Comparison

PSE vs TacomaFIRST 311

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

Head to head
About

PSE

Manage your utility account and stay informed about power outages. Check your balance, make payments, and report outages with ease. Get real-time restoration updates and customize notifications.

Highlights
  • Check account balance
  • Make bill payments
  • Report power outages
  • Track outage restoration times
  • Manage personal preferences
  • Start, stop, or move service
Features
Read full description

The PSE app provides easy access to your account when you're on the go. Check your balance and make a payment with just one click. Track & report power outages in your neighborhood and check on restoration times, all in the palm of your hand. Manage your account: • Review your account balance, prior month’s charges and pay your bill • Use and securely save your preferred payment method – eCheck, debit, credit, PayPal or Venmo • Manage personal preferences - select your desired bill due date or enroll in paperless billing • Change or update your account security, including password and security questions • Start, stop or move your residential service Stay informed about outages: • View outage status on the map, searching by address, city or ZIP code • Easily report an outage • Set your preferences to receive outage notifications by email, text or phone

About

TacomaFIRST 311

This app provides residents of Tacoma, Washington with a streamlined way to access non-emergency city services. Users can easily submit, track, and manage service requests directly from their mobile devices, benefiting from enhanced location features and a dynamic interface.

Highlights
  • Submit service requests
  • Track request status
  • Enhanced location features
  • Dynamic user interface
  • Access non-emergency services
Features
Read full description

The TacomaFIRST 311 app offers the Tacoma, Washington community with quick and easy mobile access to the City of Tacoma's non-emergency services. It allows for the convenient submission, handling and tracking of service requests, offers a more dynamic user interface, and includes the added convenience of enhanced location features.

Screenshots

PSE3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: PSE at 3.4 against TacomaFIRST 311's 2.5. PSE also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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

PSE holds the better App Store score, 3.4 against 2.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 43 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 14% of PSE's written reviews are positive against 15% of TacomaFIRST 311's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PSE ships an update every 3 months, TacomaFIRST 311 every 4 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
PSE versus TacomaFIRST 311: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPSETacomaFIRST 311
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (21 ratings) — better2.5 (43 ratings)
Positive reviews13.9% of reviews15.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2143 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size229 MB144 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperPuget Sound EnergyCity of Tacoma

Customer experience

PSE

All ratings14 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral7.1%
Negative21.4%
Written reviews173 reviews
Positive13.9%
Neutral5.8%
Negative80.3%

TacomaFIRST 311

All ratings40 ratings
Positive37.5%
Neutral2.5%
Negative60.0%
Written reviews26 reviews
Positive15.4%
Neutral3.8%
Negative80.8%

Bugs and requests

PSE

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App freezes when trying to log in
  • Outage map does not show current outages
  • Keeps logging users out unexpectedly

Requested features

3 requests
  • Support for Apple Pay and digital wallets
  • Ability to schedule future bill payments
  • Improved outage status updates and ETAs

TacomaFIRST 311

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

PSE

No in-app purchases

None

TacomaFIRST 311

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PSE free?
PSE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is TacomaFIRST 311 free?
TacomaFIRST 311 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PSE or TacomaFIRST 311?
PSE is rated higher. PSE averages 3.4 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while TacomaFIRST 311 averages 2.5 from 43 ratings.
Do PSE or TacomaFIRST 311 have ads?
Neither PSE nor TacomaFIRST 311 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PSE or TacomaFIRST 311?
PSE ships an update every 3 months, and TacomaFIRST 311 every 4 months. Most recently, PSE was updated on November 1, 2026 and TacomaFIRST 311 on November 1, 2026.

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