Comparison

GOV.UK ID Check vs HM | DCC

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

Head to head
About

GOV.UK ID Check

This app verifies your identity by matching your face to your photo ID. It's used for accessing certain government services and managing your GOV.UK One Login security codes. Supported IDs include UK driving licences, passports, and biometric permits.

Highlights
  • Facial recognition matching
  • Photo ID scanning
  • Biometric chip scanning (for passports/permits)
  • Secure data handling
  • Supports multiple UK photo IDs
  • Identity confirmation for government services
Read full description

Use GOV.UK ID Check to prove your identity when you: • access some HMRC services with Government Gateway • need to change how you get security codes to sign in to your GOV.UK One Login It works by matching your face to your photo ID. Before you start
 You can use any of the following types of photo ID: • UK photocard driving licence • UK passport • non-UK passport with a biometric chip • UK biometric residence permit (BRP) • UK biometric residence card (BRC) • UK Frontier Worker permit (FWP) You can use an expired driving licence if it expired in the last 90 days and it was issued by DVLA. You can use an expired BRP, BRC or FWP up to 24 months after its expiry date. You will also need: • a well-lit area where you can take a good quality photograph • an iPhone 8 or newer • iOS 16.7 or higher How it works If your photo ID is a driving licence you will: • take a photo of your driving licence • scan your face using your phone If your photo ID is a passport, BRP, BRC or FWP you will: • take a photo of your photo ID • scan the biometric chip in your photo ID using your phone • scan your face using your phone What happens next The app only helps confirm your identity. You will return to the website of the government service you were accessing to view the results of your identity check. Privacy and security Your personal information will not be stored in the app, or on the phone when you finish using it. We collect your data securely and delete it when it is no longer needed.

About

HM | DCC

Control your model railway system wirelessly with this app. Build your locomotive library, customize their settings, and design your dream layout with untethered control over points, signals, and turntables. Enjoy free sound profiles and upgrade existing systems.

Highlights
  • Wireless model railway control
  • Locomotive customization
  • On-the-fly setting adjustments
  • Layout design tool
  • Controllable points, signals, turntables
  • Free locomotive sound profiles
  • Bluetooth® device linking
Features
Read full description

The official app for setting up and controlling your HM7000 range of products. HM | DCC is the new model railway control system that makes it simple to build your library of locomotives and have ultimate control over them in the palm of your hand. Customise your locomotives with images, tinker, tailor & test settings on the fly to perfect your locomotive’s running style. Design your dream layout and manoeuvre locomotives through controllable points, signals, and turntables with untethered control. Easily set up your system. Log in*, link up your Bluetooth® HM devices, power-cycle and away you go. Control your system free of wires. Complete wireless & untethered control of your layout. Upgrade previous systems without ripping out installed controllers and components. Personalise your locomotives. Fill your engine shed with your fleet of locomotives, choose the perfect photo, and programme their settings to see locomotive running styles change instantaneously. Enjoy completely FREE locomotive sound profiles. Connect your HM7000-TXS decoders to HM | DCC and relish a plethora of class locomotive sounds for download. Keep up to date with the latest releases and get more locomotive sound profiles to play with on the day of release. Design your dream layout. Use the in-built Track Builder to draw up and design the perfect layout. Then, export a list easily to know what you need to build it. Everyone’s included. Functions with OO, TT and N scale gauges. Upgrade your previous DCC products to work with HM | DCC. Upgrade “DCC ready” locomotives to HM | DCC app control with HM7000 decoders. Control locomotives fitted with non-Bluetooth® and HM7000 Bluetooth® decoders in parallel. Explore the different ways you can upgrade via the Hornby.com website. *Please note: A Hornby.com account is required for HM | DCC app use. This can be easily created from the Hornby.com website. Internet access is required for device reset, profile download, hardware updates, app updates and app login. Disclaimer: Please ensure that your device is fully compatible with both the HM | DCC app and the HM7000 range of products prior to any purchase. Devices older than 5 years may work but cannot be recommended for control. If unsure, please visit the Hornby.com website or contact Hornby Hobbies customer care.

Screenshots

GOV.UK ID Check4 screens
HM | DCC4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: GOV.UK ID Check at 4.8 against HM | DCC's 3.0. GOV.UK ID Check also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). HM | DCC's advantage is review sentiment (56% vs 38%) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, 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

GOV.UK ID Check holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GOV.UK ID Check has 5.2K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 38% of GOV.UK ID Check's written reviews are positive against 56% of HM | DCC's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GOV.UK ID Check ships an update every 3 weeks, HM | DCC every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
GOV.UK ID Check versus HM | DCC: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGOV.UK ID CheckHM | DCC
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (5.2K ratings) — better3.0 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews38.3% of reviews56.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5.2K — better6
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.711.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB48 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGovernment Digital ServiceHornby Hobbies Ltd

Customer experience

GOV.UK ID Check

All ratings5,153 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral2.4%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews776 reviews
Positive38.3%
Neutral5.0%
Negative56.7%

HM | DCC

All ratings6 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews32 reviews
Positive56.3%
Neutral6.3%
Negative37.5%

Bugs and requests

GOV.UK ID Check

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inconsistent passport chip scanning
  • Facial recognition failures
  • App crashes and freezes
  • Incorrect name/information parsing

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved instructions for passport chip scanning
  • Support for more ID types (e.g. driver's licenses)
  • Accessibility features for users with disabilities
  • Streamlined process for frequent users

HM | DCC

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

GOV.UK ID Check

No in-app purchases

None

HM | DCC

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is GOV.UK ID Check free?
GOV.UK ID Check is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is HM | DCC free?
HM | DCC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, GOV.UK ID Check or HM | DCC?
GOV.UK ID Check is rated higher. GOV.UK ID Check averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5.2K ratings, while HM | DCC averages 3.0 from 6 ratings.
Do GOV.UK ID Check or HM | DCC have ads?
Neither GOV.UK ID Check nor HM | DCC shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GOV.UK ID Check or HM | DCC?
GOV.UK ID Check ships an update every 3 weeks, and HM | DCC every 4 months. Most recently, GOV.UK ID Check was updated on November 6, 2026 and HM | DCC on November 3, 2026.

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