# first direct vs Payday Loans UK

first direct and Payday Loans UK both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 77% of first direct's written reviews are positive against 43% of Payday Loans UK's. first direct also leads on ratings volume (2K vs 160) and update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). Payday Loans UK's advantage is iOS requirement (9.1 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: first direct has 2K ratings behind it against 160, 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 43% of Payday Loans UK's.

first direct ships an update monthly, Payday Loans UK every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | first direct | Payday Loans UK |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-direct/id405905004/reviews)** | [4.7 (160 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/payday-loans-uk/id444982552/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2K** | 160 |
| Positive reviews | **76.5% of reviews** | 42.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 271 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [first direct](https://appshunter.io/developer/405905007) | [Rainbow UK Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/444982555) |

## 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


### Payday Loans UK

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/payday-loans-uk/id444982552)

This app connects users with UK lenders for fast payday loans, even for those with bad credit. It offers a quick and easy application process with instant decisions and funds potentially available within hours.

**Highlights:** Quick and easy application, Instant decision, Funds in hours, Loans from £100 to £1000, Bad credit accepted, Access to over 60 lenders, Pin protected security

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is first direct free?

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

### Is Payday Loans UK free?

Payday Loans UK is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, first direct or Payday Loans UK?

first direct is rated higher. first direct averages 4.9 out of 5 from 2K ratings, while Payday Loans UK averages 4.7 from 160 ratings.

### Do first direct or Payday Loans UK have ads?

Neither first direct nor Payday Loans UK shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, first direct or Payday Loans UK?

first direct ships an update monthly, and Payday Loans UK every 2 months. Most recently, first direct was updated on October 26, 2026 and Payday Loans UK on October 22, 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.*