Comparison

Standard Life vs HMRC

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

Head to head
About

Standard Life

Manage your pension and investments on the go. Increase, top up, or stop pension payments, view plan values, and track transactions. Secure messaging and a retirement income tool are also available.

Highlights
  • Manage pension payments
  • Top up pension
  • View plan value and performance
  • Secure messaging
  • Retirement income tool
  • Update beneficiaries
Features
Read full description

The Standard Life app includes great features which can help you manage your money on the go. Our App provides the ability to: - Manage your pension payments: increase, setup, stop & reduce - Top up your pension - View recent transactions - View the value of your plan(s), fund performance and daily fund changes - Manage your beneficiaries - Update your retirement date - Transfer in other pensions - Change your investments - Withdraw cash if aged 55 or over - View charges & discounts on your pension plan Send and receive secure messages with attachments via the mailbox and there is an option to be notified when you receive a new message. Why not try our retirement income tool to see what your retirement could look like in 5 minutes and explore your options. We aim to provide access to the features listed wherever possible, but not all products are supported Help and support You can access FAQs from our Help page or send us a secure message about your plan from our Mailbox page. If you run into any issues with the App let us know at: mobile-app@standardlife.com Feedback We are always updating the App with new features and tools. We want to hear from you - you can leave us a review or leave feedback in the App within the help section. Getting started You must be a customer with us to use the App. If you are not registered for online servicing you can do this on the App. Once you are logged in you can choose to set a passcode, fingerprint or facial recognition if your device allows. Additional information The Standard Life app is not available for WRAP products and Aberdeen Standard Capital customers. Some With Profits Policies, along with some of our Bonds and Investment Fund products cannot be viewed. Transferring other pensions won’t be right for everyone. Payments and withdrawals Not all products support payments through the app and you may be prompted to contact us or your employer if you have a workplace pension. Any changes to regular payments will come from the bank account that you have set up with us. When making payments, topping up or amending a regular payment it’s important to note that investment returns aren't guaranteed. The value of your investment can go down as well as up and may be worth less than you paid in. Cookie policy Cookies do many different jobs like storing your preferences, helping you navigate effectively, and improving your overall experience of a website or app. Cookies make the interaction between you and the app quicker and easier. For example, a cookie might store information so you don't have to keep entering it. Some cookies are needed to make our app work and keep it secure so they can't be turned off. These are classed as 'essential cookies'. Others are optional and you can change your preferences, these are classed as 'experience and insight cookies'. Who we are Phoenix Life Limited, trading name as Standard Life, is registered in England and Wales (1016269) at 10 Brindleyplace, Birmingham, B1 2JB. Phoenix Life Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

About

HMRC

Manage your taxes, benefits, and savings securely and easily. Check your tax code, claim refunds, and track your State Pension. Access Self Assessment and Child Benefit information, and find your National Insurance number.

Highlights
  • Quick secure sign-in
  • Check tax code and pay
  • Claim tax refunds
  • View State Pension details
  • Self Assessment payments
  • Manage Child Benefit
  • Find National Insurance number
Features
Read full description

Take control of your money and tax with the HMRC app It’s secure, free to download, and easy to use. Get on it, and join millions of people already saving time with the HMRC app. Key Features: - Quick setup: sign in using face recognition, fingerprint scan, or a six-digit PIN - Stay in control: check your tax code and see your pay before it even shows in your bank, so you know you're paying the right amount - Claim a tax refund: find out if you’re due any tax back from us and quickly claim a refund if you’re owed one - Check your State Pension: see how much State Pension you could get, when you can get it and how to increase it, if you can - Self Assessment: a safe and secure way to make Self Assessment payments and get information you'll need to file - Child Benefit support: claim, manage, and update your Child Benefit details - National Insurance: find and save your National Insurance number so you have it when you need it - Go paperless: opt to receive key messages from HMRC online Download the HMRC app today and stay on top of your money and taxes

Screenshots

Standard Life4 screens
HMRC4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Standard Life at 84% against HMRC's 47%. Standard Life also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). HMRC's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.3) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

HMRC holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HMRC has 583 ratings behind it against 25, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 84% of Standard Life's written reviews are positive against 47% of HMRC's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Standard Life ships an update fortnightly, HMRC monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Standard Life versus HMRC: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStandard LifeHMRC
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (25 ratings)4.8 (583 ratings) — better
Positive reviews83.8% of reviews — better47.3% of reviews
Number of ratings25583 — better
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size78 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStandard Life Assets and Employee Services LimitedHMRC

Customer experience

Standard Life

All ratings25 ratings
Positive84.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.0%
Written reviews377 reviews
Positive83.8%
Neutral1.9%
Negative14.3%

HMRC

All ratings583 ratings
Positive95.0%
Neutral1.7%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews857 reviews
Positive47.3%
Neutral5.0%
Negative47.7%

User reviews

Standard Life

From 25 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Straightforward and intuitive
  • 🚀 Comprehensive pension management
  • 🔒 Secure and trustworthy
  • 👍 Clear and detailed information

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional login and connectivity issues
  • 🐛 Performance chart issues after recent updates
  • 🐛 Forced portrait mode on tablets
  • 🐛 Unreliable app stability

HMRC

From 583 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Straightforward payment process
  • 💡 Useful information and updates
  • 🔒 Secure authentication

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent login issues and app crashes
  • 🤔 Confusing navigation and UI
  • ⚠️ Lack of communication about tax changes
  • 🕰️ Slow and unresponsive app

Bugs and requests

Standard Life

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Login screen freezes
  • App crashes on startup
  • Pension balance disappearing from web app

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add ability to update beneficiary details
  • Provide investment growth statistics
  • Improve compatibility with tablet landscape mode

HMRC

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Endless login loops and redirects
  • App freezing and becoming unresponsive
  • Inconsistent behavior after app updates
  • Issues with Face ID and biometric authentication

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved notification system for tax updates
  • Ability to view and manage tax details in-app
  • Better integration with banking apps for payments
  • More user-friendly design and navigation

In-app purchases

None

Standard Life

No in-app purchases

None

HMRC

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Standard Life free?
Standard Life is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is HMRC free?
HMRC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Standard Life or HMRC?
HMRC is rated higher. Standard Life averages 4.3 out of 5 from 25 ratings, while HMRC averages 4.8 from 583 ratings.
Do Standard Life or HMRC have ads?
Neither Standard Life nor HMRC shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Standard Life or HMRC?
Standard Life ships an update fortnightly, and HMRC monthly. Most recently, Standard Life was updated on September 28, 2026 and HMRC on September 26, 2026.

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