Bilt Obsidian Card vs Chase Freedom Unlimited
Annual fees: Bilt Obsidian Card $95/yr, Chase Freedom Unlimited $0/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Bilt Obsidian Card on rent and dining, Chase Freedom Unlimited on travel.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
Bilt Obsidian CardCardless · $95/yr
Chase Freedom UnlimitedChase · No annual fee
Overview
- Annual fee
- Bilt Obsidian Card$95Chase Freedom Unlimited$0Lowest
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Bilt Obsidian Card$200 in rewardsChase Freedom Unlimited$200 cash back
- Rewards
- Bilt Obsidian CardBilt PointsChase Freedom UnlimitedCash back
- Foreign transaction fee
- Bilt Obsidian CardNoneLowestChase Freedom Unlimited3%
- Network
- Bilt Obsidian CardMastercard World EliteChase Freedom UnlimitedVisa Signature
Earn ratesPer $1 spent · points and cash back aren’t ranked against each other
- Dining
- Bilt Obsidian Card3xChase Freedom Unlimited3%
- Drugstores
- Bilt Obsidian Card1xChase Freedom Unlimited3%
- Grocery Stores
- Bilt Obsidian Card3xChase Freedom Unlimited1.5%
- Travel
- Bilt Obsidian Card2xChase Freedom Unlimited1.5%
- Mortgage
- Bilt Obsidian Card1.25xChase Freedom Unlimited1.5%
- Rent
- Bilt Obsidian Card1.25xChase Freedom Unlimited1.5%
- Everything else
- Bilt Obsidian Card1xChase Freedom Unlimited1.5%
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- $100 hotel credit
Chase Freedom Unlimited— - Dining & delivery
- Bilt Obsidian Card—Chase Freedom Unlimited
- Free DashPass membership for 6 months · $60 one-time
Perks & access— means none on record
- Other perks
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- 10% intro APR for 12 months
- 0% foreign transaction fees
Chase Freedom Unlimited- 24/7 travel assistance when you're away from home
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- Trip cancellation up to $2,000/trip
- Trip Delay
Chase Freedom Unlimited- Up to $6,000 trip cancellation and interruption coverage · up to $1,500
- Baggage
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- Luggage insurance up to $1,500
Chase Freedom Unlimited— - Rental car
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- MasterRental Coverage
Chase Freedom Unlimited- Free rental car coverage when you decline counter insurance
- Purchase & returns
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- Purchase Assurance
Chase Freedom Unlimited- Up to $500 protection for damaged or stolen purchases
- 24/7 fraud monitoring
- Zero Liability on unauthorized charges
- Extended warranty
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- Extended warranty up to $10,000/claim
Chase Freedom Unlimited- Add an extra year to manufacturer warranties
- Cell phone
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- Cellular Wireless Telephone Protection
Chase Freedom Unlimited— - Other protections
- Bilt Obsidian Card—Chase Freedom Unlimited
- 24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide
Pros & cons
- Pros
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- 3x points on your choice of dining or grocery (up to $25K/year on grocery)
- 2x points on travel
- Earn up to 1.25X points on rent and mortgage with no transaction fees
- $200 Bilt Cash welcome bonus upon approval (no spending required)
- $100 annual Bilt Travel hotel credit ($50 semiannually)
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
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- $95 annual fee plus $50 per authorized user
- Complex earning structure for housing rewards (requires spending tiers or Bilt Cash redemption)
- Bilt Cash expires at year-end with only $100 rollover
- Grocery bonus category capped at $25K/year spending
- Hotel credit requires 2-night minimum via Bilt Travel portal
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
Category-by-Category Winner
The Chase Freedom Unlimited wins in 4 of 4 categories. The Bilt Obsidian Card leads in 0. 2 more categories depend on booking channel or caps.
Rent
Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 1.5X vs 1.25X
Mortgage
Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 1.5X vs 1.25X
Travel
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 5X when conditions are met; Bilt Obsidian Card earns 2X (2X without restrictions)
Grocery Stores
Depends: up to $25,000/yr; 3X applies only if grocery replaces the default dining as the elected 3X category (switch within 30 days of opening or each January); grocery 3X is limited to $25,000 a year.
Bilt Obsidian Card earns 3X when conditions are met; Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 1.5X (1.5X without restrictions)
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 | Bilt Obsidian Card | Chase Freedom Unlimited | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $264 Credits (our usable estimate): $20 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $189 Year one: $389 | 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: $1,056 Credits (our usable estimate): $20 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $981 Year one: $1,181 | Rewards: $1,490 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $1,490 Year one: $1,720 | Chase Freedom Unlimited | Chase Freedom Unlimited |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The Bilt Obsidian Card costs $95/yr — that's $95 more than the Chase Freedom Unlimited (no annual fee). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $95 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $95 fee gap means the Bilt Obsidian Card needs roughly $95 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on dining and grocery stores and everyday spend.
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the Bilt Obsidian Card if you:
- +Do most of your spending at grocery stores
Get the Chase Freedom Unlimited if you:
- +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.
Published annual fees: Bilt Obsidian Card $95/yr, Chase Freedom Unlimited $0/yr — a $95 difference before welcome offers and credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the Bilt Obsidian Card worth the higher annual fee?
- The Bilt Obsidian Card costs $95/yr vs $0/yr for the Chase Freedom Unlimited. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $95 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use.
- Which card earns more rewards, the Bilt Obsidian 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 Bilt Obsidian Card have that the Chase Freedom Unlimited doesn't?
- The Bilt Obsidian Card offers cell phone protection. The Chase Freedom Unlimited focuses more on earn rates than premium perks.
- Should I get the Bilt Obsidian Card or the Chase Freedom Unlimited?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Chase Freedom Unlimited has a lower $0/yr fee; the Bilt Obsidian Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $95/yr.
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.