Comparison

IRS vs Checkbook

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
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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

Checkbook

Manage your daily finances with this app, tracking credit card charges, cash expenditures, and more. It offers multiple accounts, recurring transactions, fund transfers, and detailed reports with graphs. Easily search and export your financial data.

Highlights
  • Multiple account tracking
  • Recurring transaction saving
  • Fund transfers between accounts
  • Export data in CSV, QIF, HTML
  • Calendar view of transactions
  • Reports and charts for expenses/income
  • Passcode protection
Features
Currently charting
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An easy & quick way to manage your daily finances, Checkbook keeps track of your credit card charges, cash expenditures...etc. With the Checkbook application, it can totally replace your paper checkbook. You can create multiple accounts, save recurring transactions, transfer funds, view reports & graphs, export data...etc. You can even search the transaction by crossing your finger on the calendar! All details of the Checkbook are well designed to provide an excellent experience. Designed and developed by polycents! FEATURES ※Export in CSV, QIF & HTML Formats -Export your transactions by email for use of desktop applications such as Excel, Quicken...etc. ※Calendar -Show all your monthly transactions as points on the calendar. -Filter transactions by tapping a date or selecting multiple dates on the calendar. ※Recurring Transactions -Save a transaction to be used repeatedly(daily, weekly, 2 weeks, monthly, tire monthly), without retyping all the details. ※Multiple Accounts -Track as many accounts as you need. ※Categories -Supports multiple categories with beautiful icons to choose from. ※Payee & Note -All the details you need to keep track of your transactions are including. ※Search -Quickly search for transactions by dates, name, payee, and category. -Search and edit transactions on the same screen. ※Transfer -Transfer funds from one account to another. ※Reconcile Transactions -Reconcile your transactions by editing cleared/un-cleared status ※Reports & Charts -Review all your expenses & income by category or account with beautiful graphs and reports. -Supports both bar and pie charts. -You can set the time period to daily, weekly, monthly & yearly. ※Passcode -Protects your private information. ※Currency -Supports multiple currencies. ※Elegant, Powerful & User-friendly interface # Subscription Details # - Monthly and annual subscriptions are available. - Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. - Your subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is disabled at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. - Automatic renewals will be charged at the same price you were originally charged for the subscription. - Subscriptions can be managed by going to Account Settings on the App Store after purchase. Terms of Use: https://www.iubenda.com/terms-and-conditions/42835851 Privacy Policy: https://www.iubenda.com/privacy-policy/42835851 Developer website:https://www.polycents.com If you have any problems or suggestions please send a mail to checkbook@appxy.com, you will get the response in a short time.

Screenshots

IRS4 screens
Checkbook4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: IRS at none against Checkbook's 5. IRS also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.6 vs 4.3). Checkbook's advantage is review sentiment (56% vs 26%) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ratings volume, chart position and device support 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. Checkbook sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. IRS asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

IRS holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9.4K and 14K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 26% of IRS's written reviews are positive against 56% of Checkbook's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

IRS ships an update every 3 months, Checkbook every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
IRS versus Checkbook: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIRSCheckbook
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (9.4K ratings) — better4.3 (14K ratings)
Positive reviews26.1% of reviews55.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings9.4K14K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
Best chart rank#57 — better#127
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.113.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB122 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperInternal Revenue ServiceBeesoft Apps

Customer experience

IRS

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

Checkbook

All ratings14,252 ratings
Positive82.0%
Neutral6.3%
Negative11.7%
Written reviews778 reviews
Positive55.8%
Neutral9.4%
Negative34.8%

User reviews

IRS

From 9.4K 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

Checkbook

From 14K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💻 Easy to use
  • 📊 Helpful charts and reports
  • 🔄 Seamless sync across devices
  • 🧮 Convenient built-in calculator
  • 🗂️ Ability to manage multiple accounts

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Lacking advanced search/filtering
  • 🔁 Recurring transactions issues
  • 🔒 Concerns about data security
  • 💰 Subscription model too expensive
  • 📢 Intrusive ads in free version

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

Checkbook

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Account balances not updating correctly
  • Transactions disappearing or duplicating
  • Sync issues between devices
  • App crashes or freezes after updates

Requested features

5 requests
  • Custom categories and icons
  • Budgeting and forecasting tools
  • Ability to attach receipts/photos
  • Improved account organization options
  • Automatic balance reconciliation

In-app purchases

None

IRS

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

Checkbook

Subscriptions4
  • Premium - 1 Month$0.991 Month
  • Premium - 1 Year7 Days trial$7.991 Year
  • Premium - 1 Year7 Days trial$8.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Premium - 1 Year7 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Upgrade to Checkbook Pro$9.99

Questions

Is IRS free?
IRS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Checkbook free?
Checkbook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, IRS or Checkbook?
IRS is rated higher. IRS averages 4.6 out of 5 from 9.4K ratings, while Checkbook averages 4.3 from 14K ratings.
Do IRS or Checkbook have ads?
Checkbook shows ads; IRS does not.
Which is updated more often, IRS or Checkbook?
IRS ships an update every 3 months, and Checkbook every 6 weeks. Most recently, IRS was updated on October 28, 2026 and Checkbook on October 28, 2026.
Which is more popular, IRS or Checkbook?
IRS currently peaks at #57 in the App Store charts, and Checkbook at #127. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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