Principal® vs READYSAVE™
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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
READYSAVE™
Manage your retirement savings with secure login, account balance checks, and investment tracking. Get personalized guidance to adjust your savings rate and build confidence for your future.
- Secure login (Face ID, Touch ID, passcode)
- View account balances and transaction history
- Track investments and rate of return
- Project monthly retirement income
- Adjust savings rate with personalized guidance
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Download READYSAVE™ to: • Login securely using Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode • Check account balances, transaction history, and projected monthly retirement income • Track investments and personal rate of return over time • Adjust your savings rate with personalized guidance that’s unique to you Wherever you are in your retirement journey, READYSAVE™ can help you build confidence as you save for your future. Download the app today and log in using your existing account username and password. Stay tuned for new functionality as the experience evolves. Images are for illustrative purposes only. iPhone and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. To make changes not yet available within the app, visit your participant website.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: READYSAVE™ at free against Principal®'s free with in-app purchases. Principal®'s advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (236K vs 10K). 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 — 4.8 for Principal® against 4.9 for READYSAVE™. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Principal® has 236K ratings behind it against 10K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 33% of Principal®'s written reviews are positive against 34% of READYSAVE™'s.
Principal® ships an update every 8 days, READYSAVE™ every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Principal® | READYSAVE™ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (236K ratings) | 4.9 (10K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 32.7% of reviews | 33.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 236K — better | 10K |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #122 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 106 MB | 249 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Principal Financial Group | Ascensus |
Customer experience
Principal®
READYSAVE™
User reviews
Principal®
From 236K 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
READYSAVE™
From 10K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 💡 Continuous improvements based on user feedback
- 🔒 Secure login options
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent login issues
- 🔍 Lack of detailed performance tracking
- 📊 Limited investment management features
- 🔍 Bare-bones functionality
Bugs and requests
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
READYSAVE™
Reported bugs
3 issues- Dashboard fails to load consistently
- Recent app updates have broken core functionality
- Compatibility issues with older devices and operating systems
Requested features
4 requests- Add ability to track annual contribution limits
- Provide more detailed investment performance analytics
- Improve investment management capabilities
- Enhance user interface and navigation
In-app purchases
Principal®
No in-app purchases
READYSAVE™
No in-app purchases
