# First Guaranty Bank Mobile vs Essential CU

The clearest difference is monetization model: First Guaranty Bank Mobile at free against Essential CU's free with in-app purchases. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

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 — 4.7 for First Guaranty Bank Mobile against 4.8 for Essential CU. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.3K and 4.6K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of First Guaranty Bank Mobile's written reviews are positive against 80% of Essential CU's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Guaranty Bank Mobile | Essential CU |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (2.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-guaranty-bank-mobile/id631482687/reviews) | **[4.8 (4.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essential-cu/id953483907/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2.3K | **4.6K** |
| Positive reviews | **86.2% of reviews** | 80.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 52 MB | 114 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [First Guaranty Bank](https://appshunter.io/developer/631482750) | [Essential Credit Union](https://appshunter.io/developer/875874546) |

## What reviewers say

### First Guaranty Bank Mobile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-guaranty-bank-mobile/id631482687)

Manage your finances on the go with this mobile banking application. Easily check balances, pay bills, transfer funds, and view transactions. It also helps you locate branches and ATMs, and manage secure messages.

**Highlights:** Check account balances, Pay bills, Transfer funds, View transactions, Find branches and ATMs, View secure messages

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient
- 👍 Convenient
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Helpful
- 👍 Detailed

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes/Freezes
- 🐛 Slow/Lags
- 🐛 Login issues
- 🐛 Deposit issues
- 🐛 Notifications not working

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent login issues
- Problems with mobile check deposits
- Accounts not linking properly
- Notifications not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Allow transfers between accounts
- Improve mobile check deposit process
- Add overdraft notifications/protection
- Improve transaction details/descriptions
- Add dark mode option


### Essential CU

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essential-cu/id953483907)

Manage your credit union accounts conveniently from your mobile device. Access account information, transfer funds, pay bills, and deposit checks on the go. Easily locate ATMs and branches with this secure and user-friendly application.

**Highlights:** Check account balances, View transaction history, Transfer funds, Pay bills, Send money to contacts, Deposit checks, Find ATMs and branches

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and easy to use
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 💡 Useful features like check deposit
- 🔒 Secure with Touch ID login

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and technical issues
- ⚠️ Unreliable account access and information
- 💤 Outdated and frustrating interface
- 🤯 Poor customer support

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Account information not displaying correctly
- Deposit issues and delays
- Compatibility problems with newer devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to lock debit card
- Faster credit card payment updates
- More account management features
- Apple Pay integration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First Guaranty Bank Mobile free?

First Guaranty Bank Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Essential CU free?

Essential CU is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, First Guaranty Bank Mobile or Essential CU?

Essential CU is rated higher. First Guaranty Bank Mobile averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.3K ratings, while Essential CU averages 4.8 from 4.6K ratings.

### Do First Guaranty Bank Mobile or Essential CU have ads?

Neither First Guaranty Bank Mobile nor Essential CU shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, First Guaranty Bank Mobile or Essential CU?

First Guaranty Bank Mobile ships an update every 3 months, and Essential CU every 3 months. Most recently, First Guaranty Bank Mobile was updated on November 1, 2026 and Essential CU on November 1, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*