giffgaff vs Spark NZ
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
giffgaff
Manage your mobile account effortlessly. Track data usage, renew plans, and access WiFi hotspots across the UK. This app provides a comprehensive overview of your mobile services and allows for easy top-ups and account management.
- Check data usage
- Buy or renew plans
- Plan expiry notifications
- Add credit/auto top-up
- WiFi Extra access
- Community access
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The giffgaff mobile app lets you manage your giffgaff account with the tap of your phone. You can check your data use on the go and connect to literally thousands of WiFi hotspots all across the UK with WiFI Extra. But that's just the start of what the app can do. It's a bitesize wonder. - Check how much data you have left - Buy or renew a plan - Keep an eye on when your plan expires - Add credit or turn on auto top up - Pay with a saved card or PayPal - Redeem a voucher - Access the community - Add multiple giffgaff accounts - Access thousands of WiFi hotspots across the UK with WiFi Extra You'll need your giffgaff member name and password to log in. If you're new to giffgaff, order your free SIM card now: https://www.giffgaff.com/orders/free-sim
Spark NZ
Manage all your mobile, broadband, and wearable plans in one convenient app. Easily top up, pay bills, track data usage, and discover the latest offers and content.
- Manage all accounts in one place
- Quick bill payments
- Track data usage by hour, day, month
- Top up plans and add data/minutes
- Discover latest offers and content
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Manage your Spark services in one place. Check your usage, pay bills, top up, manage roaming and find support whenever you need it. Manage your mobile, broadband and other Spark services in a simpler, more personalised app experience. Everything you need, all in one place: • View data usage, balances and bills • Top up prepaid and pay bills • Manage plans and roaming • Update account and security settings • Switch between accounts • Check outages and get support Your new Home screen shows important updates, recommendations and next steps so you can quickly see what needs your attention. We’re building smarter, more personalised ways to help you stay connected, informed and in control.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: giffgaff at 4.5 against Spark NZ's 3.5. giffgaff also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and review sentiment (28% vs 8%). 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
giffgaff holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: giffgaff has 1K ratings behind it against 87, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of giffgaff's written reviews are positive against 8% of Spark NZ's.
giffgaff ships an update every 3 weeks, Spark NZ every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | giffgaff | Spark NZ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (1K ratings) — better | 3.5 (87 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 28.3% of reviews — better | 7.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1K — better | 87 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 99 MB | 212 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | giffgaff | Spark New Zealand Trading Limited |
Customer experience
giffgaff
Spark NZ
User reviews
giffgaff
From 1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fast and easy to use
- 💰 Affordable pricing
- 👍 Straightforward app
- 🔒 Secure login process
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes
- ⚠️ Poor network coverage
- 🔍 Lack of customer support
- 🔧 Technical issues with SIM activation
Spark NZ
From 87 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Good overall app
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 📊 Useful for tracking usage
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🤔 Confusing and unintuitive UI
- 💸 Overcharging and billing issues
- 📞 Poor customer support
- 🔌 Connectivity problems
Bugs and requests
giffgaff
Reported bugs
4 issues- Login screen freezes
- Inability to update payment methods
- Inconsistent app behavior across devices
- Unreliable app performance after updates
Requested features
4 requests- Detailed data usage tracking
- Ability to manage family accounts
- Landscape mode support for tablets
- Seamless SIM card switching
Spark NZ
Reported bugs
4 issues- Login and password reset issues
- Unreliable data tracking and usage information
- Compatibility problems with newer OS versions
- Transactions failing or not reflecting properly
Requested features
4 requests- Improve payment and top-up functionality
- Add more self-service options
- Provide better visibility into account details
- Integrate with other Spark services
In-app purchases
giffgaff
No in-app purchases
Spark NZ
No in-app purchases
