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Accounting · head to head

Chargebee vs Starling Bank

Chargebee logo

Chargebee

Accounting

Subscription billing & revenue management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Starling Bank logo

Starling Bank

Personal Finance

UK-licensed digital bank with FSCS-protected deposits, built and majority-owned without a US parent

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Chargebee priced as a percentage of billing, 0.80 percent on pay-as-you-go or 0.65 percent plus $99 a month on the committed plan, so the fee rises with revenue; Starling Bank as a UK-only bank, customers wanting broad multi-currency holding, international transfers or in-app investing will need a separate product, since Starling's feature set stays deliberately focused on core banking.
  • They diverge on capability: Chargebee covers Subscription management, Starling Bank covers FSCS-protected deposits.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chargebee and Starling Bank actually diverge.

Attributes where Chargebee and Starling Bank differ
AttributeChargebeeStarling Bank
Pricing modelusage-basedFree personal current account; business accounts have free and paid tiers
PlatformsWeb, ApiiOS, Android, Web
CategoryAccountingPersonal Finance
Founded2011Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Chargebee

  • Subscription management
  • Recurring billing
  • Revenue recognition
  • Dunning management
  • Checkout pages
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • Salesforce

Only in Starling Bank

  • FSCS-protected deposits
  • Business banking suite
  • Fee-free foreign card spending
  • Savings Spaces
  • Joint accounts
  • Starling mortgages

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Chargebee

  • Subscription billingnot Starling Bank
  • Revenue operationsnot Starling Bank
  • Pricing experimentationnot Starling Bank

Starling Bank

  • A UK resident wanting a free, fully licensed current account with FSCS deposit protectionnot Chargebee
  • A sole trader or small business wanting a business account with built-in invoicing rather than a separate accounting subscriptionnot Chargebee
  • A frequent traveller wanting fee-free card spending abroad on a UK-regulated accountnot Chargebee
  • A saver wanting goal-based Spaces sub-accounts without opening a separate savings productnot Chargebee

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Chargebee

  • Priced as a percentage of billing, 0.80 percent on pay-as-you-go or 0.65 percent plus $99 a month on the committed plan, so the fee rises with revenue
  • Split into four separate product lines, Billing, CPQ, RevRec and Growth, each with its own tiers and most quote-only
  • CPQ Lite is free only for the first 50 quotes
  • Revenue recognition pricing is demo-only
  • Enterprise Plus requires an annual commitment

Starling Bank

  • As a UK-only bank, customers wanting broad multi-currency holding, international transfers or in-app investing will need a separate product, since Starling's feature set stays deliberately focused on core banking.
  • Business account paid tiers add a monthly fee for features that some competitors bundle for free, so cost comparison against other business banking options should account for the tier actually needed, not the free entry point.
  • Like other app-first banks, Starling has very limited physical presence, which is a real limitation for customers needing to deposit cash or prefer in-person service.
  • Mortgage lending is limited to buy-to-let through a subsidiary rather than a full residential mortgage range, so it is not a one-stop option for a typical homebuyer.
  • Interest rates on savings Spaces and any lending products are set individually and can change, so the specific rate should be checked at the time of opening rather than assumed from marketing.

Pricing, plan by plan

Chargebee

Free
  • Flow (Billing)Free
    • Usage-based billing: $0.80% for first $20K invoicing volume
    • Then $99 + 0.65% for higher volumes
    • Includes 100M usage events per month
  • CPQ LiteFree
    • Free for first 50 quotes
  • Growth (Starter)Free
    • Free exclusively for Chargebee Billing customers

Starling Bank

Free
  • Personal current accountFree
    • Free current account with FSCS-protected deposits
    • Fee-free foreign currency card spending
    • No monthly account fee
  • Business Toolkit$7/month
    • Integrated invoicing and expense categorisation
    • Multiple sub-accounts (Spaces) for tax and VAT setting-aside
    • Accounting software integrations

Which should you pick?

Choose Chargebee if

  • You need subscription management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want recurring billing.
Chargebee review

Choose Starling Bank if

  • You need fscs-protected deposits.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want business banking suite.
Starling Bank review

Questions people ask

Is Chargebee or Starling Bank better?
Neither clearly leads. Chargebee starts at Free and Starling Bank at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chargebee or Starling Bank?
Chargebee starts at Free and Starling Bank at Free.
Does Chargebee or Starling Bank run on more platforms?
Chargebee runs on Web, Api. Starling Bank runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Chargebee for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Chargebee best used for?
Chargebee is most often used for subscription billing, revenue operations, pricing experimentation. Of those, subscription billing and revenue operations are not what Starling Bank is typically brought in for.
What can Chargebee do that Starling Bank cannot?
Chargebee covers Subscription management, Recurring billing, Revenue recognition, Dunning management. Starling Bank covers FSCS-protected deposits, Business banking suite, Fee-free foreign card spending, Savings Spaces.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Chargebee: What does Chargebee Billing cost?

Chargebee Billing (Flow plan) starts free with usage-based fees: 0.80% for the first $20K in monthly invoicing volume, then $99 monthly + 0.65% for higher volumes. Includes 100M usage events per month.

Source
Starling Bank: Is Starling Bank a real bank?

Yes, Starling Bank Limited holds a full UK banking licence and is regulated by the FCA and PRA, the same framework as traditional UK banks.

Chargebee: Can I try Chargebee for free?

Yes. Chargebee Billing Flow plan starts at $0 with usage-based fees. CPQ Lite is free for the first 50 quotes. Growth (Starter) is free for Chargebee Billing customers.

Source
Starling Bank: Are deposits protected if Starling fails?

Eligible deposits are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme up to 85,000 pounds per eligible person, the same statutory protection as other UK banks.

Chargebee: How much does Chargebee's advanced modules cost?

RevRec and Enterprise CPQ require booking a demo or requesting a quote. No list pricing is published for these modules.

Source
Starling Bank: Is Starling good for a small business?

It has a well regarded business banking product with integrated invoicing and accounting software links, commonly used by UK sole traders and small companies.

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