# Starling vs iBanFirst

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.

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 29, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Starling | iBanFirst |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (2.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starling-mobile-banking/id956806430/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2.8K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 73.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 529 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [STARLING BANK LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/956806429) | [iBanFirst France](https://appshunter.io/developer/1596312487) |

## What reviewers say

### Starling

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starling-mobile-banking/id956806430)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


### iBanFirst

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ibanfirst/id6698870653)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Starling free?

Starling is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is iBanFirst free?

iBanFirst is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Starling or iBanFirst have ads?

Neither Starling nor iBanFirst shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Starling or iBanFirst?

Starling ships an update weekly, and iBanFirst fortnightly. Most recently, Starling was updated on October 29, 2026 and iBanFirst on October 19, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*