Comparison

PostNL vs Cowboy

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

Head to head
About

PostNL

Track and send packages with ease. Get a complete overview of items in transit and find nearby service points. Activate My Mail for a view of incoming mail (Netherlands only). Receive real-time status updates via notifications and a home screen widget.

Highlights
  • Track packages
  • Send packages
  • Find PostNL points
  • My Mail overview
  • Status notifications
  • Home screen widget
  • Digital stamps
Features
Read full description

Easily track packages with the PostNL app Track and send your packages with the PostNL app. In the app, you always have a complete overview of everything on its way to you. Sending a package is also easy via the app. Looking for a PostNL point? You can easily find these in the app as well. Curious about which mail is on its way to you? Activate My Mail so you also have a complete overview of all your mail (note: only available in the Netherlands). This way, you always have us at hand! Always up-to-date If you enable notifications, we ensure that you are always informed of the latest status of your package. Also, install the PostNL widget on your home screen to always stay up-to-date. Sending something? Have the QR code from your account scanned and receive a shipping confirmation by email. Easily create a label via the app and have it printed at a PostNL point. Need a stamp? Buy a digital stamp and write it on the letter, convenient! Download the app and let us know what you think!

About

Cowboy

This app enhances your electric bike experience with navigation, ride tracking, and safety features. Monitor your bike's performance, battery life, and security, while connecting with a community of riders.

Highlights
  • City navigation with parking
  • Real-time air quality mapping
  • Ride stats dashboard
  • Predictive battery range estimation
  • Activity tracking and trends
  • Community leaderboards
  • GPS bike tracking
  • Crash detection alerts
Features
Read full description

The Cowboy app is your daily companion on the road. Connect your ride * Navigate the city like a local who knows every corner. Break free from congestion, be guided to your favorite places, even find bike parking spots. * Map the quickest route or take a breather with the clearest alternative with real-time air quality mapping in your area. * Monitor your speed and check your ride stats at a glance on your ride dashboard. Easily control your bike through your ride settings: front & rear lights, motor assistance, phone wireless charger, etc. * Always know your charge. With predictive battery range estimation, charge reminders and widgets for your Home Screen and Lock Screen, you’ll never run out of power. * Rain, shine (or snow or hail or fog), with live weather updates you’ll never leave the house unprepared. Keep moving * With embedded bike sensors, you can track all your activity details — moving time, speed, power delivered, calories burned, and more. * Quickly see your ride trends over time with personalized stats. * Collect badges for your achievements and show them off with pride. * See how your stats stack up with your fellow riders. Track your fitness and find out how far you’ve ridden compared to the community with Cowboy leaderboards. * Automatically synchronize your rides on Apple Health and / or Strava, and get credit for all your activities Stay safe * Unlock your bike and start your ride with a simple tap in the app. You’re the only one who can turn it on. Activate Auto Unlock for an effortless start. As you approach, the bike senses your connection and comes alive. * Whether near or far, you'll be able to locate your bike at all times with GPS tracking. Use Find My Bike to follow the signal and pinpoint its exact location. * [Theft Insurance exclusive] If someone attempts to snatch your bike, we'll proactively notify you right away. * With Crash Detection, if the bike detects that you're ever in an accident we'll check in to make sure you're alright. If not, we'll automatically alert your emergency contacts and share your live position. You’ll never ride alone * Need a maintenance? Subscribe to Cowboy Care and book an unlimited number of service appointments in the app. We'll come right to your door and give your bike a full check-up. * The Cowboy team is available to chat with you in-app for any bike or tech question you have along your ride. * If your bike requires an update, the app will alert you automatically and guide you through every step.

Screenshots

PostNL4 screens
Cowboy4 screens

Verdict

The call

PostNL and Cowboy both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 77% of Cowboy's written reviews are positive against 21% of PostNL's. Cowboy also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). PostNL's advantage is ratings volume (2.1K vs 34). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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

PostNL holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PostNL has 2.1K ratings behind it against 34, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 21% of PostNL's written reviews are positive against 77% of Cowboy's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PostNL ships an update every 2 weeks, Cowboy fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
PostNL versus Cowboy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPostNLCowboy
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (2.1K ratings) — better4.4 (34 ratings)
Positive reviews20.9% of reviews76.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.1K — better34
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS16.016.0
Further details — not scored
Size41 MB166 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPostNL Holding B.V.Cowboy SA

Customer experience

PostNL

All ratings2,112 ratings
Positive89.3%
Neutral3.8%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews187 reviews
Positive20.9%
Neutral12.3%
Negative66.8%

Cowboy

All ratings34 ratings
Positive85.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.7%
Written reviews73 reviews
Positive76.7%
Neutral6.8%
Negative16.4%

User reviews

PostNL

From 2.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Efficient delivery
  • 👍 Helpful app
  • 👍 Good service

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Delivery issues
  • 🐛 Tracking problems
  • 🐛 Unreliable service
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns
  • 🌐 Lack of language options

Cowboy

From 34 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Well-designed and intuitive app
  • 🚀 Seamless integration with the bike
  • 🗺️ Useful map and navigation features
  • 💡 Adaptive power modes are appreciated
  • ✅ Reliable tracking and anti-theft features

Room to improve

  • 😞 Useless app for support/updates
  • ⚠️ Ignoring safety issues and recalls
  • 🐌 Slow parts shipping
  • 📉 Battery life degradation reported
  • 🚫 Adaptive Power 2.0 disabling assistance

Bugs and requests

PostNL

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Account creation issues
  • Inaccurate tracking information
  • Notification problems

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add English language option
  • Improve delivery preferences
  • Provide more delivery updates

Cowboy

Reported bugs

19 issues
  • Adaptive Power 2.0 disabling assistance
  • Navigation routes are illogical and not bike-friendly
  • Bluetooth connection drops frequently
  • App crashes during use
  • App shows battery disconnected after charging
Show 14 more
  • Long press actions are buggy
  • Auto-lock/unlock not always working
  • GPS navigation is inaccurate and dangerous
  • Last two updates broke activity tracking and syncing
  • Battery level inaccurate on settings page
  • Login details required frequently after updates
  • Bike cannot be unlocked without signal
  • GPS audio causes music volume to drop
  • Unable to add emergency contacts (only call)
  • App resets preferences after updates
  • Bike constantly turns on/off when near
  • Issues with lights not working after updates
  • Connection by moving bike fails after updates
  • App consumes significant phone battery

Requested features

13 requests
  • Integration with iOS Shortcuts
  • API for Home Assistant integration
  • Support for multiple bikes per account
  • Apple Watch integration for unlocking/features
  • Choice of map provider (e.g., Apple Maps, Geovelo)
Show 8 more
  • Landscape mode for the app
  • Ability to select destination from calendar app
  • Option to choose between adaptive and constant boost modes
  • Integration with Lumos helmet blinkers
  • Ability to purchase a second battery
  • Dimming of battery lights
  • Saving start and end points of rides
  • Support for more languages (Italian, German, French)

In-app purchases

None

PostNL

No in-app purchases

None

Cowboy

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PostNL free?
PostNL is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cowboy free?
Cowboy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PostNL or Cowboy?
PostNL is rated higher. PostNL averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2.1K ratings, while Cowboy averages 4.4 from 34 ratings.
Do PostNL or Cowboy have ads?
PostNL shows ads; Cowboy does not.
Which is updated more often, PostNL or Cowboy?
PostNL ships an update every 2 weeks, and Cowboy fortnightly. Most recently, PostNL was updated on October 26, 2026 and Cowboy on October 24, 2026.

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