Starling vs iBanFirst
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Starling
Manage personal, business, and joint finances with a seamless mobile banking experience. Enjoy fee-free international transactions, advanced budgeting tools, and secure, human support. It offers features for individuals, families, and businesses, making banking simple and satisfying.
- Fee-free overseas spending and ATM withdrawals
- Virtual 'Spaces' for saving and budgeting
- Real-time payment notifications and spending insights
- Automated bill management
- Seamless international money transfers
- Digital cheque deposits
- 24/7 in-app human support
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Our personal, business and joint accounts make managing your money as seamless, simple and satisfying as it should be in 2026. It's why we're the Which? Recommended Provider for a seventh year in a row. Apply for a bank account online in minutes - for free - from your phone, and join the millions who have already discovered the better way to bank. What's in it for you? No overseas fees • We won't charge you a penny for using your card abroad, or for withdrawing cash at an ATM. • We'll give you the Mastercard exchange rate, and won't add anything on top. • Get notifications in the local currency, and in GBP. Better budgeting • Use Spaces to set money aside in a virtual change jar. Personalise with pictures, set a target, and track your progress. • Get instant payment notifications and track your balance in real-time • Learn where your money goes, and how to make savings, with Spending Insights • Use Bills Manager to set aside money for your bills. It means your main balance will only show you what's actually available for day-to-day spending. • Save on autopilot - automatically round up payments to the nearest pound and put away the spare change. Pay and get paid seamlessly • Owed money? Send a simple link to get paid back. • Enjoy easy international transfers to 34 countries from your app – no hidden fees or exchange rate markups • Pay people instantly in-app – no fiddly card reader needed • Deposit cheques digitally from your phone and pay in cash at the Post Office. Keep your money safe • Your money is covered up to £120,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme • With 24/7 in-app support from real humans in the UK, we're always here to help • Lock your card in-app and turn settings on and off, such as contactless, online, gambling and swipe payments Business banking No monthly fees. Get mobile and web banking access, 24/7 support and simplified accounting. Deposit cash at the Post Office from as little as £3, and deposit cheques in-app by taking a photo. Automate your expenses, ring-fence money for bills, keep track of invoices with instant payment notifications and spot where your business is spending with smart analytics. Voted Most Innovative Business Bank at RFI UK Banking & Finance Awards 2026. The joint bank account Manage collective household expenses or set aside money together; our joint account simplifies shared spending. Get instant payment notifications, track your spending with Insights, budget together and make important payments from one account. Banking for the whole family, all in one app Under 16s is our free debit card and app for 6-15 year olds. It's built seamlessly into the adult's Starling account (personal or joint) for better visibility and control. 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.
iBanFirst
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With the iBanFirst App, you can securely access your global financial transactions anytime, anywhere. iBanFirst is a cross-border payment provider specialising in international transactions and FX risk management for small and medium-sized businesses. We offer transparent, secure and fast international payments in 146 currencies. The iBanFirst App adds an additional layer of security to your iBanFirst account, protecting your sensitive financial data and international transactions with two-factor authentication (2FA). So you have complete control over your business transactions thanks to push notifications or time-based codes! With iBanFirst App : - Connect to your iBanFirst account in just a few clicks - Enhance your iBanFirst account security with Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) allowing you to approve or deny login attempts instantly through push notifications, time-based codes or face/touch ID Download the iBanFirst App today and secure your international transactions in no time!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Starling at weekly against iBanFirst's fortnightly. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Starling ships an update weekly, iBanFirst fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Starling | iBanFirst |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (2.8K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 73.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2.8K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 529 MB | 41 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | STARLING BANK LIMITED | iBanFirst France |
Bugs and requests
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
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- Daily balance history view
- Ability to split transactions into categories
iBanFirst
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Starling
No in-app purchases
iBanFirst
No in-app purchases









