# Principal® vs READYSAVE™

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Principal® | READYSAVE™ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (236K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/principal/id1433961188/reviews) | **[4.9 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readysave/id1490893138/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **236K** | 10K |
| Positive reviews | 32.7% of reviews | **33.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#122** | — |
| Size | 106 MB | 249 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Principal Financial Group](https://appshunter.io/developer/442790612) | [Ascensus](https://appshunter.io/developer/1455711984) |

## What reviewers say

### Principal®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/principal/id1433961188)

**Currently charting:** #122 Top Free · Finance (US App Store)

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:** Apple Wallet, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Convenient mobile access
- 💡 Helpful investment tools
- 🔒 Secure login process

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- ⏱️ Slow and laggy performance
- 📊 Lacking key account information
- 🤔 Confusing navigation and UI

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readysave/id1490893138)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 💡 Continuous improvements based on user feedback
- 🔒 Secure login options

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent login issues
- 🔍 Lack of detailed performance tracking
- 📊 Limited investment management features
- 🔍 Bare-bones functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Dashboard fails to load consistently
- Recent app updates have broken core functionality
- Compatibility issues with older devices and operating systems

**Requested features**

- Add ability to track annual contribution limits
- Provide more detailed investment performance analytics
- Improve investment management capabilities
- Enhance user interface and navigation


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Principal® free?

Principal® is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is READYSAVE™ free?

READYSAVE™ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Principal® or READYSAVE™?

READYSAVE™ is rated higher. Principal® averages 4.8 out of 5 from 236K ratings, while READYSAVE™ averages 4.9 from 10K ratings.

### Do Principal® or READYSAVE™ have ads?

Neither Principal® nor READYSAVE™ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Principal® or READYSAVE™?

Principal® ships an update every 8 days, and READYSAVE™ every 6 weeks. Most recently, Principal® was updated on September 24, 2026 and READYSAVE™ on September 23, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*