# first direct vs CardStash

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | first direct | CardStash |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | **[4.9 (2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-direct/id405905004/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 76.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 319 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [first direct](https://appshunter.io/developer/405905007) | [Harry Stanford](https://appshunter.io/developer/1572536347) |

## What reviewers say

### first direct

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

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:** 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- 💡 Outdated and basic design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


### CardStash

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardstash/id6749513111)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


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