Comparison

Central Bank vs Frontwave Mobile Banking

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Central Bank

Manage your finances on the go with features like mobile check deposit, bill pay, and fund transfers. Securely send money to friends and family, set up custom alerts, and track your spending with ease. Access your accounts quickly and conveniently from your smartphone.

Highlights
  • Mobile check deposit
  • Bill pay
  • Fund transfers
  • Send money with Zelle
  • Account alerts
  • Biometric login
  • RoundUp savings
Features
Read full description

Easily manage your accounts on the go with Mobile Banking*. Track spending, pay bills, deposit checks, transfer funds, send money, and find nearby ATMs or branches. Early Direct Deposit - Access your direct deposit funds sooner with Early Direct Deposit for eligible checking accounts**. Save - Turn on Round-Up to automatically save by rounding up your debit card purchases, with daily transfers of the difference to your savings account. - Use Money Manager, a free tool available within Mobile Banking that provides personalized insights to help you save, budget, and track expenses. Send - Send and receive money with Zelle®, a fast and easy way to pay friends, family, and people you trust. - Transfer money to and from your accounts at other banks. - Pay bills by scheduling payments, setting up recurring payments, and managing payees. Manage - View account activity, statements, and tax documents; transfer money, make loan payments, and more. - Deposit checks by taking a photo with your smartphone using Mobile Check Deposit. - Request a replacement card, verify your details, and place your order—all within Mobile Banking. Customize Your Experience - Add nicknames and customize the order of your accounts. - Add a profile picture to help confirm you’re signing into the correct account. - Use Quick Balance by swiping down on the Central Bank logo on the app login screen to view account balances and recent activity. - Use your smartwatch to check balances, view recent transactions, and lock your card. Security - Enable biometrics to log in using fingerprint authentication or face unlock (Pixel devices). - Use multi-factor authentication for an added layer of security when logging in from new or unknown devices. - Receive push, text, or email alerts for balances, transactions, cards, and payments. For an optimal experience, our app works best on devices with IOS 14 and up. If you are using an older version, you may not receive all new features. If you are having issues, navigate to our mobile-friendly website through your device browser. Member FDIC. *Mobile Banking is free, but data and text rates from your mobile carrier may apply. Terms and conditions apply. Zelle® is intended for sending money to family, friends, and people you know. We recommend that you do not use Zelle® to send money to anyone you do not know. Zelle® and the Zelle® related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC, and are used herein under license. **Early availability is not guaranteed and may vary between deposits and may depend on instructions sent by the payer or any limitations we set. Not all direct deposits qualify. Available for eligible accounts: MaxMoney, MyChoice, World, World Elite, and Preferred Interest. Enrollment is required. See our Early Direct Deposit Agreement for more details.

About

Frontwave Mobile Banking

Manage your finances on the go with this mobile banking solution. Check balances, view transactions, transfer funds, pay bills, and deposit checks. Locate nearby branches and ATMs with ease.

Highlights
  • Check account balance
  • View transaction history
  • Transfer funds
  • Pay bills
  • Deposit checks
  • Find branches and ATMs
Features
Read full description

Frontwave Credit Union Mobile Banking allows you to check your balance, view your transaction history, transfer funds, pay bills, deposit checks, find a branch or ATM in your area, and more! And here's the best part...it's FREE!! In order to use the Frontwave Credit Union mobile app you will need to be a member of Frontwave Credit Union. You will also need to set up an Internet Banking account before you can access your account using the app. To set up an Internet Banking account please visit www.frontwavecu.com, visit a branch or call 1.760.631.8700.

Screenshots

Central Bank4 screens
Frontwave Mobile Banking4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Central Bank at every 2 months against Frontwave Mobile Banking's every 4 months. Central Bank also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Central Bank against 4.8 for Frontwave Mobile Banking. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 56K and 28K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of Central Bank's written reviews are positive against 77% of Frontwave Mobile Banking's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Central Bank ships an update every 2 months, Frontwave Mobile Banking every 4 months. Both last shipped on October 27, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Central Bank versus Frontwave Mobile Banking: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCentral BankFrontwave Mobile Banking
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (56K ratings) — better4.8 (28K ratings)
Positive reviews79.5% of reviews — better76.8% of reviews
Number of ratings56K — better28K
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB121 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCentral BancompanyFrontwave Credit Union

Customer experience

Central Bank

All ratings56,399 ratings
Positive97.9%
Neutral1.5%
Negative0.6%
Written reviews146 reviews
Positive79.5%
Neutral5.5%
Negative15.1%

Frontwave Mobile Banking

All ratings27,719 ratings
Positive97.2%
Neutral1.9%
Negative0.9%
Written reviews142 reviews
Positive76.8%
Neutral5.6%
Negative17.6%

User reviews

Central Bank

From 56K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎉 Celebrating 30+ years of great service
  • 👍 Friendly and helpful staff
  • 🚀 Convenient online and mobile banking
  • 🔒 Robust security features
  • 💳 Easy to track transactions and manage accounts

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Issues with app stability and functionality
  • 🤔 Unclear overdraft policies
  • 🙄 Frustrating account freezes and closures

Frontwave Mobile Banking

From 28K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Responsive and convenient
  • 💡 Easy to navigate
  • 👍 Friendly staff and good service
  • 🚀 Quick and easy mobile deposit

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches in the app
  • 🔒 Poor customer service and lack of support
  • 🐛 Incorrect account reporting and errors
  • 🔒 Difficult to make principal-only payments

Bugs and requests

Central Bank

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Duplicate and incorrect transaction charges
  • App login and loading issues
  • Inconsistent mobile deposit experience

Requested features

3 requests
  • Spanish language support
  • Mobile check deposit
  • Customizable account alerts

Frontwave Mobile Banking

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes and freezes
  • Inability to transfer funds or make deposits
  • Incorrect account reporting and late payments
  • Compatibility issues with older devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add dark mode option
  • Improve account identification in mobile deposit
  • Provide 24/7 customer support
  • Allow principal-only payments online or in the app

In-app purchases

None

Central Bank

No in-app purchases

None

Frontwave Mobile Banking

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Central Bank free?
Central Bank is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Frontwave Mobile Banking free?
Frontwave Mobile Banking is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Central Bank or Frontwave Mobile Banking?
Central Bank is rated higher. Central Bank averages 4.9 out of 5 from 56K ratings, while Frontwave Mobile Banking averages 4.8 from 28K ratings.
Do Central Bank or Frontwave Mobile Banking have ads?
Neither Central Bank nor Frontwave Mobile Banking shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Central Bank or Frontwave Mobile Banking?
Central Bank ships an update every 2 months, and Frontwave Mobile Banking every 4 months. Most recently, Central Bank was updated on October 27, 2026 and Frontwave Mobile Banking on October 27, 2026.

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