Comparison

ila vs NAFEX Bahrain

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

Head to head
About

ila

This mobile banking app offers a seamless digital banking experience, allowing users to open accounts, manage cards, and access various savings and credit features. It provides tools for personalized savings goals and community-based saving groups, all managed conveniently through the app.

Highlights
  • Instant virtual card issuance
  • Tiered interest on Bahraini Dinar accounts
  • Foreign currency account management
  • Rewarding credit cards with cashback
  • Personalized savings goals (Hassala)
  • Community saving groups (Jamiyah)
  • Mobile number 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

NAFEX Bahrain

Easily and securely send money 24/7 with competitive rates. Choose from bank account credit, cash pickup, or Western Union. Manage beneficiaries, track transactions, and locate branches.

Highlights
  • 24/7 money sending
  • Multiple payout options
  • No hidden charges
  • Debit card and BenefitPay payment
  • Beneficiary management
  • Transaction history
  • Branch locator
Features
Read full description

Send money 24/7 at best rates simply and securely through NAFEX and Western Union (“WU”). Features include: 1. Choose from bank account credit, cash pick-up or Western Union 2. No hidden charges or fees 3. Pay using your debit card issued in Bahrain, BenefitPay or NAFEX Wallet 4. Add new beneficiaries or update your existing ones 5. Send money to the same person again without having to enter their details 6. Receive salary credit directly to your NAFEX Wallet 7. Withdraw cash from your NAFEX Wallet through any NAFEX branch 8. Reserve your currency online for in-store collection 9. View and download statement of recent transactions 10. Locate your nearest NAFEX branch For more information, please contact us on +973 1722 6061.

Screenshots

ila4 screens
NAFEX Bahrain4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: ila at every 8 days against NAFEX Bahrain's every 3 months. ila also leads on ratings volume (3.1K vs 1). NAFEX Bahrain's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 77%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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

NAFEX Bahrain holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ila has 3.1K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of ila's written reviews are positive against 100% of NAFEX Bahrain's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ila ships an update every 8 days, NAFEX Bahrain every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
ila versus NAFEX Bahrain: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterilaNAFEX Bahrain
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (3.1K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews76.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3.1K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS14.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size323 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBank ABCNATIONAL FINANCE AND EXCHANGE CO. W.L.L.

Customer experience

ila

All ratings3,066 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral1.4%
Negative2.4%
Written reviews116 reviews
Positive76.7%
Neutral3.4%
Negative19.8%

NAFEX Bahrain

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

NAFEX Bahrain

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ila

No in-app purchases

None

NAFEX Bahrain

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ila free?
ila is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NAFEX Bahrain free?
NAFEX Bahrain is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ila or NAFEX Bahrain?
NAFEX Bahrain is rated higher. ila averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.1K ratings, while NAFEX Bahrain averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do ila or NAFEX Bahrain have ads?
Neither ila nor NAFEX Bahrain shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ila or NAFEX Bahrain?
ila ships an update every 8 days, and NAFEX Bahrain every 3 months. Most recently, ila was updated on November 7, 2026 and NAFEX Bahrain on November 3, 2026.

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