Comparison

ila vs NBB

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ila

A digital, mobile-only bank designed around your financial needs. Open accounts, manage money, and access banking services instantly from your smartphone. Offers features for saving, spending, and earning rewards.

Highlights
  • Instant account opening
  • Virtual and physical debit cards
  • Tiered interest on savings
  • Foreign currency accounts
  • Rewarding credit cards with cashback
  • Community saving groups
  • Mobile money transfers
Features
Read full description

ila is a digital, mobile-only bank, that’s built around your needs and aspirations. We understand how you use technology to help you make the most out of your money. ‘ila’ is the Arabic word for ‘to’ and we are here to truly reflect your needs and lifestyle, evolving with you on your journey. We understand how you use technology to help you make the most out of your money, ‘ila’ is the Arabic word for ‘to’ and we are here to truly reflect your needs and lifestyle, evolving with you on your journey. - Join ila in minutes All you need is 1 ID and a selfie, there is no need to visit a branch or sign any documents. - Instantly issued Virtual card You will get your virtual card in your app as soon as your account is open, and you can start using it for all your online transactions. - A cool green card Enjoy using your green ila debit card anywhere in the world. Use contactless payments to speed up your transactions, making your purchases extra secure as the card never leaves your hand. - Bahraini Dinar account with tiered interest The money in your account earns you interest, interest that’s tiered. The more you save, the more you earn. - Open and link foreign Currency Accounts to your card Open Foreign Currency accounts in two easy steps from your app and link multiple currencies to your cards. Spend in local currencies and have the freedom to explore the world. - Easy ways to fund your account Simply use your existing bank debit card, BenefitPay, bank transfer, or fund your account by depositing cash or cheque at an ila ATM. - Rewarding Credit Cards Apply for a Credit Card directly from the app and enjoy 100% control. Get 1% cashback on all spends and a chance to win Gold every month for every BHD 1 you spend! - Save and win BIG with Al Kanz Deposit money in your Al Kanz Account to get a chance to win BIG. Every BHD 50 is one chance to win cash prizes up to USD 1 Million! - Start saving with Hassala Use the Hassala feature to start saving for the things that matter most. Customize your Hassala with a name and icon to keep track of your progress. Set goals with a target amount and date, automate payments from any currency to your Hassala and celebrate once you achieve your goal. - Start saving groups with Jamiyah With Jamiyah, you and a group of your trusted friends or family can work together to create a community saving. Each participant will pay a monthly contribution, and when it’s their turn, they will get the entire savings in one month! - Send money using mobile numbers You can now transfer money to anyone who has their mobile number registered with their bank account on BenefitPay and enabled the service, for both ila and non ila users! - A world of amazing benefits with ila Premium Get exclusive offers, airport lounge access, gadget and travel insurance, higher interest rates, lower fees and charges, better exchange rates and more by subscribing to ila Premium! - Full control of your cards in the ila app With a few clicks, you can activate, set and change your card PIN. You can also temporarily freeze and unfreeze your card, report a lost or stolen card and instantly order a new one. - Apple Pay Make easy and secure digital payments with ila using Apple Pay - Refer your friends to ila Refer your friends and family to open an account with ila via the app. - Easy Login Enable biometrics on your phone to easily login to ila. - 24/7 Support We’re here if you need use, anytime, anywhere. Download the ila Bank app now and enjoy banking that reflects you! Bahrain Address: Bank ABC Tower, Building 152, Road 1703, Block 317, Diplomatic Area, Manama, Bahrain. ila Bank Bahrain team is available 24/7 to help you. Give us a call on +97317123456 Jordan Address: Bank ABC Building, Shmeisani, 38 Abdul Rahim Al-Waked Street, Amman, Jordan. ila Bank Jordan team is available 24/7 to help you. Give us a call on +96265100001

About

NBB

Open accounts, manage finances, and transfer money securely. This app allows for quick account opening, easy bill payments, and comprehensive card management. Access transaction history, loan balances, and savings schemes.

Highlights
  • Open accounts instantly
  • Secure money transfers
  • Pay utility bills
  • Manage credit and debit cards
  • Review transaction history
  • Track savings schemes
  • Find ATMs and branches
Features
Read full description

Banking That Fits Around Your Life The NBB App makes everyday banking simple, secure, and fully digital. Open accounts, send money, pay bills, manage cards, apply for personal finance, invest, update your KYC, and monitor your finances from one convenient app. Open Accounts in Minutes • Open your first NBB account in under five minutes using a selfie. • Access multiple currencies with a single debit card. • Manage all your accounts in one place. • Open and manage a Thara’a Prize Account digitally, track activity, and grow your savings while earning chances to win dream prizes. Digital Personal Finance • Apply for personal financing anytime, anywhere. • Top up existing finance with minimal documentation. • Access Instant Top Up and receive funds within minutes, with no documents required for eligible customers. Account Management • View balances, transaction history, investments, and card activity. • Personalise account names and favorite frequently used accounts. • Copy and share your IBAN instantly. • Top up BHD accounts using debit cards from other banks. • Download account statements for up to six months. Send Money with Ease • Transfer between your own NBB accounts. • Send funds to other NBB customers. • Make local transfers through Fawri and Fawri+. • Schedule recurring payments with standing orders. • Add, edit, search, and manage beneficiaries easily. Pay Bills Conveniently • Pay utility and service bills through Fawateer. • View outstanding balances for favorite billers. • Settle multiple bills in a single transaction. Complete Card Control • Manage debit, credit, and prepaid cards directly from the app. • Lock or unlock cards instantly. • Replace, reissue, activate cards, and manage PINs. • Link or unlink multi-currency accounts. • View card details, transactions, and statements. • Set spending limits for supplementary credit cards. • Add eligible cards to Apple Pay for secure contactless payments. Yalla Family Banking Designed for children aged 10–18, Yalla Family Banking helps families build good money habits. • Open and manage a child’s account. • Send allowances and respond to money requests. • Support savings goals through Savings Pots. • Monitor spending and control card settings. Digital Investments Access government securities and Treasury Bills directly through the app. • View available offerings. • Submit bids digitally. • Track holdings, maturity dates, and reinvestment instructions. Secure and Easy Access • Register using National ID, account number, debit card, or credit card. • Sign in with biometrics or a passcode. • Reset passwords directly within the app. The NBB App brings everyday banking, family finance, personal financing, payments, card management, savings, and investment services together in one secure digital experience.

Screenshots

ila4 screens
NBB4 screens

Verdict

The call

ila and NBB both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 77% of ila's written reviews are positive against 41% of NBB's. ila also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). NBB's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium). On price, rating, ratings volume 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 — 4.8 for ila against 4.7 for NBB. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3K and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 77% of ila's written reviews are positive against 41% of NBB's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ila ships an update weekly, NBB every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ila versus NBB: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterilaNBB
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (3K ratings) — better4.7 (1.1K ratings)
Positive reviews76.7% of reviews — better41.3% of reviews
Number of ratings3K — better1.1K
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size309 MB690 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBank ABCNational Bank of Bahrain

Customer experience

ila

All ratings3,007 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral1.5%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews116 reviews
Positive76.7%
Neutral3.4%
Negative19.8%

NBB

All ratings1,118 ratings
Positive93.4%
Neutral2.3%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews75 reviews
Positive41.3%
Neutral2.7%
Negative56.0%

User reviews

ila

From 3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💳 Best banking app
  • 👍 User-friendly and intuitive
  • 🚀 Fast and responsive
  • 🔒 Secure and reliable
  • 💚 Excellent customer service

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and glitchy
  • 🤔 Limited currency support
  • 💰 High exchange rates
  • 🔒 Geo-restricted access
  • 📱 Needs iPad app version

NBB

From 1.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Smooth onboarding process
  • 🚀 Quick and efficient account setup
  • 💡 Useful features like mobile number-based money transfers
  • 👍 User-friendly interface
  • 🚀 Seamless app experience

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Recurring login and password reset issues
  • 🐛 Inconsistent app behavior after updates
  • 🐛 Inability to access certain features (e.g., fixed deposits) through the app
  • 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
  • 🐛 Incompatibility with older devices and OS versions

Bugs and requests

ila

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Login issues and error messages
  • Account opening process problems
  • Frequent app crashes and freezes

Requested features

4 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • In-app transaction notifications
  • Support for more countries and currencies
  • Dedicated numeric keypad for login

NBB

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login screen freezes
  • OTP mechanism not working correctly
  • Inability to update personal information (e.g., CPR) through the app
  • Disappearance of credit cards and other features after updates

Requested features

4 requests
  • Expand digital banking capabilities (e.g., fixed deposits, international transfers)
  • Improve stability and reliability of the app
  • Provide better guidance and troubleshooting for common issues
  • Enhance the overall user experience with more intuitive design and functionality

In-app purchases

None

ila

No in-app purchases

None

NBB

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ila free?
ila is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NBB free?
NBB is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ila or NBB?
ila is rated higher. ila averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3K ratings, while NBB averages 4.7 from 1.1K ratings.
Do ila or NBB have ads?
Neither ila nor NBB shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ila or NBB?
ila ships an update weekly, and NBB every 2 weeks. Most recently, ila was updated on September 22, 2026 and NBB on September 23, 2026.

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