Softwr

Personal Finance · head to head

PocketGuard vs Starling Bank

PocketGuard logo

PocketGuard

Personal Finance

In Your Pocket personal finance

From
$6.25/month
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

  • Only Starling Bank has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: PocketGuard no free plan, only 7-day free trial; 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: PocketGuard covers Real-time spending alerts, 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 PocketGuard and Starling Bank actually diverge.

Attributes where PocketGuard and Starling Bank differ
AttributePocketGuardStarling Bank
Starting price$6.25/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionFree personal current account; business accounts have free and paid tiers
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidiOS, Android, Web
Founded2012Unknown

Identical on both: 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 PocketGuard

  • Real-time spending alerts
  • Budget tracking
  • Goal setting
  • Spending insights
  • Bank accounts
  • Credit cards
  • Web support
  • IOS 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.

PocketGuard

  • Tracking spending and bills against a personal budgetnot Starling Bank
  • Finding and cancelling recurring subscriptionsnot Starling Bank

Starling Bank

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

Where each one falls short

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

PocketGuard

  • No free plan, only 7-day free trial
  • Monthly subscription at $12.99/month costs $155.88 annually if not switched to annual billing
  • Lifetime plan at $149.99 is relatively expensive for personal finance software

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

PocketGuard

$6.25/month
  • Premium - Monthly$12.99/month
    • Budgeting tools
    • Expense tracking
    • Unlimited bank accounts
  • Premium - Annual$6.25/month
    • Same as monthly
    • $74.99 annual charge saves $81/year
  • Lifetime$149.99/one-time
    • All features
    • No recurring fees
    • Lifetime access

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 PocketGuard if

  • You need real-time spending alerts.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want budget tracking.
PocketGuard 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 PocketGuard or Starling Bank better?
Neither clearly leads. PocketGuard starts at $6.25/month and Starling Bank at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PocketGuard or Starling Bank?
Starling Bank has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $6.25/month for PocketGuard and Free for Starling Bank.
Does PocketGuard or Starling Bank run on more platforms?
PocketGuard runs on Web, IOS, Android. Starling Bank runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Starling Bank for free?
Yes. Starling Bank has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PocketGuard starts at $6.25/month.
What is PocketGuard best used for?
PocketGuard is most often used for tracking spending and bills against a personal budget, finding and cancelling recurring subscriptions. Of those, tracking spending and bills against a personal budget and finding and cancelling recurring subscriptions are not what Starling Bank is typically brought in for.
What can PocketGuard do that Starling Bank cannot?
PocketGuard covers Real-time spending alerts, Budget tracking, Goal setting, Spending insights. Starling Bank covers FSCS-protected deposits, Business banking suite, Fee-free foreign card spending, Savings Spaces.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PocketGuard: How much does PocketGuard cost?

PocketGuard Premium costs $12.99/month for monthly billing or $6.25/month when billed annually ($74.99/year). A one-time Lifetime plan is also available for $149.99.

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.

PocketGuard: Does PocketGuard offer a free trial?

Yes, PocketGuard offers a 7-day free trial with full access to all features. No credit card is required to start the trial.

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.

PocketGuard: What is the annual savings with PocketGuard's yearly plan?

PocketGuard's annual plan costs $74.99/year ($6.25/month), saving $81 per year compared to paying $12.99 monthly ($155.88/year).

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.

Share

Related pages

More on PocketGuard

More on Starling Bank

Keep looking

Other head to heads