Best mobile banking apps in the UK (2026): fees compared
Four app-based UK current accounts compared on fees abroad, cash deposits and paid plans. All four are UK banks with FSCS protection.
Quick answer
For someone spending £200 abroad a month, Kroo, Starling and Zopa Biscuit all cost nothing on their published fees: none charges a monthly fee or adds its own fee abroad. Monzo's free plan also has no monthly fee, but its current-account page does not state a foreign spending fee, so it ranks after the three. All four are UK banks with FSCS protection up to £120,000.
Key points
- Kroo, Starling and Zopa Biscuit charge no monthly fee and add no fee of their own on spending abroad.
- Monzo charges £1 per cash deposit and offers paid plans from £3 to £19 a month.
- Zopa Biscuit accepts no cash; money goes in by bank transfer only.
- Kroo pays 3.00% AER on the account balance, including a 2.00% bonus for new customers' first year.
- All four are UK banks with eligible deposits FSCS-protected up to £120,000.
- Revolut and Chase UK could not be read and are not yet included.
What you would pay
Set your own numbers. The list below is ranked with this same calculator at our reference profile: £200 of card spending abroad a month.
- Kroo Current account£0.00
- Starling Current account£0.00
- Zopa Biscuit Biscuit£0.00
- Monzo Free plan£0.00Foreign transaction fee not published on the page read
Regular published prices only. Introductory offers and tax are left out. Figures are arithmetic on the provider’s own numbers, not a recommendation.
The list, in order
Order follows the published method on How we rank. Providers cannot pay for a position.
Kroo
A current account from a UK bank with no account fee, no foreign spending fees and interest on the balance, including a first-year bonus for new customers.
Suits: people who want interest paid on their everyday balance. Watch for: the 3.00% AER includes a 2.00% bonus that lasts 12 months; the page does not mention cash deposits.
- Monthly fee
- £0
- Spending abroad
- No fee from Kroo
- Interest
- 3.00% AER (12-month bonus)
- Cash deposits
- Not stated
Starling
A current account from a UK bank with no monthly fee and no Starling fees for spending or withdrawing abroad.
Suits: people who want a full bank account with no fees abroad. Watch for: the page does not state how to pay in cash or what it costs.
- Monthly fee
- £0
- Spending abroad
- No Starling fee
- Overdraft rep. APR
- 15%
Zopa Biscuit
A free current account where you pick one benefit, either 2.75% AER interest or 3% cashback on bills or eating out, and can switch at no cost.
Suits: people who want cashback or interest on a no-fee account. Watch for: it takes no cash at all; money goes in by bank transfer only.
- Monthly fee
- £0
- Spending abroad
- No fee from Zopa
- Benefit
- 2.75% AER or 3% cashback
- Cash deposits
- Not accepted
Monzo
A free current account with paid Extra, Perks and Max plans, linked savings, and cash deposits at PayPoint or the Post Office for £1 each.
Suits: people who want budgeting tools and an optional paid plan. Watch for: the current-account page does not state a foreign spending fee, and free withdrawals abroad stop at £200 on the free plan.
- Monthly fee
- £0 (paid plans £3–£19)
- Cash deposit
- £1 each
- Free withdrawals
- Up to £200 (free plan)
- Spending abroad
- Fee not stated on page
Figures read from each provider’s own page on 29 October 2026. Reference profile: £200 of card spending abroad a month. Unranked entries publish no price that fits it.
- Revolut — its pricing page refused automated reads on 29 Oct 2026. Chase UK's current-account page address returned "not found". To be confirmed by hand.
App-based current accounts in the UK are mostly free to hold. The differences show up abroad, at the cash desk, and in what each pays on your balance.
How the ranking works
We ranked accounts by monthly cost for someone who spends £200 on their card abroad each month, using fees read from each provider's own page on 29 October 2026. An account whose foreign spending fee is not on its page ranks after the fully priced ones. See how we rank.
| Account | Monthly fee | Spending abroad | Cash deposits | Month at our profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kroo | £0 | No Kroo fee | Not stated | £0 |
| Starling | £0 | No Starling fee | Not stated | £0 |
| Zopa Biscuit | £0 | No Zopa fee | Not accepted | £0 |
| Monzo (free plan) | £0 | Not stated on page | £1 each | £0 + FX |
All four are banks
Each is a UK bank authorised by the PRA, with eligible deposits FSCS-protected up to £120,000: Kroo Bank (FRN 953772), Starling Bank (FRN 730166), Zopa Bank (FRN 800542) and Monzo Bank (FRN 730427). The FSCS raised the limit to £120,000 on 1 December 2025. Our guide, is a neobank a bank?, explains why this is not true of every app.
Abroad
Kroo's page says it adds no extra fees for transactions or ATM withdrawals abroad and uses Visa's exchange rate with no markup. Starling says you can "spend and withdraw abroad with no fees from us", and Zopa says Biscuit uses Visa's rate with no markups. Monzo's page lists fee-free withdrawals up to £200 on the free plan but no card spending fee.
Interest and extras
Kroo pays 3.00% AER on the balance for new customers, including a 2.00% bonus for 12 months. Zopa Biscuit offers a choice of 2.75% AER or 3% cashback on bills or eating out. Monzo pays 2.75% AER on Instant Access savings on its free plan. Our easy-access savings comparison ranks savings rates.
Not yet included
Revolut's pricing page refused automated reads and Chase UK's current-account page address was not found on 29 October 2026. The US comparison covers dollar accounts, and the everyday account fee calculator works it out in pounds.
Keep reading
Best mobile banking apps in the US (2026): fees compared
App-first checking accounts compared on the fees that come up in everyday use, and on whether a bank or a fintech is holding the money.
Guide · US & UKIs a neobank a bank? Charters, partner banks and e-money explained
Some banking apps are banks; others are technology firms using a partner bank or an e-money licence. Here is what each model means for your money.
Calculator · UK editionEveryday account fee calculator
The same calculator on its own page, in pounds.
Questions
Are UK app banks real banks?
The four in this list are. Kroo, Starling, Zopa and Monzo are each authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA and PRA as UK banks, and their pages say eligible deposits are FSCS-protected up to £120,000. Some other app-based accounts are e-money, which the FSCS does not cover.
Which UK banking app is best for spending abroad?
Kroo, Starling and Zopa each say they add no fee of their own to card spending abroad and use the card network’s exchange rate. Monzo’s free plan includes fee-free cash withdrawals up to £200, but its current-account page does not state a card spending fee. ATM operators abroad may still charge.
Can I pay cash into a UK app bank?
Monzo charges £1 per deposit at PayPoint or the Post Office, and its Perks plan includes three free deposits. Zopa Biscuit does not accept cash. Starling and Kroo did not describe cash deposits on the current-account pages we read on 29 October 2026.
Is Monzo free?
Monzo’s standard account is free. Its paid plans are Extra at £3 a month, Perks at £9 and Max from £19, which add higher savings rates and other benefits. Max requires a three-month minimum. The ranking uses the free plan, since every account here has a free option.
Do any of these pay interest on the current account?
Kroo pays 3.00% AER on balances up to £500,000 for new customers, including a 2.00% bonus fixed for 12 months. Zopa Biscuit lets you choose 2.75% AER interest or 3% cashback. Monzo and Starling pay interest through linked savings rather than the current account.