Comparison

first direct vs CardStash

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 banking app. Check balances, view transactions, and send money to friends and family with ease. This app simplifies everyday money management with a host of features designed for convenience.

Highlights
  • Check account balances
  • View transaction history
  • Pay friends and family
  • Simplified money management
  • Intuitive user interface
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in accordance with our App terms and conditions • Use in accordance with Apple terms and conditions • This app may be withdrawn at any time, but we’ll always keep you in the loop.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

CardStash

Effortlessly organize all your digital and physical gift cards in one secure, on-device location. Track card balances to always know how much you have left to spend. Simplify gift card management for any occasion.

Highlights
  • All-in-one gift card storage
  • Track card balances
  • Secure on-device data storage
  • Organize digital and physical cards
  • Simple and sleek interface
Features
Read full description

CardStash – Your Gift Cards, Organised Effortlessly Tired of rummaging through drawers or scrolling endlessly to find that elusive gift card? Meet CardStash, the sleek, simple app designed to store all your gift cards in one secure place. Why You’ll Love CardStash: All-in-One Storage: Keep digital and physical gift cards neatly organised. Just upload, save, and you’re sorted. Never Miss a Balance: Track your card balances effortlessly so you always know what’s left to spend. Secure & Private: Your data stays safe, it is all on-device, and nothing is uploaded anywhere else. From birthdays to holidays, treat yourself to an app that makes managing gift cards as easy as spending them.

Screenshots

first direct4 screens
CardStash4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: first direct at Free against CardStash's $0.99. first direct also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). CardStash's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 77%) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On 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

first direct is free to download; CardStash costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

first direct ships an update monthly, CardStash weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
first direct versus CardStash: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameterfirst directCardStash
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating4.9 (2K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews76.6% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2K — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size319 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerfirst directHarry Stanford

Customer experience

first direct

All ratings1,974 ratings
Positive97.2%
Neutral1.1%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews996 reviews
Positive76.6%
Neutral4.9%
Negative18.5%

CardStash

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

CardStash

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

first direct

No in-app purchases

None

CardStash

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is first direct free?
first direct is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CardStash free?
CardStash costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do first direct or CardStash have ads?
Neither first direct nor CardStash shows ads.
Which is updated more often, first direct or CardStash?
first direct ships an update monthly, and CardStash weekly. Most recently, first direct was updated on November 8, 2026 and CardStash on November 5, 2026.

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