Comparison

HMRC vs Barclays UK

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

Head to head
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

About

Barclays UK

Manage your personal, business, and corporate accounts on the go. View transactions, check balances, make payments, and transfer money. Securely store documents and find nearby branches or ATMs.

Highlights
  • Secure login with Touch ID/Face ID
  • Manage personal, business, and corporate accounts
  • View transactions and balances
  • Make payments and transfers
  • Delete Direct Debits
  • Set up standing orders
  • Barclays Cloud It document storage
Features
Read full description

The Barclays app HOW TO REGISTER If you’re 16 or over and you have a UK-registered mobile number and a UK Barclays current account or Barclaycard, you can register for the app. You’ll need the 16 digit number off your card, then follow the onscreen instructions. Some customers may be required to verify their identity with a PINsentry card reader. If you’ve got an activation code, follow the onscreen steps to register (you won’t need PINsentry for this). After you’re set up, you’ll only need your 5-digit passcode to log in. Then you can set up Touch ID or Face ID to log in faster in future. THE BENEFITS • Log in quickly and securely when you set up access through Touch ID or Face ID • Manage your personal, business and corporate accounts, including your Barclaycard accounts, and view your Barclays mortgage account • See recent transactions and check your balances • Make payments to new and existing payees, transfer money between accounts or transfer a balance to your Barclaycard • Delete Direct Debits • Set up, edit and delete standing orders using your app • Join Barclays Blue Rewards and earn rewards just for banking with us • Store your documents securely with Barclays Cloud It • Find your nearest branch or cash machine • Use Mobile PINsentry. It can take up to 4 days for this feature to be activated in the app while we complete some security checks • Call us straight from the app to speak to an adviser • Our iPhone app has been accredited by AbilityNet – the charity that assesses digital services for accessibility Terms and conditions apply. You must be aged 16 or over to use the Barclays app. FOR BUSINESS ACCOUNTS You can only use the app if you’re a sole-signatory Barclays Business current account holder. You can’t register your Barclaycard business or corporate credit cards. This app is provided by either Barclays Bank UK PLC or Barclays Bank PLC depending on the entity you may have contracted with for banking services. Please refer to your bank documents (terms and conditions, statements, etc) to confirm the legal entity that provides banking services to you. Copyright © Barclays 2025. Barclays is a registered trade mark of Barclays plc, used under licence. Barclays Bank UK PLC. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (Financial Services Register No. 759676). Registered in England. Registered No. 9740322 Registered Office: 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP. Barclays Bank PLC. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (Financial Services Register No. 122702). Registered in England. Registered no. 1026167 Registered Office: 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP.

Screenshots

HMRC4 screens
Barclays UK4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: HMRC at none against Barclays UK's shown. Barclays UK's advantage is review sentiment (62% vs 48%) and ratings volume (3.5K vs 604). 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for HMRC against 4.9 for Barclays UK. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Barclays UK has 3.5K ratings behind it against 604, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 48% of HMRC's written reviews are positive against 62% of Barclays UK's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HMRC ships an update monthly, Barclays UK every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
HMRC versus Barclays UK: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHMRCBarclays UK
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (604 ratings)4.9 (3.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews47.9% of reviews61.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6043.5K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB441 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHMRCBarclays Services Limited

Customer experience

HMRC

All ratings600 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral1.7%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews889 reviews
Positive47.9%
Neutral4.8%
Negative47.2%

Barclays UK

All ratings3,491 ratings
Positive97.3%
Neutral0.9%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews2,368 reviews
Positive61.7%
Neutral5.5%
Negative32.8%

User reviews

HMRC

From 604 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

Barclays UK

From 3.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Quick and easy banking
  • 🔒 Secure app
  • 👍 Useful features
  • 👍 Intuitive and clean interface

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 🤖 Lack of support for international customers
  • ⏱️ Slow response times
  • 💤 Frequent app updates required
  • 🤯 Frustrating setup process

Bugs and requests

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

Barclays UK

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login screen freezes
  • App crashes frequently
  • Inconsistent transaction display
  • Cheque deposit feature not working properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Allow international mobile numbers
  • Add more money management tools
  • Improve customer service and support
  • Streamline login and authentication

In-app purchases

None

HMRC

No in-app purchases

None

Barclays UK

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HMRC free?
HMRC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Barclays UK free?
Barclays UK is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, HMRC or Barclays UK?
Barclays UK is rated higher. HMRC averages 4.8 out of 5 from 604 ratings, while Barclays UK averages 4.9 from 3.5K ratings.
Do HMRC or Barclays UK have ads?
Barclays UK shows ads; HMRC does not.
Which is updated more often, HMRC or Barclays UK?
HMRC ships an update monthly, and Barclays UK every 3 weeks. Most recently, HMRC was updated on October 21, 2026 and Barclays UK on October 22, 2026.

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