Comparison

Optum Bank 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 Bank

Manage your health savings and spending accounts with ease. Track balances, understand eligible expenses, pay for healthcare costs, and submit claims for reimbursement. Store receipts and get clear tips to maximize your benefits.

Highlights
  • Track account balances
  • Understand eligible expenses
  • Pay for health costs
  • Submit claims for reimbursement
  • Store health care receipts
  • View account transactions
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

The Optum Bank app helps you get more out of your health account benefits. You’ll get clear tips on stretching every dollar. Plus, we’ll help you understand how to make your health savings account, flexible spending account or other spending accounts work harder for you. WITH THE APP UPDATE, YOU CAN NOW EASILY: Keep track of all your account balances Unlock more ways to use your health account dollars Use your account to pay for health costs Find answers if you have questions Store your health care receipts all in one place Understand what may qualify as an eligible health expense VIEW YOUR HEALTH ACCOUNTS FROM ANYWHERE See your health account balances and contributions and view health spending and saving transactions all in one place. DID SOMEONE SAY SHOPPING? YES, WE DID. Get more out of your health dollars and understand what health costs are eligible (think allergy meds, acupuncture and thousands more). Then shop and pay with your Optum card or digital wallet. PAY BILLS, PAY EASILY, PAY YOURSELF Pay for health-related expenses, check and submit claims for reimbursement and easily capture receipts, all with a few taps. AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, WE HAVE ANSWERS Easily find out what you need or type away and send us an email. ACCESS INSTRUCTIONS: You will need to have an Optum Bank health account to use this app. Please visit optumbank.com if you’re an Optum Bank customer and need to update your account credentials. ABOUT OPTUM BANK: Optum Bank is advancing care, connecting the worlds of health and finance in ways that no one else can. Optum Bank is a leading health accounts administrator with over $19.8B in customer assets under management. By developing proprietary technology and applying advanced analytics in new ways, Optum Bank helps reduce costs while helping people make better health decisions — creating a better health care experience for our customers.

About

Principal®

Manage retirement savings and achieve financial goals with easy transactions and personalized insights. Access educational resources, track progress with tools like the Retirement Wellness Score, and find insurance information.

Highlights
  • View account balances
  • Roll over funds
  • Change contributions
  • Adjust investments
  • Financial education resources
  • Retirement Wellness Score
  • Insurance information access
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 Bank4 screens
Principal®4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Principal® at every 2 weeks against Optum Bank's monthly. Principal® also leads on ratings volume (241K vs 55K) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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 Bank against 4.8 for Principal®. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 55K and 241K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 26% of Optum Bank's written reviews are positive against 32% of Principal®'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Optum Bank ships an update monthly, Principal® every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on November 11, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Optum Bank versus Principal®: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOptum BankPrincipal®
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (55K ratings)4.8 (241K ratings) — better
Positive reviews25.5% of reviews32.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings55K241K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#210#119 — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size66 MB105 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOptum Inc.Principal Financial Group

Customer experience

Optum Bank

All ratings54,625 ratings
Positive94.8%
Neutral2.5%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews247 reviews
Positive25.5%
Neutral6.5%
Negative68.0%

Principal®

All ratings240,146 ratings
Positive95.9%
Neutral1.9%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews330 reviews
Positive32.4%
Neutral8.2%
Negative59.4%

User reviews

Optum Bank

From 55K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Convenient and streamlined
  • 👍 Easy to check balance and manage contributions
  • 💡 Allows digital card in Apple Wallet

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent login issues and app crashes
  • 🔍 Limited functionality compared to website
  • 🤔 Inconsistent user experience between app and website
  • 🤯 Poor technical support and communication

Principal®

From 241K 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 Bank

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes when submitting reimbursement claims
  • Receipts not displaying properly or disappearing
  • Investment transfer functionality not working
  • Slow performance and loading times

Requested features

4 requests
  • Batch claim processing for pharmacy receipts
  • Ability to associate receipts with past claims
  • Improved receipt management and submission flow
  • Consistent data and functionality between app and website

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 Bank

No in-app purchases

None

Principal®

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Optum Bank free?
Optum Bank 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 Bank or Principal®?
Principal® is rated higher. Optum Bank averages 4.7 out of 5 from 55K ratings, while Principal® averages 4.8 from 241K ratings.
Do Optum Bank or Principal® have ads?
Neither Optum Bank nor Principal® shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Optum Bank or Principal®?
Optum Bank ships an update monthly, and Principal® every 2 weeks. Most recently, Optum Bank was updated on November 11, 2026 and Principal® on November 11, 2026.
Which is more popular, Optum Bank or Principal®?
Optum Bank currently peaks at #210 in the App Store charts, and Principal® at #119. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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