Comparison

vatfree.com vs Savin' Tax Free

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

Head to head
About

vatfree.com

This app helps international travelers claim Value Added Tax (VAT) refunds on their purchases within the European Union. It simplifies the process, aims to secure the highest possible refund, and ensures you receive money you're entitled to.

Highlights
  • Claim VAT refunds on EU shopping
  • Maximize refund amount
  • Simplified refund process
  • Online shopping VAT refund
  • Tax-free shopping guide
Features
Read full description

Thanks to a special EU-regulation, international travelers can claim the Value Added Tax paid over goods they have bought in the EU. We will help you get a VAT refund on your shopping in the European Union, even if you shop online. We make it easy, we ensure you get the highest refund possible and are here to help you claim what’s yours. We think it’s a shame that millions of euro are left unclaimed each year. Money which could be reinvested in yourself, in others or in the world. Why Vatfree.com? The Highest Refund Keep your receipts and save up to 25% on your shopping made in the EU. Rates differ per country. Refund of VAT is only possible when shopping at partner- and participating shops as EU regulation does not legally obligate shops to participate. Find a full list of participating stores in our taxfree shopping guide or in the vatfree.com mobile app. The Most Transparent We offer an inclusive service, every merchant or shop is welcome to join. Offering our tax-free shopping service next to other refund partners will give you more choice as we are the fastest growing mobile option with the highest refund guaranteed to the most diverse traveler groups. The most common feedback we get from travelers is that they feel uncomfortable being subjected to high fees for claiming back Value Added Tax they are entitled to. Especially after having to go through so much effort to arrange the refund. We get that. The regulation states that when exporting goods to a non-EU country, you do not have to pay VAT. For travelers to claim back the initial paid VAT, they have to stand in line at Customs, before flying back home, to get proof of the export. Quite stressful, time-consuming and sometimes leads to missing out if queues are long and you have to catch a plane. Once the stamp is collected, the only way to claim back VAT is to contact the shop. If the shop is unwilling to cooperate, charges high fees (with or without a tax-free partner) or just takes a long time to process it all, disappointing to say at least. Traditional tax-free companies charge fees varying from 35% to 60% of the VAT amount and are only an option if shops are affiliated. We decided to use modern technology to create an open platform for all shops to easily join, without necessary contracts, and to minimize costs so that we can continue to offer the highest possible refund. Our service fee starts at €2,50 per receipt with a maximum of €80. With this, we help travelers ánd stores as we believe a happy customer is a customer for life. Our mission is to help travelers easily shop tax-free at stores and brands that love them back. The Best in Mobile With airports requesting travelers to show up at least three hours before their flight, and safety procedures taking up a lot of time, most travelers have little time left to arrange to get a Customs validation stamp on their receipts. Standing in line at Customs may take up to half an hour or more. Being required to then stand in line at a desk for a cash refund, can increase the time of this entire process to an hour or more. Time is sparse so we built the first-ever tax-free shopping app in 2016, so travelers can finalize refund claims once they find a spare moment, on the plane home or in the comfort of their own house. The Most Diverse We are the first and only tax-free shopping service founded by travelers, specifically for travelers, with the main focus on travelers’ needs. Our service, therefore, ranges from helping a range of travelers from tourists, cruise passengers, military staff, expats and international students. We also are able to help travelers get back VAT over shopping made online, offline, cross-border, over purchases charged with low as well as high VAT rates at shops that are either listed in our shopping guide as well as not listed and new to us.

About

Savin' Tax Free

This app simplifies tax-free shopping in France, allowing eligible travelers to claim VAT refunds on purchases. Easily manage your purchases, generate electronic tax-free forms, and receive your refund quickly.

Highlights
  • VAT refund on purchases
  • Electronic tax-free forms
  • Refunds via partner offices or bank transfer
  • Consolidates multiple purchases
  • Online purchase refunds
  • Secure and approved by French customs
Features
Read full description

Savin' reinvents and simplifies tax-free shopping in France. Shop, click and refund! You live in Switzerland or outside the European Union for more than 6 months a year? Let us guide you and save up to 14.5% on your purchases in France! Savin' is a free and fully secure application that refunds VAT on your purchases in France. It's THE ideal solution to make great savings very simply: **** Our experts are available to assist you and answer all your questions **** A smooth and simple experience **** The app is 100% secure and approved by French customs **** Works in all shops in France (provided that the products purchased are eligible for tax exemption) **** Adopt the tax refund reflex in your shopping habits and save an average of €381/year GET YOUR VAT REFUND IN A FEW CLICKS Step 1: Complete your profile Bring your identity document and your best smile. Step 2: Add your proof of purchase Make your purchases in France for a minimum cumulative amount of €100 including tax. Add your purchases as you go along in the application and obtain your electronic tax-free form. Step 3: Refund your purchases! Scan your form at the electronic terminal (PABLO kiosk) to validate your tax-free status before leaving the European Union. Immediate refund in one of our partner exchange offices* or in a few days directly into your bank account. THE ADVANTAGES OF SAVIN' An unrivalled refund rate of 14.5%: Low fees that guarantee a rate well above the market trend. A quick and easy to use app: We consolidate all your proofs of purchase onto one electronic form. Say goodbye to paper forms and waiting in the shop. You can manage your reimbursements independently directly on your smartphone. Accumulate your "small purchases" for more tax relief: Thanks to Savin', you can accumulate purchases made in all shops in France, regardless of the amount, to reach the minimum legal threshold of €100 including tax. NEW: Get refund on your online purchases from French e-traders. When finalizing the transaction, make sure you: > choose a delivery in France. The address can be that of the relay point of your choice. Do not use the Savin' address as the delivery address. > request an invoice made out to Sav'in Tax Free: 11 chemin de l'industrie - 06110 Le Cannet, France - FR 595 0870 2677. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS To use this service you must be: - Not a resident of the European Union or a third country at the time of purchase - A visitor to France for less than six months - 16 years of age or older - In possession of the goods purchased on French territory (minimum legal amount €100 including tax) SECURITY IS OUR PRIORITY - Service approved by French customs - We guarantee the security of your information - Access to the application is secured by a password - Find our privacy policy here: https://savintaxfree.com/politique-de-confidentialite.html *Partner exchange offices management fees are not included More info on savintaxfree.com Savin' is spelled the way you want it :-) Sav’in Sav in Saving Save in Savein Savin

Screenshots

vatfree.com4 screens
Savin' Tax Free4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Savin' Tax Free at free against vatfree.com's free with in-app purchases. Savin' Tax Free also leads on iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.0). vatfree.com's advantage is ratings volume (888 vs 73). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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

vatfree.com holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: vatfree.com has 888 ratings behind it against 73, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of vatfree.com's written reviews are positive against 40% of Savin' Tax Free's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
vatfree.com versus Savin' Tax Free: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parametervatfree.comSavin' Tax Free
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (888 ratings) — better4.5 (73 ratings)
Positive reviews42.9% of reviews — better40.0% of reviews
Number of ratings888 — better73
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB30 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperVATfree NL B.V.solpay

Customer experience

vatfree.com

All ratings887 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral1.8%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews49 reviews
Positive42.9%
Neutral6.1%
Negative51.0%

Savin' Tax Free

All ratings64 ratings
Positive90.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative9.4%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative60.0%

Bugs and requests

vatfree.com

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes when trying to upload photos
  • Receipts get rejected for minor issues
  • Unable to complete the refund process

Requested features

4 requests
  • Debit/credit card refund option
  • Improved app stability and performance
  • Faster processing and payout times
  • More transparent fee structure

Savin' Tax Free

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

vatfree.com

No in-app purchases

None

Savin' Tax Free

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is vatfree.com free?
vatfree.com is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Savin' Tax Free free?
Savin' Tax Free is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, vatfree.com or Savin' Tax Free?
vatfree.com is rated higher. vatfree.com averages 4.7 out of 5 from 888 ratings, while Savin' Tax Free averages 4.5 from 73 ratings.
Do vatfree.com or Savin' Tax Free have ads?
Neither vatfree.com nor Savin' Tax Free shows ads.
Which is updated more often, vatfree.com or Savin' Tax Free?
vatfree.com ships an update every 2 months, and Savin' Tax Free every 2 months. Most recently, vatfree.com was updated on November 11, 2026 and Savin' Tax Free on November 3, 2026.

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