UK banking · August 2026
Budgeting apps compared — what matters and the latest options
Important: This guide provides general information, not personalised financial advice. Financial products, rates and eligibility rules can change, so check the provider’s current terms before applying. Some links are referral links — we may earn a commission. You can check a firm’s details on the FCA Register.
Quick comparison
Want an app that shows all your spending in one place? Emma Basic, Snoop free and Cleo UK each offer a free tier that connects your current accounts through open banking (as of 12 September 2026). Cleo’s UK availability was unconfirmed, so check before you download.
If you only bank in one place, your bank’s own pots and insights may be enough — and they sit inside an FSCS-eligible current account.
| Option | Free tier | Paid tier (30 August 2026) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emma Basic | Connects current accounts | Plus £4.99 | In the free-aggregator tie |
| Snoop free | Connects current accounts | Plus £5.99 | In the free-aggregator tie |
| Cleo UK | Connects current accounts, if available | Pro £12.99 | UK availability unconfirmed |
| Your bank’s pots | Free inside your current account | — | Money stays in an FSCS-eligible account |
Paid tier prices are as of 30 August 2026 — check in-app.
Want to see where your money goes each month? Compare the free budgeting apps →
Free budgeting aggregators compared
Free aggregator tiers side by side. These apps read your accounts; they don’t hold your money.
| App | Price (free and paid tiers) | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Emma Basic | Free tier connects current accounts; Plus £4.99 as of 30 August 2026 (check in-app) | Yes — Emma app |
| Snoop free | Free tier connects current accounts; Plus £5.99 as of 30 August 2026 (check in-app) | Yes — Snoop app |
| Cleo UK | Free tier; Pro £12.99 as of 30 August 2026 (check in-app); UK availability not confirmed | Yes — Cleo app (UK availability not confirmed) |
Good for
Who each option suits
- Emma may suit you if you have accounts at more than one bank and want spending sorted automatically.
- Snoop may suit you if you want a free aggregator view and are happy to see offers in the app.
- Cleo may suit you if it’s available to you in the UK and you like a chat-style app.
- Your bank’s own pots may suit you if you only bank in one place and its tools are good enough.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone uncomfortable sharing bank data with a third party
- People who only bank in one place with good built-in pots
- Anyone likely to pay for a premium tier they won’t use
- People who want an app that holds their money — aggregators don’t
Our pick
Tie — Emma Basic, Snoop free and Cleo UK on a free aggregator that connects current accounts.
Bank pots (Monzo, Starling, Chase and others) are a different product and sit inside an FSCS-eligible current account — they are not ranked in this free-aggregator lane.
No referral links on this page.
Our picks by need
Full explanation
“Budgeting app” covers two different tools. Bank pots (Monzo, Starling, Chase and others) sit inside an FSCS-eligible current account. Open-banking aggregators such as Emma, Snoop and Cleo connect to those accounts to show spending — they do not, by themselves, hold your deposit.
This page focuses on free aggregator tiers. Round-up investing apps are a separate product and are out of scope here.
Visual summary
Free open-banking aggregators — strengths in a sentence each. Text names only.
Emma Basic
- Strengths: free tier connects current accounts
- Limitations: paid Plus unlocks more tools
Snoop free
- Strengths: free tier connects current accounts
- Limitations: paid Plus for deeper features
Cleo UK
- Strengths: free-aggregator style chatbot budgeting
- Limitations: UK availability not confirmed
Three product types (not one ranked list)
1. Bank apps with pots. Features such as pots, spaces or extra accounts sit inside a UK current account.
The credit balance on that current account is an eligible deposit, covered by FSCS up to £120,000 per person per authorised firm from 1 December 2025. See FSCS protection limits.
Examples, : Monzo Pots, Starling Spaces, Chase extra accounts, NatWest Pots, HSBC money trends, Nationwide goals.
HyperJar is e-money, not FSCS. It is not the same as a bank pot.
2. Open-banking aggregators. These apps connect to current accounts (and sometimes other accounts) using open banking. They display transactions.
They do not, by themselves, hold a deposit. There is no FSCS on “the app”. Cover, if any, sits with the bank that holds the current account.
3. Round-ups that invest. Apps such as Plum, Chip and Moneybox that round up spending and invest the spare change are a different product. Capital can fall.
They are out of the free-aggregator list below. This page does not give investment advice and does not rank them.
Bank pots (separate box, not the free-aggregator list)
If the money never leaves your current account, budgeting can be a pot, space or extra account at the bank you already use. FSCS, if it applies, is on that current-account credit balance, up to £120,000 per person per authorised firm.
Names as examples only, : Monzo Pots; Starling Spaces; Chase extra accounts; NatWest Pots; HSBC money trends; Nationwide goals.
HyperJar is e-money. It is not FSCS-protected as a deposit.
Switching the current account is a different process. CASS does not install a budgeting app.
See current account switch bonuses. Easy-access savings are a different product: easy-access savings accounts in the UK.
Open banking consent, 90 days, and how to revoke
Open-banking aggregators need your consent to read account data. Under FCA PS21/19, in force from 26 March 2022, you reconfirm that consent with the app every 90 days.
The default is not “log back into your bank”. You do it in the aggregator.
- Reconfirm consent in the aggregator every 90 days.
- To stop a feed, revoke access in the app, and usually also in your bank’s open-banking / connected-apps settings.
- Revoking stops new data feeds. It does not, by itself, close the bank account.
Closed apps
These consumer aggregators are closed.
| App | Closed |
|---|---|
| Yolt | 4 December 2021 |
| Money Dashboard | 31 October 2023 |
| Moneyhub consumer | July / August 2026 |
They are no longer available to download.
FSCS split
- Bank current-account credit balances: deposit scheme, £120,000 per person per authorised firm from 1 December 2025.
- Open-banking aggregator: no FSCS on “the app”. The money, if any, is at the bank.
- E-money (including HyperJar): not FSCS deposits.
- Round-ups that invest: investment product, capital can fall. Not in the free-aggregator tie.
Full explainer: FSCS protection limits.
The catch
- Emma: the paid Plus tier (£4.99 as of 30 August 2026) unlocks more tools.
- Snoop: Plus costs £5.99 a month as of 30 August 2026.
- Cleo: UK availability is not confirmed (a February waitlist versus a June relaunch).
- Bank pots: they only show money held at that bank.
Important things to know
- Three product types. Never one ranked list.
- Free-aggregator result as of 30 August 2026 is a tie: Emma Basic, Snoop free, Cleo UK. Cleo’s UK availability is not confirmed.
- Paid prices as of 30 August 2026: Emma Plus £4.99 (2 free logins); Snoop Plus £5.99; Cleo Pro £12.99. Check in-app.
- Reconfirm consent with the app every 90 days.
- Yolt, Money Dashboard and Moneyhub consumer are closed.
What we looked at for free aggregators (30 August 2026)
Rule used: a free UK open-banking aggregator that can connect current accounts without a paid tier, as of 30 August 2026.
Result: a tie. Emma Basic, Snoop free, and Cleo UK. This article does not pick a winner.
Cleo’s UK availability is not confirmed (a February waitlist versus a June relaunch). We have kept it in the table, but we have not ranked it.
Paid tier prices below are as of 30 August 2026. Check current prices in each app.
| App | Free tier as used in this rule | Paid tier (30 August 2026; check in-app) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emma Basic | Connects current accounts without a paid tier | Plus £4.99; 2 free logins | In the tie |
| Snoop free | Connects current accounts without a paid tier | Plus £5.99 | In the tie |
| Cleo UK | Connects current accounts without a paid tier, if available | Pro £12.99 | UK availability not confirmed: February waitlist vs June relaunch |
Plum, Chip and Moneybox are not in this table. Bank pots are not in this table.
Key takeaways
- Bank apps, open-banking aggregators and round-up investing tools are different products — and their protection differs.
- FSCS deposit cover applies to eligible bank balances, not to every third-party budgeting app balance.
- Pick for the job: spending insights, shared household budgets, or automated saving/investing.
- Permissions and subscriptions change; re-check privacy and pricing before you connect accounts.
UK budgeting apps: FAQs
What is a UK budgeting app?
What is a money tracking app?
Open-banking aggregators connect to current accounts using open banking and display transactions. They do not, by themselves, hold a deposit. There is no FSCS on the app. Cover, if any, sits with the bank that holds the current account. Bank pots are a different product, inside the current account.
Emma vs Snoop: what is the difference?
A free-aggregator comparison as of 30 August 2026 is a comparison tie: Emma Basic, Snoop free, and Cleo UK. This article does not pick a winner. Both Emma Basic and Snoop free connect current accounts without a paid tier.
What is an open-banking budget app?
These apps connect to current accounts, and sometimes other accounts, using open banking. They display transactions. They do not, by themselves, hold a deposit. Consent is reconfirmed with the app every 90 days under FCA PS21/19. The default is not to log back into your bank.
What is the difference between Monzo pots and an aggregator?
Monzo Pots sit inside a UK current account. The credit balance on that current account is an eligible deposit, covered by FSCS up to £120,000 per person per authorised firm. An aggregator reads accounts and does not hold the money. There is no FSCS on the app. Names of bank pots are examples,.
Are budgeting apps covered by FSCS?
Bank current-account credit balances sit in the deposit scheme, £120,000 per person per authorised firm from 1 December 2025. An open-banking aggregator has no FSCS on the app. HyperJar is e-money, not FSCS.
How do I revoke open-banking consent?
You can revoke access in the aggregator, and usually also in your bank’s open-banking or connected-apps settings. Revoking stops new data feeds. It does not, by itself, close the bank account. Open-banking aggregators need consent to read account data.
Do I have to log back into my bank every 90 days?
No. Under FCA PS21/19, in force from 26 March 2022, you reconfirm that consent with the app every 90 days. The default is not to log back into your bank. You do it in the aggregator.
Are Yolt, Money Dashboard or Moneyhub still available?
No. These consumer aggregators are closed: Yolt on 4 December 2021, Money Dashboard on 31 October 2023, and Moneyhub consumer in July / August 2026. They are no longer available to download.
Are round-up investing apps in the free budgeting list?
See Three product types (not one ranked list) above.