Comparison

IRS vs Spruce

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

Head to head
About

IRS

Access official IRS services on your mobile device. Check refund status, make payments, find tax preparation help, and receive tax tips and news. Stay connected with the IRS anytime, anywhere.

Highlights
  • Check refund status
  • Make tax payments
  • Find free tax preparation assistance
  • Sign up for tax tips
  • Follow IRS news
Currently charting
Read full description

Use the same secure sign-in you already use on IRS.gov to access your account anytime, anywhere from your mobile device. Sign in to your account on the app: - View account balance - Make payments - Check refund and amended return status - Access tax records - View notices and letters - Opt in to email notifications - Manage your profile - And more Use the app without signing in: Check your refund status, make a guest payment, find free tax preparation assistance, sign up for helpful tax tips, and follow the latest news from the IRS.

About

Spruce

Manage your daily finances and budget for future goals with this mobile banking app. It offers a spending account, a high-yield savings account, and tools to track spending and set savings goals. Build a better relationship with your money through easy-to-use financial management features.

Highlights
  • Spending account management
  • High-yield savings account
  • Financial goal setting
  • Automated deposits
  • Transaction categorization
  • Credit score monitoring
Features
Read full description

Spruce is a mobile banking app that offers easy-to-use financial tools to help you manage your money. Take care of your daily finances with a Spruce Spending account while budgeting for long-term goals with a Spruce Savings account. Whatever your financial goals, the Spruce digital banking app is here to help you build a better relationship with your money. Be sure to check out high-yield savings! Opt in to earn 3.50% APY* on your Spruce Savings account. Find convenience with your Spruce accounts where you can easily manage your finances, transfer money, and deposit checks in the app‡. You can also enjoy these Spruce account benefits: No sign-up fees No monthly fees No minimum balance requirements No credit check Set financial goals and save money the smart way! You don’t have to sacrifice what you love to save—set a Saving Goal in the Spruce app and use automated deposits to make it easier to reach your goal. Then, opt in to make your money work even harder for you with 3.50% APY*. Sit back and let Spruce categorize your transactions, then use Watchlist to keep an eye on categories that matter most. Watchlist helps you keep track of spending and lets you set monthly income goals to help you stay ahead. QUICK START TIPS 1. Download the Spruce mobile banking app. 2. Create a super secure password with at least 8 characters. 3. Sign up for your Spruce Spending and Savings accounts. 4. Explore the Spruce navigation menu: ---My Life. See a snapshot of your balances and recent transactions. ---Spending. Review your debit and deposit transactions. ---Move Money. Move money between accounts. ---Saving. Create Saving Goals, turn on Round Ups, and opt in to earn 3.50% APY*. ---Credit. Check your credit score and learn more about improving your credit. DISCLAIMERS Spruce fintech platform is built by H&R Block, which is not a bank. Spruce℠ Spending and Savings Accounts are established at, and debit card issued by, Pathward®, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to license by Mastercard®. Mastercard and the circles design are registered trademarks of Mastercard International Incorporated. * The Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of 1/23/2025. This rate is variable and can change without notice. Fees may reduce earnings. To start earning interest on your Spruce Savings Account, simply opt in through the Spruce app or at sprucemoney.com.
 ∞ Funds are insured by the FDIC on a pass-through basis, subject to applicable limitations, restrictions, and requirements for such FDIC pass-through insurance, when the funds are received in your account. FDIC insurance only protects when an FDIC-insured institution fails. Spruce and H&R Block are not banks or FDIC-insured institutions, but Pathward® N.A. is an FDIC-insured depository institution. ^ Spruce℠ ± Credit score is FICO® Score 8 based on Experian data. Your lender or insurer may use a different FICO Score than FICO Score 8, or another type of credit score altogether. FICO® is a trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation. This is a separate service from your Spruce bank accounts, provided by Pathward, N.A. ~ Courtesy Coverage only available for purchase transactions, ATM withdrawals, and over-the-counter withdrawals using your debit card. It is a discretionary courtesy, not an extension of credit. Requires opt in and $200 in qualifying deposits over prior 35-day period. Negative balances are limited to $20 and must be repaid within 30 days. See Spending Account Agreement for details. ≠ Early access depends on when payment is submitted. Funds are generally made available when payment instruction is received, which may be earlier than scheduled payment date. ≈ No fee to withdraw money at Allpoint® ATMs. $3 fee at other ATMs, plus any ATM operator fee. ‡ Mobile check deposit is available after you have deposited at least $200 in the past year and your accounts have been open for 30 days.

Screenshots

IRS4 screens
Spruce4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Spruce at every 3 weeks against IRS's every 3 months. Spruce also leads on review sentiment (34% vs 26%). IRS's advantage is chart position (#77 vs unranked). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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 — 4.6 for IRS against 4.5 for Spruce. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11K and 5.4K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 26% of IRS's written reviews are positive against 34% of Spruce's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

IRS ships an update every 3 months, Spruce every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
IRS versus Spruce: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIRSSpruce
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (11K ratings) — better4.5 (5.4K ratings)
Positive reviews26.1% of reviews34.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings11K — better5.4K
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#77 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.1 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB308 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperInternal Revenue ServiceHRB Tax Group, Inc.

Customer experience

IRS

All ratings2,701 ratings
Positive88.8%
Neutral1.5%
Negative9.7%
Written reviews268 reviews
Positive26.1%
Neutral5.6%
Negative68.3%

Spruce

All ratings5,344 ratings
Positive88.0%
Neutral2.1%
Negative9.9%
Written reviews246 reviews
Positive34.1%
Neutral4.9%
Negative61.0%

User reviews

IRS

From 11K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Spruce

From 5.4K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 💡 Helpful savings tools
  • 👍 Beautiful UI
  • 🚀 Fast direct deposits

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent app crashes
  • ⏱️ Slow check deposits
  • 🔒 Security concerns
  • 🤖 Poor customer service
  • 💰 Unexpected fees

Bugs and requests

IRS

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

Spruce

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login issues
  • Syncing problems
  • Disappearing funds
  • Deactivated cards

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to transfer funds to external accounts
  • Improved account management features
  • Faster check clearing times

In-app purchases

None

IRS

No in-app purchases

None

Spruce

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is IRS free?
IRS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Spruce free?
Spruce is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, IRS or Spruce?
IRS is rated higher. IRS averages 4.6 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while Spruce averages 4.5 from 5.4K ratings.
Do IRS or Spruce have ads?
Neither IRS nor Spruce shows ads.
Which is updated more often, IRS or Spruce?
IRS ships an update every 3 months, and Spruce every 3 weeks. Most recently, IRS was updated on October 31, 2026 and Spruce on October 30, 2026.

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