Comparison

Three vs GOV.UK ID Check

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

Head to head
About

Three

Easily manage your mobile and broadband plans. Track usage, view bills, top up accounts, and access exclusive offers. Set up and manage your broadband with helpful tools.

Highlights
  • View plan allowances and usage
  • Manage additional products
  • Access past bills and cost breakdowns
  • Top up Pay As You Go accounts
  • Set up and manage broadband
  • Access Three+ rewards
  • Live chat support
Features
Read full description

The Three app makes managing your phone and broadband plans easy. The app helps you: - view plan allowances and usage - add, change or cancel additional products - access past bills and see a breakdown of costs - top up your Pay As You Go account - see offers you won’t find anywhere else - set up and manage your broadband - position your hub with the real-time signal strength indicator - quickly launch Three+ rewards - discover Three Community - live chat with Three - manage payments easily and securely with Apple Pay.

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.

Screenshots

Three4 screens
GOV.UK ID Check4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: GOV.UK ID Check at none against Three's shown. GOV.UK ID Check also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Three's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.1K and 5.1K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of Three's written reviews are positive against 38% of GOV.UK ID Check's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Three ships an update every 2 weeks, GOV.UK ID Check every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Three versus GOV.UK ID Check: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThreeGOV.UK ID Check
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (1.1K ratings)4.8 (5.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews18.0% of reviews38.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.1K5.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.7
Further details — not scored
Size193 MB28 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHutchison 3G UK LtdGovernment Digital Service

Customer experience

Three

All ratings1,119 ratings
Positive85.2%
Neutral3.4%
Negative11.4%
Written reviews959 reviews
Positive18.0%
Neutral5.0%
Negative77.0%

GOV.UK ID Check

All ratings5,075 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral2.4%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews751 reviews
Positive38.5%
Neutral5.2%
Negative56.3%

User reviews

Three

From 1.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • ✨ Reliable service
  • 💰 Good value
  • 🌍 Excellent roaming coverage

Room to improve

  • 🔧 Buggy app
  • 📶 Poor network coverage
  • 🤖 Unhelpful customer service
  • 💸 Overcharging issues
  • 🔒 Security concerns

GOV.UK ID Check

From 5.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 🔒 Secure ID verification
  • 👍 Clear instructions
  • 🚀 Convenient
  • 👍 Impressive technology

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Scanning issues with passport chip
  • 🐛 Compatibility issues with certain devices/phones
  • 🐛 Crashes and errors
  • 👓 Difficult for users with vision impairments
  • ⏱️ Time-consuming process

Bugs and requests

Three

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login issues
  • App crashes frequently
  • Inaccurate data usage tracking
  • Inability to cancel add-ons

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add Apple Pay support
  • Improve app stability and performance
  • Provide better network coverage information
  • Streamline account management features

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

In-app purchases

None

Three

No in-app purchases

None

GOV.UK ID Check

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Three free?
Three is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is GOV.UK ID Check free?
GOV.UK ID Check is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Three or GOV.UK ID Check?
GOV.UK ID Check is rated higher. Three averages 4.4 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while GOV.UK ID Check averages 4.8 from 5.1K ratings.
Do Three or GOV.UK ID Check have ads?
Three shows ads; GOV.UK ID Check does not.
Which is updated more often, Three or GOV.UK ID Check?
Three ships an update every 2 weeks, and GOV.UK ID Check every 3 weeks. Most recently, Three was updated on September 22, 2026 and GOV.UK ID Check on September 24, 2026.

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