Best savings apps in the UK – how to build a savings pot using your smartphone

3 min Read Published: 04 Mar 2024

The best savings account apps in the uk

Building up a sizeable savings pot can seem almost impossible at times. Often, the biggest hurdles are understanding your finances and knowing exactly how much you can put aside.

Luckily, apps like Starling Bank* and Plum* can automate this process, providing a safe, simple, and stress-free approach to saving money. In this article, we look at the best savings apps in the UK and provide a summary of their best features.

Best free apps to help you build savings

(That connect to your existing bank account)

Below is a list of apps that can help you to save money by connecting to your existing bank account. The apps analyse your spending habits and can automatically put money aside using an artificial intelligence-backed algorithm. If you choose to save with any of the below apps, your money is saved in an account with the app, and not with your bank.

PlumPlum* - Great for savings targets

  • Rounds up transactions to the nearest pound and saves the change
  • Set savings goals
  • Can adjust savings amounts based on 'moods'
  • Easily withdraw your money when goals are reached
  • Earn interest on savings with an Easy Access Interest Pocket
  • 4.4 out of 5.0 Trustpilot score based on more than 5,800 reviews
  • No FSCS protection on the main Plum account (Primary Pocket) but money in the Easy-Access pockets is protected by the FSCS

Check out our independent Plum review for more information.


moneybox reviewMoneybox - Great for saving for your first home

  • Save as you spend with the round-up savings feature
  • Start saving with just £1
  • Choose between a Cash ISA, Simple Saver or 32, 45, 95 and 120-day notice accounts
  • Save for retirement or your first home with a Lifetime ISA
  • Earn interest on your savings
  • 4.4 out of 5.0 Trustpilot score based on more than 1,800 reviews
  • FSCS protection

Check out our independent Moneybox review for more information.

Apps that charge a fee to build savings

The following apps allow you to build your savings but charge a fee for doing so. You can save money by connecting your bank account to the app and saving money into an account with the app or one of its recommended partner accounts.

Chip

Chip* - Great for automatic saving

  • Analyses your spending and suggests amounts to save every 4 days
  • Save without thinking using Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • £0.45 charge per autosave with its free account
  • £0.25 charge per recurring save with its free account
  • 0.5% annual platform fee to invest with its free account
  • Earn interest on your savings with Chip's Instant Access, Easy Access and Notice accounts
  • Set savings goals
  • Withdraw money at any time (excluding money saved in the Notice account)
  • 3.8 out of 5.0 Trustpilot score based on more than 1,600 reviews
  • Money held in Chip savings and investment accounts are FSCS protected

Check out our independent Chip review.

Build up savings with an app-only bank account

(Requires you to open a new bank account)

App-only banks allow you to save money via the app and even allow you to save whilst spending if you hold a current account with them. Below we have listed banks that have similar features to the savings apps listed above. As they are fully-fledged bank accounts, you also have the reassurance that your money is protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, excluding Revolut which is not yet a UK-registered bank account. For more app-only banks that offer handy saving and budgeting features within the same account that you bank with, check out our article 'The best app-only bank in the UK'.

Starling Starling Bank* - Great for round-up saving

  • Set savings goals using the Savings Spaces
  • Save in separate pots
  • Round up spare change from spending transactions
  • Analyse spending habits
  • Earn 3.25% interest on current account balances up to £5,000
  • Earn 5% interest with the Fixed Saver
  • 4.3 out of 5.0 based on more than 39,000 reviews

Check out our independent Starling Bank review for more information.


MonzoMonzo - Great for competitive interest rates

  • Set savings goals
  • Easily withdraw money
  • Round up spare change
  • Save with a fixed account and earn up to 5.42% in interest
  • Save with an easy access savings account and earn up to 4.50% interest
  • 3.9 out of 5.0 based on more than 31,000 Trustpilot reviews

Check out our independent Monzo review for more information.


revolut savings app

Revolut - Great for saving in different currencies

  • Set savings goals
  • Daily interest on GBP savings
  • Deposit lump sums or regular amounts
  • FSCS protection on savings (money held in a Revolut primary account is not FSCS protected)
  • Round up spare change
  • Save in multiple currencies
  • 4.2 out of 5.0 based on more than 149,000 Trustpilot reviews
  • Not a UK-registered bank

Check out our independent Revolut review for more information.


chase bank cashback

Chase Bank* - Great for cashback

  • Create separate current accounts to save
  • Round up spare change
  • Earn 5% interest on your round-up savings
  • Earn 4.10% interest on a Chase saver account
  • Earn 1% cashback on your daily spending
  • 4.2 out of 5.0 based on more than 8,500 Trustpilot reviews
  • FSCS protection

Find out more in our independent Chase Bank review.

Additional savings advice

Looking for more ways to save? Check out our round-up of the best savings accounts in the UK or the best cash saving platforms in the UK. Alternatively, try our top 25 money-saving tips that could save you thousands.

 

 

If a link has an * beside it this means that it is an affiliated link. If you go via the link Money to the Masses may receive a small fee which helps keep Money to the Masses free to use. The following link can be used if you do not wish to help Money to the Masses or take advantage of any exclusive offers - Plum, Starling Bank, Chip, Chase Bank.