{"id":135922,"date":"2018-09-24T11:29:44","date_gmt":"2018-09-24T10:29:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/?p=135922"},"modified":"2026-03-23T14:36:42","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T14:36:42","slug":"revolut-vs-starling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/current-accounts\/revolut-vs-starling","title":{"rendered":"Revolut vs Starling (with a \u00a320 sign-up bonus!)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Revolut<\/a> and Starling<\/a> have transformed the way we bank, with real-time account information, fee-free spending abroad and detailed insights into your spending. They provide cheap (or free) easy mobile banking and a great alternative to the traditional banks. If you\u2019re undecided about which account to open, we take an in-depth look at both Revolut and Starling to help you decide between them.<\/p>

Revolut's \u00a320 sign-up bonus for new accounts<\/h3>\nRevolut is currently offering a \u00a320 sign-up bonus when you open a new account, making it a strong sign-up incentive compared with any other provider.\n
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\nSee deal<\/a>

Revolut vs Starling: Vital statistics<\/h3>
\n \n
<\/th>\"Revolut<\/a><\/td>\"Starling<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Finder score<\/th>9.1<\/span><\/span>Excellent<\/span><\/span><\/td>9.6<\/span><\/span>Excellent<\/span><\/span><\/td><\/tr>
Customer satisfaction survey<\/th>4.5 <\/span>
\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/div><\/td>
4.4 <\/span>
\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/div><\/td><\/tr>
Free spending abroad<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Arranged overdraft<\/th>No overdrafts<\/td>15%, 25% or 35% EAR<\/td><\/tr>
Representative example<\/th>N\/A<\/td>If you use an arranged overdraft of \u00a31,200, you'll be charged interest at 15% EAR variable.<\/td><\/tr>
Interest when you're in credit<\/th>0%<\/td>0%<\/td><\/tr>
Branch access<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
FSCS protected<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Sign-up bonus<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Amount<\/th>\u00a320<\/td>N\/A<\/td><\/tr>
Product image<\/th>
\"Revolut<\/td>		\"Starling\"<\/td><\/tr>
Find out more<\/th>
See account<\/a>
Read review<\/a><\/div><\/td>
See account<\/a>
Read review<\/a><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table><\/div>

With the free Revolut account (called Revolut \u201cStandard\u201d<\/a>) you receive a blue and pink two-tone card, while Starling\u2019s free (and only) current account comes with a teal-coloured vertical card.<\/p>

Neither banks have branches, but you can withdraw or deposit money into your Starling account<\/a> at Post Office counters. You can also apply for an overdraft with Starling, a facility that Revolut doesn\u2019t offer.<\/p>

Both Revolut and Starling have UK banking licences, which means individual customer funds up to the value of \u00a3120,000 are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme<\/a> (FSCS) if the bank goes bust. <\/p>

In Finder\u2019s 2026 Banking Customer Satisfaction Awards<\/a>, both brands were neck and neck, with 97% of their customers saying they would recomment one of its accounts to friends. <\/p>

Finally, Revolut currently runs a number of welcome promotions including a sign-up bonus for new customers where if you open an account, you can receive \u00a320<\/a>.<\/p>

Round 1: App features<\/h3>
\n \n
<\/th>\"Revolut<\/a><\/td>\"Starling<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Visual breakdown of spending<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Spending categories<\/th>Customisable<\/td>53<\/td><\/tr>
Set spending budgets<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Set up direct debits in the app<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Top up via bank transfer<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Have salary paid in<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Separate savings accounts<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Round-ups<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Customer service via the app<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Customer service via a telephone line<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Cheque scanning<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Freeze\/unfreeze card in app<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Send money abroad<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Fee for sending money abroad<\/th>Free in SEPA region, between 30p and \u00a35 to send elsewhere<\/td>Local network fee + 0.4% Starling fee<\/td><\/tr>
Find out more<\/th>
See account<\/a>
Read review<\/a><\/div><\/td>
See account<\/a>
Read review<\/a><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table><\/div>

Revolut and Starling both have a comprehensive range of features available in their mobile banking apps. Both have spending categories, where your transactions are automatically placed into an appropriate category, such as utility bills or eating out. Although with Revolut you can create and customise your categories, whereas with Starling they are pre-set.<\/p>

You can also analyse your daily, weekly or monthly spending insights in both apps, which helps you set budgets, as well as receive alerts you when payments go in and out of your account.<\/p>

Revolut\u2019s \u201cPockets\u201d and Starling\u2019s \u201cSpaces\u201d let you put money aside for specific treats or targets, like a holiday or a savings goal. Plus both offer \u201cround-ups\u201d, where spare change from your transactions can be \u201crounded up\u201d and put into your savings bucket.<\/p>

You can pay your salary into either your Revolut or Starling account, manage direct debits and make international payments. You can freeze or unfreeze your card in the apps, as well as contact both customer service teams through the in-app chats. With Starling you can also speak to customer service agent over the phone, but that\u2019s not possible with Revolut.<\/p>

You can also use Starling\u2019s cheque scanning tool to pay cheques into your account should you need to, whereas Revolut doesn\u2019t accept cheque deposits at all \u2013 or cash deposits, for that matter.<\/p>