First Bank Hampton NextGen vs UCSB Rising Star
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
First Bank Hampton NextGen
Read full descriptionHide full description
Thanks to our app, kids and teens can now learn important money management skills by completing chores, earning money and using their mobile devices. Due to the lack of financial education in most schools, our app has just about everything any child (5 to 17 years old) could ever need to help build the important money skills they’ll need to be successful adults. From the palm of their hands they can make real-life money decisions with parents serving as a safety net. Teens and kids can earn, save, donate to charities† and spend. They can even use the funds to learn to invest* in real stocks. Hand-on experience is the best way for kids to learn, and with parents approving money transactions leaving the app, it’s could be safer than giving them actual money. Chores and allowance tracker: Kids can earn an allowance by doing chores based on age and schedule. There are hundreds of chore/allowance combinations available but a parent can also add their own. In addition, the app’s chores and allowance tracker helps them build important character traits like accountability, dependability, time management and teamwork. Enjoy our easy setup and real-time push notifications on chores and money transactions. Teach Easy Investing: Included in every family account! No upgrades needed! Teach your kids/teens how to invest from an early age and their potential can be limitless. Think college funds, first car, a home, and more. These valuable skills could help guide them through adulthood and create financial strength you can’t get with a bank alone. Learn to invest on our app and your assets are safe with our integrated investing platform, backed by Apex Clearing Corporation. Families can invest together, and within, just a few clicks make an investment for as little as $10 a transaction (and say goodbye to commissions). BusyPay†: Instead of wasting money on gift cards that could get lost, stolen or leave unused funds, use BusyPay and load money directly to an account. By sharing a BusyPay QR code, friends and family can add money to an account for birthdays, holidays, or working for a neighbor. Even use this exclusive feature to send money to others using our app. Being Charitable: Our app promotes a balance financial lifestyle and that includes being charitable. Donating is important for more reasons than the tax implications. Our app has more than 60 local and national charities built in to help make sharing easy. Safety First: We use the latest SSL encryption technology, and funds inside the app (child’s accounts) are FDIC Insured. The app and cards require individual PINs for use, and we strongly encourage all PINs be different. Parents receive alerts for any money transactions and card issues. Has all sensitive information stored by partners compliant with all Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards. This First Bank Hampton NextGen program is provided through BusyKid. The BusyKid Visa® Prepaid Card is issued by Pathward®, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Card can be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted. All cardholder funds are insured by the FDIC in accordance with the FDIC’s applicable terms and conditions. Cliq® is the exclusive and authorized Servicer of the BusyKid Visa Prepaid Card. † - These optional features are BusyKid products. *BusyKid's provision of access to securities products and brokerage services are offered by Apex Clearing Corporation. Apex Clearing Corporation is an SEC registered broker dealer, a member of FINRA and SIPC, and is licensed in 53 states and territories. FINRA BrokerCheck reports for Apex Clearing Corporation are available at: http://www.finra.org/brokercheck Investments in securities: No Bank Guarantee • May Lose Value. Investing in securities involves risks, and there is always the potential of losing money when you invest in securities. Before investing, consider your investment objectives, charges and expenses.
UCSB Rising Star
Read full descriptionHide full description
Our UCSB Rising Star app empowers kids and teens to build real-world money skills by doing chores, earning money and managing it all from mobile devices. With financial education limited in schools, our app offers an easy way to learn saving†, spending, donating†, and investing*. Parents are in control by approving transactions, giving a safer and smarter way to teach financial responsibility. From the palm of their hands kids make real-life money decisions as parents act as a safety net. Chores and allowance tracker: Kids can earn an allowance by doing chores. There are hundreds of chore options available but parents can also add their own. In addition, the app’s chores and allowance tracker helps kids build important character traits like accountability, dependability, time management and teamwork. Set up and use within minutes. Pay allowance weekly or set it and forget it with our auto-allowance† feature. Teach Easy Investing: Every family account includes built-in investing—no upgrades needed. Your kids can start early, learning to invest toward long-term goals. With commission-free trades starting at just $10, families can invest together securely through our platform, backed by Apex Clearing Corporation. Think college funds, first car, a home, and more. These valuable skills could help guide your kids through adulthood and create financial strength you can’t get with a bank alone. Learn to Spend Wisely: Families can enroll up to 5 children on one account and each child at least 5 years old is eligible to receive a UCSB Rising Star branded BusyKid Visa® Prepaid Card. Cards can be used online or in stores as long as proper funds are available. Parents approve all funds loaded to a card and can see all transactions in the activity feed of their dashboard. BusyPay†: Instead of wasting money on gift cards that could get lost, stolen or leave unused funds, use BusyPay and load money directly to an account. By sharing a BusyPay QR code, friends and family can add money to an account for birthdays, holidays, or working for a neighbor. Even use this exclusive feature to send money to others using our app. Being Charitable: Our app promotes a balanced financial lifestyle and that includes being charitable. Donating is important for more reasons than the tax implications. Our app has more than 60 local and national charities built in to help make sharing easy. Safety First: We use the latest SSL encryption technology. The app and cards require individual PINs for use, and all PINs should be different. Parents receive alerts for any money transactions and card issues. Has all sensitive information stored by partners compliant with all Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards. This UCSB Rising Star program is provided through BusyKid. The BusyKid Visa® Prepaid Card is issued by Pathward®, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Card can be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted. *BusyKid's provision of access to securities products and brokerage services are offered by Apex Clearing Corporation. Apex Clearing Corporation is an SEC registered broker dealer, a member of FINRA and SIPC, and is licensed in 53 states and territories. This feature is optional and not affiliated with Pathward nor Visa.
Screenshots
Verdict
First Bank Hampton NextGen and UCSB Rising Star are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
First Bank Hampton NextGen ships an update every 3 months, UCSB Rising Star every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | First Bank Hampton NextGen | UCSB Rising Star |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 100 MB | 100 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | BusyKid, Inc. | Union County Savings Bank |
In-app purchases
First Bank Hampton NextGen
No in-app purchases
UCSB Rising Star
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is First Bank Hampton NextGen free?
Is UCSB Rising Star free?
Do First Bank Hampton NextGen or UCSB Rising Star have ads?
Which is updated more often, First Bank Hampton NextGen or UCSB Rising Star?
Other comparisons















