Comparison

first direct vs Newpay

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in accordance with our App terms and conditions • Use in accordance with Apple terms and conditions • This app may be withdrawn at any time, but we’ll always keep you in the loop.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

Newpay

Manage your credit account on the go with this secure mobile app. View your balance, track transactions, make payments, and manage your direct debit. Access retailer information and update your contact details easily.

Highlights
  • View balance and credit limit
  • Browse retailers
  • Track transactions
  • Manage instalment plans
  • Make payments
  • Set up Direct Debit
  • Update contact details
Features
Read full description

Manage your Newpay account anywhere, anytime, with our secure mobile app. It's free to download now, just use the details you signed up with. Our mobile app has lots of features to enable you to manage your account easily: • View your latest balance and available credit limit • Browse all Newpay retailers • View your latest transactions, including transactions that are still pending • Check the progress of your instalment plans • Make a payment on your account • Set up or manage your Direct Debit • Manage your statement preferences • Update your contact details • Get in contact with us and view our FAQs If you would like to learn more about Newpay, check out our website www.newpay.co.uk or look for Newpay when you check out to spread the cost at your favourite retailers. Credit provided by NewDay Ltd. 18+. UK only. Subject to status. T&Cs apply.

Screenshots

first direct4 screens
Newpay4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: first direct at 77% against Newpay's 17%. first direct also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Newpay's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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, Newpay every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
first direct versus Newpay: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameterfirst directNewpay
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (2K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews76.5% of reviews — better16.7% of reviews
Number of ratings2K — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size271 MB159 MB
Age rating4+17+
Developerfirst directNewDay Ltd

Customer experience

first direct

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

Newpay

Written reviews18 reviews
Positive16.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative83.3%

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

Newpay

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

first direct

No in-app purchases

None

Newpay

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is first direct free?
first direct is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Newpay free?
Newpay is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do first direct or Newpay have ads?
Neither first direct nor Newpay shows ads.
Which is updated more often, first direct or Newpay?
first direct ships an update monthly, and Newpay every 9 days. Most recently, first direct was updated on October 14, 2026 and Newpay on October 8, 2026.

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