Which is better: Monzo, Starling, or Revolut?

It depends on your needs. Starling is best for a full current account replacement with excellent customer service. Revolut offers the most features and best rates for frequent travellers. Monzo excels at budgeting tools and has a strong community.

Do Monzo, Starling and Revolut have FSCS protection?

Monzo and Starling have full UK banking licences with £85,000 FSCS protection. Revolut UK now has a banking licence too, so deposits are FSCS protected. Always check current status as this can change.

Which digital bank is best for travelling abroad?

Revolut offers the best foreign exchange rates with no fees up to monthly limits. Starling has no fees abroad at all. Monzo charges a 3% fee for cash withdrawals abroad after £250/month.

Can I use a digital bank as my main account?

Yes — Starling is particularly well-suited as a main account with FSCS protection, interest on balances, and full banking features. Monzo also works well as a primary account. Many people use all three for different purposes.

Monzo vs Starling vs Revolut — Which Digital Bank Is Best? | PocketWise

The three biggest UK challenger banks each have strengths. Here’s how they compare for everyday banking.

Quick Comparison

Feature	Monzo	Starling	Revolut
UK Banking Licence	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
FSCS Protected	✅ £85,000	✅ £85,000	✅ £85,000
Monthly Fee	Free	Free	Free (Standard)
Interest on Balance	Yes (limited)	Yes	Yes (paid plans)
Overseas Card Payments	No fee	No fee	No fee (limits)
ATM Withdrawals Abroad	£250 free/month	No limits	£200 free/month
Joint Accounts	✅	✅	✅
Business Accounts	✅	✅	✅

Monzo

Overview

Feature	Details
Founded	2015
Customers	9+ million
App Rating	4.5★
Best For	Budgeting, social payments

Monzo Features

Feature	Free Account	Monzo Plus (£5/mo)	Monzo Premium (£15/mo)
Hot coral card	✅	✅ Metal	✅ Metal
Budgeting pots	✅	✅	✅
Spending insights	✅	✅	✅
Interest on balance	1% (up to £2k)	3.75% (up to £25k)	4.5% (up to £25k)
Virtual cards	1	6	6
Fee-free abroad cash	£250/month	£400/month	£600/month
Travel insurance	❌	❌	✅
Phone insurance	❌	❌	✅

Monzo Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Excellent budgeting tools	ATM fees abroad after limit
Instant notifications	Interest rates not highest
Easy bill splitting	Customer service can be slow
Strong community	Premium required for best rates
Salary sorting feature

Starling Bank

Overview

Feature	Details
Founded	2014
Customers	4+ million
App Rating	4.7★
Best For	Main current account

Starling Features

Feature	Personal Account	Kite (Kids)	Business
Monthly fee	Free	Free	Free
UK debit card	✅	✅	✅
Interest on balance	Yes (variable)	✅	✅
Savings Spaces	✅	✅	Goals
Overseas spending	No fees	No fees	No fees
ATM abroad	Unlimited free	Unlimited	Unlimited
Joint account	✅	N/A	N/A
Overdraft	✅	❌	✅

Starling Interest Rates

Balance	Rate
Up to £5,000	3.25% AER
Savings Spaces	Up to 4.5% AER

Starling Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
No fees abroad ever	Fewer budgeting features
Interest on current account	Less trendy brand
Excellent customer service	Smaller community
Full banking features	No packaged accounts
Award-winning	Fewer partner integrations

Revolut

Overview

Feature	Details
Founded	2015
Customers	40+ million globally
App Rating	4.6★
Best For	Travel, multi-currency

Revolut Plans

Feature	Standard	Plus (£3.99/mo)	Premium (£7.99/mo)	Metal (£14.99/mo)
Card	Standard	Premium	Premium	Metal
Currency exchange	£1,000/mo free	£3,000/mo	Unlimited	Unlimited
ATM withdrawals	£200/mo free	£400/mo	£800/mo	£1,500/mo
Crypto trading	Limited	✅	✅	✅
Disposable virtual cards	❌	✅	✅	✅
Travel insurance	❌	❌	✅	✅
Lounge access	❌	❌	❌	✅
Cashback	❌	❌	❌	Up to 1%

Revolut Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Best exchange rates	Limits on free plan
Multi-currency accounts	Weekend exchange markup
Crypto & stocks	Customer service issues
Most features	Can feel overwhelming
Global reach	Premium features cost

Head-to-Head Comparisons

Foreign Spending

Scenario	Monzo	Starling	Revolut
Card payments abroad	No fee	No fee	No fee (weekday)
ATM withdrawal €200	Free (under limit)	Free always	Free (under limit)
ATM withdrawal €500	3% on €250	Free	Fee on excess
Weekend spending	Normal rate	Normal rate	1% markup
Exchange rate	Mastercard	Mastercard	Interbank (best)

Winner: Starling (no limits), or Revolut (best rates but limits)

Budgeting Features

Feature	Monzo	Starling	Revolut
Spending categories	✅ Excellent	✅ Good	✅ Good
Savings pots/spaces	✅ Best	✅ Good	✅ Vaults
Salary sorting	✅	❌	❌
Bill tracking	✅	✅	✅
Round-ups	✅	✅	✅
Spending targets	✅	✅	✅

Winner: Monzo

Savings & Interest

Feature	Monzo	Starling	Revolut
Interest on balance	1% (free)	3.25%	Paid plans
Savings pots rate	Up to 4.5%	Up to 4.5%	Up to 4.5%
Easy access	✅	✅	✅
Fixed rate options	✅	✅	✅

Winner: Starling (free account interest)

Customer Service

Metric	Monzo	Starling	Revolut
In-app chat	✅	✅	✅
Phone support	Premium only	✅ Free	Premium only
Response time	Variable	Fast	Variable
Trustpilot	4.0★	4.3★	4.2★

Winner: Starling

Additional Features

Feature	Monzo	Starling	Revolut
Crypto trading	❌	❌	✅
Stock trading	❌	❌	✅
Multi-currency	❌	€ account	30+ currencies
Bill splitting	✅ Excellent	✅	✅
Subscription tracking	✅	✅	✅
Energy switching	❌	❌	✅

Winner: Revolut (most features)

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Monzo If:

Use Case	Why Monzo
You want excellent budgeting	Best pots and categories
You split bills often	Easy social features
You prefer community feel	Active user base
You’re new to digital banking	User-friendly

Choose Starling If:

Use Case	Why Starling
You want a main bank replacement	Full features, reliable
You travel frequently	No ATM limits
You value customer service	Best support
You want interest on your balance	Free account interest
You run a small business	Excellent business accounts

Choose Revolut If:

Use Case	Why Revolut
You travel very frequently	Best exchange rates
You want crypto/stocks	Built-in trading
You send money abroad often	Cheap transfers
You want maximum features	Most comprehensive
You hold multiple currencies	Native multi-currency

Using All Three

Many people use multiple accounts:

Account	Use For
Starling	Main salary account
Monzo	Spending money & budgeting
Revolut	Travel & currency exchange

Security Comparison

Security Feature	Monzo	Starling	Revolut
Instant freeze card	✅	✅	✅
Biometric login	✅	✅	✅
Transaction notifications	✅	✅	✅
3D Secure	✅	✅	✅
Disposable virtual cards	Premium	❌	✅
Location-based security	✅	✅	✅

Summary

Category	Winner
Overall main account	Starling
Budgeting	Monzo
Travel	Revolut/Starling
Exchange rates	Revolut
Customer service	Starling
Features	Revolut
Savings interest	Starling
Business banking	Starling

Quick Comparison

Monzo

Overview

Monzo Features

Monzo Pros & Cons

Starling Bank

Overview

Starling Features

Starling Interest Rates

Starling Pros & Cons

Revolut

Overview

Revolut Plans

Revolut Pros & Cons

Head-to-Head Comparisons

Foreign Spending

Budgeting Features

Savings & Interest

Customer Service

Additional Features

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Monzo If:

Choose Starling If:

Choose Revolut If:

Using All Three

Security Comparison

Summary

Sources