# first direct vs Standard Life

The clearest difference is rating: first direct at 4.9 against Standard Life's 4.3. first direct also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and ratings volume (2K vs 25). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: first direct has 2K ratings behind it against 25, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 77% of first direct's written reviews are positive against 84% of Standard Life's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

first direct ships an update monthly, Standard Life fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | first direct | Standard Life |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-direct/id405905004/reviews)** | [4.3 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/standard-life/id485692917/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2K** | 25 |
| Positive reviews | 76.5% of reviews | **84.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 271 MB | 78 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [first direct](https://appshunter.io/developer/405905007) | [Standard Life Assets and Employee Services Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1445867057) |

## 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


### Standard Life

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/standard-life/id485692917)

Manage your pension and investments on the go. Increase, top up, or stop pension payments, view plan values, and track transactions. Secure messaging and a retirement income tool are also available.

**Highlights:** Manage pension payments, Top up pension, View plan value and performance, Secure messaging, Retirement income tool, Update beneficiaries

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🚀 Straightforward and intuitive
- 🚀 Comprehensive pension management
- 🔒 Secure and trustworthy
- 👍 Clear and detailed information

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional login and connectivity issues
- 🐛 Performance chart issues after recent updates
- 🐛 Forced portrait mode on tablets
- 🐛 Unreliable app stability

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- App crashes on startup
- Pension balance disappearing from web app

**Requested features**

- Add ability to update beneficiary details
- Provide investment growth statistics
- Improve compatibility with tablet landscape mode


## Frequently asked questions

### Is first direct free?

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

### Is Standard Life free?

Standard Life is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, first direct or Standard Life?

first direct is rated higher. first direct averages 4.9 out of 5 from 2K ratings, while Standard Life averages 4.3 from 25 ratings.

### Do first direct or Standard Life have ads?

Neither first direct nor Standard Life shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, first direct or Standard Life?

first direct ships an update monthly, and Standard Life fortnightly. Most recently, first direct was updated on October 20, 2026 and Standard Life on October 21, 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.*