It’s a question that floods vintage forums everywhere: “Who should I use to grade my vintage cards? PSA or SGC?”

If you are a seasoned collector you probably have a preference. But you also know that there’s not necessarily a right or wrong answer.

Will CGC grow market share? Will Beckett rise to prominence again? Who knows! But for now, grading vintage is a 2-horse race. Each has its pros and cons, and this chart might help you understand the reasons a collector might choose one company over the other.

PSA SGC
Price Point Varies depending in tier and submission size, but generally a few bucks more per card than SGC for most cards.

Currently $19.99 for bulk. 

Current fee is $15 per card, no limit.
Upcharges PSA upcharges the grading fee based on the graded value of the card.  SGC also upcharges but is more lenient on value it seems. 
Value PSA used to fetch a lot more value than SGC. That gap is now much more narrow but PSA still leads here overall. PSA will carry a premium for popular set registry cards.  SGC competes well for value for most vintage cards, and many of the highest value cards are in SGC slabs. Lack of registry hurts value somewhat.
Grade Quality PSA and SGC are very similar in terms of current vintage grading standards. You see more questionable grades in PSA slabs, but this is probably because of the sheer volume. 

PSA uses “Qualifiers” to describe cards that are marked, miscut, etc.

SGC is known as “tough on centering,” but PSA and SGC grade quality for vintage is very similar. 

SGC does not use qualifiers, opting for a lower grade that reflects the defect.

Slab Quality PSA announced many enhancements in 2024, including UV protection, better plastic, and more security features. Very difficult to forge. SGC features a basic slab with black insert. They do not explicitly pitch UV or slab security, and their cases are easier to tamper with.
Specialty Set registry and overall market share. PSA leads in volume in every category except perhaps Prewar. SGC specializes in Prewar era cards and is likely the market share leader in this category.
Turnaround Time PSA faced a tremendous backlog during COVID and is still known as slower overall. SGC most often meets its stated turnaround time of about 10 business days for standard cards. 
Aesthetics The red label looks a bit like a Walgreens prescription bottle–a bit clinical and cold. But the crystal clear plastic and holo labels are slick.  Some people prefer the “tux” look for vintage. It’s a squared-off, somewhat timeless look that you either love or hate. 
App and web site PSA has the edge with a better app, pop report, sales data, and the popular set registry. SGC finally rolled out a basic functional app with nice scans of your graded cards, but they really need a registry or additional app features to compete on tech.