Comparison

NBB 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

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.

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

NBB4 screens
NAFEX Bahrain4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: NAFEX Bahrain at 100% against NBB's 41%. NAFEX Bahrain also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). NBB's advantage is ratings volume (1.2K vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NBB has 1.2K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of NBB's written reviews are positive against 100% of NAFEX Bahrain's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NBB ships an update every 2 weeks, NAFEX Bahrain every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
NBB versus NAFEX Bahrain: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNBBNAFEX Bahrain
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.2K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.2K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size902 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNational Bank of BahrainNATIONAL FINANCE AND EXCHANGE CO. W.L.L.

Customer experience

NBB

All ratings1,137 ratings
Positive93.5%
Neutral2.4%
Negative4.1%
Written reviews76 reviews
Positive40.8%
Neutral2.6%
Negative56.6%

NAFEX Bahrain

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

Bugs and requests

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

NAFEX Bahrain

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

NBB

No in-app purchases

None

NAFEX Bahrain

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NBB free?
NBB 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, NBB or NAFEX Bahrain?
NAFEX Bahrain is rated higher. NBB averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while NAFEX Bahrain averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do NBB or NAFEX Bahrain have ads?
Neither NBB nor NAFEX Bahrain shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NBB or NAFEX Bahrain?
NBB ships an update every 2 weeks, and NAFEX Bahrain every 3 months. Most recently, NBB was updated on October 29, 2026 and NAFEX Bahrain on October 24, 2026.

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