Comparison

KeySteps vs Homebuyer Prep

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

Head to head
About

KeySteps

This financial assistant helps users achieve homeownership by providing tools for credit monitoring, affordability analysis, and mortgage readiness assessment. It also features real estate listings and connects users with lenders for guidance.

Highlights
  • Free credit score, report, and monitoring
  • Affordability analysis
  • Real estate listings search
  • Mortgage readiness assessment
  • Financial insights (savings, DTI, net worth)
  • Lender connection for guidance
Read full description

Looking to achieve your dream of homeownership? Look no further than KeySteps, the ultimate financial digital assistant. Whether you're just starting your homeownership journey or you're a seasoned homeowner, KeySteps has everything you need to get mortgage-ready and build your homeownership wealth with confidence. Here are some of the key features that set KeySteps apart: • Free credit score, report, and monitoring: See your credit score and track changes month-to-month. Learn the key factors that make up your score and check your credit report for accuracy. • Affordability analysis: Check your total buying power based on where your finances are today, then see the real-time impact that interest rate changes or other factors can have on your estimated monthly payment. • Real estate listings: Search local and nationwide real estate listings, customize searches, favorite properties you like, and save your searches. • Mortgage readiness assessment: Check your personal Homeownership Snapshot to see how you stand on the key financial factors used for mortgage approvability, and that will help you reduce your estimated monthly payment when buying your next home. • Financial Insights: Track your cumulative savings and DTI as you save up for a new home, and your net worth as you grow wealth in your current one. • Homeownership preparation: Connect with your trusted lender partner to review your mortgage readiness and get their guidance on planning and specific steps you should take to be confident at every stage of your journey. Security is our #1 priority, so you can rest easy knowing that your financial accounts and homeownership preferences are secure. Read our security and privacy policies here: https://finlocker.com/security/ Achieving your dream of homeownership has never been easier. Download KeySteps today and take control of your financial future.

About

Homebuyer Prep

Features
Read full description

Get ready for homeownership, one step at a time. Homebuyer Prep helps you organize your household finances, explore the costs of owning a home, and prepare information you may want to share with a housing counseling agency. BUILD YOUR PLAN - Organize income, savings, debts, and monthly expenses. - Estimate mortgage payments, cash needed at closing, and recurring ownership costs such as taxes, insurance, maintenance, utilities, and association dues. - Compare purchase-price, down-payment, and interest-rate scenarios without changing your saved plan. - Track next steps and a document checklist. - Review details recognized from ID and bill photos before adding them to your record. - Import available address and price details from a home listing, then review them before updating your plan. PREPARE FOR HELP - Answer plain-language questions in Get Help. - Explore official homebuyer education and search HUD's housing counseling agency directory by state. - Prepare a readable PDF report and review what it includes before sharing. - Create optional MISMO-aligned agency XML, JSON, or password-protected agency files when a recipient requests them. Confirm file compatibility with the recipient first. STAY IN CONTROL No account is required. The app stores one household record locally on your device. Standard device or iCloud backups may include this data, depending on your settings. The app does not automatically submit your household answers to lenders or counseling agencies. You choose whether and where to share export files through Apple's share sheet. Home Search and external resources connect to third-party websites, whose privacy policies apply. Planning results are estimates based on the information you enter. Homebuyer Prep does not provide loan approval, housing counseling services, or financial, legal, or tax advice.

Screenshots

KeySteps4 screens
Homebuyer Prep4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: KeySteps at monthly against Homebuyer Prep's every 3 months. KeySteps also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

KeySteps ships an update monthly, Homebuyer Prep every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
KeySteps versus Homebuyer Prep: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKeyStepsHomebuyer Prep
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (6 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings6 — better—
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supported—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size114 MB9 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperFinlocker LLCAldo Gonzalez

In-app purchases

None

KeySteps

No in-app purchases

None

Homebuyer Prep

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is KeySteps free?
KeySteps is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Homebuyer Prep free?
Homebuyer Prep is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do KeySteps or Homebuyer Prep have ads?
Neither KeySteps nor Homebuyer Prep shows ads.
Which is updated more often, KeySteps or Homebuyer Prep?
KeySteps ships an update monthly, and Homebuyer Prep every 3 months. Most recently, KeySteps was updated on October 24, 2026 and Homebuyer Prep on October 10, 2026.

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