# IRS vs Apple Wallet

IRS and Apple Wallet both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 54% of Apple Wallet's written reviews are positive against 28% of IRS's. Apple Wallet also leads on ratings volume (7.5M vs 13K) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 16.4). IRS's advantage is chart position (#87 vs unranked). On price, rating, 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.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for IRS against 4.8 for Apple Wallet. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Apple Wallet has 7.5M ratings behind it against 13K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 28% of IRS's written reviews are positive against 54% of Apple Wallet's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | IRS | Apple Wallet |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/irs/id414113282/reviews) | **[4.8 (7.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apple-wallet/id1160481993/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 13K | **7.5M** |
| Positive reviews | 27.9% of reviews | **54.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#87** | — |
| Size | 43 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Internal Revenue Service](https://appshunter.io/developer/414113285) | [Apple](https://appshunter.io/developer/284417353) |

## What reviewers say

### IRS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/irs/id414113282)

**Currently charting:** #87 Top Free · Finance (US App Store)

Access your IRS account securely from your mobile device to view your balance, make payments, and check refund status. You can also access tax records, manage your profile, and opt-in to email notifications. The app offers guest payment options and tax preparation assistance without signing in.

**Highlights:** Secure account sign-in, View account balance, Make payments, Check refund status, Access tax records, Manage profile

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 💰 Helps with tax payments
- 🔍 Provides refund status updates
- ⏱️ Convenient for checking tax info

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent errors and glitches
- 📱 Limited functionality compared to website
- 🔒 Security/authentication issues
- 🕰️ Slow/delayed updates

**Reported bugs**

- Login/authentication problems
- Incorrect refund information displayed
- Inability to check status after multiple attempts
- Lack of compatibility with older devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to view tax transcripts
- Improved payment scheduling options
- Notifications for refund status changes
- Expanded historical data access


### Apple Wallet

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apple-wallet/id1160481993)

Securely store and manage digital versions of your credit/debit cards, IDs, transit passes, tickets, and keys. Use it to make payments, send money, and access venues and transportation with your iPhone or Apple Watch.

**Highlights:** Store credit/debit cards, Digital driver's license/state ID, Transit and event tickets, Digital keys for car, home, hotel, Secure contactless payments, Send and receive money

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient and easy to use
- 🔒 Secure with Face ID/Touch ID
- 💳 Integrates credit/debit cards well
- 🎟️ Stores tickets and passes
- 🏠 Stores digital keys and IDs

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚫 Limited ability to add loyalty/membership cards
- 🤔 Inconsistent card detection and adding
- 💰 Unauthorized charges and payment issues
- 🔍 Lack of customization options (nicknames, images)
- 🇨🇦 Limited support for Canadian features

**Reported bugs**

- Card adding/removal issues
- Transactions not properly recorded
- Face ID/Touch ID failures
- Wallet app freezing or not responding

**Requested features**

- Add ability to add loyalty/membership cards
- Improve card detection and adding process
- Provide better transaction history and categorization
- Allow customization of card names and images
- Expand support for international features (e.g. Presto card)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is IRS free?

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

### Is Apple Wallet free?

Apple Wallet is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, IRS or Apple Wallet?

Apple Wallet is rated higher. IRS averages 4.6 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Apple Wallet averages 4.8 from 7.5M ratings.

### Do IRS or Apple Wallet have ads?

Neither IRS nor Apple Wallet shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, IRS or Apple Wallet?

IRS ships an update every 3 months, and Apple Wallet every 3 months. Most recently, IRS was updated on November 6, 2026 and Apple Wallet on November 6, 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.*