Comparison

SC Mobile Kenya vs DhowCSD

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

SC Mobile Kenya

Manage your finances and perform banking transactions from your mobile device. Open accounts, transfer funds, pay bills, and invest in wealth management products. Access over 70 banking services conveniently from anywhere.

Highlights
  • Open accounts in minutes
  • Save and resume applications
  • View and manage finances
  • Transfer funds locally and internationally
  • Pay utility bills and KRA taxes
  • Buy, sell, and track investment portfolios
  • Access insurance services
Features
Read full description

Welcome to SC Mobile Kenya. You are about to start an amazing banking experience. From the comfort of your home you can open an account, transfer funds or access any service that would take you to a banking hall. Say goodbye to long queues, do your banking anywhere and everywhere. Open an account With SC Mobile you have the power of banking in your palm. Within 15 minutes you can open an account and enjoy the benefits that come with it. Open a Current account or Savings account today and enjoy the benefits that come with it. Accounts are available in multiple currencies. Save and Resume In case you are unable to complete your application in one go, do not worry. You can save and resume your application anytime. Get a complete view of your accounts and transact with ease SC Mobile allows you to see, move and manage your finances anytime, anywhere, so start banking everywhere. You can do transfers between accounts within SCB, make transfers to other local banks in Kenya via RTGS or Pesalink, make KRA Payments, send International transfers and pay all your utility bills. What's more, you can top up your airtime on mobile phone, and move money to Mpesa or Airtel Money instantly. Services on your fingertips SC Mobile comes with over 70 services available to you. You can use any of these at your convenience with no need to queue in a banking hall. You can even track the progress of all your requests. SC Mobile gives you more time to do the things you love and not to worry about banking. Access our Wealth Management Proposition - You will also be able to BUY, SELL and TRACK YOUR PORTFOLIO anytime, anywhere with our online fixed income and mutual fund platform. Invest in KES, USD and other major currencies - Get access to our latest market insights and take advantage of the market opportunities available - Get global diversification (both local and offshore investments) with best in class fund managers - Get access to instant General, Travel and Motor insurance whenever and wherever you need it

About

DhowCSD

Manage your Central Bank of Kenya investment account directly from your mobile device. Participate in securities auctions, view results, and access portfolio statements. Initiate secondary market and pledge instructions securely and efficiently.

Highlights
  • Open and manage investment accounts
  • Participate in securities auctions
  • View auction results and payment details
  • Access corporate actions
  • View portfolio statements
  • Initiate secondary market instructions
  • Initiate pledge instructions
Features
Read full description

Welcome to CBK DhowCSD. You can now open and manage a CSD investment account at the Central Bank of Kenya allowing you to participate in securities auctions, view auction results and payment details, view upcoming corporate actions, access updated portfolio statements and initiate secondary market and pledge instructions via the app in a convenient, simple, efficient and secure manner.

Screenshots

SC Mobile Kenya4 screens
DhowCSD1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: SC Mobile Kenya at 4.8 against DhowCSD's 3.6. SC Mobile Kenya also leads on ratings volume (725 vs 7) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 3 months). DhowCSD's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SC Mobile Kenya holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SC Mobile Kenya has 725 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 44% of SC Mobile Kenya's written reviews are positive against 50% of DhowCSD's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SC Mobile Kenya ships an update every 6 weeks, DhowCSD every 3 months. Both last shipped on September 30, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
SC Mobile Kenya versus DhowCSD: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSC Mobile KenyaDhowCSD
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (725 ratings) — better3.6 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews44.1% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings725 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size154 MB36 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperStandard Chartered BankCentral Bank of Kenya

Customer experience

SC Mobile Kenya

All ratings725 ratings
Positive97.1%
Neutral1.0%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews34 reviews
Positive44.1%
Neutral5.9%
Negative50.0%

DhowCSD

All ratings7 ratings
Positive57.1%
Neutral14.3%
Negative28.6%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Bugs and requests

SC Mobile Kenya

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • App crashes on startup or requires non-existent updates
  • M-PESA payment failures
  • Login errors occurring frequently
  • Menu button inaccessible on iPhone 12 Pro, 13 Pro, and 14 Pro Max
  • Joint account access not visible in mobile app
Show 4 more
  • Transfer limit notifications not displaying properly
  • Persistent 'unable to process request' errors
  • M-PESA phone number validation requiring 11 digits instead of 10
  • Touch ID functionality stopped working after updates

Requested features

5 requests
  • Credit card payment functionality on mobile app
  • Ability to edit saved beneficiary details
  • Copy-paste support in transfer reference field
  • Better error messaging for transaction limits
  • Touch ID/biometric authentication support

DhowCSD

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

SC Mobile Kenya

No in-app purchases

None

DhowCSD

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SC Mobile Kenya free?
SC Mobile Kenya is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is DhowCSD free?
DhowCSD is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SC Mobile Kenya or DhowCSD?
SC Mobile Kenya is rated higher. SC Mobile Kenya averages 4.8 out of 5 from 725 ratings, while DhowCSD averages 3.6 from 7 ratings.
Do SC Mobile Kenya or DhowCSD have ads?
SC Mobile Kenya shows ads; DhowCSD does not.
Which is updated more often, SC Mobile Kenya or DhowCSD?
SC Mobile Kenya ships an update every 6 weeks, and DhowCSD every 3 months. Most recently, SC Mobile Kenya was updated on September 30, 2026 and DhowCSD on September 30, 2026.

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