Honey
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Worth a free install only if you shop online often and don't mind sharing shopping data . some users do save money.
New check
Comparison
Honey vs Rakuten
Honey and Rakuten both land on Depends.
Rakuten
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Join if you shop online often and can shrug off occasional missed tracking . it's free and often pays.
| Compare | ||
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | Frequent online shoppers | Frequent online shoppers at big chains |
| Who it's not for | Privacy-conscious shoppers . data-practice accusations are recent and credible | Anyone who needs cash back to reliably track . it often doesn't |
| Privacy | No public CVEs found for the extension; data-practice complaints and one user-reported credential exposure, and no public security page found in scan.⁹ | 2021 US breach notice on file; recent CVEs hit sibling products (Viber, Kobo, Send Anywhere), not the cash-back portal itself. |
| Support quality | No support evidence in sources. | Multiple complaints about disputes and slow resolution. |
| Public sentiment | Deeply split: some users report real savings, but a large recent wave calls it useless, data-hungry, or untrustworthy after the 2024 controversy.² | Longtime users report reliable payouts, but a loud minority complains about slow, missed, or disputed cash back. |
| Biggest gotcha | Your shopping data is the product; critics say it funds ad targeting, not just your discounts.⁶ | Cash back can take months to pay and sometimes never tracks; the top complaint across review sites.15 |
Pick Honey when
- Frequent online shoppers
- Zero-effort coupon hunters
- PayPal users already at checkout
When Honey is not a fit
- Privacy-conscious shoppers . data-practice accusations are recent and credible
- Deal hunters who want guaranteed best prices, not lottery-ticket coupons
- Anyone spooked by the 2024 controversy and review collapse
- Teams or businesses . this is a consumer tool, full stop
Pick Rakuten when
- Frequent online shoppers at big chains
- Coupon stackers
- Patient savers okay with slow payouts
When Rakuten is not a fit
- Anyone who needs cash back to reliably track . it often doesn't
- Privacy-sensitive users wary of granting email access
- Buyers expecting instant rebates at checkout
- People unwilling to chase missing cash back with support
Sources
- Honey homepagejoinhoney.comofficial
- Honey Reviews | Trustpilottrustpilot.comreview
- Honey Review: It's Good, but Better Alternatives Existthewaystowealth.comreview
- Honey Review 2025: Pros, Cons & Tipsdollarsprout.comreview
review
- Reddit: Honey does not scam its usersreddit.comreview
- 9to5Google: Honey accused of sketchy user data practices9to5google.comnews
news
- joinhoney.com/security scanjoinhoney.comsecurity
- Rakuten: Coupons, Promo Codes & Cash Backrakuten.comofficial
- Get 10% Cash Back, every day, with Rakuten+rakuten.comofficial
- Rakuten (USA) Reviews . Trustpilottrustpilot.comreview
- Rakuten.com Reviews & Complaints . ConsumerAffairsconsumeraffairs.comreview