Comparison

PayRange vs First Step Help

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

Head to head
About

PayRange

Pay for services at supported machines using your phone. Simply swipe on your screen to select a machine and authorize payment, eliminating the need for cash or coins. Enjoy a quick, secure, and convenient way to pay for vending, laundry, and more.

Highlights
  • Pay with phone swipe
  • Supports vending machines
  • Supports laundry machines
  • Supports arcade machines
  • Supports parking meters
  • Secure payment processing
  • Automatic machine detection
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Pay with a simple swipe on your phone screen. Use PayRange to pay at thousands of vending, laundry, arcade, parking, coffee and other supported machines with a simple swipe of your finger. - Swipe left or right on the phone app screen to select the machine. - Swipe up on your phone screen and payment will be sent to the machine. It is that SIMPLE. QUICK AND SIMPLE: NO MORE COINS, NO MORE BILLS. PayRange takes the hassle out of your life. To guarantee the highest level of convenience, we designed our app for a quick and secure payment experience. Your experience is as simple as swiping your finger on your phone screen. You do not need to worry about having the right amount of change, small bills, or bill acceptor issues. SAFE AND SECURE: Safety and security of your payment information is our first priority. We accept a range of payment options including all major credit cards and Apple Pay. We use a secure PCI compliant processor to guarantee that your PayRange payments are protected. At any time, we do not send any personal information to the machine. EVERYWHERE AND GROWING: Look for the PayRange icon on the machine to determine if it accepts PayRange payments. As soon as you enter the range of a PayRange supported machine, the app will automatically detect the enabled machines. No pairing or configuration is required. All you need to do is swipe on your phone screen to select the machine you want to pay at. PayRange is enabled on machines in a broad range of industries such as vending, laundry, amusement, coffee etc. Get the app today! Simplify your payment experience with PayRange. ------------------------------------------ *** NOTE: The machine must be PayRange enabled *** This app will not work if the machine is not equipped with PayRange hardware. ------------------------------------------- Visit http://payrange.com for a video demonstration. If you’d like your machine at work or school to be PayRange enabled, have the operator of your machines contact us at info@payrange.com

About

First Step Help

This utility app performs various network tests and diagnostics to help troubleshoot internet issues. It allows users to share test results with support agents for faster problem resolution. Additional features include live view sessions and router settings checks.

Highlights
  • Network tests and diagnostics
  • Share test results with support
  • Live View sessions
  • Router settings check
  • Location data for network analysis
Features
Read full description

First Step Help runs a variety of network tests and diagnostics and allows you to share them with the support representative who's working hard to solve your problem. This information will help them to solve your issue quickly so you can go back to enjoying your Internet package to the fullest! After running your scan a First Step Internet support agent needs to look at the information collected so please contact after you have run a scan With First Step Help, we'll also be able to get a better view of your setup with a Live View session, or make necessary changes to your router settings with Router Check. Note: The location permission gives us access to additional network data

Screenshots

PayRange4 screens
First Step Help3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: First Step Help at 100% against PayRange's 13%. First Step Help also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). PayRange's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (221K vs 2). 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PayRange holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PayRange has 221K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 13% of PayRange's written reviews are positive against 100% of First Step Help's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PayRange ships an update every 2 months, First Step Help every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
PayRange versus First Step Help: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPayRangeFirst Step Help
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (221K ratings) — better3.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews12.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings221K — better2
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#31 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB55 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPayRange Inc.First Step Internet, L.L.C.

Customer experience

PayRange

All ratings221,171 ratings
Positive91.7%
Neutral3.0%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews584 reviews
Positive12.5%
Neutral5.0%
Negative82.5%

First Step Help

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

PayRange

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App logging users out frequently
  • Machines showing as unavailable when they are not
  • Payments not registering on machines
  • Inability to get refunds for failed transactions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Option to pause/cancel wash cycle
  • Ability to view machine availability
  • More flexible payment options
  • Improved user interface

First Step Help

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

PayRange

No in-app purchases

None

First Step Help

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PayRange free?
PayRange is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is First Step Help free?
First Step Help is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PayRange or First Step Help?
PayRange is rated higher. PayRange averages 4.7 out of 5 from 221K ratings, while First Step Help averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.
Do PayRange or First Step Help have ads?
Neither PayRange nor First Step Help shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PayRange or First Step Help?
PayRange ships an update every 2 months, and First Step Help every 5 months. Most recently, PayRange was updated on September 25, 2026 and First Step Help on September 18, 2026.

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