Comparison

CBD vs C3Pay

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

Head to head
About

CBD

Manage your finances on the go with a secure and fast mobile banking app. Open accounts, apply for credit cards and loans, and make instant transfers and payments. Enjoy exclusive lifestyle offers with your debit or credit card.

Highlights
  • Instant account opening
  • Credit card and loan applications
  • Instant money transfers
  • Utility bill payments
  • 1,000+ lifestyle offers
  • Secure mobile banking
Features
Read full description

Wherever you happen to be, our new mobile banking App is easy, fast, and secure. And now managing your money is easier than ever before. Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD) is a leading banking and financial services institution in the UAE, backing ambitions since 1969. With over 55 years in the UAE and award-winning banking services, you can rest assured that all your banking needs are taken care of by a trusted financial partner. 120+ services Experience a feature-rich design with 120+ services for your everyday banking, most of which are processed instantly. Instant banking in minutes Sign up in minutes with just your Emirates ID and get a Current Account, Credit Card, Quick Loan, Home Loan Pre-Approval and more in the UAE’s highest rated Mobile Banking App. Transfers & payments in seconds Make instant transfers to Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and the Philippines as well as instant local transfers all with just a few taps. You can also make over 20 utility payments include Du, Etisalat, Dewa and so much more. 1,000+ lifestyle offers Enjoy over a thousand offers and discounts across dining, entertainment, lifestyle and so much more with the CBD App using your CBD Credit or Debit Card. This application is exclusively available to residents of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Non-residents are not permitted to log in or apply for financial services, including loans. Residency verification is mandatory prior to accessing any functionality.

About

C3Pay

Manage your finances with ease. View balances and transactions, receive instant alerts for salary deposits and purchases, and transfer money internationally. Top up local and international mobile numbers quickly.

Highlights
  • View balance and transactions
  • Receive SMS alerts
  • International money transfers
  • Mobile number recharge
  • Clean and simple interface
Features
Read full description

Now here with a cleaner look under your fingertips, our aim is to provide you with the simplest and the quickest way of managing your money. Use C3Pay to: - View your balance and transaction from anywhere, anytime. - Get SMS alerts whenever you receive your salary or make a purchase in shops. - Transfer money in minutes to your home country - Your first transfer is FREE! - Recharge any local and international mobile number instantly. Note: The app services are only available to C3Pay cardholders.

Screenshots

CBD4 screens
C3Pay4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: C3Pay at none against CBD's shown. CBD's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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

CBD holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.8K and 1.7K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of CBD's written reviews are positive against 34% of C3Pay's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CBD ships an update every 10 days, C3Pay fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 22, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
CBD versus C3Pay: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCBDC3Pay
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1.8K ratings) — better4.5 (1.7K ratings)
Positive reviews39.2% of reviews — better34.1% of reviews
Number of ratings1.8K — better1.7K
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterFortnightly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size421 MB184 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCommercial Bank of DubaiC3 Card

Customer experience

CBD

All ratings1,818 ratings
Positive95.0%
Neutral1.7%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews51 reviews
Positive39.2%
Neutral5.9%
Negative54.9%

C3Pay

All ratings1,738 ratings
Positive86.4%
Neutral4.8%
Negative8.9%
Written reviews41 reviews
Positive34.1%
Neutral4.9%
Negative61.0%

User reviews

CBD

From 1.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Excellent services
  • ⭐ Fast and easy
  • ⭐ Wonderful experience
  • ⭐ Very good bank
  • ⭐ Convenient and easy to use

Room to improve

  • 🚫 Hungry for money
  • 🚫 Worst customer service
  • 🚫 Slow and unhelpful chatbots
  • 🚫 Difficult to transfer money
  • 🚫 App not working after update

C3Pay

From 1.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💰 Fantastic money sending service
  • 👍 Good service, users are very happy using this app

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes frequently, issues with login and app access
  • 🕰️ Slow response from customer support, long wait times for card replacement
  • 💳 Unexpected deductions and account balance issues
  • 🔄 Frequent app updates required

Bugs and requests

CBD

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes and login issues
  • Incompatibility with newer iOS versions
  • Transferring money not working

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improve app performance and stability
  • Enhance security features
  • Introduce advanced budgeting and money management tools
  • Provide better customer support

C3Pay

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Login issues, app not opening on iOS 15
  • Inability to register new card with app

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add money transfer functionality to more countries
  • Improve app stability and reliability
  • Enhance customer support responsiveness

In-app purchases

None

CBD

No in-app purchases

None

C3Pay

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CBD free?
CBD is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is C3Pay free?
C3Pay is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, CBD or C3Pay?
CBD is rated higher. CBD averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while C3Pay averages 4.5 from 1.7K ratings.
Do CBD or C3Pay have ads?
CBD shows ads; C3Pay does not.
Which is updated more often, CBD or C3Pay?
CBD ships an update every 10 days, and C3Pay fortnightly. Most recently, CBD was updated on September 22, 2026 and C3Pay on September 22, 2026.

Other comparisons