Optum Financial vs Principal®
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Optum Financial
Easily manage and pay for healthcare expenses on the go. Features include receipt capture, e-sign dependent care certification, and access to account details, transaction history, and balances for maximum control over your healthcare finances.
- Manage benefit accounts
- View balances and transaction history
- Pay providers or reimburse yourself
- View and manage claims
- Capture and upload documentation
- Live customer care via mobile chat
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Managing and paying for eligible health care expenses on the go has never been easier with the Optum Financial mobile app. Designed with unique features like receipt capture and e-sign dependent care certification, you can easily manage account details, access transaction history and view balances - giving you maximum control over you accounts and healthcare finances. Mobile features include: • Access to view and manage all Optum Financial benefit accounts • View account balances and transaction history • Pay providers or reimburse yourself for qualified out-of-pocket expenses • View and manage claims • Receive smart in-app alerts for claims requiring attention • Capture and upload claims documentation through photo capture technology • Quick access to previously submitted documentation • Connect with a live customer care representative via mobile chat 24/7 • Manage account preferences and add account users • Access eligible expenses listing Access Instructions You will need to have an Optum Financial or ConnectYourCare health account to use this app. If you are an Optum Financial or ConnectYourCare customer and need to update your account credentials, please visit www.optumfinancial.com. ABOUT OPTUM FINANCIAL: Optum Financial is advancing the way account holders save and pay for care, connecting the worlds of health and finance in ways that no one else can. Optum Financial is the #1 ranked health accounts administrator with over $17.7B in customer assets under management. By developing proprietary technology and applying advanced analytics in new ways, Optum Financial helps reduce costs while helping people make better health decisions– creating a better health care experience for our customers.
Principal®
Manage your retirement savings and financial goals from your mobile device. Track account balances, adjust contributions, and access educational resources to improve your financial confidence. Tools are available to help you assess your progress towards retirement.
- View account balances
- Roll over funds
- Change contributions
- Adjust investments
- Financial education resources
- Retirement Wellness Score
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Keep up with your financial goals on the go. The updated Principal® app makes it easy to keep on top of your retirement savings and gain insights to help you reach your financial goals. Download and use the app to: • Complete simple transactions and quick check-ins: view account balances, roll over funds, change contributions, adjust investments, and more • Discover financial education to help build your confidence and make progress in budgeting, saving, debt payoff, and more • Learn from tools like our personalized Retirement Wellness Score to see how you’re tracking toward your retirement goals • Find your insurance information The availability of information and functionality will vary depending on your plan type(s). To make changes not available on the app, visit principal.com. Some screens may contain more information than is illustrated in the samples. This document is intended to be educational in nature and is not intended to be taken as a recommendation. Insurance products and plan administrative services provided through Principal Life Insurance Co., a member of the Principal Financial Group®, Des Moines, IA 50392. Visit our online privacy policy at https://www.principal.com/privacy-policies © 2025 Principal Financial Services, Inc. 3729939-072024
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Optum Financial at free against Principal®'s free with in-app purchases. Optum Financial also leads on review sentiment (54% vs 33%). Principal®'s advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 5 weeks) and chart position (#112 vs unranked). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Optum Financial against 4.8 for Principal®. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Principal® has 239K ratings behind it against 29K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 54% of Optum Financial's written reviews are positive against 33% of Principal®'s.
Optum Financial ships an update every 5 weeks, Principal® every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 22, 2026.
| Parameter | Optum Financial | Principal® |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (29K ratings) | 4.8 (239K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 53.6% of reviews — better | 32.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 29K | 239K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #112 — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 24 MB | 106 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Optum Inc. | Principal Financial Group |
Customer experience
Optum Financial
Principal®
User reviews
Optum Financial
From 29K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient mobile experience
- 💳 Ability to pay providers directly
- 📂 Straightforward claim submission
- 💰 Helpful for managing medical expenses
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy document upload and submission
- 🤔 Lack of explanations for claim rejections
- 🕰️ Slow processing and response times
- 🔍 Unintuitive navigation and UI
- 🤖 Poor customer service and support
Principal®
From 239K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Convenient mobile access
- 💡 Helpful investment tools
- 🔒 Secure login process
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- ⏱️ Slow and laggy performance
- 📊 Lacking key account information
- 🤔 Confusing navigation and UI
Bugs and requests
Optum Financial
Reported bugs
5 issues- Blank screens and app crashes
- Inconsistent behavior with photo uploads
- Login and account access issues
- Incorrect or missing account balance information
- Inability to add new documentation to existing claims
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to save provider information
- Option to submit multiple claims at once
- Automatic reimbursement based on insurance EOBs
- Clearer communication on claim status and issues
- Improved search and filtering for transactions
Principal®
Reported bugs
4 issues- Unable to change contribution rates
- Inconsistent login and logout functionality
- Rollover check deposit not working as advertised
- Certain account details not displaying properly
Requested features
4 requests- Improved transaction history and reporting
- Ability to deposit checks via the app
- More customization options for the dashboard
- Seamless integration with other financial accounts
In-app purchases
Optum Financial
No in-app purchases
Principal®
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Optum Financial free?
Is Principal® free?
Which has better reviews, Optum Financial or Principal®?
Do Optum Financial or Principal® have ads?
Which is updated more often, Optum Financial or Principal®?
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