Comparison

HMRC vs Starling

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

HMRC

Manage your taxes, benefits, and savings securely and easily. This free app allows you to check your tax code, claim refunds, and manage National Insurance details. It offers quick setup and paperless messaging options.

Highlights
  • Quick setup with biometric login
  • Check tax code and pay
  • Claim tax refunds
  • Check State Pension details
  • Make Self Assessment payments
  • Manage Child Benefit
  • Find National Insurance number
  • Go paperless
Features
Read full description

Take control of your money and tax with the HMRC app It’s secure, free to download, and easy to use. Get on it, and join millions of people already saving time with the HMRC app. Key Features: - Quick setup: sign in using face recognition, fingerprint scan, or a six-digit PIN - Stay in control: check your tax code and see your pay before it even shows in your bank, so you know you're paying the right amount - Claim a tax refund: find out if you’re due any tax back from us and quickly claim a refund if you’re owed one - Check your State Pension: see how much State Pension you could get, when you can get it and how to increase it, if you can - Self Assessment: a safe and secure way to make Self Assessment payments and get information you'll need to file - Child Benefit support: claim, manage, and update your Child Benefit details - National Insurance: find and save your National Insurance number so you have it when you need it - Go paperless: opt to receive key messages from HMRC online Download the HMRC app today and stay on top of your money and taxes

About

Starling

A digital banking app offering free personal and business accounts with robust security features and 24/7 UK-based customer support. Manage all your finances, from everyday spending to savings and bills, all from your phone.

Highlights
  • Free personal and business accounts
  • Joint and under-16 accounts
  • Habit-building savings tools (Spaces)
  • 24/7 UK customer support
  • Advanced security controls
  • Fee-free spending abroad
  • Instant transaction notifications
Features
Read full description

Best-in-class banking, designed for your phone and life in the 2020s. Our free, habit-building bank accounts help millions of people be good with money. Apply for a free bank account directly from your phone – in minutes. Industry-leading digital banking security. • 24/7 UK-based customer support from real people. • Manage your account security with simple controls in the app. • FSCS protection up to £120,000. • Verify if it’s us calling you, with call status indicators in the app. One app. Everyday banking. From personal to joint to business banking, bring your finances under one roof: • Personal account: Spend, organise, save with the habit-building bank account. • Joint account: Bills, budgets or just getting brunch: it’s better together. • Business account: Pay no monthly fees, 24/7 UK customer support and free invoicing and accounting tools. • Under 16s: The free debit card for kids, managed from your account. • Student account: Budget with Spaces, spend abroad with no fees and apply for an interest-free overdraft. Easy mobile banking that just works. • Branchless and fully online. • Open and manage your account entirely from your phone. • Spend abroad like a local with no fees from us. • Get an instant notification every time you spend or receive money. Build life-changing habits with game-changing features. • Organise your finances by setting money aside into virtual ‘change jars’, aka Spaces. • Get instant notifications every time you spend. On holiday? Get notifications in both currencies. • Put your bills on autopilot so you only spend what’s actually available. • Make every penny count by rounding up payments to the nearest pound. • Get a clearer picture of your spending with our AI-powered features. Starling Bank Limited (trading as Starling) is registered in England and Wales (No. 09092149), 5th Floor London Fruit And Wool Exchange, 1 Duval Square, London, United Kingdom, E1 6PW. We are authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under registration number 730166.

Screenshots

HMRC4 screens
Starling4 screens

Verdict

The call

HMRC and Starling both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 74% of Starling's written reviews are positive against 49% of HMRC's. Starling also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and ratings volume (2.8K vs 609). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for HMRC against 4.9 for Starling. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 609 and 2.8K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 49% of HMRC's written reviews are positive against 74% of Starling's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HMRC ships an update monthly, Starling weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
HMRC versus Starling: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHMRCStarling
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (609 ratings)4.9 (2.8K ratings) — better
Positive reviews48.7% of reviews74.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6092.8K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB561 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHMRCSTARLING BANK LIMITED

Customer experience

HMRC

All ratings607 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral1.6%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews914 reviews
Positive48.7%
Neutral4.7%
Negative46.6%

Starling

All ratings2,808 ratings
Positive97.4%
Neutral0.9%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews1,588 reviews
Positive74.1%
Neutral4.1%
Negative21.8%

User reviews

HMRC

From 609 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Straightforward payment process
  • 💡 Useful information and updates
  • 🔒 Secure authentication

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent login issues and app crashes
  • 🤔 Confusing navigation and UI
  • ⚠️ Lack of communication about tax changes
  • 🕰️ Slow and unresponsive app

Starling

From 2.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use app
  • 🚀 Instant transactions
  • 🔒 Secure banking
  • 💡 Useful features like Spaces
  • 👍 Excellent customer service

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes and freezes
  • 🔒 Overly strict security measures
  • 💰 Fees for cash deposits
  • 🚫 Inability to open certain account types
  • 🚫 Declined payments with no explanation

Bugs and requests

HMRC

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Endless login loops and redirects
  • App freezing and becoming unresponsive
  • Inconsistent behavior after app updates
  • Issues with Face ID and biometric authentication

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved notification system for tax updates
  • Ability to view and manage tax details in-app
  • Better integration with banking apps for payments
  • More user-friendly design and navigation

Starling

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login issues after phone updates
  • Inability to record video for verification
  • App crashes on certain devices
  • Delayed or failed money transfers

Requested features

7 requests
  • Joint account cards with different designs
  • Ability to set up automatic transfers to savings
  • More customization options for Spaces
  • Integration with password managers
  • Showing pending payments in balance
Show 2 more
  • Daily balance history view
  • Ability to split transactions into categories

In-app purchases

None

HMRC

No in-app purchases

None

Starling

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HMRC free?
HMRC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Starling free?
Starling is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, HMRC or Starling?
Starling is rated higher. HMRC averages 4.8 out of 5 from 609 ratings, while Starling averages 4.9 from 2.8K ratings.
Do HMRC or Starling have ads?
Neither HMRC nor Starling shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HMRC or Starling?
HMRC ships an update monthly, and Starling weekly. Most recently, HMRC was updated on November 6, 2026 and Starling on November 9, 2026.

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