Monzo and Starling are the 2 big neobanks in the UK, so it’s only natural that they both have an offering for children. While Starling Kite has been around for a few years, Monzo for Under 16s only launched in 2025. We’ve compared them side by side so you can decide which one to pick for your child.
There’s not much to separate the pair here, though Starling does have a slightly higher Finder Score. Other than that, both are available for kids aged 6–15, have FSCS protection up to £120,000 (OK, Richie Rich), run on the Mastercard network and have a version of the app for kids, if they want to use it.
To sign up, parents need to already have a Monzo or Starling current account. You can open one easily with both by downloading the app. Starling has the edge here, because you can open a Kite account with a joint Starling account, so 2 adults can access and control the app. Monzo only lets 1 adult open and be in charge of an Under 16s account, though another adult can be added to the account once it is opened.
Starling lets you open 6 Kite accounts, while Monzo only allows 5 Under 16s accounts. If you have more than 6 kids then you’re going to need to try something else. But both will be suitable for most families.
Both accounts come with a link you can give to friends or family to deposit money directly into the account, which is a handy feature when relatives are asking what to get for a birthday present.
Where Monzo does have an edge is with its cards. There’s no bright coral card for kids and instead they get a choice of pink, yellow or blue. This feature is likely to resonate with kids and is not something Starling Kite offers, with just a single teal card with a couple of bluey/purpley dots.
Another feature that kids and parents alike will find useful is being able to set up a regular pocket money payment.
There’s a maximum daily ATM withdrawal limit of £100 for both accounts and you can decide if you want to allow cash withdrawals at all. Monzo does let you reduce the limit too, if you see fit, but Starling doesn’t.
Tie: Starling lets you open an extra account, but Monzo has a better choice of cards. Other than that there’s not much to separate them.
If you asked parents which features they’d like in a bank account for their children they’d probably say they want to be able to create spending controls, notifications when there’s spending on the card and the ability to freeze and unfreeze the card when it inevitably gets misplaced and found again. They’d be in luck with either account as they both offer those features. You can also set savings goals too, which might give your kids an incentive to listen to you occasionally.
If you want to be able to manage chores or need learning resources in the app, then you’re out of luck, as neither offers that and you might need to look elsewhere.
Winner: Tie. There’s not much to split this dynamic duo here.
It’s free to sign up for both accounts and there are no monthly fees, loading fees, card fees or cash withdrawal fees. If the card does get misplaced and you’re unable to find it, you’ll have to pay £5 for a replacement with Monzo and Starling. Maybe it’ll become an expensive lesson for your kid, maybe it won’t.
Having multiple options in the market that don’t charge any fees for children’s accounts is a big plus. Teaching kids about how money works without having to pay to do so can certainly help them learn about finances in a positive way.
Winner: Another tie. There’s not much between them in terms of fees.
Overall winner: Is Monzo for Under 16s better than Starling Kite?
There’s really not very much separating these 2 accounts as they both have almost identical features.
It really comes down to which bank you prefer as an adult, because you need to have a current account to open either of the children’s accounts.
Monzo has a better choice of cards, but Starling lets you open an extra account, so that’s another thing to factor in.
Monzo does now pay interest on savings goals, which is rare to find when looking a kids’ debit cards. So Monzo just pips Starling to the post for that feature alone.
We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables is provided by Defaqto. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.
Jason is a writer and editor. He worked as a senior subeditor for Finder for 5 years and in that time became familiar with a wide range of financial products and services. Before that, he worked for Australian Associated Press. He has a BA from Macquarie University in Australia. Jason loves to help other people find new ways to save money.
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