BNZ Mobile vs PocketSmith Sidekick
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BNZ Mobile
Manage your finances conveniently on the go. Check balances, transfer funds, pay bills, and top up prepaid mobile services. Securely access your accounts with PIN, password, or biometric login.
- View account balances and transaction history
- Transfer money between accounts
- Pay bills and credit cards
- Top up prepaid mobile services
- Set up push notifications and alerts
- Biometric login (Touch ID/Face ID)
Read full descriptionHide full description
Manage your money on the go with the BNZ app. Check your account balances, transfer money, top up your prepay mobile, and more. KNOW YOUR MONEY • View account balances and transaction history • Set goals and follow your progress • Personalise your accounts with images • Set up push notifications for money in and out, and account balance alerts • Turn on instant balances to view account balances without logging in • View your accounts in list or grid view MANAGE YOUR MONEY • Transfer money between your accounts • Pay your bills, credit card, or IRD • Make one-off payments • Open and close accounts instantly with YouMoney • Link accounts to your Eftpos, Flexi Debit Visa, or credit card • Add/edit payees and view payment history • Set up, edit and delete automatic payments EXTRA SERVICES • Top up One NZ, Spark, Skinny and 2degrees prepaid mobile • Get Apple Pay and pay with your phone GET IN TOUCH • Message our virtual assistant • Find the nearest BNZ branches and ATMs • View our contact phone numbers • Request a call APPLY ONLINE • Apply for a Flexi Debit Visa or credit card • Apply for loans or insurances • Join the BNZ KiwiSaver Scheme SECURE BANKING • Set up a personal 5-digit PIN or • Log in with your Internet Banking password • Touch ID and Face ID login are available on supported devices iOS REQUIREMENTS • To get the app for the first time you'll need iOS 17 or above. • If you’ve downloaded the app before you’ll need iOS 15 or above. IMPORTANT INFORMATION • Always remember to log out and update your device to the newest version of iOS • Never store your BNZ access number or password on your device • Never allow other people to access your mobile device using Touch ID, Face ID, or device password • Mobile data is required to access the BNZ app • Use of the BNZ app is subject to the Internet Banking Terms and Conditions (bnz.co.nz/internetbankingtcs) • The Activity feature is available with a personal BNZ credit card or transaction account, including joint transaction accounts • Non-personal accounts like family trust or business accounts won’t show in the Activity feature When you’re in the BNZ app, we collect information about behaviour like how you type, scroll, and swipe. This helps us spot any activity that isn’t yours to detect and prevent fraud. To find out how we collect and use your information, read our Master Privacy Policy at bnz.co.nz/privacy. GET STARTED • If you’re registered for BNZ Personal Internet Banking, install this app to get started. • If you’re not registered for BNZ Personal Internet Banking, install this app and register at bnz.co.nz/registernow or call 0800 999 269 (+64 4 494 7153 from overseas - international toll charges apply).
PocketSmith Sidekick
Manage your finances on the go with this companion app. Track spending, view account balances, and categorize transactions from your bank, credit card, and investments. Organize financial documents and customize your dashboard for personalized insights.
- Track spending activity
- View and categorize transactions
- Add notes and labels to transactions
- View all account balances
- Organize financial documents
- Customize mobile dashboard
Read full descriptionHide full description
PocketSmith Sidekick works alongside the web app so you can check your budgets, balances and spending - wherever you are! This mobile app makes staying on top of your PocketSmith account a breeze. See all your bank, credit card, investment and loan accounts in one place without needing to use different apps. Bank Feeds keep PocketSmith automatically updated, so you can see where your money is going. You need a PocketSmith web account to use the mobile app. Learn more and sign up at pocketsmith.com. APP FEATURES - Stay on top of your spending activity - View, categorize and edit your transactions on-the-go - Add notes and labels to your spending to record your memories - View all your account balances at a glance - Organize household documents like receipts and warranties by attaching them as images and documents to transactions - Customize your mobile dashboard to see the insights that matter to you We're constantly improving the app to help you make better money decisions. --- Also available POCKETSMITH PLANS Premium - monthly $14.49 - Bank feeds - Automatic and manual transaction importing - Automatic categorization - Unlimited budgets - 10 accounts - 10 years' projection Super - monthly $28.49 - Bank feeds - Automatic and manual transaction importing - Automatic categorization - Unlimited budgets - Unlimited accounts - 30 years' projection Price may vary by location. Subscriptions will be charged to your credit card through your iTunes account. Your subscription will automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during the active subscription period. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: BNZ Mobile at 4.9 against PocketSmith Sidekick's 3.1. BNZ Mobile also leads on review sentiment (73% vs 35%) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). PocketSmith Sidekick's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads 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
Both are free to download. PocketSmith Sidekick sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $10.99 per month. BNZ Mobile asks for nothing beyond the download.
BNZ Mobile holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BNZ Mobile has 627 ratings behind it against 53, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of BNZ Mobile's written reviews are positive against 35% of PocketSmith Sidekick's.
BNZ Mobile ships an update fortnightly, PocketSmith Sidekick every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on October 13, 2026.
| Parameter | BNZ Mobile | PocketSmith Sidekick |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (627 ratings) — better | 3.1 (53 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 73.5% of reviews — better | 34.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 627 — better | 53 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 186 MB | 26 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bank of New Zealand | PocketSmith |
Customer experience
BNZ Mobile
PocketSmith Sidekick
User reviews
BNZ Mobile
From 627 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Amazing help
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Great app
- 🔒 Excellent security service
- 👍 Professional and incredibly helpful
Room to improve
- 🔒 Surveillance
- 🐛 Constantly logs out
- 🐛 Maintenance
- 🐛 Annoying login requirement
- 🔒 Privacy nightmare
PocketSmith Sidekick
From 53 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great app for managing finances
- 👍 Customizable dashboards and reports
- 🚀 Automatic transaction categorization
- 👍 Feels in control of finances
- 🚀 Comprehensive financial management
Room to improve
- 🐛 App login issues with Google accounts
- 🐛 Inconsistent syncing with bank accounts
- 👎 Limited functionality compared to website
- 👎 Clunky transaction categorization
- 👎 Lacking key features like calendar and forecasting
Bugs and requests
BNZ Mobile
Reported bugs
7 issues- App no longer opens
- Decimal entry not working
- Accounts get reordered randomly after changes
- Instant balances unavailable after logout
- Notifications not working as expected
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- App crashes on certain screens
- Face ID not working after updates
Requested features
9 requests- Dynamic CVV card details in the app
- Ability to customize account order and icons
- KiwiSaver performance and returns in the app
- Ability to set up a term PIE from the app
- Notifications for app maintenance
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- Option to hide accounts and KiwiSaver from the home screen
- Customizable transaction history date range
- Proof of payment document generation
- Ability to manually enter top-up amounts
PocketSmith Sidekick
Reported bugs
5 issues- Transactions not syncing properly
- Duplicate transactions appearing
- Categorization issues and inconsistencies
- App crashes and freezes
- Incompatibility with certain bank accounts
Requested features
5 requests- Google login option
- Ability to manually add transactions
- Custom date ranges for budgets
- Receipt scanning and attachment
- More detailed transaction history and reporting
In-app purchases
BNZ Mobile
No in-app purchases
PocketSmith Sidekick
- Premium$10.991 Month
- Super$18.991 Month
Questions
Is BNZ Mobile free?
Is PocketSmith Sidekick free?
Which has better reviews, BNZ Mobile or PocketSmith Sidekick?
Do BNZ Mobile or PocketSmith Sidekick have ads?
Which is updated more often, BNZ Mobile or PocketSmith Sidekick?
Other comparisons















