Softwr

Personal Finance · head to head

Money Manager vs Starling Bank

Money Manager logo

Money Manager

Personal Finance

Personal and household finance tracker

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: Money Manager databases created by version 1.4.x are not readable by current releases and produce the error MMEX database version 13 doesn't work with this MMEX version, requiring a manual conversion procedure; 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: Money 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 Money Manager and Starling Bank actually diverge.

Attributes where Money Manager and Starling Bank differ
AttributeMoney ManagerStarling Bank
Pricing modelopen-sourceFree personal current account; business accounts have free and paid tiers
PlatformsWindows, Mac, Linux, IOS, AndroidiOS, Android, Web
Founded2005Unknown

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 Money Manager

  • Expense tracking
  • Budget tracking
  • Reporting
  • Multi-currency support
  • Import/Export
  • CSV
  • Windows support
  • Mac 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.

Money Manager

  • Free desktop personal finance tracking on Windows, macOS and Linuxnot Starling Bank
  • Running a portable personal accounts file from removable media on Windowsnot Starling Bank
  • Categorising spending and reporting on personal accounts without a subscriptionnot Starling Bank

Starling Bank

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

Where each one falls short

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

Money Manager

  • Databases created by version 1.4.x are not readable by current releases and produce the error MMEX database version 13 doesn't work with this MMEX version, requiring a manual conversion procedure
  • Linux is supported only through Flatpak builds for aarch64 and x86_64
  • The download page states no system requirements, deferring them to a separate compatibility page
  • There is no vendor support contract; the project is distributed as open source with no paid tier

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

Money Manager

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Expense tracking
    • Budget management
    • Reports

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 Money Manager if

  • You need expense tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, Linux, IOS, Android.
  • You also want budget tracking.
Money Manager 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 Money Manager or Starling Bank better?
Neither clearly leads. Money 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, Money Manager or Starling Bank?
Money Manager starts at Free and Starling Bank at Free.
Does Money Manager or Starling Bank run on more platforms?
Money Manager runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, IOS, Android. Starling Bank runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Money Manager for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Money Manager best used for?
Money Manager is most often used for free desktop personal finance tracking on windows, macos and linux, running a portable personal accounts file from removable media on windows, categorising spending and reporting on personal accounts without a subscription. Of those, free desktop personal finance tracking on windows, macos and linux and running a portable personal accounts file from removable media on windows are not what Starling Bank is typically brought in for.
What can Money Manager do that Starling Bank cannot?
Money Manager covers Expense tracking, Budget tracking, Reporting, Multi-currency support. Starling Bank covers FSCS-protected deposits, Business banking suite, Fee-free foreign card spending, Savings Spaces.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Money Manager: How much does MoneyManager Ex cost?

MoneyManager Ex is completely free and open source software with no charges, subscriptions, or hidden fees of any kind.

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.

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.

Share

Related pages

More on Money Manager

More on Starling Bank

Keep looking

Other head to heads