Comparison

National Grid vs Notify NYC

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

Head to head
About

National Grid

Securely manage your utility account on the go. Access billing, schedule payments, and report outages with ease. Biometric login provides quick and secure access to your account information and support.

Highlights
  • Biometric account access
  • View account and billing information
  • Schedule payments
  • Report power outages and gas emergencies
  • View outage map
  • Enroll in paperless billing
Features
Read full description

The National Grid mobile app makes it easier to securely manage your account from anywhere. Set up biometrics so you can access your account quickly and securely. With biometrics, you can sign in without having to enter your username and password again. Once you’re signed in, you can easily: • View essential account and billing information • Enroll in paperless billing • View and download a PDF of your current bill • Schedule a payment in-app or via Speedpay • Find nearby payment locations • Report a power outage or gas emergency • View the outage map
 • Explore your usage Now you can schedule a payment with your bank account, without having to leave the app. Use a new or saved bank account to pay your current bill, account balance or any other amount, just like you would on our website. We’ve also made it easier to report power outages and gas emergencies — with our mobile app, you’ve got access to emergency support right at your fingertips.

About

Notify NYC

Receive official emergency alerts and information about important City services directly from New York City. This app provides location-based updates to keep you informed about emergency events.

Highlights
  • Official emergency communications
  • Location-based alerts
  • Information on emergency events
  • Updates on City services
  • Privacy-focused location tracking
Features
Read full description

Notify NYC is New York City's official emergency communications program. Get the Notify NYC app to get information about emergency events and important City services, based on your location. New York City will never track or share your precise location with anyone.

Screenshots

National Grid4 screens
Notify NYC4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: National Grid at 4.8 against Notify NYC's 3.3. National Grid also leads on ratings volume (14K vs 99). Notify NYC's advantage is iOS requirement (13 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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

National Grid holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: National Grid has 14K ratings behind it against 99, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 23% of National Grid's written reviews are positive against 25% of Notify NYC's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

National Grid ships an update every 6 weeks, Notify NYC every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
National Grid versus Notify NYC: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNational GridNotify NYC
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (14K ratings) — better3.3 (99 ratings)
Positive reviews23.1% of reviews25.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings14K — better99
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.013 — better
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNational Grid plcDepartment of Information Technology And Telecomm

Customer experience

National Grid

All ratings13,178 ratings
Positive95.5%
Neutral1.2%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews295 reviews
Positive23.1%
Neutral2.4%
Negative74.6%

Notify NYC

All ratings88 ratings
Positive52.3%
Neutral5.7%
Negative42.0%
Written reviews51 reviews
Positive25.5%
Neutral2.0%
Negative72.5%

User reviews

National Grid

From 14K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Smooth payments
  • 🔒 Secure login process

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent login issues
  • 🔍 Lack of account details
  • 💰 Confusing payment process with extra fees

Notify NYC

From 99 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Useful app for emergencies
  • 👍 Good for staying informed
  • 👍 Replaces email alerts
  • 👍 Official emergency notification system
  • 👍 Synthesized notifications from multiple agencies

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Endless pop-up notifications
  • 🐛 Cannot dismiss old alerts
  • 🐛 Required missing person alerts
  • 🐛 Overwhelms with too many alerts
  • 🔋 Drains battery significantly

Bugs and requests

National Grid

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Unexpected account data errors
  • App crashes and freezes
  • Payment processing failures

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to view billing history and usage details
  • Seamless integration with existing online accounts
  • Biometric login options

Notify NYC

Reported bugs

13 issues
  • Pop-up notifications repeat endlessly and cannot be dismissed
  • Notification preferences cannot be saved
  • App randomly closes when in use
  • Cannot get past the Terms of Use agreement
  • No accept button to press on terms of service
Show 8 more
  • Repeatedly popping up old notifications
  • Alerts keep popping up incessantly
  • Parking reform pop up won’t stop popping up
  • Old notifications upon opening app
  • Ignores notification settings on iPhone
  • Cannot navigate app when open
  • Required missing person alerts cannot be deactivated
  • Missing pictures in missing person alerts

Requested features

13 requests
  • Allow deactivation of missing person alerts
  • Include pictures in missing person alerts
  • Add a share button for alerts
  • Allow users to choose which alerts they receive (without mandatory ones)
  • More granular alert controls
Show 8 more
  • Option to receive amber/grey alerts
  • Ability to set neighborhood for localized alerts
  • Dismiss All button for pop-up notifications
  • Eliminate pop-ups and rely on banner notifications
  • Fix inability to navigate app when open
  • Update the app regularly
  • Improve alert detail and specificity
  • Allow users to toggle off ALL categories of alerts

In-app purchases

None

National Grid

No in-app purchases

None

Notify NYC

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is National Grid free?
National Grid is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Notify NYC free?
Notify NYC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, National Grid or Notify NYC?
National Grid is rated higher. National Grid averages 4.8 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Notify NYC averages 3.3 from 99 ratings.
Do National Grid or Notify NYC have ads?
Neither National Grid nor Notify NYC shows ads.
Which is updated more often, National Grid or Notify NYC?
National Grid ships an update every 6 weeks, and Notify NYC every 2 months. Most recently, National Grid was updated on October 24, 2026 and Notify NYC on October 24, 2026.

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