Comparison

first direct vs Skipton Building Society

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

Head to head
About

first direct

Manage your finances on the go with this intuitive banking app. Check balances, view transactions, and send money to friends and family with ease. This app simplifies everyday money management with a host of features designed for convenience.

Highlights
  • Check account balances
  • View transaction history
  • Pay friends and family
  • Simplified money management
  • Intuitive user interface
Features
Read full description

Your everyday just got a whole lot easier. Even better banking has arrived. At the coffee shop, deciding if it’s a skinny soy latte or a cup of tea. In a taxi stuck in traffic, wondering how much you’ve saved for your trip to Machu Picchu. On a rollercoaster, planning the decorations for your dog’s third birthday party… Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, our new and improved mobile app makes banking even simpler. From checking your balances and viewing transactions to paying family and friends, mobile banking takes all the hassle out of everyday money stuff. You can now do more than ever from the comfort of your own phone - and if that’s not exciting enough, this is just the start of our mini digital revolution, with loads more improvements on the way. So go on. Get yourself up to date. Update now >> • Free to use, but providers may charge for download and usage • Use in accordance with local laws and check charges if using abroad • Use in accordance with our App terms and conditions • Use in accordance with Apple terms and conditions • This app may be withdrawn at any time, but we’ll always keep you in the loop.

About

Skipton Building Society

Manage your savings and mortgage accounts with this secure mobile banking app. View balances, transaction history, make payments, and open new accounts. Communicate securely with the building society.

Highlights
  • Secure login with fingerprint, face, or PIN
  • View savings and mortgage account details
  • Transaction history and balance checks
  • Transfer funds between accounts
  • Open new savings accounts
  • Secure messaging with the building society
Features
Read full description

Now there’s a quick and easy way to manage your accounts With the new Skipton Building Society app the accounts that you have with us really will be at your fingertips. - Login securely using your finger print, face or PIN - Send and receive secure messages - Access your secure passcode to use on Skipton Online Savings Accounts - View your account balance, interest details and more - See transaction history - Pay into nominated accounts if your account allows it - View future or regular transactions - Pay into accounts using a debit card if your account allows it - Transfer money between your online accounts if your account allows it - Open a new savings account - View the maturity date of any fixed term accounts you hold - Read and send secure messages with Skipton - View your remaining ISA and/or Lifetime ISA allowance. Mortgage Accounts - View your mortgage balance and remaining term - See transaction history - View your current interest rate - View your mortgage payment amount and payment method - View Early Repayment Charge details - View overpayment allowance - Read and send secure messages with Skipton. For more information visit skipton.co.uk/mobileapp The device uses performance cookies for internal purposes to help us improve the app. You can choose to opt out of this at any time in the app settings menu. To read Skipton Building Society’s cookie policy go to https://www.skipton.co.uk/cookie-policy To read Skipton Building Society’s privacy policy go to https://www.skipton.co.uk/privacy-policy Skipton Building Society is a member of the Building Societies Association. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority, under registration number 153706, for accepting deposits, advising on and arranging mortgages and providing Restricted financial advice. Principal Office, The Bailey, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 1DN

Screenshots

first direct4 screens
Skipton Building Society4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: first direct at 77% against Skipton Building Society's 38%. first direct also leads on ratings volume (2K vs 23) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). Skipton Building Society's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, 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

first direct holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: first direct has 2K ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of first direct's written reviews are positive against 38% of Skipton Building Society's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

first direct ships an update monthly, Skipton Building Society every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
first direct versus Skipton Building Society: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameterfirst directSkipton Building Society
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (2K ratings) — better4.6 (23 ratings)
Positive reviews76.5% of reviews — better38.4% of reviews
Number of ratings2K — better23
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size319 MB56 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerfirst directSkipton Building Society

Customer experience

first direct

All ratings1,974 ratings
Positive97.2%
Neutral1.1%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews996 reviews
Positive76.5%
Neutral5.0%
Negative18.5%

Skipton Building Society

All ratings23 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews216 reviews
Positive38.4%
Neutral15.7%
Negative45.8%

User reviews

first direct

From 2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Fast and accurate
  • 🔒 Excellent security
  • 💡 Helpful customer service
  • 👍 Consistent and reliable

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional app crashes
  • 🔒 Overly complex security measures
  • 💡 Outdated and basic design
  • 🔒 Frustrating authentication process
  • 🐛 Buggy cheque deposit feature

Skipton Building Society

From 23 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Intuitive interface
  • 🔒 Excellent security
  • 💡 All accounts in one place
  • 👍 User-friendly app

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent log-out issues
  • 🐛 Device limit problems
  • 🐛 Unreliable app performance
  • 🐛 Confusing registration process
  • 🐛 Inability to withdraw funds

Bugs and requests

first direct

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App freezing and crashing
  • Issues with cheque deposit functionality
  • Problems with multi-device authentication
  • Inconsistent behavior when updating payee details

Requested features

5 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Improved transaction history and insights
  • Ability to edit scheduled payments and payees
  • Streamlined payment flow
  • Better categorization and budgeting tools

Skipton Building Society

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes and freezes
  • Inconsistent login experience
  • Incorrect account information display
  • Inability to access closed accounts

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to view interest rates
  • Option to download interest certificates
  • Functionality to make mortgage overpayments
  • Clearer account management options
  • Improved in-app messaging and support

In-app purchases

None

first direct

No in-app purchases

None

Skipton Building Society

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is first direct free?
first direct is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Skipton Building Society free?
Skipton Building Society is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, first direct or Skipton Building Society?
first direct is rated higher. first direct averages 4.9 out of 5 from 2K ratings, while Skipton Building Society averages 4.6 from 23 ratings.
Do first direct or Skipton Building Society have ads?
Neither first direct nor Skipton Building Society shows ads.
Which is updated more often, first direct or Skipton Building Society?
first direct ships an update monthly, and Skipton Building Society every 2 months. Most recently, first direct was updated on November 6, 2026 and Skipton Building Society on November 6, 2026.

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