# FTB Mobile vs SamCERA

The clearest difference is rating: SamCERA at 5.0 against FTB Mobile's 2.4. SamCERA also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 13 months). FTB Mobile's advantage is ratings volume (40 vs 4) and iOS requirement (12.2 vs 15.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

SamCERA holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FTB Mobile has 40 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

FTB Mobile ships an update every 13 months, SamCERA every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FTB Mobile | SamCERA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.4 (40 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ftb-mobile/id1272359471/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samcera/id1539081449/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **40** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 13 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 50 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.2** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Franchise Tax Board](https://appshunter.io/developer/1058685410) | [Planeteria](https://appshunter.io/developer/1230983217) |

## What reviewers say

### FTB Mobile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ftb-mobile/id1272359471)

Check the status of your California state income tax refund. Make secure online tax payments directly from your bank account, with options to pay immediately or schedule for the future.

**Highlights:** Check refund status, Make online tax payments, Schedule future payments, Pay from bank account, No registration required

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### SamCERA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samcera/id1539081449)

Manage your retirement accounts with 24/7 access to your SamCERA information. Plan, manage, and live better in retirement with tools for estimates, beneficiary management, and secure document uploads.

**Highlights:** 24/7 account access, Estimate tools, Beneficiary management, Tax information, Secure messaging, Document uploads

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FTB Mobile free?

FTB Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SamCERA free?

SamCERA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, FTB Mobile or SamCERA?

SamCERA is rated higher. FTB Mobile averages 2.4 out of 5 from 40 ratings, while SamCERA averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do FTB Mobile or SamCERA have ads?

Neither FTB Mobile nor SamCERA shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, FTB Mobile or SamCERA?

FTB Mobile ships an update every 13 months, and SamCERA every 3 weeks. Most recently, FTB Mobile was updated on October 8, 2026 and SamCERA on October 4, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*