
Digital Banking
Top current account apps
There's now a wave of banking apps that give you a helping hand with budgeting, saving and managing your cash in a way traditional banks don't – though the biggies are starting to catch up. If you're not smartphone-savvy or you prefer banking in branch, see Best Bank Accounts instead.
Who's this guide for? Anyone wanting to try an app-based current account that can help you manage your cash.
Not what you want? Other related guides...
Best Bank Accounts | Autosaving Apps | Top Savings Accounts | Prepaid Cards

What is digital banking?
If you 'do' digital banking, it means that you do all your banking through an app. And with 26.8 million people using a mobile banking app in 2019 (according to UK Finance), it's one of the more popular ways to bank.
Our focus in this guide is on app-only banks. These have great tech and features that help you know where you're spending, and help you save towards your goals, all within the same app and same account. We know that some of the traditional high street banks have popular apps, and are catching up with their app-only competitors, so we feature the best of these too.
While the purely app-based banks don't have a high-street presence, most have in-app customer support, with dedicated teams on hand to offer assistance if you've any questions or issues.
All apps featured in this guide are free to download – though some have costs associated with running them, which we clearly explain in our best buys below.
Quick questions
Rather watch than read? This short video shows you how app-based banks work and what advantages they offer...
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The six digital banking need-to-knows
To get your head around app-based banking, it helps to know the following:
Top app-based bank accounts
For the challenger banks below offering current accounts, you apply through their apps and the process is quick and easy, typically taking a couple of minutes. Both banks have the full £85,000 UK savings protection under FSCS.
These accounts can be beaten if you're looking for accounts paying you £100+ to switch to them, or accounts that give cashback or other rewards. But if you're after a high-tech account, these are our top picks.
App-based Starling Bank* offers a full current account that you can open in a couple of minutes. It gives you real-time notifications when you use your debit card, insights into your spending and lets you set up savings goals. You also earn a small amount of in-credit interest.
As an added boon, there are no fees for spending or cash withdrawals abroad, making it a top-pick debit card overseas, though it's possible this'll change in future.
There are no branches, but you can still deposit cash and cheques – full info in the FAQs below.
Arranged overdraft cost: 15%, 25% or 35% EAR variable. The rate you get depends on your credit history.
Unarranged overdraft cost: None
Monzo, like Starling above, gives real-time notifications when you use your debit card and insights into your spending. You can also set money aside in 'pots' and choose to round up every purchase you make to the nearest pound, with the difference going into a pot.
Monzo has no fees for spending abroad. ATM withdrawals are currently fee-free in the UK, EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, and fee-free up to £200 in any 30-day period elsewhere – though this is changing from 31 October 2020 (see FAQs).
There are no branches, though you can deposit cash anywhere with PayPoint for a £1 fee and cheques by post – full info in the FAQs below.
Minimum monthly pay-in: None
In-credit interest: None
How to get the app: Download for iOS (rated 4.5/5) or Android (rated 4.4/5)
Member of CASS? Yes
Overseas fees: No spending fees. ATM withdrawals currently fee-free in UK, EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway; fee-free up to £200/30-day period elsewhere (3% above).
Unarranged overdraft cost: If you have an arranged overdraft but go over your limit, you'll be charged the same interest rate. If you don't have an arranged overdraft, it's 39% EAR variable (max £15.50/mth).
Top-rated traditional banks' apps
You may want a slick app, but from a banking name you know. We ran a banking apps poll to ask which apps are best – and while Starling and Monzo (above) came out on top for features and ease of use, the two below were the best-rated big names.
For now, neither of these apps offers the same budgeting help as the newer players, but they're decent options if you want to stick with a name you know and normally do a lot of mobile banking.
- Barclays – 76% rated it 'great' for usability; 69% 'great' for features. As well as letting you check your balance, see transactions and manage payees and recurring payments, the Barclays app lets you temporarily freeze your card and get PIN reminders. Download for iOS (rated 4.8/5) or Android (rated 4.6/5).
- Lloyds – 74% rated it 'great' for usability; 66% 'great' for features. Lloyds' current accounts don't feature in our top picks right now, but if you want the app it's well-rated by MoneySavers for both features and usability. It lets you check your balance, see transactions (including pending ones), manage payees and temporarily freeze your debit card. Download for iOS (rated 4.8/5) or Android (rated 4.7/5).
What can other banks' apps do?
In addition, we wanted to know what other banks are doing in terms of offering budgeting help, letting you freeze your card and other app features.
Want to complain about your bank account?
If your bank has charged you the wrong amount, taken the wrong amount in payment or its service has been atrocious, then you don't have to suffer in silence. It's always worth trying to call the bank first to see if it can help, but if not...

Free tool to help you complain
This tool helps you draft and manage your complaint. It's totally free to use, and it's offered by Resolver, a firm we work with to help people get complaints justice.
RESOLVER – FREE COMPLAINTS TOOL*
If the company won't help, Resolver also helps you escalate your complaint to the free Financial Ombudsman Service.

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