# Firstup vs ESS 45 Zebra

The clearest difference is rating: Firstup at 3.7 against ESS 45 Zebra's 1.6. Firstup also leads on review sentiment (27% vs 7%). ESS 45 Zebra's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium) and ratings volume (419 vs 133). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Firstup holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 1.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 133 and 419 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 27% of Firstup's written reviews are positive against 7% of ESS 45 Zebra's.

Firstup ships an update monthly, ESS 45 Zebra every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Firstup | ESS 45 Zebra |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (133 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/firstup/id1447428580/reviews)** | [1.6 (419 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ess-45-zebra/id1531525719/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 133 | **419** |
| Positive reviews | **26.9% of reviews** | 6.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 146 MB | 68 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Firstup, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/976326568) | [Reflexis Systems Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1094727299) |

## What reviewers say

### Firstup

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/firstup/id1447428580)

This app connects employees with essential company information, fostering engagement and improving communication. It provides a centralized hub for news, updates, and resources, ensuring everyone stays informed and connected.

**Highlights:** Official source for workforce communications, Push notifications for news and tasks, Upload and share videos, photos, documents, Personalized user experience, Save and find important information, Comment and share content, Connect company employees

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### ESS 45 Zebra

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ess-45-zebra/id1531525719)

Manage your work schedule, time off requests, and shift trades with this intuitive application. Easily view your timecard, update availability, and clock in and out using geofence technology. It's designed for seamless team coordination and efficient workforce management.

**Highlights:** View schedule, Request day-off/time-off, Perform shift trade, Bid on open shifts, View timecard, Clock work hours (geofence), Update availability

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Works well
- 👍 Clean and easy to use interface
- 🚀 Efficient

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Constantly logs out
- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Inaccurate schedule display
- 🐛 Unable to log in

**Reported bugs**

- Constant login issues
- Time card not working
- Schedule not displaying correctly
- Inability to request time off

**Requested features**

- Add Face ID/Biometric login
- Improve calendar sync
- Allow viewing of coworker schedules
- Streamline time off request process


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Firstup free?

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

### Is ESS 45 Zebra free?

ESS 45 Zebra is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Firstup or ESS 45 Zebra?

Firstup is rated higher. Firstup averages 3.7 out of 5 from 133 ratings, while ESS 45 Zebra averages 1.6 from 419 ratings.

### Do Firstup or ESS 45 Zebra have ads?

Neither Firstup nor ESS 45 Zebra shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Firstup or ESS 45 Zebra?

Firstup ships an update monthly, and ESS 45 Zebra every 3 weeks. Most recently, Firstup was updated on October 14, 2026 and ESS 45 Zebra on October 19, 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.*