Comparison

first direct vs M&S Bank

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 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
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in accordance with our App terms and conditions • Use in accordance with Apple terms and conditions • This app may be withdrawn at any time, but we’ll always keep you in the loop.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

M&S Bank

Manage your M&S Credit Card, Savings Account, and Personal Loan securely. Features include secure sign-in, payment management, card freezing, credit limit changes, and in-app chat support.

Highlights
  • Secure sign-in with face/fingerprint
  • Make payments to accounts
  • Freeze/report card issues
  • Request credit limit changes
  • View card PIN
  • In-app chat support
  • Activate new credit card
Features
Read full description

Manage your accounts safely and securely with the M&S Bank app. With a range of helpful features, it’s a convenient way to keep track of your M&S Credit Card, Everyday Savings Account and Personal Loan anytime. With the M&S Bank app you can: • Sign in securely with face or fingerprint recognition • Make payments to your account • Freeze your card or report a card issue • Request a change to your credit limit • View your credit card PIN • ‘Chat with us’ anytime and get notifications when we send a reply • Request a Balance Transfer (subject to available offer) • View and download your statements • Activate your new credit card How to sign in to mobile banking If you’ve not registered for our app download from the App Store and follow the step-by-step instructions. If you’re already registered for Online Banking, you’ll need your username and password to set up our app. Important things to know (the legal/official bit) This app is designed for use in the United Kingdom (UK). The products and services represented within this App are intended for UK customers. This app is provided by M&S Bank (a division of HSBC UK plc) for the use of existing customers of M&S Bank. Please do not download this app if you are not an existing customer of M&S Bank. HSBC UK plc is authorised in the UK by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. If you are outside of the UK, we may not be authorised to offer or provide you with the products and services available through this App in the country or region you are located or resident in. This App is not intended for distribution, download or use by any person in any jurisdiction, country or region where the distribution, download or use of this material is restricted and would not be permitted by law or regulation.

Screenshots

first direct4 screens
M&S Bank4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: first direct at 77% against M&S Bank's 37%. first direct also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and ratings volume (2K vs 112). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

first direct holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: first direct has 2K ratings behind it against 112, 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 37% of M&S Bank's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
first direct versus M&S Bank: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameterfirst directM&S Bank
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (2K ratings) — better4.6 (112 ratings)
Positive reviews76.5% of reviews — better37.3% of reviews
Number of ratings2K — better112
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size319 MB475 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerfirst directHSBC UK Bank plc

Customer experience

first direct

All ratings1,974 ratings
Positive97.2%
Neutral1.1%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews996 reviews
Positive76.5%
Neutral5.0%
Negative18.5%

M&S Bank

All ratings112 ratings
Positive89.3%
Neutral1.8%
Negative8.9%
Written reviews517 reviews
Positive37.3%
Neutral8.5%
Negative54.2%

User reviews

first direct

From 2K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

M&S Bank

From 112 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use app
  • 🚀 Straightforward banking
  • 💳 Great credit card
  • 🎁 Excellent rewards program

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Slow transaction updates
  • 🔍 Lack of transaction visibility
  • 🤔 Confusing navigation
  • 🔒 Security issues
  • 🙄 Outdated app design

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

M&S Bank

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes on startup
  • Login issues after updates
  • Unable to access account details

Requested features

5 requests
  • Show pending transactions
  • Improve payment flow
  • Add biometric login
  • Integrate with digital wallets
  • Provide more detailed statements

In-app purchases

None

first direct

No in-app purchases

None

M&S Bank

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is first direct free?
first direct is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is M&S Bank free?
M&S Bank is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, first direct or M&S Bank?
first direct is rated higher. first direct averages 4.9 out of 5 from 2K ratings, while M&S Bank averages 4.6 from 112 ratings.
Do first direct or M&S Bank have ads?
Neither first direct nor M&S Bank shows ads.
Which is updated more often, first direct or M&S Bank?
first direct ships an update monthly, and M&S Bank monthly. Most recently, first direct was updated on November 6, 2026 and M&S Bank on November 6, 2026.

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