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Bank app comparison

Upgrade vs Varo app

Store facts as of

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Upgrade logo

Upgrade

Banking app

Visit site for Upgrade (opens in a new tab)
Google Play marketing images, as of Oct 25, 2026
Upgrade app product menu
Upgrade OneCard screen with rewards and activity
Upgrade personal loan offers screen

Short answer

On the App Store, Upgrade has a store rating of 4.8 out of 5 from 83,685 ratings, and Varo has a store rating of 4.9 out of 5 from 233,523 ratings, as of Nov 12, 2026. Upgrade last updated its iPhone app on Oct 16, 2026, and Varo on Nov 10, 2026. Of the 10 app features we look for in each bank's official sources (its website, help center or official app store listing), both state the same 6, side by side in the table below.

Store ratings

These are store ratings from app users on the App Store and Google Play, not a Priceless Tay score.

Upgrade logoUpgrade

App Store rating (iPhone)

4.8out of 5

83,685 ratings

As of · App Store listing

Google Play rating (Android)

4.4out of 5

29.9K reviews, as shown on Google Play. Updated on Oct 15, 2026.

As of · Google Play listing

Varo logoVaro

App Store rating (iPhone)

4.9out of 5

233,523 ratings

As of · App Store listing

Google Play rating (Android)

4.5out of 5

245K reviews, as shown on Google Play. Updated on Oct 21, 2026.

As of · Google Play listing

Updates and app facts

Upgrade last updated its iPhone app on Oct 16, 2026, 27 days before we checked, and Google Play shows its Android app updated on Oct 15, 2026. Varo last updated its iPhone app on Nov 10, 2026, 2 days before we checked, and Google Play shows its Android app updated on Oct 21, 2026.

Upgrade logoUpgrade

Last App Store update
Version 1.35.1, released Oct 16, 2026
App size
97.6 MB
Requires
iOS 15.1 or later
Runs on
iPhone and iPod touch
Languages
2 (English and French)
Developer
Upgrade, Inc.

As of · App Store listing

Varo logoVaro

Last App Store update
Version 4.44.1, released Nov 10, 2026
App size
128.2 MB
Requires
iOS 16.4 or later
Runs on
iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision
Languages
1 (English)
Developer
Varo Money inc

As of · App Store listing

Features each bank states

✓ means the bank's official sources (its website, help center or official app store listing) state it, with the quote and page shown. ✕ means those sources say the bank doesn't offer it. We never mark a feature ✕ just because a page doesn't mention it. Each mark links to the page it came from; the quotes are on each app's own page.

Send money to people

Upgrade logoUpgrade

Varo logoVaro

Card lock and unlock

Upgrade logoUpgrade

Varo logoVaro

Screen by screen

Pick a task to see what each app shows for it. App Store, Google Play and bank website images are the bank's own marketing, so names and balances are sample data. Help center images come from the bank's support pages. See every bank app's screens.

Home and accounts

Upgrade logoUpgrade

  • Upgrade app product menu
    Google Play marketing imageAn Android Upgrade menu listing Personal Loans, Credit Cards, Rewards Checking Preferred, Premier Savings, Home Improvement, Auto Finance and Flexpay.Google Play listing, as of
  • Upgrade product menu on Android
    Google Play marketing imageThe Android Upgrade menu: Personal Loans, Credit Cards, Rewards Checking Preferred, Premier Savings, Home Improvement, Auto Finance and Flexpay, each with an icon.Google Play listing, as of

Varo logoVaro

  • Varo bank account screen with available balance
    App Store marketing imageA Bank account screen with All, Money out and Money in filters, a $2,340.04 available balance and transactions, partly covered by a You saved $10.95 this month in fees banner.App Store listing, as of
  • Varo savings account screen
    App Store marketing imageA Savings account screen showing a $1,987.00 available balance, interest earned and a posted transfer of $75.00, partly covered by an Earn more with 3.75% APY banner.App Store listing, as of
  • Varo bank account home on iPad
    App Store marketing imageThe iPad Bank account screen: All, Money out and Money in filters, an available balance of $2,352.47 with Move money and View card buttons, a "You saved $10.95 this month in fees!" banner placed over it and a pending transfer to savings.App Store listing, as of
  • Available balance $2,340.04 with filter chips
    App Store marketing imageAll, Money out and Money in filter chips above an available balance of $2,340.04.App Store listing, as of

Transfer and send

Upgrade logoUpgrade

  • Upgrade cash advance success screen
    App Store marketing imageA tilted Upgrade screen with a green check mark: "Success! $500 on the way", a Cash Advance of $500.00 to an account ending 3438, and Auto Repayment and Due Date rows.App Store listing, as of

Varo logoVaro

  • Varo Zelle payment sent confirmation
    App Store marketing imageA Zelle confirmation on iPad: "You sent Chris $600.00" with the memo "rent" and a house illustration.App Store listing, as of

Card controls

Upgrade logoUpgrade

  • Upgrade credit card overview with rewards balance
    Google Play marketing imageA OneCard Essentials screen showing $2,500.00 available credit and a $250.00 current balance, with a Rewards card showing $3.28 available and an Activity list.Google Play listing, as of
  • Upgrade Card overview with rewards and autopay
    App Store marketing imageAn Upgrade Card screen showing $2,500.00 available credit, a Rewards and Benefits card with a $3.28 available rewards balance and a Redeem button, and an Autopay row.App Store listing, as of
  • Upgrade OneCard screen with rewards and activity
    Google Play marketing imageAn Android OneCard Essentials screen: $2,500.00 available credit, $250.00 current balance, an enlarged Rewards card with a $3.28 available rewards balance placed over the screen and an Activity list starting with a pending Amazon purchase of $129.99.Google Play listing, as of
  • Credit card tile with $2,500.00 available
    App Store marketing imageA green Upgrade Card tile showing $2,500.00 available credit.App Store listing, as of
  • Rewards balance $3.28 with Redeem button
    App Store marketing imageA Rewards and Benefits card showing a $3.28 available rewards balance with a Redeem button.App Store listing, as of

Varo logoVaro

  • Varo card lock, alerts and biometric toggles
    App Store marketing imageThree settings rows with switches turned on for locking a card, real-time transaction alerts and Face ID and fingerprint privacy.App Store listing, as of

Settings and security

Upgrade logoUpgrade

No official screen found yet

Varo logoVaro

  • Varo security settings toggles
    App Store marketing imageThree settings rows with switches on: Lock your card with your phone, Real-time transaction alerts, and Face ID and fingerprint privacy.App Store listing, as of

Goals

Upgrade logoUpgrade

No official screen found yet

Varo logoVaro

  • Varo savings account with an APY banner
    App Store marketing imageA Savings account with $1,987.00 available, interest earned, an "Earn more with 3.75% APY" banner placed over it and pending and posted transfers.App Store listing, as of

Reports and insights

Upgrade logoUpgrade

No official screen found yet

Varo logoVaro

  • Varo spending summary with categories
    App Store marketing imageA Varo Bank Account screen showing $1,450.38 total spent so far this month and a Spending by category section, partly covered by a You just got paid banner.App Store listing, as of
  • Varo monthly spending chart with comparison note
    From Varo's websiteA Varo Bank Account screen with Money out selected showing $1,450.38 total spend so far this month on a line chart, with a note that spending is $152.97 lower than at this time last month.varomoney.com, as of
  • Spending comparison note
    App Store marketing imageA note saying so far your spending is $545.76 lower than it was at this time last month.App Store listing, as of

Transactions

Upgrade logoUpgrade

  • Upgrade card activity row
    Google Play marketing imageActivity with an Amazon Purchase dated Apr 02, marked Pending, for $129.99.Google Play listing, as of

Varo logoVaro

No official screen found yet

Privacy labels

Apple's privacy labels are what each developer reports to Apple. Apple says it does not verify them. We copy the category names exactly as the App Store lists them.

Upgrade

Data Used to Track You

  • Identifiers

Data Linked to You

  • Financial Info
  • Contact Info
  • Identifiers

Data Not Linked to You

  • Usage Data
  • Diagnostics

As of · App Store listing

Varo

Data Used to Track You

Not listed on the App Store page.

Data Linked to You

  • Financial Info
  • Location
  • Contact Info
  • Identifiers
  • Usage Data
  • Diagnostics

Data Not Linked to You

  • Contacts

As of · App Store listing

Accessibility labels

Upgrade

  • Larger Text

As of · App Store listing

Varo

The App Store listing shows no accessibility labels for this app (checked Oct 25, 2026). That means the developer hasn't listed them, not that the app has no accessibility support.

FAQ

What are the App Store ratings for Upgrade and Varo?

Upgrade has a store rating of 4.8 out of 5 from 83,685 ratings. Varo has a store rating of 4.9 out of 5 from 233,523 ratings. These are App Store ratings from users, not a Priceless Tay score.

What are the Google Play ratings for Upgrade and Varo?

Upgrade shows 4.4 out of 5 (29.9K reviews) on Google Play, and Varo shows 4.5 out of 5 (245K reviews).

When were the Upgrade and Varo iPhone apps last updated?

Upgrade released version 1.35.1 on Oct 16, 2026. Varo released version 4.44.1 on Nov 10, 2026.

Which Apple devices do the Upgrade and Varo apps run on?

The App Store lists iPhone and iPod touch for Upgrade, and iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision for Varo.

Which app features do both Upgrade and Varo state?

Both banks' official sources state mobile check deposit, card lock and unlock, account alerts, automatic saving, a credit score in the app, and Apple Pay or Google Pay.

Keep comparing

Sources and dates

Upgrade

This is education, not financial advice.