Comparison

Starling vs Skipton by invite

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

Head to head
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.

About

Skipton by invite

Manage your savings, mortgages, and open new accounts securely. Access statements, view balances, and make transactions on the go. Designed for existing and new customers to simplify their financial management.

Highlights
  • Secure login with biometrics or PIN
  • Access statements and documents
  • View account balances and transaction history
  • Open savings and ISA accounts
  • Manage mortgage details and repayments
  • Make withdrawals and manage payments
Features
Read full description

Introducing Skipton by invite app. Whether you’re new to Skipton or already have accounts with us, the Skipton app makes it simple to get started. Join Skipton and open an account directly in the app, or register to securely access and manage your existing mortgage or savings accounts. We’ll keep adding new features designed for our members. · Log in quickly and securely using fingerprint, face ID, or PIN · View your contact details · Access your statements and important documents · View your account balance, interest details and more · View transaction history · Open easy access, fixed rate bond and ISA accounts · View member rewards and exclusive member rates · Edit your address details Mortgage accounts · Sign up directly via the app to access your mortgage accounts. You’ll need your personal email address, mobile number and valid photo ID to get started · View your repayment amount, method, and overpayment allowance · Access Early Repayment Charge details · Get clear information on how to make your mortgage repayment Savings accounts · Get clear information on how to pay into your account · Make a withdrawal to a nominated account(s) · Add a new nominated account · Manage scheduled payments · Create and view interest statements · Move money between accounts · Submit a maturity instruction For more information visit https://www.skipton.co.uk/help-and-support/our-app-and-skipton-online/our-new-app The device uses performance cookies for internal purposes to help us improve the app. You can choose to opt out of this at any time in the app settings menu. To read Skipton Building Society’s cookie policy go to https://www.skipton.co.uk/cookie-policy To read Skipton Building Society’s privacy policy go to https://www.skipton.co.uk/privacy-policy Skipton Building Society is a member of the Building Societies Association. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority, under registration number 153706, for accepting deposits, advising on and arranging mortgages and providing Restricted financial advice. Principal Office, The Bailey, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 1DN

Screenshots

Starling4 screens
Skipton by invite4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Starling at 74% against Skipton by invite's 16%. Starling also leads on rating (4.9 vs 1.8) and ratings volume (2.8K vs 4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Starling holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Starling has 2.8K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of Starling's written reviews are positive against 16% of Skipton by invite's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Starling ships an update weekly, Skipton by invite fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Starling versus Skipton by invite: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStarlingSkipton by invite
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (2.8K ratings) — better1.8 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews74.5% of reviews — better16.3% of reviews
Number of ratings2.8K — better4
Update frequencyWeekly — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size561 MB131 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSTARLING BANK LIMITEDSkipton Building Society

Customer experience

Starling

All ratings2,808 ratings
Positive97.4%
Neutral0.9%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews1,638 reviews
Positive74.5%
Neutral4.1%
Negative21.4%

Skipton by invite

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews92 reviews
Positive16.3%
Neutral4.3%
Negative79.3%

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
Show 2 more
  • Daily balance history view
  • Ability to split transactions into categories

Skipton by invite

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Starling

No in-app purchases

None

Skipton by invite

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Starling free?
Starling is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Skipton by invite free?
Skipton by invite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Starling or Skipton by invite?
Starling is rated higher. Starling averages 4.9 out of 5 from 2.8K ratings, while Skipton by invite averages 1.8 from 4 ratings.
Do Starling or Skipton by invite have ads?
Neither Starling nor Skipton by invite shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Starling or Skipton by invite?
Starling ships an update weekly, and Skipton by invite fortnightly. Most recently, Starling was updated on November 12, 2026 and Skipton by invite on November 8, 2026.

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