first direct vs Skipton Building Society
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Check account balances
- View transaction history
- Pay friends and family
- Simplified money management
- Intuitive user interface
Read full descriptionHide 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in accordance with our App terms and conditions • Use in accordance with Apple terms and conditions • This app may be withdrawn at any time, but we’ll always keep you in the loop.
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.
- 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
Read full descriptionHide 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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
first direct ships an update monthly, Skipton Building Society every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.
| Parameter | first direct | Skipton Building Society |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (2K ratings) — better | 4.6 (23 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 76.5% of reviews — better | 38.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2K — better | 23 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 319 MB | 56 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | first direct | Skipton Building Society |
Customer experience
first direct
Skipton Building Society
User reviews
first direct
From 2K App Store ratingsWhat 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 ratingsWhat 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
first direct
No in-app purchases
Skipton Building Society
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is first direct free?
Is Skipton Building Society free?
Which has better reviews, first direct or Skipton Building Society?
Do first direct or Skipton Building Society have ads?
Which is updated more often, first direct or Skipton Building Society?
Other comparisons















