# National Grid vs BUFF311

The clearest difference is rating: National Grid at 4.8 against BUFF311's 3.0. National Grid also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (14K vs 3). BUFF311's advantage is iOS requirement (12.4 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

National Grid holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: National Grid has 14K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 22% of National Grid's written reviews are positive against 0% of BUFF311's.

National Grid ships an update every 6 weeks, BUFF311 every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | National Grid | BUFF311 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/national-grid/id632161989/reviews)** | [3.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buff311/id6480121709/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **22.4% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 60 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [National Grid plc](https://appshunter.io/developer/526723083) | [City of Buffalo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1454507606) |

## What reviewers say

### National Grid

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/national-grid/id632161989)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Unexpected account data errors
- App crashes and freezes
- Payment processing failures

**Requested features**

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


### BUFF311

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buff311/id6480121709)

Report city issues, request services, and access information for the City of Buffalo. Track the status of your requests and engage with local officials for a better quality of life.

**Highlights:** Report city issues, Request city services, Track service request status, Access city information, Create user accounts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is National Grid free?

National Grid is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is BUFF311 free?

BUFF311 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, National Grid or BUFF311?

National Grid is rated higher. National Grid averages 4.8 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while BUFF311 averages 3.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do National Grid or BUFF311 have ads?

Neither National Grid nor BUFF311 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, National Grid or BUFF311?

National Grid ships an update every 6 weeks, and BUFF311 every 9 months. Most recently, National Grid was updated on October 21, 2026 and BUFF311 on October 1, 2026.

---

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