Personal Finance · head to head
Expense Manager vs Starling Bank
Starling Bank
Personal Finance
UK-licensed digital bank with FSCS-protected deposits, built and majority-owned without a US parent
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Expense Manager the Internet Archive's capture from 23 January 2022 shows expensemanagerapp.com already redirecting to a Dan.com 'domain name is for sale' listing rather than a product page, confirming the app's original domain has been abandoned and offered for resale.; 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: Expense Manager covers Expense tracking, 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 Expense Manager and Starling Bank actually diverge.
| Attribute | Expense Manager | Starling Bank |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | Free personal current account; business accounts have free and paid tiers |
| Platforms | IOS, Android | iOS, Android, Web |
| Founded | 2011 | Unknown |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Personal Finance).
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 Expense Manager
- Expense tracking
- Shared expenses
- Bill splitting
- Budgeting
- Cloud backup
- IOS support
- Android support
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.
Expense Manager
- Budget Managementnot Starling Bank
- Expense Trackingnot Starling Bank
- Investment Trackingnot Starling Bank
Starling Bank
- A UK resident wanting a free, fully licensed current account with FSCS deposit protectionnot Expense Manager
- A sole trader or small business wanting a business account with built-in invoicing rather than a separate accounting subscriptionnot Expense Manager
- A frequent traveller wanting fee-free card spending abroad on a UK-regulated accountnot Expense Manager
- A saver wanting goal-based Spaces sub-accounts without opening a separate savings productnot Expense Manager
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Expense Manager
- The Internet Archive's capture from 23 January 2022 shows expensemanagerapp.com already redirecting to a Dan.com 'domain name is for sale' listing rather than a product page, confirming the app's original domain has been abandoned and offered for resale.
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
Expense Manager
Free- FreeFree
- Expense tracking
- Shared expenses
- Pro$2.99/month
- Budget tracking
- Analytics
- CSV export
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 Expense Manager if
- You need expense tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on IOS, Android.
- You also want shared expenses.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Expense Manager or Starling Bank better?
- Neither clearly leads. Expense Manager 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, Expense Manager or Starling Bank?
- Expense Manager starts at Free and Starling Bank at Free.
- Does Expense Manager or Starling Bank run on more platforms?
- Expense Manager runs on IOS, Android. Starling Bank runs on iOS, Android, Web.
- Can I use Expense Manager for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Expense Manager best used for?
- Expense Manager is most often used for budget management, expense tracking, investment tracking. Of those, budget management and expense tracking are not what Starling Bank is typically brought in for.
- What can Expense Manager do that Starling Bank cannot?
- Expense Manager covers Expense tracking, Shared expenses, Bill splitting, Budgeting. Starling Bank covers FSCS-protected deposits, Business banking suite, Fee-free foreign card spending, Savings Spaces.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
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.
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.
Related pages
More on Expense Manager
More on Starling Bank
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