental car	—	Free rental car coverage when you decline counter insurance
Purchase & returns	Zero Liability on unauthorized transactions No fees on international purchases Biometric security on every purchase	Up to $500 protection for damaged or stolen purchases 24/7 fraud monitoring Zero Liability on unauthorized charges
Extended warranty	—	Add an extra year to manufacturer warranties
Other protections	No late fees or penalty APR 24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide	24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide
Pros & cons
Pros	No annual fee, no late fees, and no penalty APR Daily Cash deposited immediately rather than monthly 3% back at Apple and select merchants (Uber, Walgreens, Nike, etc.) 2% back on all Apple Pay purchases No foreign transaction fees	1.5% cash back on every purchase with no caps or categories 5% on Chase Travel, 3% on dining and drugstores $200 bonus after $500 spend in 3 months 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers $0 annual fee with Visa Signature benefits
Cons	Only 1% back when using physical card (non-Apple Pay) Requires iPhone to apply and manage the card No sign-up bonus No travel-related benefits or protections Limited 3% merchant list compared to category cards	3% foreign transaction fee 1.5% base rate lower than Freedom Flex's 5% rotating categories Points worth only 1 cent without Sapphire card pairing No premium travel insurance or lounge access Lower welcome bonus than Sapphire cards
	Card details	Card details

Apple Card
Goldman Sachs · No annual fee
Chase Freedom Unlimited
Chase · No annual fee

Overview

Annual fee: Apple Card
$0
Chase Freedom Unlimited
$0
Welcome offerCurrent public offer: Apple Card
—
Chase Freedom Unlimited
$200 cash back
Rewards: Apple Card
Cash back
Chase Freedom Unlimited
Cash back
Foreign transaction fee: Apple Card
None
Lowest
Chase Freedom Unlimited
3%
Network: Apple Card
Mastercard
Chase Freedom Unlimited
Visa Signature

Earn ratesPer $1 spent

Dining: Apple Card
1%
Chase Freedom Unlimited
3%
Highest
Drugstores: Apple Card
1%
Chase Freedom Unlimited
3%
Highest
Everything else: Apple Card
1%
Chase Freedom Unlimited
1.5%
Highest

Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record

Travel: Apple Card
Extra 2% Booking.com Travel Credits · $2 per transaction
Chase Freedom Unlimited
—
Rideshare & transit: Apple Card
$60 Uber One trial · $60 one-time
Chase Freedom Unlimited
—
Dining & delivery: Apple Card
—
Chase Freedom Unlimited
Free DashPass membership for 6 months · $60 one-time

Perks & access— means none on record

Car rental: Apple Card
5%+ off Hertz rentals + perks
Chase Freedom Unlimited
—
Other perks: Apple Card
Share card with family and teens
Interest-free payments on Apple gear
Color-coded spending insights
Chase Freedom Unlimited
24/7 travel assistance when you're away from home

Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record

Trip insurance: Apple Card
—
Chase Freedom Unlimited
Up to $6,000 trip cancellation and interruption coverage · up to $1,500
Rental car: Apple Card
—
Chase Freedom Unlimited
Free rental car coverage when you decline counter insurance
Purchase & returns: Apple Card
Zero Liability on unauthorized transactions
No fees on international purchases
Biometric security on every purchase
Chase Freedom Unlimited
Up to $500 protection for damaged or stolen purchases
24/7 fraud monitoring
Zero Liability on unauthorized charges
Extended warranty: Apple Card
—
Chase Freedom Unlimited
Add an extra year to manufacturer warranties
Other protections: Apple Card
No late fees or penalty APR
24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide
Chase Freedom Unlimited
24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide

Pros & cons

Pros: Apple Card
No annual fee, no late fees, and no penalty APR
Daily Cash deposited immediately rather than monthly
3% back at Apple and select merchants (Uber, Walgreens, Nike, etc.)
2% back on all Apple Pay purchases
No foreign transaction fees
Chase Freedom Unlimited
1.5% cash back on every purchase with no caps or categories
5% on Chase Travel, 3% on dining and drugstores
$200 bonus after $500 spend in 3 months
0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
$0 annual fee with Visa Signature benefits
Cons: Apple Card
Only 1% back when using physical card (non-Apple Pay)
Requires iPhone to apply and manage the card
No sign-up bonus
No travel-related benefits or protections
Limited 3% merchant list compared to category cards
Chase Freedom Unlimited
3% foreign transaction fee
1.5% base rate lower than Freedom Flex's 5% rotating categories
Points worth only 1 cent without Sapphire card pairing
No premium travel insurance or lounge access
Lower welcome bonus than Sapphire cards

Card details

Add a 3rd or 4th card to this comparison →

Category-by-Category Winner

The Chase Freedom Unlimited wins in 4 of 4 categories. The Apple Card leads in 0.

Travel

Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 5X vs 1X

5X via issuer travel portal

Dining

Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 3X vs 1X

Drugstores

Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 3X vs 1X

Everyday purchases

Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 1.5X on all other spending vs 1X

Year One vs Ongoing Value

Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.

Both scenarios favor the Chase Freedom Unlimited on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).

Scenario	Apple Card	Chase Freedom Unlimited	Ongoing winner	Year-one winner
Light spender: $1,000/month	Rewards: $120 Credits (our usable estimate): $35 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $155 Year one: $185	Rewards: $373 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $373 Year one: $603	Chase Freedom Unlimited	Chase Freedom Unlimited
Heavy spender: $4,000/month	Rewards: $480 Credits (our usable estimate): $35 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $515 Year one: $545	Rewards: $1,490 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $1,490 Year one: $1,720	Chase Freedom Unlimited	Chase Freedom Unlimited

Which Card Is Right for You?

Get the Chase Freedom Unlimited if you:

+Spend $300+/month on restaurants and dining out
+Prefer a high flat rate across all spending

The Bottom Line

Both scenarios favor the Chase Freedom Unlimited on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).

Everyday (non-bonus) spend earns 1.5X on the Chase Freedom Unlimited vs 1X on the other card.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which card earns more rewards, the Apple Card or Chase Freedom Unlimited?: The Chase Freedom Unlimited has a higher base earn rate (1.5X vs 1X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.
What benefits does the Apple Card have that the Chase Freedom Unlimited doesn't?: The Apple Card offers travel credits. The Chase Freedom Unlimited focuses more on earn rates than premium perks.
Should I get the Apple Card or the Chase Freedom Unlimited?: Both cards have the same $0/yr fee. Choose based on which bonus categories match your spending — check the earn rate comparison above.

Related Comparisons

Prime Visa vs Apple Card Prime Visa vs Chase Freedom Unlimited Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express vs Apple Card Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express vs Chase Freedom Unlimited

Explore More

Apple Card — Full Review All Goldman Sachs Cards

Chase Freedom Unlimited — Full Review All Chase Cards

Browse all comparisons →Browse all card categories →

Official issuer pages: Goldman Sachs cards · Chase cards

Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published October 12, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.