Best digital banks & money apps

Revolut, Wise, Monzo and more — compared on fees, features and service so you can pick the right account in minutes.

Last checked October 2026 · By the How People Use money team

  • Real accounts tested
  • Independent scores
  • Reviewed regularly
Person checking a banking app on their phone next to a contactless card
Revolut logo

Our top pick

Revolut 9.3/10

£0 monthly fee options

Revolut logo

Best for travel

Revolut

Trading 212 logo

Best for savings

Trading 212

Monzo logo

Best for everyday

Monzo

  • Best for travel
    Revolut logo
    #1

    Revolut

    Multi-currency account

    9.3/104.7 app

    Monthly fee

    £0 (Standard)

    Spending abroad

    0% weekdays

    Free ATM

    £200/mo free

    Key perk

    Savings vaults

    • Interbank FX rate on weekdays
    • Instant card freeze & virtual cards

    Deposit protected

    Licensed bank: your money is covered by a government scheme (FSCS up to £85,000 in the UK, €100,000 in the EU).

    Read review

    Partner link coming soon

  • Best for transfers
    Wise logo
    #2

    Wise

    Multi-currency account

    9.2/104.7 app

    Monthly fee

    £0

    Spending abroad

    From 0.4%

    Free ATM

    £200/mo free

    Key perk

    40+ currencies

    • Mid-market rate, fees shown upfront
    • Local account details in many currencies

    Safeguarded e-money

    Not a bank: your money is kept separate from the firm's own funds, but no government deposit scheme applies.

    Read review

    Partner link coming soon

  • Best for budgeting
    Monzo logo
    #3

    Monzo

    Current account

    9.0/104.8 app

    Monthly fee

    £0

    Spending abroad

    0% card fee

    Free ATM

    £200/mo abroad

    Key perk

    Bill pots

    • Excellent budgeting tools
    • Salary sorter & bill pots

    Deposit protected

    Licensed bank: your money is covered by a government scheme (FSCS up to £85,000 in the UK, €100,000 in the EU).

    Read review

    Partner link coming soon

  • Starling logo
    #4

    Starling

    Current account

    8.9/104.8 app

    Monthly fee

    £0

    Spending abroad

    0% card fee

    Free ATM

    Free worldwide

    Key perk

    24/7 support

    • No fees spending abroad
    • Strong 24/7 support

    Deposit protected

    Licensed bank: your money is covered by a government scheme (FSCS up to £85,000 in the UK, €100,000 in the EU).

    Read review

    Partner link coming soon

  • Best for cashback
    Chase UK logo
    #5

    Chase UK

    Current account

    8.7/104.8 app

    Monthly fee

    £0

    Spending abroad

    0% card fee

    Free ATM

    Free abroad

    Key perk

    1% cashback

    • Cashback on everyday spending
    • Linked saver account

    Deposit protected

    Licensed bank: your money is covered by a government scheme (FSCS up to £85,000 in the UK, €100,000 in the EU).

    Read review

    Partner link coming soon

  • Best for savings
    Trading 212 logo
    #6

    Trading 212

    Savings account

    8.6/104.6 app

    Monthly fee

    £0

    Spending abroad

    0.15% FX

    Free ATM

    £200/mo free

    Key perk

    Daily interest

    • Interest paid daily
    • Cash and investing in one app

    Deposit protected

    Licensed bank: your money is covered by a government scheme (FSCS up to £85,000 in the UK, €100,000 in the EU).

    Read review

    Partner link coming soon

  • N26 logo
    #7

    N26

    Current account

    8.4/104.6 app

    Monthly fee

    €0

    Spending abroad

    0% card fee

    Free ATM

    3 free/mo

    Key perk

    Spaces

    • Fast sign-up
    • German IBAN, works across EU

    Deposit protected

    Licensed bank: your money is covered by a government scheme (FSCS up to £85,000 in the UK, €100,000 in the EU).

    Read review

    Partner link coming soon

  • bunq logo
    #8

    bunq

    Savings account

    8.1/104.5 app

    Monthly fee

    From €3.99

    Spending abroad

    0% card fee

    Free ATM

    4 free/mo

    Key perk

    25 sub-accounts

    • Many sub-accounts and IBANs
    • Weekly interest on savings

    Deposit protected

    Licensed bank: your money is covered by a government scheme (FSCS up to £85,000 in the UK, €100,000 in the EU).

    Read review

    Partner link coming soon

Figures are illustrative and should be checked with each provider. Logos are trademarks of their owners. We may earn a commission from partner links.

How we score

Costs

Monthly fees, FX markups, ATM and transfer charges at typical usage.

Features

App quality, budgeting tools, savings pots, multi-currency and cards.

Service

Support response times, sign-up friction and account protection.

How to choose a bank

  1. 1

    Check protection

    Prefer deposit-protected banks for your main balance.

  2. 2

    Match your habits

    Travel often? Look at fees abroad and cash limits.

  3. 3

    Watch the small print

    Free plans often cap ATM use or weekend exchange.

  4. 4

    Test the app

    Sign up takes minutes — try budgeting and support first.

Questions people ask

Are digital banks safe?

Licensed banks are covered by deposit protection schemes (e.g. FSCS in the UK, up to €100,000 in the EU). E-money firms like Wise safeguard funds instead — we flag which is which.

Does switching hurt my credit score?

Opening an account may run a soft or hard check on the new account only. Closing an old account leaves no lasting mark.

How do you score providers?

Costs, features and service are each scored out of 10 after we open real accounts, move money and contact support. Overall is a weighted average.

Do providers pay for rankings?

No. We may earn a commission when you open an account, but it never changes the order or scores.