Barclays vs Monzo

Updated November 2026 · AppBreakup editorial

Barclays

Major UK high street bank whose app covers current accounts, savings, loans and card controls.

Free plan + paid

Visit Barclays Barclays profile

Monzo

UK app-based bank with budgeting Pots, fee-free spending abroad and paid plan upgrades.

Free plan + paid

Visit Monzo Monzo profile

The short answer

Barclays is a full-service high street bank with branches, mortgages and investments behind a capable app. Monzo is an app-only bank built around budgeting, with Pots, salary sorting and no Monzo fees on card spending abroad. Pick Barclays if branches and a wide product range matter; pick Monzo for day-to-day budgeting and travel spending from a phone.

Barclays or Monzo: our take

Both are UK banks with free standard current accounts and apps for iPhone and Android, but they are built differently. Barclays is a traditional bank whose app covers balances, payments, cheque deposits by photo, budgeting insights, card controls including freezing a lost card, and cardless cash withdrawals. Savings, loans, mortgages and investments are reachable from the same app, and there is a branch network for anything the app can't do. Monzo runs entirely from its app and puts budgeting first: instant spending notifications, Pots for setting money aside, a salary sorter that splits pay into bills and savings, and bill-splitting with other Monzo users.

The practical differences show up in a few places. Monzo charges no fees of its own on card spending abroad, while spending abroad with Barclays typically costs more. Barclays lets customers pay in cheques by photo and has branches; Monzo charges a fee to pay in cash at PayPoint or the Post Office. Barclays accounts are usable from age 11, and Monzo offers accounts for under-16s and 16–17-year-olds. Monzo offers 24/7 in-app support and is only open to UK residents. The Barclays app doesn't run on Android Go phones.

Both have paid upgrades. Monzo's Extra, Perks and Max plans start from £3 a month and add advanced budgeting tools, better savings rates and insurance bundles. Barclays' reward packages start at £5 a month for Blue Rewards, with premier benefits based on eligibility. Monzo deposits are protected by FSCS up to £120,000.

People who want one bank for their current account, mortgage and investments, with branches as a fallback, are better served by Barclays. People who mainly want to control everyday spending, save in Pots and use their card abroad without fees will likely prefer Monzo. Many UK customers keep both: a high street account for the mortgage and salary, and Monzo for spending.

Choose Barclays if…

UK customers who want an app plus branches, mortgages, savings and investing at one bank
Cheque imaging, cardless cash and card freezing in one app
Savings, loans, mortgages and investing all reachable from the app

Choose Monzo if…

UK residents who want a phone-first bank account with strong budgeting tools
Pots and salary sorting make budgeting simple
No fees from Monzo on card spending abroad

What is Barclays?

Barclays is one of the UK's largest high street banks, and its mobile app is how most customers run their accounts day to day. The app shows balances and transactions, sends payments and transfers, lets you pay in cheques by photographing them, and has budgeting insights that flag where your money goes. Card controls let you set limits by payment type, see your PIN and freeze a lost card, and you can withdraw cash without a card. Savings, investments, loans and mortgages are reachable from the same app, and you can open a new current account in it. It suits people who want a full-service bank with branches, mortgages and wealth products alongside the app, rather than an app-only bank. Standard current accounts have no monthly fee, while reward and premier packages add perks for a fee or eligibility criteria. The app runs on iPhone and Android, with online banking on the web; it doesn't support Android Go phones.

What is Monzo?

Monzo is a UK bank you run entirely from its app. The free personal current account comes with a debit card, instant spending notifications, Pots for setting money aside, a salary sorter that splits pay into bills and savings, bill-splitting with other Monzo users, and no fees for spending abroad. Joint accounts and accounts for under-16s and 16–17-year-olds are available, along with savings accounts, ISAs, investments, loans, a credit card and business accounts. Paid monthly plans (Extra, Perks and Max) add advanced budgeting tools, better savings rates, perks and insurance bundles. Eligible deposits are protected by the UK's FSCS scheme, and support is available around the clock in the app. Accounts are only open to UK residents. It suits people in the UK who want detailed control of everyday spending and saving from their phone.

Side by side

Attribute	Barclays	Monzo
Pricing	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Open source	No	No
Self-hostable	No	No
Platforms	iOS, Android, Web	iOS, Android, Web
Best for	UK customers who want an app plus branches, mortgages, savings and investing at one bank	UK residents who want a phone-first bank account with strong budgeting tools
Status	Active	Active

Verified facts, compared

Facts both apps publish, checked on each vendor's own site.

Fact	Barclays	Monzo
Starting price	£5 a month (Blue Rewards)	£3 a month (Extra)
Free plan	Yes, Barclays Bank Account with no monthly fees	Yes, Monzo Free (16+)