Best Banking Apps in the UK: Monzo, Starling, Chase and Revolut Compared

Working out the best banking app in the UK depends less on which brand wins a feature count and more on what you actually want the app to do for you. The four names most people weigh up are Monzo, Starling, Chase and Revolut, and each one is genuinely the best choice for a particular type of person. This guide walks through what separates them so you can pick the one that fits your money, rather than the one with the loudest sign-up offer.

All four are proper banks now, not just apps sitting on top of someone else’s account. Monzo, Starling and Chase have held full UK banking licences for years, and Revolut finally got its full UK banking licence in March 2026, which means your deposits with all four are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme up to the standard limit. You can confirm the current protection level on the FSCS website. That covers the bank failing, not you spending unwisely or moving money into investments.

The short answer

If you want one recommendation and you would rather not read the detail:

• Monzo is the best all-round budgeting app and the one to pick if your friends use it, because splitting bills and shared tabs only work well when everyone is on the same app.
• Starling is the best fee-free bank replacement, and the only one of the four that lets you pay in cash and cheques at the Post Office.
• Chase suits disciplined spenders who want a competitive easy-access saver and occasional cashback offers, with the rate boosted for the first year.
• Revolut is the best pick if your money crosses borders, thanks to strong multi-currency accounts and cheap spending abroad, though the useful extras sit behind paid tiers.

The rest of this page explains why.

Monzo: the budgeting all-rounder

Monzo is the app most people mean when they picture a modern bank: the coral card, the instant spending notifications, and the Pots you use to ringfence money for bills or a holiday. It has the largest customer base of the four, and that scale matters because features like Monzo Split and shared tabs are only useful when the person you are splitting with also has Monzo.

The budgeting tools are the strongest reason to choose it. Spending is sorted into categories automatically, you can set budgets that warn you before you overspend, and Roundups quietly move your spare change into a Pot. Savings Pots on the paid Extra plans reach up to 5% AER, so cash you are setting aside can earn interest without leaving the app. For anyone who wants their current account and their budgeting in one place, Monzo is hard to beat. If budgeting is your main goal, it is also worth reading how dedicated tools compare in our guide to whether budgeting apps are safe.

Starling: the fee-free workhorse

Starling is the quiet, sensible one. There is no monthly fee, no foreign transaction fee when you spend abroad, and it behaves like a full bank rather than a spending app with savings bolted on. The stand-out practical feature is Post Office access: you can pay in cash and cheques over the counter, which none of the other three offer. If you still handle cash, that alone can settle the decision.

It also pays interest on your everyday balance and runs an Easy Saver savings account with monthly interest, currently around 3.00% AER variable, plus fixed-term savers for money you can lock away. Starling wins on being a complete, no-catch replacement for a high-street current account. The budgeting tools are decent rather than class-leading, so if spreadsheet-style control is your priority, Monzo edges ahead.

Chase: cashback and a strong saver

Chase came into the UK leaning on rewards, and it still pairs a competitive easy-access saver with occasional cashback. The saver typically pays a boosted rate for the first 12 months before dropping to a lower ongoing rate, so read which figure you are being quoted before you assume it lasts. Cashback in 2026 is more targeted than the blanket 1% Chase launched with; expect rotating in-app offers rather than automatic cashback on everything.

Chase suits someone disciplined with money who wants a clean app, a good home for easy-access savings, and the occasional reward on top. It is a weaker fit if you want deep budgeting tools or cash deposits. For a head-to-head against the budgeting leader, see Chase vs Monzo.

Revolut: built for money that crosses borders

Revolut does the most and, depending on your view, tries to do too much: banking, multi-currency accounts, stock trading, crypto and more, all in one app. Its real strength is anything international. If you hold or spend euros and dollars alongside pounds, travel often, or get paid from abroad, nothing here matches it. Now that it holds a full UK banking licence, deposits are FSCS-protected, which removes the main historic reason to be cautious.

The catch is that the most useful features, from higher no-fee spending abroad to better rates, live behind paid subscription tiers. For a UK-only saver who just wants a current account and a budget, that complexity is overkill. For a frequent traveller or anyone with financial ties in more than one country, it is the obvious pick. See how it stacks up for everyday use in Revolut vs Monzo.

How to actually choose

Ignore the sign-up bonuses for a moment and answer three questions. Do you handle cash or cheques? If yes, Starling is almost the only sensible option. Do your friends split bills on an app? If yes, match whatever they use, which is usually Monzo. Does your money regularly cross a border? If yes, Revolut earns its place. If none of those apply and you mostly want a tidy account with a decent home for savings, Chase and Monzo are both excellent, and the deciding factor is whether you value the saver rate or the budgeting tools more.

There is also nothing stopping you running two. A very common setup is Starling or Monzo as the main current account for spending and budgeting, with Chase or Revolut alongside for savings or travel. Because they are all free to open, you can try one for a month before you commit your salary to it. If you also want a dedicated place for spare change, compare the options in our roundup of the best round-up and auto-savings apps.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the best banking app in the UK overall? There is no single winner for everyone. Monzo is the best all-rounder for budgeting, Starling is the best fee-free bank replacement, Chase is best for an easy-access saver with occasional cashback, and Revolut is best for spending and holding money abroad. Match the app to what you actually do with your money.

Are digital banking apps safe to use? Yes, when the provider holds a full UK banking licence. Monzo, Starling, Chase and Revolut are all fully licensed banks, so eligible deposits are protected by the FSCS up to the standard limit if the bank fails. That protection does not cover investment losses or money you send to a scam.

Can I have more than one banking app? You can, and many people do. Because these accounts are free to open, a common approach is one app as your main current account and another for savings or travel money. Just keep track of where your money is so nothing sits idle.

Do these apps let me pay in cash? Only Starling makes this easy, through Post Office deposits for cash and cheques. Monzo has more limited paid cash deposit options, while Chase and Revolut are effectively cashless. If you regularly handle cash, Starling is the safest choice.

Is Revolut a real bank now? Yes. Revolut received its full UK banking licence in March 2026, which means UK deposits are now covered by the FSCS in the same way as the other three. Before that it operated as an e-money firm, which offered a different, weaker form of protection.