Comparison

ActivoBank vs novobanco

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

Head to head
About

ActivoBank

Manage your finances with this app, offering account management, card services, loan applications, and secure payment options. It also allows for international transfers and bill splitting with friends. Open a new account entirely online in just 15 minutes.

Highlights
  • Integrated account management
  • Card services and management
  • Loan simulation and application
  • International transfers
  • Bill payment and splitting
  • Secure mobile payments
  • Account aggregation
Features
Read full description

Everything you need to know about our App’s functionalities is here! Did you know you can: Manage your accounts in an integrated and intuitive way: check, transfer, pay and save; Hide your balances in order to have more privacy; Request a new Debit or Credit Card and revoke ( up to 14 days) or even cancel it due to loss or theft; Simulate and apply for a Personal Loan, with the possibility of immediate online approval (subject to automatic credit assessment); Simulate a Home Loan: apply and upload the first required documents; Subscribe our ON/OFF Travel Insurance; Make international transfers directly with TransferWise; Use Widgets for a simpler access to your account movements; Set notifications when your balance is below a certain amount or when your Credit Card is used. With Apple Pay you can make simple, fast and secure purchases in stores, in Apps, and on the web. Leave your cards at home and pay using only your Apple device. It’s simple, fast and safe. In the area “More” you can find: MB WAY, where you can send, withdraw and request money or even pay and split your bills with friends; Finance Manager, onde pode controlar os seus gastos; Configurations; Contacts; Legal information; Logout. Request your Loan Moratorium, without leaving your house. It’s the safest option! Upload the documents, wait for an answer and, if you fulfil the requirements, accept! 
With PSD2 you can aggregate, on your App, information about your other Bank Accounts: balances, movements and account details. You can aggregate Accounts from 17 national Banks, that joined to the SIBS solution. Share Beneficiaries and Favourites info between the App and website. Not our Client yet? Then open an Account without leaving your house! 
You’ll only need: 15 minutes; Portuguese Identification Document, proof of address and employment; Make a videocall at the end of the process. Don’t waste any time: download it now and make your life simpler!

About

novobanco

This banking app offers a secure, intuitive, and fast experience that adapts to your needs. It simplifies operations with auto-fill, allows for personalized viewing preferences, and lets you suggest new features. Track account activity, manage cards, and make payments easily.

Highlights
  • Auto-fill for operations
  • Customizable display preferences
  • Suggest new features
  • Account summary and balances
  • Credit card management
  • Mobile payments with Appe Pay
  • Transaction categorization
Features
Read full description

A app do novobanco, para além de segura, intuitiva e rápida, é uma app que aprende consigo e que se vai ajustando a si: • simplifica a forma como faz as operações, com preenchimento automático de dados, para que não perca tempo; • possibilidade de personalizar as suas preferências de visualização, desde a forma como prefere ver a informação, mais gráfica ou textual, até ao tamanho de letra; • E ainda, lhe permite propor novas funcionalidades ou customizações que são essenciais para si. A app do novobanco tem ainda: Um ecrã inicial com o resumo das principais opções; saldos e movimentos das suas Contas; a sua Posição Integrada; os cartões de crédito associados e acesso rápido à opção de carregamentos para que acompanhe a atividade das suas Contas de forma simplificada. Visualização de movimentos de conta para todas as contas associadas com categorização de acordo com o tipo de despesa/receita, incluindo para contas de outros bancos. Menu e uma navegação muito intuitiva, que lhe permite aceder a todas as opções de personalização e de utilização num único ecrã. Com o Appe Pay faça as suas compras de forma fácil, rápida e segura. Realize comodamente pagamentos através do seu iPhone ou Apple Watch. Adicione o seu cartão novobanco à Carteira do seu iPhone. Em caso de dúvida ou sugestões, envie-nos um e-mail para mobile@novobanco.pt

Screenshots

ActivoBank4 screens
novobanco4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ActivoBank at 46% against novobanco's 20%. ActivoBank also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.5). novobanco's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.6). On price, ratings volume, update cadence 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

ActivoBank holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 528 and 251 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of ActivoBank's written reviews are positive against 20% of novobanco's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ActivoBank ships an update every 4 weeks, novobanco fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
ActivoBank versus novobanco: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterActivoBanknovobanco
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (528 ratings) — better4.5 (251 ratings)
Positive reviews46.1% of reviews — better20.0% of reviews
Number of ratings528 — better251
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size420 MB90 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBanco ActivoBank (Portugal), SANovo Banco, S.A

Customer experience

ActivoBank

All ratings528 ratings
Positive92.2%
Neutral1.1%
Negative6.6%
Written reviews180 reviews
Positive46.1%
Neutral8.9%
Negative45.0%

novobanco

All ratings251 ratings
Positive88.0%
Neutral2.0%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews55 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral3.6%
Negative76.4%

Bugs and requests

ActivoBank

Reported bugs

16 issues
  • App fails to open after recent updates
  • Login requires multiple attempts
  • Numpad appears instead of keyboard for company name input
  • IBAN not recognized error on transfer finalization
  • Face ID compliance error on compatible devices
Show 11 more
  • App reports offline status despite active connection
  • Website freezes at Terms and Conditions review step
  • Chave Movel Digital button non-functional
  • Email notifications blocked after customer replies
  • App crashes on version 4.0+
  • Pending and wallet transactions not visible
  • Language selection reverts to Portuguese
  • Dismissed advertisements reappear on screen reload
  • Update requires re-activation with failed credential acceptance
  • Back button disappears in navigation settings view
  • Connection problems persist after reinstallation

Requested features

11 requests
  • Separate marketing notification toggle from security alerts
  • Support for non-Portuguese IBAN beneficiaries
  • Landscape/horizontal orientation support for iPad
  • Easier tax address and postal address updates
  • Card blocking functionality within the app
Show 6 more
  • Optional hidden balance feature in settings
  • Increased PIN security (minimum 6 digits)
  • Waived foreign currency fees for free accounts
  • Real-time transaction date display for contactless payments
  • Consistent language support throughout entire app
  • SMS activation code delivery improvements

novobanco

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ActivoBank

No in-app purchases

None

novobanco

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ActivoBank free?
ActivoBank is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is novobanco free?
novobanco is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ActivoBank or novobanco?
ActivoBank is rated higher. ActivoBank averages 4.7 out of 5 from 528 ratings, while novobanco averages 4.5 from 251 ratings.
Do ActivoBank or novobanco have ads?
Neither ActivoBank nor novobanco shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ActivoBank or novobanco?
ActivoBank ships an update every 4 weeks, and novobanco fortnightly. Most recently, ActivoBank was updated on September 23, 2026 and novobanco on September 4, 2026.

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