Comparison

first direct vs MoneySavingExpert

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in accordance with our App terms and conditions • Use in accordance with Apple terms and conditions • This app may be withdrawn at any time, but we’ll always keep you in the loop.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

MoneySavingExpert

Access UK's largest personal finance site for deals, switching tips, and budgeting tools. Get expert guidance and alerts for money-saving opportunities on bills, credit, and everyday costs.

Highlights
  • Bill comparison and switching
  • Credit score and report access
  • Energy tariff comparison
  • Budgeting tools
  • Insurance quotes
  • Deal finder
Features
Read full description

Save money on your bills, credit, banking and everyday costs with the MoneySavingExpert app - the UK's biggest personal finance help site packed with deals, switching tips, budgeting tools and expert guidance from Martin Lewis. Get quick access to MSE’s top guides, breaking news, weekly deals, and Martin Lewis’ updates. Turn on notifications and we’ll alert you to money-saving opportunities as they happen. You’ll get access to MSE’s money saving tools in one place, including our: - Credit Club: See your credit score, credit report and credit eligibility rating - Cheap Energy Club: Compare energy tariffs and switch to save £100s - Amazon Discount Finder: Snag the cheapest UK deals on the retail giant - Bill Buster: Budget planner that tracks your bills and tells you when to switch - Broadband Comparison: Find the best UK broadband deals - Car Insurance Compare+: Get competitive quotes for car insurance - Cheap Mobile Finder: Discover affordable mobile plans - Council Tax Rebanding Calculator: Calculate savings on your council tax band - Credit Card Eligibility calculator: See your odds of getting the top credit cards - Home Insurance Compare+: Get home insurance quotes, switch and save - Income Tax Calculator: See how much pay you'll take home - 10-minute Benefit Calculator: Check your entitlement to government benefits - Mortgage Best Buys: Compare mortgage deals to find the best rates - Tax Code Checker: Ensure you're paying the correct amount of tax - Travel Insurance : Compare travel insurance policies for cheap deals - Stamp Duty Calculators: Estimate stamp duty costs when buying a property - Student Loan Calculators: Manage and understand your repayments MoneySavingExpert is acting as an agent of TrueLayer, who is providing the regulated Account Information Service, and is Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 and the Electronic Money Regulations 2011 (Firm Reference Number: 901096)

Screenshots

first direct4 screens
MoneySavingExpert4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: first direct at free against MoneySavingExpert's free with in-app purchases. first direct also leads on ratings volume (2K vs 127) and device support (3 vs 1). MoneySavingExpert's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs monthly). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for first direct against 4.8 for MoneySavingExpert. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: first direct has 2K ratings behind it against 127, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 77% of first direct's written reviews are positive against 71% of MoneySavingExpert's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

first direct ships an update monthly, MoneySavingExpert every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
first direct versus MoneySavingExpert: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameterfirst directMoneySavingExpert
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (2K ratings) — better4.8 (127 ratings)
Positive reviews76.5% of reviews — better71.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2K — better127
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size271 MB57 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerfirst directMoneySavingExpert.com

Customer experience

first direct

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

MoneySavingExpert

All ratings127 ratings
Positive96.1%
Neutral1.6%
Negative2.4%
Written reviews383 reviews
Positive71.0%
Neutral5.7%
Negative23.2%

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

MoneySavingExpert

From 127 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Helpful and informative
  • 🚀 Up-to-date information
  • 💡 Great savings tips
  • 🔒 Trusted and reliable advice
  • 👍 Easy to navigate

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Login and registration issues
  • 🐛 Functionality problems
  • 🐛 Slow performance
  • 🐛 Compatibility issues
  • 🔒 Security concerns

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

MoneySavingExpert

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Cloudflare issues causing app to get stuck
  • Inability to input verification codes
  • Mortgage calculator not working
  • Inconsistent user experience

Requested features

4 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Improved iPad support
  • Better in-app navigation
  • Faster response times

In-app purchases

None

first direct

No in-app purchases

None

MoneySavingExpert

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is first direct free?
first direct is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MoneySavingExpert free?
MoneySavingExpert is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, first direct or MoneySavingExpert?
first direct is rated higher. first direct averages 4.9 out of 5 from 2K ratings, while MoneySavingExpert averages 4.8 from 127 ratings.
Do first direct or MoneySavingExpert have ads?
Neither first direct nor MoneySavingExpert shows ads.
Which is updated more often, first direct or MoneySavingExpert?
first direct ships an update monthly, and MoneySavingExpert every 11 days. Most recently, first direct was updated on October 17, 2026 and MoneySavingExpert on October 19, 2026.

Other comparisons