Starling Bank

Who they are

Starling Bank was founded as a digital challenger bank by Anne Boden in January 2014. Boden is the first female founder of a UK bank - a notable milestone in an industry that was long overdue for fresh thinking. The company received its banking licence from the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority in July 2016 , and launched its beta for personal current accounts in March 2017.

The premise was straightforward: build a proper bank from scratch on modern technology, rather than trying to bolt new features onto legacy systems. Starling does not have physical branches, but for customers who want to deposit cash into their accounts, it has partnered with the Post Office to offer services in branches and other designated locations across the UK.

In May 2025, Starling Bank announced that it was the first challenger bank to be profitable for the fourth year in a row, with pre-tax profit of £280.0 million on revenues of £714.0 million. That kind of financial stability matters when you're choosing where to keep your money.

The current account

Starling is primarily a current account, and it has built a strong reputation around day-to-day banking rather than headline savings rates. The app draws regular praise for real-time notifications, in-app spending insights, and the Spaces feature, which lets you ring-fence money for specific goals without opening separate accounts. Starling has also introduced AI-driven tools such as Spending Intelligence as part of its ongoing product development.

For travel, Starling is consistently ranked among the best. It applies Mastercard exchange rates with no foreign transaction fees, making it a reliable card to take abroad without worrying about hidden costs.

Starling offers personal, joint, business, and teen accounts with no monthly fees on personal accounts. The business account in particular has earned a following among freelancers and sole traders for its accounting integrations and no-fee structure.

Savings accounts

At the time of writing, DepositScout does not have any dedicated savings products listed for Starling Bank. That means if maximising interest on your savings pot is the priority, you may want to look at what other providers are currently offering alongside your Starling current account. Rates across the market move frequently, so the live tables on this page are the place to check.

Your money is protected

Starling Bank is a UK-regulated bank, fully authorised by the FCA and PRA. Unlike some challenger banks, Starling holds a full banking licence, which means customer deposits are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to £85,000 per depositor. Starling operates under its own licence and does not share it with another brand, so your full £85,000 allowance sits with Starling alone.

Is it right for you?

Starling suits people who want a well-built, no-faff current account with a strong app, genuinely useful features, and a bank that has proven it can stand on its own two feet financially. If you travel regularly, it is particularly hard to fault. Where it is less compelling is for pure savings: there are no bonus rates or dedicated savings products on our radar right now.

The best approach for many savers is to use Starling as their main current account and pair it with a separate savings account that is working harder for them. Use the live rate tables on this page to see what is available today.