Comparison

PenFed Mobile vs MILITARY STAR® Mobile

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

Head to head
About

PenFed Mobile

Manage your finances on the go with this secure mobile banking application. Easily make deposits, pay bills, transfer funds, and view account statements. Enjoy a streamlined and personalized banking experience with real-time notifications.

Highlights
  • Mobile deposits and payments
  • Bill payment services
  • Account and statement management
  • Money transfers
  • Personalized notifications
Features
Read full description

PenFed’s mobile app makes daily banking simple, seamless and secure. Access accounts, move money and more. The PenFed mobile app is more than just a banking tool; it's a gateway to financial empowerment. The intuitive structure, sleek new design and faster interface create a delightful mobile banking experience that makes it easy to: - Make deposits and payments - Pay your bills - Manage your accounts and statements - Transfer money your way We use analytics to tailor your experience better than ever. You can also stay connected with real-time, personalized notifications that keep you informed and engaged.

About

MILITARY STAR® Mobile

Manage your MILITARY STAR account on the go. Check balances, pay bills, track spending and rewards, and discover exclusive offers. Enjoy convenient features like biometric login and push notifications for quick access and account management.

Highlights
  • Biometric login (Touch ID/Face ID)
  • Check account balance
  • Pay bills
  • Track spending and rewards
  • Discover offers
  • Push notifications
  • View statements and payments
Features
Read full description

Access your MILITARY STAR account from virtually anywhere with the MILITARY STAR Mobile App. With this app you will be able to check your balance, pay your bills, track spending and rewards, find offers, and enjoy features available only in the app such as biometric login and push notifications. QUICK ACCESS • Log in fast with Touch ID or Face ID, when enabled (available on supported devices) MANAGE YOUR ACCOUNT • View your available balance(s) • View and track your spending • Make a payment • Stay informed with push notifications, when enabled • View and track your reward points • View your current and previous six statements • View your previous six payments • Leave feedback on additional features you would like this app to do MILITARY STAR OFFERS • Discover and explore MILITARY STAR offers Information Seller Army & Air Force Exchange Service. Size 39.5 MB Category Finance Compatibility Requires iOS 11.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone 6 or later. Languages English Age Rating Rated 4+ Copyright © 2021 Army & Air Force Exchange Service. Price Free

Screenshots

PenFed Mobile4 screens
MILITARY STAR® Mobile4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: PenFed Mobile at 4.8 against MILITARY STAR® Mobile's 3.2. PenFed Mobile also leads on ratings volume (60K vs 391) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

PenFed Mobile holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PenFed Mobile has 60K ratings behind it against 391, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of PenFed Mobile's written reviews are positive against 22% of MILITARY STAR® Mobile's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PenFed Mobile ships an update fortnightly, MILITARY STAR® Mobile every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
PenFed Mobile versus MILITARY STAR® Mobile: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPenFed MobileMILITARY STAR® Mobile
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (60K ratings) — better3.2 (391 ratings)
Positive reviews35.6% of reviews — better21.8% of reviews
Number of ratings60K — better391
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.6
Further details — not scored
Size149 MB82 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPentagon Federal Credit UnionArmy and Air Force Exchange Service

Customer experience

PenFed Mobile

All ratings60,190 ratings
Positive95.3%
Neutral1.3%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews710 reviews
Positive35.6%
Neutral9.3%
Negative55.1%

MILITARY STAR® Mobile

All ratings391 ratings
Positive52.7%
Neutral8.2%
Negative39.1%
Written reviews101 reviews
Positive21.8%
Neutral13.9%
Negative64.4%

User reviews

PenFed Mobile

From 60K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Quick and easy banking
  • 💫 Excellent credit union
  • 🔒 Secure banking
  • 👍 User-friendly app design

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
  • 🕰️ Slow transaction processing
  • 🔑 Inconvenient login process
  • ⚠️ Unreliable app functionality
  • 🤔 Missing key features

MILITARY STAR® Mobile

From 391 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Convenient mobile banking
  • 👍 Simple and straightforward design
  • 🔒 Secure login options

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and login issues
  • 🔒 Incompatible with password managers
  • 🎨 Outdated and clunky interface
  • 🔊 Interferes with music playback

Bugs and requests

PenFed Mobile

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inability to view transactions
  • Mobile deposit issues
  • Login and authentication problems
  • Inconsistent app performance

Requested features

5 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Transaction history details
  • Debit/credit card management
  • Improved mobile check deposit
  • In-app bill pay and transfers

MILITARY STAR® Mobile

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Cursor positioning issues when entering payment amounts
  • Scheduled payments not always working as expected
  • Inability to view scheduled payments

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add Apple Wallet integration
  • Improve rewards redemption process
  • Allow scheduling of multiple payments
  • Provide in-app access to gift cards

In-app purchases

None

PenFed Mobile

No in-app purchases

None

MILITARY STAR® Mobile

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PenFed Mobile free?
PenFed Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MILITARY STAR® Mobile free?
MILITARY STAR® Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PenFed Mobile or MILITARY STAR® Mobile?
PenFed Mobile is rated higher. PenFed Mobile averages 4.8 out of 5 from 60K ratings, while MILITARY STAR® Mobile averages 3.2 from 391 ratings.
Do PenFed Mobile or MILITARY STAR® Mobile have ads?
Neither PenFed Mobile nor MILITARY STAR® Mobile shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PenFed Mobile or MILITARY STAR® Mobile?
PenFed Mobile ships an update fortnightly, and MILITARY STAR® Mobile every 3 months. Most recently, PenFed Mobile was updated on September 24, 2026 and MILITARY STAR® Mobile on September 12, 2026.

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