Monzo vs Starling Bank
Monzo and Starling are both London banks for UK residents, authorised by the PRA and FCA. Monzo layers on pots, cashback, investments, pensions and paid plans from £3 a month. Starling pairs Spaces with virtual cards and a bills manager and charges no fees abroad. Neither serves the euro area.
Choose Monzo if
you want one app that also sells investments from £1, pensions, credit cards and optional paid plans on top of a free current account.
Read the Monzo reviewChoose Starling Bank if
you want budgeting Spaces tied to virtual cards, a ring-fenced bills manager, and a bank that states no Starling fees abroad.
Read the Starling Bank reviewMonzo and Starling Bank side by side
| Monzo | Starling Bank | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Monzo Bank Limited | Starling Bank Limited |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom | London, United Kingdom |
| Jurisdiction | United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA) | United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA) |
| Where the data sits | United Kingdom | United Kingdom |
| Pricing | Free current account; paid plans from £3, £9 and £19 a month (checked 28 October 2026) | No fees abroad from Starling; savings rates published on the site (checked 28 October 2026) |
| Entry-level list price (vendor site, checked 13 November 2026) | Free current account; paid plans £3, £9 and £19 a month | No plan ladder published on the pages checked; no Starling fees abroad; savings rates on site |
| Free tier or trial | Demo on request | Demo on request |
| Source code | Closed source | Closed source |
| Usually replaces | Chime, Cash App, Chase UK-style accounts | Chime, Cash App, Chase |
| Position in our Neobanks and Digital Banks guide | #3 of 9 | #4 of 9 |
Both are listed in our European Neobanks and Digital Banks guide. The table is built from the same directory data as those entries, except the list price, which is quoted from each vendor's own pricing page (see Sources below); how we check it is described in the editorial process.
Where Monzo and Starling Bank differ
Across the five points below, Monzo has the edge on 2 points, Starling Bank on 1 point and 2 are a tie. A count like that is a summary, not a verdict: the point that matters to you may be the one the other product wins.
Design philosophy: rewards or order
Monzo leans on rewards and extras: cashback offers of 2-10% at chosen brands, round-ups into savings and Salary Sorter that splits income into Pots. Starling leans on order: Spaces, a Bills Manager and an AI feature for spending questions. These are different philosophies rather than a gap in quality, so no winner is named.
No clear winner on this point.
Breadth beyond the current account
Monzo sells savings up to 3.65% AER (variable), Cash ISAs, investments from £1, pensions for ages 18-70 and credit cards, and its mortgage tool shows a mortgage from any lender without selling one. Starling lists a Fixed Saver, an Easy Saver, a Flexible Cash ISA and a business account. Monzo documents more product lines.
Edge: Monzo
Foreign spending
Starling's site states no Starling fees abroad, which suits travellers who want the point stated once. Monzo's pages we read do not give a comparable one-line statement for foreign spending, so we do not credit it. This is a narrow win for Starling on what is documented, not a claim about total cost.
Edge: Starling Bank
Paid tiers and pricing clarity
Monzo publishes its ladder: free account, then £3, £9 and £19 a month for boosted savings, perks and protection benefits. Starling's pages we checked did not publish a plan ladder, only savings rates, so the cost structure is simpler but less comparable. Monzo is clearer about what extra spending buys.
Edge: Monzo
Savings rates shown
Monzo lists up to 3.65% AER variable on savings accounts. Starling lists a Fixed Saver at 4.20% AER and a Flexible Cash ISA at 2.50% AER, with an Easy Saver bonus that is temporary. The products differ in type and terms, and rates change, so a numeric winner would mislead.
No clear winner on this point.
When neither Monzo nor Starling Bank fits
If neither fits: Kroo is another UK app bank on this category page, and Openbank offers an account aimed at the Spanish market.
Monzo vs Starling Bank: questions
Both sites say eligible money is protected by the FSCS up to £120,000 per person.
Both pages we read describe UK residents. For euro-area accounts, the neobank page lists N26 and bunq.
Starling's site states no Starling fees abroad. Check the card network and ATM operator conditions before relying on that.
Yes on both. Monzo's savings and several other products need a UK current account, and Starling savings require a Starling personal or joint current account.
Sources
Facts, prices and plan details on this page were checked on the vendors' own websites on . Prices and plans change; the vendor's current page is authoritative.
- Monzo website: Monzo account, plans, savings and FSCS statements (checked 13 November 2026)
- Starling Bank website: Starling account, Spaces, bills manager and FSCS statements (checked 13 November 2026)