Comparison

GoBank vs Scarlet App

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

Head to head
About

GoBank

This mobile banking app offers a checking account designed to avoid traditional bank fees. It provides early direct deposit, a free ATM network, and tools for bill pay, sending money, and mobile check deposits. It also includes a budgeting feature to help manage spending.

Highlights
  • No surprise fees
  • Early direct deposit
  • Free ATM network
  • Bill pay
  • Send money
  • Mobile check deposit
  • Budgeting tool
Features
Read full description

Free ATM network. Limits apply*. No surprise fees. No worries. Try GoBank’s award-winning mobile app now! GoBank is a checking account made for people who are fed up with big banks and their big fees, and designed to be accessed on a mobile phone. It’s fast (works like your other favorite apps), fair (no surprise fees) and feature-rich (keep reading for a sneak peek). WHY GOBANK? NO SURPRISE FEES Seriously. GoBank has no surprise fees. Check out GoBank.com/NoWorries to see what we mean. GET YOUR PAY UP TO 2 DAYS FASTER WITH ASAP DIRECT DEPOSIT™ Direct Deposit early availability depends on timing of payor’s payment instructions and fraud prevention restrictions may apply. As such, the availability or timing of early direct deposit may vary from pay period to pay period. Make sure the name and social security number on file with your employer or benefits provider matches what’s on your GoBank account exactly. We will not be able to deposit your payment if we are unable to match recipients. SIGN UP FOR DIRECT DEPOSIT If you’re not eligible for the above, you can still sign up for direct deposit to get your pay faster than a paper check! FREE ATMS*. * See app for free ATM locations. 4 free withdrawals per calendar month, $3.00 per withdrawal thereafter. $3 for out-of-network withdrawals and $.50 for balance inquiries, plus any fee the ATM owner may charge. Limits apply. PAY BILLS Pay rent, or any bill with the GoBank app or website. Need to send a check to your landlord (or anyone else)? No problem. We’ll mail the check for free. SEND MONEY FAST Quickly send money to friends, family and even the dog groomer who have GoBank accounts. We notify them via email or text message. DEPOSIT CASH Just take your GoBank debit card and cash to any participating retail location. Swipe your card or hand it to the cashier, and the cash will be deposited to your account automatically. Fees may apply. MOBILE DEPOSITS Our nearest bank branch is in your pocket. Use your phone to scan a check and deposit it into your account. You may be asked to upload your ID. FREE ADVICE: FORTUNE TELLER™ Use the Fortune Teller to double-check your budget before you spend. Just tell us how much it costs, and we’ll give you a quick yay or nay based on the budget you’ve created. FYI: We'll need to successfully verify your ID before you can use all of GoBank's award-winning features. Questions about your GoBank account? Call us at the number on the back of your card (24/7 support). Or log in to gobank.com & email us through the Contact Us page. Stay in touch with us! Follow us on Twitter @GoBank and on Instagram @GoBankOfficial. While you’re at it, like us on Facebook.com/GoBank. We’d love to meet you and answer any questions you may have. * See app for free ATM locations. 4 free withdrawals per calendar month, $3.00 per withdrawal thereafter. $3 for out-of-network withdrawals and $.50 for balance inquiries, plus any fee the ATM owner may charge. Limits apply. GoBank is a brand of Green Dot Bank, Member FDIC, which also operates under the brands Green Dot Bank and Bonneville Bank. Deposits under any of these trade names are deposits with a single FDIC-insured bank, Green Dot Bank, and are aggregated for deposit insurance coverage. ©2013-2022 Green Dot Bank. All rights reserved. Terms of Use: https://m.gobank.com/static/other/GoBank_Mobile_App_EULA_Android_version.pdf Privacy Policy: https://m.gobank.com/privacy-policy Technology Privacy Statement: https://m.gobank.com/banking-agreement

About

Scarlet App

This app helps you build healthy financial habits with tools for budgeting and saving. Easily manage your bank account on the go, access your balance, and view transactions. Earn rewards on purchases and get paid faster.

Highlights
  • Budgeting tools
  • Saving goals
  • Direct Deposit up to 2 days faster
  • Mobile Check Capture
  • Walgreens Cash Rewards
  • Free ATM withdrawals
Read full description

WHAT IS SCARLET? The Scarlet™ Bank Account provides you a path to financial health. Scarlet gives you the tools to start building healthy financial habits, like budgeting your day-to-day needs and saving money through rewards. HOW THE SCARLET MOBILE APP WORKS: • Log in to quickly access your Available Balance and view the details of all your active and completed transactions • Easily manage your Scarlet Account on the go, wherever you are! FEATURES FOR REACHING YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS • Free to Add cash with Barcode Reload with at Walgreens and Duane Reade locations¹ • Get paid up to 2 days faster when you set up Direct Deposit² • Easily add money directly on your mobile device using Mobile Check Capture by Ingo® Money³ • Free ATM withdrawals at Walgreens and Duane Reade stores⁴ • Easily set up goals for things you want to save for • And much more! START EARNING WALGREENS CASH REWARDS⁵: • 5% on Walgreens Branded products • 3% on all other Walgreens purchases • 1% everywhere else Mastercard is accepted Visit getScarlet.com for more information. ¹Terms and conditions apply. You can add cash at other locations for up to $3.95. For details, please visit getScarlet.com/Legal. Message and data rates may apply. ²Faster access compared to standard payday electronic deposit and subject to your employer submitting paycheck information to the bank before payday. Your employer may not submit paycheck information early. ³The Mobile Check Capture by Ingo Money service is provided by First Century Bank, N.A. and Ingo Money, Inc., subject to the First Century Bank and Ingo Money Terms and Conditions and the First Century Bank and Ingo Money Privacy Policy. All checks are subject to approval for funding in Ingo Money’s sole discretion. Approval usually takes 3 to 5 minutes but can take up to one hour. Fees apply for approved Money in Minutes transactions funded to your Account. See getScarlet.com/Fees for details. Additional terms and conditions and limits are associated with your use of the Mobile Check Capture by Ingo Money service through the Scarlet Mobile app. See getScarlet.com/Legal for details. Data rates may apply. ⁴Free in-network ATM withdrawals at over 55,000 Allpoint ATMs. ⁵Must be a myWalgreens™ member. Walgreens Cash rewards are not legal tender. No cash back. Walgreens Cash rewards good on future purchases. Exclusions apply. Complete details, including Walgreens Cash rewards expiration dates and Demand Deposit Account Rewards Terms, at getScarlet.com/Legal.

Screenshots

GoBank4 screens
Scarlet App4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Scarlet App at 4.7 against GoBank's 4.1. Scarlet App also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 17%). GoBank's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and ratings volume (5.3K vs 1.7K). On price, update cadence, ads 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

Scarlet App holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5.3K and 1.7K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 17% of GoBank's written reviews are positive against 50% of Scarlet App's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GoBank ships an update every 6 weeks, Scarlet App monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
GoBank versus Scarlet App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGoBankScarlet App
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (5.3K ratings)4.7 (1.7K ratings) — better
Positive reviews16.9% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5.3K — better1.7K
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.515.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size89 MB39 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperGreen Dot CorporationHI Technology Corp

Customer experience

GoBank

All ratings5,307 ratings
Positive77.9%
Neutral3.3%
Negative18.8%
Written reviews118 reviews
Positive16.9%
Neutral9.3%
Negative73.7%

Scarlet App

All ratings1,674 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral2.7%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews52 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral3.8%
Negative46.2%

User reviews

GoBank

From 5.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great app to pay and go
  • 💡 Ability to stash money and check balance without logging in
  • 👍 Convenient for Uber drivers

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent app crashes and errors
  • 🔒 Inability to access own money due to security issues
  • 💰 Many hidden fees and charges
  • ⚠️ Unreliable customer service and account management

Scarlet App

From 1.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 💰 Cash back at Walgreens
  • 🚀 Convenient locations
  • 📱 Great app experience
  • 💳 Helpful for managing money

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Technical issues
  • 💰 Hidden fees
  • 🔒 Difficulty closing account
  • 🤖 Poor customer service
  • 🚫 Limited functionality

Bugs and requests

GoBank

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inability to log in or access account
  • Disappearing vault and missing money issues
  • Unreliable bill pay and money transfer features

Requested features

3 requests
  • Improved app stability and functionality
  • Faster check deposit processing
  • Better communication on account changes and fees

Scarlet App

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inability to view balance
  • Disappearing transaction history
  • Failed account registration
  • Barcode loading issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to make loans
  • Temporary debit card option
  • Faster money loading times
  • Wider acceptance at merchants

In-app purchases

None

GoBank

No in-app purchases

None

Scarlet App

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is GoBank free?
GoBank is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Scarlet App free?
Scarlet App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, GoBank or Scarlet App?
Scarlet App is rated higher. GoBank averages 4.1 out of 5 from 5.3K ratings, while Scarlet App averages 4.7 from 1.7K ratings.
Do GoBank or Scarlet App have ads?
Neither GoBank nor Scarlet App shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GoBank or Scarlet App?
GoBank ships an update every 6 weeks, and Scarlet App monthly. Most recently, GoBank was updated on November 1, 2026 and Scarlet App on October 30, 2026.

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