How the three compare · PSA · CGC · BGS · How the label and slab differ · Resale behavior by grade · Pick by the card you have · Check the price before you submit · FAQ · The grader is a decision, not a default
Every grading debate starts the same way: someone asks which company is "best." That question does not have one answer, because PSA, CGC, and BGS are not interchangeable versions of the same product. They use different scales, publish different information on the label, and carry different weight with buyers depending on the card. The better question is which grader fits the specific card sitting in front of you, and this guide walks through the differences that actually change that answer.
None of the numbers below are grading fees or turnaround times. Those change often enough that quoting them here would go stale fast, so check each company's current fee schedule directly before you submit. What does not change as often is how each company's scale is built and how their slabs have historically traded, and that is what this guide covers.
There is no single best grading company between PSA, CGC, and BGS; the right choice depends on the card, since each company's scale, subgrade detail, and resale liquidity fit different cards differently, so pick based on the card you actually have.
Based on each grading company's published scale and resale patterns Double Holo tracks across grades.
How the Three Compare
All three companies grade on a 1-to-10 scale, but the steps within that scale, and what gets printed on the label, differ enough to matter.
| Company | Scale detail | Subgrades on the label | Top-tier variant | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 1 to 10, half points from 1.5 to 8.5, no 9.5 step | Not published | None, a 10 is simply "PSA 10" | The largest resale liquidity and the most widely recognized label in the hobby |
| CGC | 1 to 10, half points throughout including 9.5 | Not published | Pristine 10, labeled 10P, above a standard Gem Mint 10 | Fast-growing acceptance, especially on modern Pokemon |
| BGS | 1 to 10, half points throughout including 9.5 | Subgrades optional at submission: centering, corners, edges, surface | Black Label, a 10 with all four subgrades at 10 | Subgrade transparency and a scarcer, harder-to-earn top tier |
Scale detail reflects each company's published grade vocabulary as of September 2026. Fees, turnaround times, and submission tiers change independently of the scale and are not covered here; check each grader's current fee schedule directly.
PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator)
PSA is the name most collectors think of first, and for Pokemon specifically it carries the largest market share, the longest sales track record, and the most liquidity of the three. That reputation is what a PSA label is really selling: a buyer pool that recognizes the red label on sight and trusts it without having to think twice.
PSA's scale runs 1 to 10, with half-point grades from 1.5 up through 8.5. There is no 9.5 step. A card that would land right between a 9 and a 10 either earns the 10 or does not, with nothing in between. PSA does not publish subgrades on the label either, so you get one number and PSA's overall judgment behind it, not a breakdown of where the card lost points.
Best for: cards where resale liquidity matters most, especially chase cards and higher end vintage where buyers default to asking "is it PSA?" before anything else.
Where it falls short: the missing 9.5 step means a card just short of gem mint has nowhere to land except a 9, which can undersell what a half-point grade elsewhere would show. No subgrades also means less transparency into why a card graded the way it did.
CGC (Certified Guaranty Company)
CGC came to trading cards after building a reputation in comics grading, and it has grown quickly in Pokemon, particularly on modern cards where its lower entry point and growing recognition have made it a real alternative to PSA. CGC's scale runs 1 to 10 with half-point grades throughout, including the 9.5 step PSA skips, and it reserves a Pristine 10, labeled 10P, above its standard Gem Mint 10.
Best for: modern cards where CGC's acceptance is strongest, and for collectors who want a half-point step at the top of the scale that PSA does not offer.
Where it falls short: CGC's resale premium on most cards still trails PSA's today, since PSA's buyer pool and sales history remain deeper. That gap has narrowed over time and may continue to, but it has not closed.
BGS (Beckett Grading Services)
BGS is the company that made subgrades mainstream. Submitters can choose to add four individual subgrades, centering, corners, edges, and surface, alongside the overall grade, so a buyer can see exactly which category cost a card its perfect score instead of trusting one holistic number, but not every BGS slab carries them since subgrades are an option, not the default. BGS also grades 1 to 10 with half points throughout, and it reserves its Black Label designation for a 10 that also earns a 10 in all four subgrades at once, a stricter bar than the overall grade alone.
Best for: collectors who want the most detail on a label, and cards clean enough to have a real shot at a Black Label, since the subgrade transparency rewards a card with no weak category.
Where it falls short: a Black Label is genuinely rare because it demands perfection in four separate categories, but rarity alone does not guarantee the resale premium PSA's broader liquidity still commands on most Pokemon cards.
How the Label and Slab Differ
Beyond the grading scale, the physical result looks different from each company. A PSA slab carries the company's familiar red-bordered label with a single grade printed on it. A CGC slab uses its own distinct label design, again built around one overall number, with the Pristine 10P callout when it applies. A BGS slab can be built around showing more: when subgrades were requested at submission, the four subgrades sit on the label next to the overall grade, and the case itself is often thicker to accommodate that extra printed information.
None of this changes what the card is. Every reputable grading company authenticates the card first, then seals it in a tamper-evident holder, and the grade that follows is that company's professional opinion of the card's condition at the time it was reviewed. The label is a record of that opinion, not a modification to the card underneath it.
Resale Behavior by Grade
This is where a lot of the practical decision-making happens, and it is worth being honest about how the three compare rather than pretending they trade identically. PSA 10s typically command the largest premiums on modern Pokemon, simply because more buyers are shopping specifically for a PSA label and bidding it up. CGC has built real acceptance and demand, especially on modern cards, and that demand has grown steadily as more collectors get comfortable with the label.
A BGS Black Label sits in its own category. It is scarcer than a PSA 10 on the same card, since it requires perfection across four separate subgrades instead of one overall judgment, but scarcity and price are not the same thing. Demand still has to be there for scarcity to translate into a premium, and PSA's larger buyer pool means a PSA 10 of a popular card can still outsell a rarer Black Label of the same card. None of this is fixed. Market acceptance for CGC and BGS on Pokemon has moved before and can keep moving, which is exactly why checking current sales for your specific card matters more than trusting a general rule.
Pick by the Card You Have, Not the Logo You Like
The most useful question is not "which company is best" but "which company's scale fits this card." That comes down to two things: whether the card is vintage or modern, and what condition ceiling it is already up against.
Vintage cards and the condition ceiling
A lot of vintage Pokemon printing has structural centering or surface issues baked in from the print run itself, which caps what grade a given card can realistically reach no matter who grades it. This is the same idea behind conditional scarcity: some cards are genuinely hard to find in top grade because very few copies survived print and handling in that condition, not because grading created the scarcity. For a vintage card sitting right at that ceiling, the half-point step matters. PSA has no 9.5, so a card that would earn a half grade elsewhere either clears the bar for a PSA 10 or drops all the way to a 9. CGC and BGS both offer that 9.5 step, which can represent a genuinely-in-between card more precisely.
Modern cards and grading population
Modern cards are printed to a more consistent standard, so fewer copies are fighting a structural ceiling the way vintage prints often are. That shifts the decision toward the grading company's market reputation for that specific set rather than the fine print of the scale. Check what a modern card in the set you are grading is actually trading for from each company before you decide, since acceptance can vary set to set even within "modern."
Check the Price Before You Submit
None of this matters in the abstract. What matters is what your specific card, in the grade you are realistically expecting, actually sells for from each company. Pull the card up on Double Holo's marketplace and filter by condition to see recent sales and live listings split by grade, so you are comparing real numbers instead of general reputation.
For a deeper look before you commit to a submission, Double Holo Premium's Grading ROI tool lines up a card's raw value against its graded value at each grade level, so you can weigh what grading actually costs against what a specific outcome is worth before you send anything in.
What is the actual difference between PSA, CGC, and BGS?
PSA grades with a single overall number and no published subgrades, and carries the largest resale liquidity in the Pokemon market. CGC grades the same way but publishes a Pristine 10 (10P) above its Gem Mint 10, and has gained ground fast, especially on modern cards. BGS offers four subgrades (centering, corners, edges, surface) as an option at submission, alongside the overall number, and reserves its Black Label for a perfect 10 in all four.
Is a BGS Black Label worth more than a PSA 10?
Not automatically. A Black Label is scarcer, since it requires a 10 in every subgrade rather than one holistic grade, but scarcity is not the same as demand. PSA still carries the broadest buyer pool and the most resale liquidity on Pokemon cards, so a PSA 10 of a popular card can outsell a Black Label of the same card even though fewer Black Labels exist.
Why doesn't PSA give out 9.5 grades?
PSA's scale steps straight from 9 to 10 with no half grade between them, while CGC and BGS both use a 9.5 step. A card that would land right on the border might grade a 9 at PSA and a 9.5 elsewhere, which is one reason the same physical card can look better or worse depending on which company graded it.
Is CGC as good as PSA for Pokemon cards?
CGC uses the same 1-to-10 scale with half-point steps and its own Pristine 10 tier, and it has built real acceptance, particularly on modern Pokemon. PSA still holds the largest market share and the deepest sales history, so its label commands the biggest premium on most cards today. Whether CGC 'is as good' depends on whether you value that premium more than CGC's lower entry cost and growing recognition.
Should I grade a vintage card differently than a modern one?
Yes, think about the condition ceiling first. Many vintage cards have printing-era centering or surface issues that cap what grade they can realistically reach no matter who grades them, so a half-point step (CGC and BGS both have a 9.5) can matter more there than on a clean modern card. Modern cards are printed to a higher, more consistent standard, so the grading company's resale reputation tends to matter more than its scale.
Does encapsulation change the card itself?
No. Authentication and grading assess the card as it already exists and seal it in a tamper-evident holder; the process does not alter the card physically. The grade is an opinion of condition from that company at that point in time, which is also why the same card can occasionally grade differently on resubmission.
How do I find out what my card is worth at each grade before I submit it?
Pull up the card on Double Holo and filter by condition to see recent sales and live listings at each grade for the companies that trade it. Double Holo's Grading ROI tool goes further, lining up raw and graded values side by side so you can weigh the cost of grading against what a specific grade from a specific company is actually fetching before you send a card in.
There is no universal right answer between PSA, CGC, and BGS. There is a right answer for the card you are holding, based on its scale fit and what buyers are actually paying for that card in that grade right now. When you are ready to see those numbers, browse graded prices on Double Holo. For the deeper trade-off between grading companies on the same card, read our opportunity cost guide to PSA, CGC, and TAG, and if you are still deciding whether a card is worth grading at all, see how to find Pokemon cards to grade.
TAG Grading vs PSA - how computer-vision grading differs from a human-graded PSA label.
Does Population Matter in Graded Pokemon Cards? - natural, conditional, and manufactured scarcity explained.
Grading ROI Calculator - compare raw and graded values before you submit a card.