Is Quicken or Starling Bank better?

Neither clearly leads. Quicken starts at $3.99/month and Starling Bank at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Quicken or Starling Bank?

Starling Bank has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $3.99/month for Quicken and Free for Starling Bank.

Does Quicken or Starling Bank run on more platforms?

Quicken runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS. 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. Quicken starts at $3.99/month.

What is Quicken best used for?

Quicken is most often used for individuals managing personal finances via quicken simplifi cloud app for budgeting and savings tracking, freelancers and self-employed managing business and personal finances via quicken business & personal plan, users preferring local data storage via classic desktop editions. Of those, individuals managing personal finances via quicken simplifi cloud app for budgeting and savings tracking and freelancers and self-employed managing business and personal finances via quicken business & personal plan are not what Starling Bank is typically brought in for.

What can Quicken do that Starling Bank cannot?

Quicken covers Budget creation, Bill management, Investment tracking, Tax planning. Starling Bank covers FSCS-protected deposits, Business banking suite, Fee-free foreign card spending, Savings Spaces.

Personal Finance · head to head

Quicken vs Starling Bank

Quicken

Personal Finance

Take control of your finances

From: $3.99/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

Starling Bank

Personal Finance

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

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Starling Bank has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Quicken promotional pricing available only for annual billing; higher rates apply for monthly billing; 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: Quicken covers Budget creation, 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 Quicken and Starling Bank actually diverge.

Attributes where Quicken and Starling Bank differ
Attribute	Quicken	Starling Bank
Starting price	$3.99/month	Free
Pricing model	subscription	Free personal current account; business accounts have free and paid tiers
Free tier	No	Yes
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS	iOS, Android, Web
Founded	1983	Unknown

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 Quicken

Budget creation
Bill management
Investment tracking
Tax planning
Bank accounts
Investment accounts
Credit cards
Windows 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.

Quicken

Individuals managing personal finances via Quicken Simplifi cloud app for budgeting and savings trackingnot Starling Bank
Freelancers and self-employed managing business and personal finances via Quicken Business & Personal plannot Starling Bank
Users preferring local data storage via Classic desktop editionsnot Starling Bank

Starling Bank

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

Where each one falls short

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

Quicken

Promotional pricing available only for annual billing; higher rates apply for monthly billing
Subscriptions auto-renew at current rates unless manually cancelled

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

Quicken

$3.99/month

Quicken Simplifi$3.99/month
- Billed annually at promotional rate
- Regular price $6.99/month
- Mobile and web access
Quicken Business & Personal$4.99/month
- Billed annually at promotional rate
- Regular price $8.99/month
- Mobile and web 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 Quicken if

You need budget creation.
You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
You also want bill management.

Quicken 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 Quicken or Starling Bank better?: Neither clearly leads. Quicken starts at $3.99/month and Starling Bank at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Quicken or Starling Bank?: Starling Bank has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $3.99/month for Quicken and Free for Starling Bank.
Does Quicken or Starling Bank run on more platforms?: Quicken runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS. 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. Quicken starts at $3.99/month.
What is Quicken best used for?: Quicken is most often used for individuals managing personal finances via quicken simplifi cloud app for budgeting and savings tracking, freelancers and self-employed managing business and personal finances via quicken business & personal plan, users preferring local data storage via classic desktop editions. Of those, individuals managing personal finances via quicken simplifi cloud app for budgeting and savings tracking and freelancers and self-employed managing business and personal finances via quicken business & personal plan are not what Starling Bank is typically brought in for.
What can Quicken do that Starling Bank cannot?: Quicken covers Budget creation, Bill management, Investment tracking, Tax planning. Starling Bank covers FSCS-protected deposits, Business banking suite, Fee-free foreign card spending, Savings Spaces.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Quicken: How much does Quicken cost?

Quicken Simplifi starts at $3.99/month (billed annually) or $6.99/month (monthly billing). Quicken Business & Personal costs $4.99/month (annual) or $8.99/month (monthly). Annual billing offers savings versus monthly subscriptions.

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.

Quicken: What is the difference between Quicken Simplifi and Quicken Business & Personal?

Quicken Business & Personal includes the ability to run up to 10 businesses at no extra cost, making it suitable for freelancers and small business owners. Quicken Simplifi is designed for personal finance and couples. Both are available on mobile and web.

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.

Quicken: Can I cancel my Quicken subscription anytime?

Subscriptions auto-renew at then-current rates unless cancelled. The page indicates cancellation is possible but does not specify the cancellation process or any early termination fees.

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.

Quicken vs Starling Bank

Quicken

Starling Bank

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Quicken

Only in Starling Bank

What people use each for

Quicken

Starling Bank

Where each one falls short

Quicken

Starling Bank

Pricing, plan by plan

Quicken

Starling Bank

Which should you pick?

Choose Quicken if

Choose Starling Bank if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Quicken

More on Starling Bank

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