Comparison

Bluink eID vs HC Key

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

Head to head
About

Bluink eID

This app digitizes and securely stores your government-issued identity information on your iPhone. It enables quicker, easier, and more secure online identity verification without passwords, enhancing privacy. Your verified identity is stored locally on your device, giving you complete control over your information.

Highlights
  • Digital ID on iPhone
  • Secure digital wallet
  • No cloud storage
  • Strong encryption
  • Certificate-based authentication
  • Control over identity information
Read full description

Digital ID and identity verification. REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS 1. An iPhone (with iOS 15 or later). 2. An email address. 3. A liveness check will be performed using your mobile device's front-facing camera. 4. One or more valid government-issued photo IDs. 5. Recommended: use a passport to maximize your chances of passing identity verification and allow more services to recognize and trust your identity. REGISTRATION TUTORIAL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvR0j9ulNnA Please email us at support@bluink.ca if you have questions or need assistance. INTRODUCTION eID-Me is a secure digital identity app. eID-Me digitizes and securely stores government-issued identity and self-managed identity information on your iPhone. eID-Me makes online identity verification quicker, easier, and more secure by eliminating passwords and strengthening privacy. eID-Me cannot currently be used as a substitute for legal identification. Our goal is to improve access to services that require verified identity, including government, financial, health care, and more. If you want to help speed up eID-Me integrations, spread the word. Share eID-Me content on social media. Show eID-Me to friends. Learn more at: eid-me.com/share. HOW IT WORKS During registration, use your iPhone to prove your identity by taking a selfie with liveness check, and scanning your government-issued photo identity documents (e.g., driver’s licence, passport). Your iPhone is then issued a unique eID-Me digital identity, which includes a digital certificate with identity claims (verified pieces of information about you). You can then use your eID-Me digital identity to easily access services and securely share identity information in identity transactions both online and offline (in person). PRIVACY AND SECURITY Your identity information is always in your possession on your iPhone. It is never hosted by a centralized service or third-party provider or stored in the cloud. Once your identity information is verified, a secure certificate is installed on your iPhone. That information is not accessible to anyone but you, until you choose to share it in a transaction. eID-Me’s digital wallet is protected on the iPhone with strong encryption, leveraging its hardware security mechanisms, and is bound to your authentication method (e.g., Face ID, Touch ID, PIN). BENEFITS AND FEATURES • Secure digital ID on your iPhone. • Secure digital wallet on your iPhone containing your identity with verified ID information. • No cloud storage of your identity information. • Strong encryption and certificate-based authentication. • eID-Me identity is bound to your iPhone’s authentication method (e.g., Face ID, Touch ID, PIN). • Strong privacy protection with complete control over your identity and information.

About

HC Key

This app allows you to use your smartphone to unlock doors, eliminating the need for physical credentials. It offers an easy-to-use interface for swift access and enables temporary access for visitors.

Highlights
  • Unlock doors with smartphone
  • Replace physical credentials
  • Easy user registration
  • Grant temporary visitor access
  • Customize visitor access duration
  • Visitor access without app installation
Features
Read full description

HC Key opens all the doors to your favourite places! Hartmann’s HC Key application eliminates the need to carry physical credentials and allows you to unlock doors swiftly and with ease, using your smartphone. KEY FEATURES - HC Key offers an easy to use and interactive interface that makes unlocking doors effortless. - User registration on the HC Key application is easy and takes only seconds. - Replace traditional credentials by using your smartphone. - Grant temporary access to visitors for a predetermined time frame and amount of uses. - Visitors are not required to have the HC Key application installed to use their visitor credentials. VISITOR ACCESS HC Key allows you to create, customize, and grant visitor access credentials directly in the application. Determine the time frame and amount of use for the credential then share this with the visitor. Visitors are not required to have the HC Key application installed to use their credentials. Administrators have the ability to allow or deny users from granting visitors access as well as revoking a visitor pass after it is issued. HOW IT WORKS - HC Key only works with the PROTECTOR.Net software system. - Registration requires users to request credentials from their system administrator. If you’re interested in using HC Key in your company please visit www.hartmann-controls.com to learn more about our access control system.

Screenshots

Bluink eID4 screens
HC Key3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: HC Key at 100% against Bluink eID's 40%. HC Key also leads on iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.0). Bluink eID's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.8 vs 4.4). On price, ratings volume, 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

Bluink eID holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 229 and 120 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 40% of Bluink eID's written reviews are positive against 100% of HC Key's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bluink eID ships an update every 4 weeks, HC Key every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Bluink eID versus HC Key: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBluink eIDHC Key
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (229 ratings) — better4.4 (120 ratings)
Positive reviews40.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings229 — better120
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.013.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBluink LtdHartmann Controls Corp

Customer experience

Bluink eID

All ratings222 ratings
Positive95.0%
Neutral0.9%
Negative4.1%
Written reviews97 reviews
Positive40.2%
Neutral3.1%
Negative56.7%

HC Key

All ratings70 ratings
Positive88.6%
Neutral1.4%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Bluink eID

No in-app purchases

None

HC Key

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bluink eID free?
Bluink eID is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is HC Key free?
HC Key is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bluink eID or HC Key?
Bluink eID is rated higher. Bluink eID averages 4.8 out of 5 from 229 ratings, while HC Key averages 4.4 from 120 ratings.
Do Bluink eID or HC Key have ads?
HC Key shows ads; Bluink eID does not.
Which is updated more often, Bluink eID or HC Key?
Bluink eID ships an update every 4 weeks, and HC Key every 5 months. Most recently, Bluink eID was updated on October 26, 2026 and HC Key on October 27, 2026.

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