eWallet vs SplashID : Head to Head

SplashData’s SplashID electronic wallet program (left) was available on the first day of the iTunes App Store, beating ilium’s just released eWallet (right) to the punch. Now that both are out and available, though, how do they compare?

Both are longstanding favorites among the Windows Mobile community.

Both protect your data with a high level of encryption.

Both offer the flexibility to organize and protect a wide-range of information.

Both cost $9.99 in the App Store.

Sounds like a toss-up right? Not so fast.

In my brief look at both (eWallet was only JUST released into the App Store by Apple after a week in App-purgatory) eWallet feels more polished of the two. While the bread and butter of programs like this is securing and accessing data, the interface makes a huge difference in the ease and "enjoyment" of doing so. eWallet is tops here.

BUT… 

I would NOT use an application like this that DID NOT offer the option to sync with a larger device for data entry and access. SplashID is the only one to currently offer desktop software that syncs with the handheld. This means valuable data can be input and accessed from a larger device with a full keyboard. Although it is a bit buggy (okay more than a bit) in our experience and the UI feels like a PC UI (there is a reason I moved to Mac), SplashID’s iPhone and desktop programs do sync with one another. It works and once we got it set up it works well.

iIium has a web-based solution in the works but it is currently in closed Beta. It looks to be an excellent solution and I hope to try it out soon but until I actually see and use it, the promise of a solution does nothing for me. 

Short take- 

If you need to be able to sync your data with a desktop or notebook- SplashID is for you.

If the UI is important to you eWallet is probably the better choice.

Both seem to do the job and, ultimately, that it what matters. In other words, it is nice to have a choice and both are decent choices.