Comparison

PayPal vs bunq

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

Head to head
About

PayPal

Manage your finances with a secure app for online and in-store shopping, sending money globally, and earning cash back. It also offers savings accounts, cryptocurrency trading, and package tracking.

Highlights
  • Send and receive money globally
  • Earn cash back offers
  • Request a debit card
  • Buy, sell, and hold cryptocurrency
  • High-yield savings accounts
  • Track packages
Features
Read full description

PayPal is a smart way to securely shop in-store and online, earn rewards points on brands you love, send money and much more.​ SHOP WITH PURCHASE PROTECTION Get built-in protection before and after you buy, with support when something doesn't go as planned. *PayPal Purchase Protection is available on eligible transactions. See terms and limitations: https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/paypal/buyer-protection​ EARN POINTS ON EVERYDAY PURCHASES WITH THE PAYPAL DEBIT CARD   Choose a monthly category and earn 5% back in rewards points on up to $1000 spend/month. Terms apply: http://paypal.com/rewardspal  No monthly fees. The PayPal Debit Mastercard® is issued by The Bancorp Bank N.A. ("The Bancorp"), pursuant to a license by Mastercard International Incorporated and may be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted. Mastercard and the circles design are registered trademarks of Mastercard International Incorporated. The Bancorp is issuer of the Card only and not responsible for the associated accounts or other products, services, or offers from PayPal. PayPal is a financial technology company, not a bank. The Card is linked to your PayPal Balance account. See PayPal Balance Terms and Conditions: https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/pp-balance-tnc#holding​ SEND AND REQUEST MONEY, SECURELY & IN SECONDS Send money fast within the US and internationally to 110+ countries. Encrypted payments help keep financial details private and secure.​ BUY NOW PAY LATER In store single-use card is valid for one purchase and must be used within 24 hours of loan approval. *Pay in 4 is available upon approval for purchases of $10 - $2000 and is currently not available to residents of MO. 18 years old or older to apply. The lender for Pay in 4 is PayPal, Inc. (NMLS #910457).  Loans to CA residents are made or arranged pursuant to a CA Financing Law License. RI Small Loan Lender Licensee. NM residents: Go to paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/campaigns/newmexicodisclosure. Learn more at paypal.com/payin4. TRACK YOUR PACKAGES View orders and delivery status until they arrive safely at your door. Not all sellers are participants.​   MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION ALL IN ONE APP The easy way to link and track all your subscriptions. ALL YOUR MONEY AND TRANSACTIONS IN ONE PLACE The new Me Tab lets you navigate your money, accounts, and settings right where you’d expect them. PayPal 2211 N 1st St San Jose, CA 95131

About

bunq

A mobile banking app designed for various life stages, offering easy account opening, wealth management, and budgeting tools. It provides features for everyday banking, business needs, and international lifestyles, with options for investing and cryptocurrency trading.

Highlights
  • Multiple bank accounts
  • Card management
  • Savings accounts and term deposits
  • Stock and ETF investing
  • Cryptocurrency trading
  • Contactless payment acceptance
  • Worldwide travel insurance
Features
Read full description

Say hello to bunq – the mobile bank that's there for you at every chapter of your life! Whether exploring new countries, building your dream business, or managing family life, bunq helps you grow your wealth, spend, and budget effortlessly. Open your account in just 5 minutes and start your 30-day free trial today. Our Plans bunq Free - €0/month Get started with essential banking. • 3 Bank Accounts to get you started • 1 Digital Card with Apple Pay support • Scheduled Payments and AutoAccept for requests • Earn 3.51% interest on USD/GBP savings • Invest in stocks with ease • Buy and sell cryptocurrencies in the EEA • Save up to 90% on roaming costs with an eSIM from bunq Business features: • Accept contactless payments with Tap to Pay • Integration with 50+ bookkeeping tools bunq Core - €3.99/month A bank account for everyday use. All bunq Free benefits, plus: • 5 Bank Accounts for your everyday needs • 1 Physical Card included • Personalize your Physical Card to make it uniquely yours • Shared account access • Add loyalty cards for quick access • Unlimited ZeroFX • 24/7 SOS Hotline for emergencies Business features: • Co-founder access • Shared account access • Bookkeeping integrations bunq Pro - €9.99/month The bank account that makes budgeting easy. All bunq Core benefits, plus: • 25 Bank Accounts for effortless budgeting • 3 Physical Cards and 25 Digital Cards included • Personalized budgeting insights and income organiser • 5 fee-free foreign currency payments per month • Secondary PIN for multiple accounts on one card • 20% discount on stock trading fees • Student offer: pay €0 per month Business features: • Add up to 3 employees • Company Cards (debit or credit) and Tap to Pay access • AutoVAT bunq Elite - €18.99/month The account for your international lifestyle. All bunq Pro benefits, plus: • Worldwide Travel Insurance • 10 fee-free foreign currency payments per month • 8GB worldwide data • 50% discount on stock trading fees Business features: • Add up to 10 employees • 500 fee-free transactions per year Your security = Our priority Boost your bank security with two-factor authentication and 100% control of cards. Your deposits = Fully protected Your money is insured up to €100,000 by the Deposit Guarantee Scheme (DGS). Invest in the bunq app through our partners. Investing involves risks, including potential loss. bunq does not provide trading advice. Manage your investments at your own risk. bunq is authorized by the Dutch Central Bank (DNB). Our US office resides at 401 Park Ave S. New York, NY 10016, USA.

Screenshots

PayPal4 screens
bunq4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: bunq at none against PayPal's shown. bunq also leads on review sentiment (42% vs 21%). PayPal's advantage is ratings volume (6.3M vs 1.4K) and rating (4.8 vs 4.4). On price, update cadence, 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

PayPal holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PayPal has 6.3M ratings behind it against 1.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 21% of PayPal's written reviews are positive against 42% of bunq's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
PayPal versus bunq: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPayPalbunq
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (6.3M ratings) — better4.4 (1.4K ratings)
Positive reviews20.7% of reviews42.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6.3M — better1.4K
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank#4 — better—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.416.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size799 MB468 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPayPal, Inc.bunq

Customer experience

PayPal

All ratings6,299,201 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral1.8%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews6,050 reviews
Positive20.7%
Neutral5.1%
Negative74.1%

bunq

All ratings1,429 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral2.7%
Negative11.6%
Written reviews264 reviews
Positive42.4%
Neutral4.9%
Negative52.7%

User reviews

PayPal

From 6.3M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Extremely effective and reliable crypto recovery service
  • 🔒 Secure payment processing
  • 💰 Convenient way to send and receive money
  • 👍 Easy to use app with simple interface

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inconsistent customer support responses
  • 🕰️ Slow money transfer times
  • 💳 Holds on funds for new accounts
  • 🤖 Overly automated with lack of human interaction

bunq

From 1.4K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Instant payments
  • 💡 Innovative features
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🌍 Great for expats
  • 🔒 Secure banking

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy app
  • 🕰️ Slow customer support
  • 💰 Expensive fees
  • 🤖 Unhelpful AI chatbot
  • 🔒 Account freezing issues

Bugs and requests

PayPal

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Account limitations and freezes with unclear reasons
  • Issues linking bank accounts and cards
  • Problems with refunds and chargebacks

Requested features

4 requests
  • Faster money transfers
  • More transparent policies and fees
  • Improved dispute resolution process
  • Better customer service accessibility

bunq

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes on login
  • Incorrect transaction recording
  • Verification issues

Requested features

3 requests
  • Bring back previous app design
  • Improve account management features
  • Provide phone-based customer support

In-app purchases

None

PayPal

No in-app purchases

None

bunq

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PayPal free?
PayPal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is bunq free?
bunq is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PayPal or bunq?
PayPal is rated higher. PayPal averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6.3M ratings, while bunq averages 4.4 from 1.4K ratings.
Do PayPal or bunq have ads?
PayPal shows ads; bunq does not.
Which is updated more often, PayPal or bunq?
PayPal ships an update weekly, and bunq weekly. Most recently, PayPal was updated on October 29, 2026 and bunq on October 26, 2026.

Other comparisons