Comparison

first direct vs Pensions By Penfold

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 mobile banking application. Easily check balances, view transactions, and transfer funds to friends and family. This app simplifies everyday money management, with more enhancements planned for the future.

Highlights
  • Check account balances
  • View transaction history
  • Pay family and friends
  • Simplified money management
  • Mobile banking convenience
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in accordance with our App terms and conditions • Use in accordance with Apple terms and conditions • This app may be withdrawn at any time, but we’ll always keep you in the loop.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

Pensions By Penfold

Manage your retirement savings with an intuitive platform that simplifies pension transfers and contributions. Easily track down old pensions, make flexible payments, and choose from various investment funds. Get expert support and transparent fees for a confident financial future.

Highlights
  • Transfer old pensions for free
  • Find lost pensions
  • Flexible contributions
  • Multiple investment funds
  • Low transparent fees
  • Expert customer support
Features
Read full description

Feel empowered by your pension with Penfold’s intuitive interface, powerful tools and friendly customer service. We make pensions easy so you can have confidence about life after work. Capital at risk. Get started in under 5 minutes • Create an account with an email and password • Enter some details like your name and address • Transfer an old pension or pay in some cash • All done! Complete access to a modern pension Transfer your pensions for free • Combine old workplace and private pensions • Enter a few details about your old pension in-app • Our transfer specialists do the paperwork for you • Get transfer progress updates on your dashboard It's important to compare providers’ fees and any guaranteed benefits when deciding on whether to transfer, and be sure that the investments available are suitable for you. If your employer is paying into your pension currently, transferring that pot may mean you lose out on their contribution. Track down lost pensions • Use our in-app Find My Pension tool • Simply enter your previous employer’s name • We’ll tell you the provider and contact details Completely flexible pension contributions • No minimum monthly contribution amount • Set up recurring or make one-off payments • Easily top-up, adjust and stop your contributions • Receive a 25% tax relief top-up automatically Switch pension investment fund any time • Lifetime: Automatically adjusts risk level over time • Standard: Choose your preferred risk level • Sustainable: Invest in high ESG rated companies • Sharia: Investments approved by a Sharia board Low pension fees and no hidden charges • An annual fee of 0.4% to 0.88% depending on your investment fund and account balance • No charges for anything else including exits, transfers and drawdown Friendly, expert pension service • Our UK-based team are on hand to support you • Ask questions via in-app chat, email, or phone • No waiting lines, call centres or jargon! Securing your pension savings • Investments are managed by the largest money managers in the world - BlackRock and HSBC • We safeguard your data with the most up-to-date security technology and strictly comply with GDPR Penfold are part of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) as well as being authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Screenshots

first direct4 screens
Pensions By Penfold4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: first direct at none against Pensions By Penfold's shown. first direct also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, review sentiment, update cadence 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

first direct ships an update monthly, Pensions By Penfold every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
first direct versus Pensions By Penfold: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameterfirst directPensions By Penfold
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (2K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews76.5% of reviews — better76.1% of reviews
Number of ratings2K — better—
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size271 MB23 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerfirst directPenfold

Customer experience

first direct

All ratings1,964 ratings
Positive97.3%
Neutral1.0%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews996 reviews
Positive76.5%
Neutral5.0%
Negative18.5%

Pensions By Penfold

Written reviews46 reviews
Positive76.1%
Neutral4.3%
Negative19.6%

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

Pensions By Penfold

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

first direct

No in-app purchases

None

Pensions By Penfold

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is first direct free?
first direct is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pensions By Penfold free?
Pensions By Penfold is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do first direct or Pensions By Penfold have ads?
Pensions By Penfold shows ads; first direct does not.
Which is updated more often, first direct or Pensions By Penfold?
first direct ships an update monthly, and Pensions By Penfold every 6 weeks. Most recently, first direct was updated on October 20, 2026 and Pensions By Penfold on October 14, 2026.

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