# First Bank Digital Banking vs SECU

The clearest difference is monetization model: SECU at free against First Bank Digital Banking's free with in-app purchases. SECU also leads on ratings volume (276K vs 6.6K) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). First Bank Digital Banking's advantage is review sentiment (86% vs 64%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

SECU holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SECU has 276K ratings behind it against 6.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 86% of First Bank Digital Banking's written reviews are positive against 64% of SECU's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

First Bank Digital Banking ships an update every 3 months, SECU every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Bank Digital Banking | SECU |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (6.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-bank-digital-banking/id394986521/reviews) | **[4.9 (276K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secu/id1435916976/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6.6K | **276K** |
| Positive reviews | **85.9% of reviews** | 64.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 130 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FIRST BANCORP](https://appshunter.io/developer/394986530) | [North Carolina State Employees' Credit Union](https://appshunter.io/developer/1435916975) |

## What reviewers say

### First Bank Digital Banking

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-bank-digital-banking/id394986521)

Manage your finances on the go with this secure mobile banking application. View account balances, transfer funds, deposit checks, and track spending patterns. Access your accounts anytime, anywhere, and utilize biometric security for peace of mind.

**Highlights:** View real-time account balances, Transfer funds between accounts, Deposit checks via mobile, Track financial patterns, Add cards to mobile wallet, Biometric account security

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 User-friendly
- 🔒 Secure
- 💡 Convenient features
- 🚀 Efficient

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional glitches
- 🐛 Slow performance
- 🐛 Difficult navigation
- 💡 Missing features (Zelle, credit card management)

**Reported bugs**

- Mobile deposit issues
- Inconsistent transaction posting
- Frequent logouts

**Requested features**

- Ability to save password/login credentials
- Improved bill pay functionality
- Integrate credit card accounts
- Add Zelle integration
- Optimize for mobile use


### SECU

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secu/id1435916976)

Manage your finances on the go with this mobile banking app. View account balances, pay bills, transfer funds, and deposit checks securely. It also allows you to manage your cards and communicate with the institution through secure messaging.

**Highlights:** View account balances and transactions, Lock/unlock debit cards, Schedule and manage bill payments, Transfer funds between accounts, Deposit checks via mobile, Request loan advances, Secure messaging

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly app
- 🚀 Efficient mobile banking features
- 🔒 Secure transactions
- 💡 Convenient mobile check deposit
- 👍 Helpful and friendly customer service

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable mobile deposit
- 🐛 Inconsistent transaction history display
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and glitches
- 🔍 Lack of advanced features (notes, recurring transfers)

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen issues causing lockouts
- Mobile deposit not recognizing check orientation
- Inconsistent app performance after iOS updates

**Requested features**

- Add notes/memos to transactions
- Enable recurring transfers between accounts
- Implement true landscape mode for tablets
- Improve email/text alert options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First Bank Digital Banking free?

First Bank Digital Banking is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SECU free?

SECU is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, First Bank Digital Banking or SECU?

SECU is rated higher. First Bank Digital Banking averages 4.6 out of 5 from 6.6K ratings, while SECU averages 4.9 from 276K ratings.

### Do First Bank Digital Banking or SECU have ads?

Neither First Bank Digital Banking nor SECU shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, First Bank Digital Banking or SECU?

First Bank Digital Banking ships an update every 3 months, and SECU every 2 months. Most recently, First Bank Digital Banking was updated on October 23, 2026 and SECU on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*