NCBA NOW vs Alpha Smart System
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NCBA NOW
Manage your banking needs with this app, offering features for both customers and non-customers. Perform various payments, manage accounts, and access customer support conveniently.
- eCitizen Government services payment
- Account balance hiding/unhiding
- Credit card bill payment and statement viewing
- Debit & Credit Card Set/Change PIN
- Insurance premium payments
- M-Pesa to NCBA Account transfer
- KRA domestic payments (iTax)
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The NCBA NOW App has exciting features that make your banking experience with NCBA Bank fast and convenient. Enjoy the following features and so much more when you download the NCBA NOW App: • Transfer with confidence — recipient names now appear instantly when you enter a phone number, helping you send funds accurately. • Enjoy faster branch visits — initiate your cash deposit and/or withdrawal on the NCBA NOW app before reaching the counter, with no transaction forms needed. • Open your NCBA account anytime, anywhere - no queues, just a seamless start to your banking journey. • Payment of eCitizen Government services • Hide/unhide your account balance • Credit card bill payment balance and statement viewing • Debit & Credit Card Set PIN and Change PIN • Insurance premium payments • M-Pesa to NCBA Account transfer • KRA domestic payments (iTax) • Unit Trust accounts management • Details of your Relationship Manager • Fast contact to NCBA contact centre via telephone, email and WhatsApp • Secure payment options via RTGS, EFT and Pesalink • Lipa na M-Pesa services (PayBill / Buy good / Till) directly from your account • Top up for Expressway toll payments • Buy and sell forex through the FX Now feature
Alpha Smart System
Monitor and manage your water and electricity usage with this integrated mobile app. Track daily consumption, make easy unit purchases, and pay bills conveniently. Spot potential anomalies in your utility usage.
- View water and electricity consumption
- Monitor daily usage
- Purchase utility units
- Pay bills conveniently
- Spot usage anomalies
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Alpha Smart is an integrated mobile application that offers a convenient way to view, monitor and pay for your Water and Electricity consumption. This application will allow users to accurately tell how much Water and Electricity consumed each day, provides an easy unit purchase/bill payment method and makes it possible to spot anomalies if any.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: NCBA NOW at 2.2 against Alpha Smart System's 1.0. NCBA NOW also leads on review sentiment (14% vs 0%) and ratings volume (16 vs 3). Alpha Smart System's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
NCBA NOW holds the better App Store score, 2.2 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NCBA NOW has 16 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 14% of NCBA NOW's written reviews are positive against 0% of Alpha Smart System's.
NCBA NOW ships an update every 2 months, Alpha Smart System every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 7, 2026 and September 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NCBA NOW | Alpha Smart System |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.2 (16 ratings) — better | 1.0 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 14.3% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 16 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 115 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | NIC BANK LIMITED | Alpha Systems LImited |
Customer experience
NCBA NOW
Alpha Smart System
In-app purchases
NCBA NOW
No in-app purchases
Alpha Smart System
No in-app purchases
