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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

National Car Rental vs Hertz Rental Car

National Car Rental 4.8★ · Free to download 45
Winner Hertz Rental Car
Hertz Rental Car 4.8★ · Free to download 55

Hertz Rental Car has a slight edge over National Car Rental due to its generally more reliable app performance and better user experience, despite both apps having significant issues.

Full reviews: National Car Rental · Hertz Rental Car

Both National Car Rental and Hertz Rental Car apps struggle with reliability, login issues, and core functionality. Hertz, however, appears to have fewer critical app failures and a more straightforward booking process, making it a slightly better choice for users.

Head to head

App Reliability & Performance edge: Hertz Rental CarR1R3R4R8
National Car Rental Many National Car Rental users report frequent app errors, inability to log in, slow loading times, and the app being 'bricked' after updates R1R3R4R10. Some users note that recent updates have fixed issues, while others find the app completely unusable R8.
Hertz Rental Car Hertz Rental Car users also experience significant app reliability issues, including frequent errors, slow performance, and login problems . However, some users find it easy to use and navigate for booking .
Core Functionality & Features tieR2R7R14R18
National Car Rental National Car Rental users report issues with modifying reservations, adding payment methods, extending rentals, and the Emerald checkout not working R7R18R26R28. Critical features like sharing receipts have been removed, and the app sometimes redirects to the website . Some users also complain about the app not honoring calendar permissions and difficulty finding or copying member numbers R2R14R19.
Hertz Rental Car Hertz Rental Car users face problems modifying reservations, with the app often forcing them to use a browser for check-in and other functions R75. The app is criticized for not remembering searched-for rentals, lacking an option to add digital membership cards to Apple Wallet, and a clunky interface that makes comparing car classes difficult . International rentals also pose challenges for finding and modifying reservations .
Loyalty Programs & Value edge: National Car RentalR9R12R13R19
National Car Rental National Car Rental's Emerald Club is highly praised for its convenience and speed R19. However, some users express disappointment with the rewards program, feeling 'screwed out of earned free days' and finding the service too expensive despite membership R9R12R13.
Hertz Rental Car Hertz President's Circle members report poor support, being routed overseas, and a lack of autonomy for upgrades, often requiring counter visits . Some users question the value of membership when third-party sites like Expedia offer cheaper rates . Despite this, some President's Circle members still find the service and experience amazing .
User Interface & Experience tieR5R17R25R31
National Car Rental National Car Rental's app is described as user-friendly and easy to navigate by some R25. However, others find it lacking modern features like dark mode support or the latest iOS aesthetics R17. Issues include constant logouts despite the 'keep me logged in' option R5 and the inability to store reservation numbers from company bookings R31.
Hertz Rental Car Hertz's app is often criticized for being 'clunky old school' and having a poor user interface . Users frequently complain about being forced to log in repeatedly and the app's camera not being enabled for driver's license verification . Despite these issues, many users still find the app simple and easy to use for making reservations .
Pick National Car Rental if

Pick National Car Rental if you frequently use the Emerald Aisle for quick pick-ups and value a generally user-friendly app interface when it functions correctly .

Pick Hertz Rental Car if

Pick Hertz Rental Car if you prioritize a slightly more reliable booking process and are willing to tolerate occasional app glitches and a less modern interface for the convenience of quick reservations .

Evidence note: Both apps have a high volume of recent negative reviews concerning app functionality, despite their high lifetime ratings. The free-to-download nature means many users are likely experiencing friction with basic app performance rather than paid features.

Frequently asked

Do both National Car Rental and Hertz Rental Car apps have login issues?
Yes, both National Car Rental and Hertz Rental Car apps frequently experience login issues, with users reporting problems signing in, being constantly logged out, or the login button being unresponsive R1R4R5R10.
Can I modify or extend my rental through the apps?
Users of both apps report significant difficulties modifying or extending rentals directly through the app, often encountering errors or being forced to call customer service R7R26R28R75.
Are the loyalty programs beneficial for frequent renters?
National Car Rental's Emerald Club is praised for its convenience at pick-up, but some members are dissatisfied with the value of earned free days and increasing costs R9R12R13R19. Hertz President's Circle members report issues with support and autonomy for upgrades, questioning the benefits compared to booking through other channels .

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R1] National Car Rental 1/5 · US 50/50 if it works: I travel for work and use this app every week. The last two months I get an error every time I open the app and it doesn’t work. Hertz doesn’t have this problem.
  2. [R3] National Car Rental 3/5 · US Loading: Can yall update this app please it is taking too long for stuff to load/pop up even closing out and deleting it and redownloading it is not working at all either.
  3. [R4] National Car Rental 1/5 · US Recent update bricked the app: I have to constantly open and close the app to get ride of a generic “An error as occurred” message in the Home Screen. Still can’t log in
  4. [R8] National Car Rental 4/5 · US App working now: After initially signing up for National Emerald I downloaded the app but could not log in, although I had no problem online. The problem seems to have resolved and now able to use the app.
  5. [R2] National Car Rental 4/5 · US Good app, except for the company not delivering a rental information to my calendar.: Good app, except for the company not delivering a rental information to my calendar under the “Add Only To My Calendar” option. The app does not honor that request of limiting access of my calendar and there seems to corrosion to all “Full Access To My Calendar” in order to save the rentals in my calendar. There
  6. [R7] National Car Rental 1/5 · US Hot garbage: Unable to modify reservation. Unable to add new payment method. Wanted me to download another app to verify a new card for this app.
  7. [R14] National Car Rental 5/5 · US Love National - Good App - Calendar Annoying: National is the best. Solid App all around. Wish the calendar didn’t need full permission. “Add Events Only” should be enough for adding reservations to your calendar. No need for “Full Access”
  8. [R18] National Car Rental 1/5 · US Emerald Checkout Does Not Work: Emerald checkout does not work with later iPhone cameras.
  9. [R9] National Car Rental 3/5 · US Meh…: Even with the Emerald Club rewards it’s getting to be too expensive, and not really worth it.
  10. [R12] National Car Rental 3/5 · US Rental: Getting screwed out of earned free day that was applied but due to expire Labor Day . Tacky
  11. [R13] National Car Rental 1/5 · US Disappointing rewards program: I called today. I’ve rented cars for a couple weeks of January, all of February and March and most of April. Their customer service team said that equates to three free rental days.
  12. [R19] National Car Rental 4/5 · US UN-user-friendly: My member number is not obviously easy to get to and yes I can learn it, until you revamp the app because I don’t need it often. THEN if I need it and find it, I can’t COPY it from the app to paste it elsewhere. That is a real pain. Please fix the copy thing. I can deal with it not being easy to find all the time, I really really don’t like not being able to copy paste it. But
  13. [R5] National Car Rental 5/5 · US Keeps logging me out: Something changed. The app used to keep me logged in. Now the app logs me out every day. Even though the option to keep me logged in is checked.
  14. [R17] National Car Rental 4/5 · US It’s a good idea, but some recommendations: I use National a lot for work as I travel. It’s a great app, but a few things from a visual standpoint. I think there should be dark mode support and I’d love to see this app updated to adopt the new iOS 26 Liquid Glass aesthetic. It would make the experience feel more modern and cohesive
  15. [R25] National Car Rental 5/5 · US Best rent a car company: Easy to navigate app. Best rent a car company
  16. [R31] National Car Rental 5/5 · US Only one thing: Is there anyway to store reservation numbers? when the company books them they don’t show up in my account
  17. [R10] National Car Rental 1/5 · US App broken for iPhone: This app is broken for the iPhone 15. Starts with an immediate error and will not log in.
  18. [R26] National Car Rental 1/5 · US Errors: Can’t extent a rental. Just keep getting errors. It’s 2026 and you’re making me call. And on top of that you’re telling me to use the app while I’m on hold. Fix your app National
  19. [R28] National Car Rental 1/5 · US WHY WE CANT EXTEND THE RENTAL FROM THE APP?: Tried to extend my rental from the app like I use to be able to do and can’t do it any more. They want you to call in and talk to an agent from another country that can barely speak English and mess up your whole rental agreement. What going on with that national why we can’t extend our rental from the app anymore? That is so inconvenient.
  20. [R75] Hertz Rental Car 3/5 · US Love the app, but. . .: Love the app, but it and their online site give you a button to modify your reservation, however it doesn't work. I called the location I was renting from and the rep told me that once you make a reservation, you can't modify it.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store