Starling vs Revolut: Business Bank Account Comparison

Starling tends to suit UK-focused businesses that want free banking with a credit safety net built in. A closer look at how it holds up against a fintech-only rival is in our Tide vs Starling comparison.

What Revolut Is Designed For

Revolut Business is built for companies that regularly send, receive or hold money in more than one currency and are willing to pay a subscription for it.

Key Characteristics of Revolut

• Hold and exchange 25-plus currencies from one account, with a monthly fee-free FX allowance at the interbank rate

• Four paid tiers, Basic, Grow, Scale and Enterprise, each unlocking higher transfer and FX allowances

• Built-in invoicing, payment links and card payment acceptance across every plan

• Accounting integrations with Xero, Sage and QuickBooks on every plan, including Basic

• Corporate cards with individual spending controls, up to 50 virtual cards per team member

• Savings account paying up to 3.3% AER (variable) on Scale, none on Basic

• FSCS protection to £120,000 since Revolut Bank UK Ltd received its full UK banking licence in March 2026

Trade-Offs to Consider

• No free tier, and no sole trader eligibility at all

• No overdraft facility on any plan

• No cash or cheque deposits

• ATM withdrawals carry a 2% fee on every plan, with no free allowance

• FX allowances are modest on Basic, at £1,000 a month before a 0.6% fee applies (1% outside market hours)

Revolut typically appeals to businesses paying overseas suppliers or holding foreign-currency balances, where the subscription pays for itself in saved FX margin. Sole traders who want similar multi-currency tools should look at Revolut Pro rather than Revolut Business.

How They Charge

Starling Pricing

Starling's core account costs nothing, with no charge on UK transfers regardless of volume. Cash withdrawals are free up to six a day and £300 daily, while cash deposits at the Post Office cost 0.7% of the value, minimum £3. An arranged overdraft, available only to limited companies and LLPs, carries a 1.75% arrangement fee (minimum £50) and an EAR that typically lands around 11.50%, though it ranges from roughly 5% to 15% depending on risk assessment. Sending money abroad works out to 34 countries with no Starling transfer fee, though supplementary EUR and USD sub-accounts add a separate monthly charge.

A business making 100 UK transfers a month pays nothing extra on Starling. One relying heavily on an overdraft or holding several currencies will find the free account's limits more noticeable.

Revolut Pricing

Revolut Business has no free plan. Basic costs £10 a month and includes 10 free UK transfers, a £1,000 monthly FX allowance at the interbank rate, and no free international transfers. Grow costs from £30 a month (or less paid annually) and raises the FX allowance to £15,000, adds 100 free local transfers and 5 free international ones, and unlocks bulk payments and a savings rate of 2.15% AER. Scale, from £90 a month, pushes the FX allowance to £60,000, gives 1,000 free local transfers and 25 international ones, and pays 2.65% AER on savings. ATM withdrawals cost 2% on every tier, and card payment acceptance starts from 0.8% plus 2p per transaction.

A business converting £5,000 a month into other currencies will exceed Basic's £1,000 FX allowance within the first week and start paying the 0.6% overage fee, which usually makes Grow the more economical choice once international volume is regular.

For a wider look at what genuinely free UK business banking covers, our free business bank accounts guide breaks down the usual catches.

Starling vs Revolut: Pros and Cons Compared

Feature Comparison: Starling vs Revolut

Everyday Banking

• Payments and transfers: Starling's UK transfers are free at any volume. Revolut gives a free monthly allowance that scales by plan, then charges 20p per local transfer.

• Account access: Both are app-first with a UK sort code and account number, alongside desktop access.

• Business debit cards: Both include a debit card, with Revolut adding virtual and metal card options and Starling issuing a standard Mastercard debit card.

Invoicing and Admin

• Starling: Invoicing is included free, alongside spending categorisation and tax Spaces for setting money aside.

• Revolut: Invoicing and payment links are included on every plan, though payment acceptance carries a separate fee from 0.8% plus 2p per transaction.

Accounting Support

• Starling: Direct integrations with Xero, QuickBooks and FreeAgent, all free.

• Revolut: Integrations with Xero, Sage and QuickBooks on every plan, including Basic, giving it the edge for Sage-based accountants.

International Payments

• Starling: Sends payments to 34 countries with no Starling-side fee, though it isn't built as a multi-currency account and supplementary EUR/USD sub-accounts cost extra.

• Revolut: Holds and exchanges 25-plus currencies natively, with a monthly interbank-rate allowance that rises from £1,000 on Basic to £60,000 on Scale.

Savings

• Starling: A Business Saver account, with rates around 2.50% AER (variable), confirm the current rate at starlingbank.com before relying on it.

• Revolut: No savings account on Basic. Grow pays 2.15% AER, Scale 2.65% AER and Enterprise 3.3% AER, all variable.

Regulation and Protection

Starling and Revolut are both fully licensed UK banks today, though they arrived there on different timelines, and that history is worth understanding.

Starling Bank Limited has held a full UK banking licence since its founding, regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority. Eligible deposits are FSCS-protected up to £120,000.

Revolut operated for years as an e-money institution before Revolut Bank UK Ltd received its full UK banking licence in March 2026. Business deposits are now FSCS-protected up to £120,000, but only where the account sits with Revolut Bank UK Ltd rather than an e-money entity within the wider Revolut group. If deposit protection is a deciding factor, it's worth confirming directly in the app which entity your account is held with.

For more on how the current £120,000 threshold works across providers, see our guide to business bank accounts with built-in accounting.

Common Misconceptions About Starling and Revolut

"Revolut is a bank account for sole traders." It isn't. Revolut Business excludes sole traders entirely; they're directed instead to Revolut Pro, a separate product. Starling accepts sole traders on its standard business account.

"Starling and Revolut are free banks." Starling's core account has no monthly fee. Revolut Business has no free tier at all; its cheapest plan, Basic, costs £10 a month.

"Revolut and Starling offer overdrafts." Starling offers one, though only to limited companies and LLPs, not sole traders. Revolut doesn't offer an overdraft on any plan.

"FSCS protection is the same for both." Both cover eligible deposits to £120,000, but Revolut's protection depends on the account sitting with its banking entity, Revolut Bank UK Ltd, rather than an e-money entity elsewhere in the group.

"Revolut's FX allowance is unlimited." It's a monthly allowance at the interbank rate, not unlimited free exchange. Basic's £1,000 allowance is used up quickly by any business converting real volume, after which a 0.6% fee applies.

What Real Customers Say About Starling and Revolut

Starling's brand-wide Trustpilot rating sits at around 4.1 out of 5 from more than 45,000 reviews as of July 2026, though this figure blends personal and business customers rather than isolating business feedback. On the business-specific review platform Smart Money People, Starling scores considerably higher, around 4.83 out of 5 from over 7,600 reviews as of June 2026. Recurring praise covers ease of account opening, the quality of 24/7 phone support, and the app experience. The main recurring complaint is account restrictions during identity or compliance checks, a pattern common across regulated digital banks rather than unique to Starling.

Revolut's headline Trustpilot rating of around 4.7 out of 5 from over 370,000 reviews similarly spans the whole Revolut brand and is dominated by personal account customers, so it shouldn't be read as a business-account-specific score. Business-focused review samples point to similar themes: praise for fast international transfers, the multi-currency dashboard and card controls, set against recurring complaints about account freezes during compliance reviews and reliance on chat-only support for urgent issues.

Reddit sentiment for both broadly echoes this pattern: satisfaction with day-to-day use, and occasional frustration when an account is restricted mid-transaction during a routine check.

Who Should Consider Starling?

Starling may be a good fit if your business:

• Wants free UK banking with no subscription and no transfer fees

• Is a sole trader, freelancer, limited company or LLP

• Might need an overdraft as a limited company or LLP

• Values 24/7 phone support alongside in-app chat

• Deals mostly in GBP, with only occasional need to hold EUR or USD

If you're just starting, our startup business bank accounts guide covers other free-banking options worth comparing alongside Starling.

Who Should Consider Revolut?

Revolut may be better suited if you:

• Regularly send, receive or hold multiple currencies

• Want FX at interbank rates rather than a card provider's markup

• Need granular card controls across a growing team

• Already use Sage and want a direct integration from day one

• Are an incorporated company, since sole traders aren't eligible

FAQs About Starling and Revolut

Is Starling or Revolut better for a limited company?

Both accept UK limited companies. Starling suits companies that want free banking and the option of an overdraft, while Revolut suits companies with regular multi-currency activity who are prepared to pay a monthly subscription for it.

Can sole traders use Starling or Revolut?

Sole traders can open a Starling business account. Revolut Business doesn't accept sole traders at all; they're directed to the separate Revolut Pro product instead.

Can I get an overdraft with Starling or Revolut?

Starling offers an arranged overdraft to limited companies and LLPs, typically £1,000 to £50,000, but not to sole traders. Revolut doesn't offer an overdraft on any business plan.

Are Starling or Revolut accounts FSCS protected?

Both are, to £120,000. Starling's protection applies across its business account as a fully licensed bank. Revolut's applies when the account is held with Revolut Bank UK Ltd, its banking entity since March 2026, rather than an e-money entity elsewhere in the group.

Does Starling or Revolut offer free invoicing?

Both include invoicing at no extra software cost. Revolut charges separately for payment acceptance on invoices paid by card, from 0.8% plus 2p per transaction.

Does Revolut or Starling have better accounting software?

Revolut connects to Xero, Sage and QuickBooks on every plan. Starling connects to Xero, QuickBooks and FreeAgent, but not Sage directly. Choose based on which software your accountant actually uses.

Is Revolut Business free to open?

Opening an account itself doesn't cost anything, but there's no free ongoing plan. The cheapest tier, Basic, costs £10 a month regardless of usage.

Alternatives to Starling and Revolut

You may want to explore other business accounts if you:

• Are a sole trader who wants Revolut's multi-currency tools, since Revolut Pro rather than Revolut Business is the relevant product

• Want free banking with built-in invoicing on every plan and don't need a full banking licence, worth comparing against Tide

• Need a permanently free account with bundled accounting software, worth comparing against Mettle

• Trade heavily in cash and want fee-free deposits at a branch network

In these cases, it's worth comparing other business bank account providers, or seeing how Starling and Mettle stack up in our Starling vs Mettle comparison.

If you're switching from an existing account, our switching guide covers how the Current Account Switch Service works, noting that Revolut doesn't currently participate in it.