Comparison

Optum Financial vs Principal®

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • View account balances
  • Roll over funds
  • Change contributions
  • Adjust investments
  • Financial education resources
  • Retirement Wellness Score
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

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

Optum Financial4 screens
Principal®4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

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

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Optum Financial ships an update every 5 weeks, Principal® every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 22, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Optum Financial versus Principal®: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOptum FinancialPrincipal®
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (29K ratings)4.8 (239K ratings) — better
Positive reviews53.6% of reviews — better32.6% of reviews
Number of ratings29K239K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#112 — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.616.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB106 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOptum Inc.Principal Financial Group

Customer experience

Optum Financial

All ratings28,920 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral1.6%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews252 reviews
Positive53.6%
Neutral6.7%
Negative39.7%

Principal®

All ratings237,424 ratings
Positive95.9%
Neutral1.9%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews322 reviews
Positive32.6%
Neutral8.4%
Negative59.0%

User reviews

Optum Financial

From 29K App Store ratings

What 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 ratings

What 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

None

Optum Financial

No in-app purchases

None

Principal®

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Optum Financial free?
Optum Financial is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Principal® free?
Principal® is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Optum Financial or Principal®?
Principal® is rated higher. Optum Financial averages 4.7 out of 5 from 29K ratings, while Principal® averages 4.8 from 239K ratings.
Do Optum Financial or Principal® have ads?
Neither Optum Financial nor Principal® shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Optum Financial or Principal®?
Optum Financial ships an update every 5 weeks, and Principal® every 9 days. Most recently, Optum Financial was updated on October 22, 2026 and Principal® on October 22, 2026.

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