Optum Bank vs Principal®
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Track account balances
- Understand eligible expenses
- Pay for health costs
- Submit claims for reimbursement
- Store health care receipts
- View account transactions
Read full descriptionHide 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.
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.
- View account balances
- Roll over funds
- Change contributions
- Adjust investments
- Financial education resources
- Retirement Wellness Score
- Insurance information access
Read full descriptionHide 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
Verdict
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
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 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.
Optum Bank ships an update monthly, Principal® every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on November 11, 2026.
| Parameter | Optum Bank | Principal® |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (55K ratings) | 4.8 (241K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 25.5% of reviews | 32.4% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 55K | 241K — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #210 | #119 — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 66 MB | 105 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Optum Inc. | Principal Financial Group |
Customer experience
Optum Bank
Principal®
User reviews
Optum Bank
From 55K App Store ratingsWhat 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 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 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
Optum Bank
No in-app purchases
Principal®
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Optum Bank free?
Is Principal® free?
Which has better reviews, Optum Bank or Principal®?
Do Optum Bank or Principal® have ads?
Which is updated more often, Optum Bank or Principal®?
Which is more popular, Optum Bank or Principal®?
Other comparisons















