Comparison

PTSB vs bunq

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

Head to head
About

PTSB

Manage your finances conveniently and securely on the go. This app allows you to check balances, transfer funds, pay bills, and manage your cards. It provides quick access to account information and offers features for loan applications and opening new accounts.

Highlights
  • Quick Balance check
  • Secure login with PAN, TouchID/FaceID
  • Account balance and transaction history
  • Apply for loans and credit cards
  • Open savings and deposit accounts
  • Card management (freeze, report lost/stolen, replace)
  • Fund transfers and bill payments
  • Add card to Apple Wallet
Features
Read full description

The PTSB app is a secure, fast and easy way to bank on the go. It offers a great range of features to make accessing your money and controlling your finances effortless, giving you the time and peace of mind to get on with your life! If you’re a PTSB customer who’s registered for Open24 Online Banking you can enjoy: Simple and easy access to your accounts: • Use Quick Balance to check your balance instantly without logging in • Log in quickly using your PAN (Personal Access Number) or TouchID / FaceID. • Quickly access the most used features. • Check your current and available account balances and other important information. • Access your recent, pending and historical transactions. • Apply for a Term Loan, Credit Card, or Overdraft. Open a Savings or Deposit Account: • Choose your daily debit card spending limit. • View eStatements. • Update Open24 desktop site password. • Freeze your Visa Debit or Credit Card. • Report your Visa Debit Card as lost/stolen and order replacement. • Replace your damaged Visa Debit Card. • View or unblock your Debit card PIN. • Quickly add your Visa Debit Card to your Apple Wallet Directly. • Block Gambling Transactions on your debit or credit card Banking on the go: • Instantly transfer between your accounts. • Transfer to your existing payees, and on tablet devices you can now add new payees. Schedule payments to be made at a future date. • Zippay: send and receive money using just a mobile number. • Send Emergency Cash to an ATM: you or a friend can collect funds from any PTSB ATM – without the need for a bank card (charges apply). • Make payments to existing bills and add new bills. Schedule bills to be paid at a future date. • Set up a standing order. • Transfer to your existing international SWIFT payees. These payees can only be set-up by visiting a PTSB branch. • Manage payments i.e. view or edit details for existing payees, bill payments, standing orders, direct debits and future dated payments. Accessing the app: • To log in to the PTSB app you’ll need to be a PTSB customer who is registered for Open24 Online Banking. To register for Open24 call us now on 0818 50 24 24 or +353 1 212 4101. • To access some features you’ll need to enter a security code which you’ll receive via SMS to your registered mobile phone number. The following country codes are excluded from this service +53 Cuba, +98 Iran, +964 Iraq, +95 Myanmar, +963 Syria, +249 Sudan, +850 North Korea. If you are not receiving your code, or to register or change your mobile number, call us now on 0818 50 24 24 or +353 1 212 4101. Terms and conditions apply. Find out more at https://www.ptsb.ie/everyday-banking/ways-to-bank/mobile-and-app-banking/ Permanent TSB plc trading as PTSB and PTSB Asset Finance is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Permanent TSB plc is a public limited company incorporated in Ireland. Registered number: 222332. Registered Office: 56-59 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, D02 H489, Ireland. Permanent TSB plc is tied to Irish Life Assurance plc for life and pensions products. Irish Life Assurance plc is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

About

bunq

A mobile banking app offering a range of accounts, savings, and investment options. It allows users to manage their finances, budget effectively, and access features like contactless payments and international services. Open an account in minutes and explore different plans to suit your needs.

Highlights
  • Multiple bank accounts
  • Savings with interest
  • Stock and crypto investing
  • Contactless payments
  • Budgeting insights
  • Worldwide travel insurance
  • eSIM for roaming data
Features
Read full description

Say hello to bunq – the mobile bank that's there for you at every chapter of your life! Whether exploring new countries, building your dream business, or managing family life, bunq helps you grow your wealth, spend, and budget effortlessly. Open your account in just 5 minutes and start your 30-day free trial today. Our Plans bunq Free - €0/month Get started with essential banking. • 3 Bank Accounts to get you started • 1 Digital Card with Apple Pay support • Scheduled Payments and AutoAccept for requests • Earn 3.51% interest on USD/GBP savings • Invest in stocks with ease • Buy and sell cryptocurrencies in the EEA • Save up to 90% on roaming costs with an eSIM from bunq Business features: • Accept contactless payments with Tap to Pay • Integration with 50+ bookkeeping tools bunq Core - €3.99/month A bank account for everyday use. All bunq Free benefits, plus: • 5 Bank Accounts for your everyday needs • 1 Physical Card included • Personalize your Physical Card to make it uniquely yours • Shared account access • Add loyalty cards for quick access • Unlimited ZeroFX • 24/7 SOS Hotline for emergencies Business features: • Co-founder access • Shared account access • Bookkeeping integrations bunq Pro - €9.99/month The bank account that makes budgeting easy. All bunq Core benefits, plus: • 25 Bank Accounts for effortless budgeting • 3 Physical Cards and 25 Digital Cards included • Personalized budgeting insights and income organiser • 5 fee-free foreign currency payments per month • Secondary PIN for multiple accounts on one card • 20% discount on stock trading fees • Student offer: pay €0 per month Business features: • Add up to 3 employees • Company Cards (debit or credit) and Tap to Pay access • AutoVAT bunq Elite - €18.99/month The account for your international lifestyle. All bunq Pro benefits, plus: • Worldwide Travel Insurance • 10 fee-free foreign currency payments per month • 8GB worldwide data • 50% discount on stock trading fees Business features: • Add up to 10 employees • 500 fee-free transactions per year Your security = Our priority Boost your bank security with two-factor authentication and 100% control of cards. Your deposits = Fully protected Your money is insured up to €100,000 by the Deposit Guarantee Scheme (DGS). Invest in the bunq app through our partners. Investing involves risks, including potential loss. bunq does not provide trading advice. Manage your investments at your own risk. bunq is authorized by the Dutch Central Bank (DNB). Our US office resides at 401 Park Ave S. New York, NY 10016, USA.

Screenshots

PTSB4 screens
bunq4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: bunq at 4.5 against PTSB's 3.3. bunq also leads on review sentiment (42% vs 9%) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 53). PTSB's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

bunq holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: bunq has 1.5K ratings behind it against 53, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 9% of PTSB's written reviews are positive against 42% of bunq's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PTSB ships an update every 3 weeks, bunq weekly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
PTSB versus bunq: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPTSBbunq
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (53 ratings)4.5 (1.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews9.5% of reviews42.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings531.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size171 MB468 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerpermanent tsbbunq

Customer experience

PTSB

All ratings51 ratings
Positive56.9%
Neutral2.0%
Negative41.2%
Written reviews74 reviews
Positive9.5%
Neutral6.8%
Negative83.8%

bunq

All ratings1,457 ratings
Positive85.9%
Neutral2.6%
Negative11.5%
Written reviews264 reviews
Positive42.4%
Neutral4.9%
Negative52.7%

User reviews

PTSB

From 53 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 👍 Accessible support
  • 👍 View Visa Debit card PIN
  • 👍 Secure transfers
  • 👍 Set up trusted payee

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes
  • 🐛 Frequent login issues
  • 🐛 Unreliable uptime
  • 🐛 App refuses to move past login
  • 🐛 App not working

bunq

From 1.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Instant payments
  • 💡 Innovative features
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🌍 Great for expats
  • 🔒 Secure banking

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy app
  • 🕰️ Slow customer support
  • 💰 Expensive fees
  • 🤖 Unhelpful AI chatbot
  • 🔒 Account freezing issues

Bugs and requests

PTSB

Reported bugs

44 issues
  • Cannot get into account
  • Verify phone number, then nothing
  • App refused to move past login screen
  • Every time I log in there are issues
  • App not working
Show 39 more
  • App stops working
  • Online on chrome gives an error
  • Can't login for 24h because of new SIM
  • Functionality issue, never access accounts
  • App has been broken for weeks
  • Cannot get access to money
  • App randomly freezes
  • App says error and will not let me login
  • App closes after loading PTSB screen
  • App literally does not work
  • Glitchiest app on phone
  • Delete and install app over and over
  • Need to open and close app multiple times to sign in
  • Unable to log in most of the time
  • Locked out of account due to no notifications
  • Not showing up in notification tab
  • App crashes as soon as I try to open it
  • App has crashed or failed to login for weeks
  • App stopped working in last couple of weeks
  • Working fine initially but not working again
  • Keeps crashing when trying to open
  • New update without testing, cannot access account
  • Registering phone keeps crashing
  • Cannot access account details
  • App opens for a few seconds then crashes
  • App keeps crashing
  • App won't run since update
  • Latest update crashes on phone
  • Crashes on opening every time
  • Literally just crashes now
  • Update was annoying
  • Sim has been swiped after update
  • App wouldn't work
  • Web based access removed
  • Impossible to access app without Irish cell
  • App not optimized or updated in years
  • App takes forever to load to actual login page
  • Login ID wiped from screen on mis-type
  • Locked out of online banking if debit card not on hand

Requested features

22 requests
  • Touch ID / Face ID / Biometric login
  • Improve transaction navigation
  • Allow viewing older transactions
  • Fix transaction filter
  • Add Face ID
Show 17 more
  • Add Touch ID
  • Enable Touch ID
  • Implement fingerprint authentication
  • Support for newer iOS versions
  • Mobile top up options
  • Show pending transactions
  • Modern app design
  • Simplify login
  • Improve usability
  • Update app periodically
  • Add live chat or electronic communication
  • Enable Touch ID Please!!
  • Show account balance on login screen
  • Clearer display of transactions
  • Faster login process
  • Add Three to mobile top up
  • Show pending transactions like website

bunq

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes on login
  • Incorrect transaction recording
  • Verification issues

Requested features

3 requests
  • Bring back previous app design
  • Improve account management features
  • Provide phone-based customer support

In-app purchases

None

PTSB

No in-app purchases

None

bunq

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PTSB free?
PTSB is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is bunq free?
bunq is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PTSB or bunq?
bunq is rated higher. PTSB averages 3.3 out of 5 from 53 ratings, while bunq averages 4.5 from 1.5K ratings.
Do PTSB or bunq have ads?
Neither PTSB nor bunq shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PTSB or bunq?
PTSB ships an update every 3 weeks, and bunq weekly. Most recently, PTSB was updated on November 1, 2026 and bunq on November 1, 2026.

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