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Starling Bank VS Monese: Business Banking Review & Fee Comparison


By: Ian Wright | Last Updated: May 22, 2025

Is Starling Bank or Monese better for your small business?



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Below we look at both Starling Bank and Monese reviews on Trustpilot along with their App reviews from Apple and Google.

We then look at typical fees, business savings rates, foreign currency options and a whole bunch of other account features to help you make up your mind.

Starling Bank Homepage
Starling Bank Homepage


Monese Homepage
Monese Homepage
 

Starling Bank vs Monese Trustpilot Reviews

Starling BankMonese
Trustpilot Review Score (out of 5)4.34.3
Percent 5-Star Reviews76%68%
Percent 1- Star Reviews11%17%
Total Number of Reviews38,86940,330
Sources:
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/starlingbank.com
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.monese.com

Starling Bank vs Monese App Reviews

Starling BankMonese
iPhone Review Score (out of 5)4.94.8
Number of iPhone Reviews477,50068,100
Android Review Score (out of 5)4.54.5
Number of Android Reviews114,000101,000
Sources:
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/starling-bank-mobile-banking/id956806430
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/monese-a-banking-alternative/id1102793407

Starling Bank vs Monese Account Fees & Charges

Starling BankMonese
Free Business Bank AccountYesNo
Free Business Account Term LengthNo LimitNA
Cheapest Monthly Account FeeNo£5.95
Most Expensive Monthly Account FeeNo£14.95
Electronic Payment Cost (in/out)FreeFree
Cash Payments Cost (in/out)0.70%3.5% / 2%
Cheques (in/out)FreeFree
CHAPS Payments Cost£20No
SEPA Payments CostNoNo

Starling Bank vs Monese Business Savings Rates

Starling BankMonese
Types of Business Savings AccountsNoneNone
Lowest Savings Rate (AER)NANA
Maximum Savings Rate (AER)NANA
Minimum Savings AmountNoNA
Interest Paid On Foreign CurrenciesYesYes
 

Starling Bank vs Monese Account Opening Times

Starling BankMonese
Can You Apply Online?YesYes
How Long Does Opening An
Account Typically Take?
1 to 5 Working days1 day
Do They Check Your Credit?YesNo
Current Account Switch ServiceYesYes

Starling Bank vs Monese Features & Account Types

Starling Bank Account Types
Starling Bank Features & Account Types


Monese Account Types
Monese Features & Account Types


Starling BankMonese
Business Current AccountYesYes
Business Savings AccountYesNo
Business Credit CardNoNo
Business OverdraftYesNo
Accounts For StartupsYesYes
Accounts For CharitiesYesNo
Accounts For Sole TradersYesYes
Joint Business Accounts AvailableYesYes
Card TypeMastercardMastercard
Online BankingYesYes
Mobile BankingYesYes
In Person/Branch BankingYesNo
Branch LocationsNone, but can use post office locations for some servicesNone, online only

Starling Bank vs Monese Customer Support Options

Starling BankMonese
Phone Support AvailableYesYes
Email Support AvailableYesYes
App Based Support YesYes
Web Based SupportYesYes
In person Customer SupportYesNo

Starling Bank vs Monese Foreign Currency Accounts

Starling BankMonese
US Dollar (USD) Bank AccountsYesYes
Euro (EUR) Bank AccountsYesYes
Other Currencies Available:
  • CAD (Canadian Dollar)
  • EUR (Euro)
  • USD (United States Dollar)
  • AUD (Australian Dollar)
  • CAD (Canadian Dollar)
  • CHF (Swiss Franc)
  • DKK (Danish Krone)
  • NOK (Norwegian Krone)
  • SEK (Swedish Krona)

Other Business Services From Starling Bank and Monese

Starling Bank Account Types
Other Starling Bank Services


Monese Account Types
Other Monese Services


Starling BankMonese
Business LoansYesNo
Commercial MortgagesNoNo
Invoice FinancingNoNo
International PaymentsYesYes
Merchant Payment ServicesYesNo
Card MachinesYesNo
Free Accounting SoftwareNoNo

Starling Bank vs Monese Banking Basics

Starling BankMonese
Bank TypeChallengerChallenger
FSCS ProtectionYes, up to £85,000No
FCA Number730166900960
WebsiteStarling Bank WebsiteMonese Website

Common Comparison Questions

Does Starling Bank or Monese have better customer reviews?

Starling Bank scores 4.3 out of 5 based 38,869 Trustpilot reviews. Of these reviews 76% are 5-star and 11% are 1-star.

Whereas, Monese scores 4.3 out of 5 based 40,330 Trustpilot reviews. Of which 68% are 5-star and 17% are 1-star.

Does Starling Bank or Monese have a better App?

Starling Bank’s iPhone App is rated 4.9 out of 5 based on 477,500 reviews. And it’s Android App is rated 4.5 out of 5 based on 114,000 reviews.

In comparison, Monese’s iPhone App is rated 4.8 out of 5 based on 68,100 reviews. And it’s Android App is rated 4.5 out of 5 based on 101,000 reviews.

Does Starling Bank or Monese have better business savings rates?

Starling Bank offers the following types of business savings accounts: None with interest rates ranging from NA to NA. (AER)

In contrast, Monese offers None accounts with interest rates ranging from NA to NA (AER).

See Other Comparisons:
Starling Bank vs Saffron Building Society
Starling Bank vs OakNorth
Starling Bank vs Airwallex
Starling Bank vs Triodos Bank
Starling Bank vs Soldo


For other business bank accounts see our guide here.

 



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