# HMRC vs Emma

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HMRC at none against Emma's 11. HMRC also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (48% vs 39%). Emma's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs monthly) and chart position (#182 vs unranked). On price, rating, ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Emma sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. HMRC asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for HMRC against 4.7 for Emma. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 600 and 1.4K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 48% of HMRC's written reviews are positive against 39% of Emma's.

HMRC ships an update monthly, Emma every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HMRC | Emma |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (600 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hmrc/id514561561/reviews)** | [4.7 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emma-budget-planner-tracker/id1270062373/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 600 | **1.4K** |
| Positive reviews | **47.9% of reviews** | 38.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#182** |
| Size | 34 MB | 158 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HMRC](https://appshunter.io/developer/514561564) | [Emma Technologies LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1202559061) |

## What reviewers say

### HMRC

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hmrc/id514561561)

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:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Emma

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emma-budget-planner-tracker/id1270062373)

**Currently charting:** #182 Top Grossing · Finance (US App Store)

Consolidate all your financial accounts in one place to track spending, manage subscriptions, and set budgets. Receive weekly reports, daily balance notifications, and overdraft alerts. Offers bank-level security with SSL encryption and biometric authentication.

**Highlights:** Consolidate all accounts, Track subscriptions, Set budgets, Weekly spending reports, Overdraft alerts, Bank-level security

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Emma Plus Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Emma Pro Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly Pro Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Emma Pro | $9.99 | per month |
| Emma Ultimate | $14.99 | per month |
| Emma Plus Yearly | $41.99 | per year |
| Emma Pro | $83.99 | per year |
| Subscription | $83.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for budgeting and tracking spending
- 🚀 Efficient at categorizing transactions
- 💡 Useful for detecting subscriptions and recurring payments
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 👍 Provides good financial insights and analytics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Concerns about data privacy and security
- 💰 Expensive subscription model, features locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Syncing issues, transactions not always accurately categorized
- 🔍 Difficult to cancel subscription or delete account
- 📢 Aggressive upselling and notifications

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes frequently
- Transactions not syncing properly or showing incorrect balances
- Issues connecting to certain bank accounts
- Recurring payments not being tracked accurately

**Requested features**

- Add support for more banks and financial institutions
- Improve budgeting features with better categorization and goal-setting
- Provide more customization options for categories and reporting
- Integrate with investment accounts and track net worth
- Offer a more affordable pricing model or free tier with core features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HMRC free?

HMRC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Emma free?

Emma is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, HMRC or Emma?

HMRC is rated higher. HMRC averages 4.8 out of 5 from 600 ratings, while Emma averages 4.7 from 1.4K ratings.

### Do HMRC or Emma have ads?

Emma shows ads; HMRC does not.

### Which is updated more often, HMRC or Emma?

HMRC ships an update monthly, and Emma every 6 days. Most recently, HMRC was updated on October 18, 2026 and Emma on October 17, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*