Company comparison
The same card does not get the same grade everywhere, and above all does not resell at the same price depending on the slab. Here is how the main companies differ.
In short
PSA, BGS, CGC, SGC and PCA all grade on a 1-to-10 scale but differ on three decisive points. PSA offers the best resale liquidity and dominates the Pokémon and sports markets; since summer 2026 its European submissions go through a facility in Frankfurt, which does not remove the authorised dealer step. BGS assigns four subgrades on top of the overall grade and offers the Black Label (all four subgrades at 10), highly sought after on high-value vintage. CGC is strong on TCG and Japanese cards. SGC is well regarded on vintage sports. PCA is a French company, advantageous on shipping and turnaround for the European market.
Comparison table
| Company | Scale | Subgrades | Strength | Main market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 1 to 10 | No | Maximum resale liquidity | International |
| BGS | 1 to 10 (0.5 steps) | Yes — 4 subgrades | Black Label 10, high-value vintage | International |
| CGC | 1 to 10 | Yes | TCG and Japanese cards | International |
| SGC | 1 to 10 | No | Vintage sports, short turnaround | United States |
| PCA | 1 to 10 | No | French company, low shipping and turnaround | France / Europe |
| TAG | 1 to 10 (1000-point score) | Yes — measured | Computer-vision grading, auditable report | United States |
| HGA | 1 to 10 | Yes | Customisable slabs | International |
How to choose in practice
PSA. At equal grade a PSA slab sells faster and often higher, simply because it is the reference buyers know.
BGS. Subgrades reassure buyers on high-value cards, and the Black Label is a collecting goal in itself.
PCA. Shipping to the United States, turnaround and customs risk weigh heavily on a mid-value card.
CGC. Its handling of Japanese TCG and its turnaround are strong arguments in this segment.
SGC. Established reputation on older cards, with a black slab collectors like for display.
HGA. Customisable labels and slabs — better suited to cards you keep than to cards you flip.
Company profiles and head-to-head comparisons
Scale, pricing, turnaround and process company by company — then the head-to-head decisions, the ones that come up right before paying for a submission.
Frequently asked questions
Did PSA really open a facility in Europe?
Yes. PSA opened its first European grading centre in Frankfurt in summer 2026. That removes the transatlantic leg and US customs formalities for European submissions, but not the authorised dealer requirement, nor PSA's own processing time — which remains the longest part.
Which company is cheapest?
From within the European Union, PCA is almost always the most favourable calculation on low and mid-value cards: a domestic shipment, pricing around €10 to €30 per card, turnaround in weeks. Among the US companies, the entry levels at BGS and CGC are markedly cheaper than PSA's, which suspended its Value tiers in June 2026.
Is a PSA 9 worth more than a BGS 9?
Generally yes on a per-unit basis, because PSA is more liquid. But a BGS 9.5 Gem Mint compares to a PSA 10 rather than a PSA 9, and a BGS 10 Black Label far exceeds a PSA 10 on sought-after cards. The slab matters as much as the number.
Can a card be regraded elsewhere?
Yes — that is a crossover: the card is submitted in its original slab with a minimum accepted grade. If the company cannot meet that grade, it returns the card without cracking it. It is a common way to convert a less liquid slab into PSA.
Are grades equivalent across companies?
No. Centering tolerances, surface strictness and the handling of Japanese cards all differ. The same card can get a 9 at one company and an 8.5 at another — which is precisely why the GradeMate report gives the estimate for your target company and compares it with the others.
The most common decisions
See the estimate for each company
One analysis, and the report compares expected grades across the main companies.