# first direct vs CashWise

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: first direct at none against CashWise's 1. first direct also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (2K vs 9). CashWise's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CashWise sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. first direct asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for first direct against 4.9 for CashWise. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: first direct has 2K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 77% and 77% positive.

first direct ships an update monthly, CashWise every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | first direct | CashWise |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-direct/id405905004/reviews) | [4.9 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cashwise/id433491070/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2K** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 76.5% of reviews | **76.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 271 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [first direct](https://appshunter.io/developer/405905007) | [Adam Wasiak](https://appshunter.io/developer/433491073) |

## What reviewers say

### first direct

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-direct/id405905004)

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:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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- 💡 Outdated and basic design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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### CashWise

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cashwise/id433491070)

Easily track your spending and income with this cash-book style finance app. Organize your finances into categories, view detailed breakdowns, and generate monthly statements. Upgrade for advanced features like annual statements and CSV imports.

**Highlights:** Cash-book style expense tracking, Categorize and break down spending, Generate monthly PDF statements, Secure encrypted vault, Export and import financial data, Demonstration mode for trying Pro features

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CashWise Pro | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is first direct free?

first direct is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is CashWise free?

CashWise is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, first direct or CashWise?

first direct and CashWise are both rated 4.9 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2K and 9 ratings respectively.

### Do first direct or CashWise have ads?

CashWise shows ads; first direct does not.

### Which is updated more often, first direct or CashWise?

first direct ships an update monthly, and CashWise every 5 months. Most recently, first direct was updated on October 16, 2026 and CashWise on October 4, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*