HMRC vs Barclays UK
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
HMRC ships an update monthly, Barclays UK every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HMRC | Barclays UK |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (604 ratings) | 4.9 (3.5K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 47.9% of reviews | 61.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 604 | 3.5K — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 34 MB | 441 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | HMRC | Barclays Services Limited |
Customer experience
HMRC
Barclays UK
User reviews
HMRC
From 604 App Store ratingsWhat 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 ratingsWhat 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
HMRC
No in-app purchases
Barclays UK
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is HMRC free?
Is Barclays UK free?
Which has better reviews, HMRC or Barclays UK?
Do HMRC or Barclays UK have ads?
Which is updated more often, HMRC or Barclays UK?
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