Best UK Money Saving Apps 2026

The best money saving app in the UK for most people is Plum. It works out what you can spare and saves it for you automatically, and it’s the app I use for my own savings. If all you care about is the rate, look at Chip; if you want budgeting tools instead, Snoop; and for the widest choice of ISAs, Moneybox.

I’ve tested all four and compared them on features, cost, interest and what customers say.

All 4 compared

How I picked

I’ve used every app here on both Android and iPhone, and scored each one on my six pillars:

• Low fees: Snoop’s core app is free, and Plum and Chip both have free plans with paid upgrades.
• User experience: Snoop is the one I enjoy using most day to day.
• Customer reviews: Chip and Moneybox have the strongest Trustpilot scores of the four.
• Account types: Moneybox wins, with Cash, Stocks and Shares and Lifetime ISAs plus a pension.
• Useful features: Plum, with round-ups, automatic saving and interest-paying pockets.
• Budgeting support: Chip’s AI does a great job of working out what you can afford to save.

I also checked how each app protects your money, which is covered further down. Fees, offers and scores in the table were checked in October 2026.

The best money saving apps by category

Best for saving and investing together: Plum

Plum is super slick and signing up took me less than five minutes. It connects to your current account or credit card, shows your income and spending in real time, and works out how much to set aside for you automatically. You can then invest from the same app, with ISAs and a pension on offer. The free plan is good, with three paid tiers above it, and the best rates and features are on the paid plans. Read my Plum app review.

Best for high interest savings: Chip

If the rate is all you care about, Chip is the one. It analyses your bills, transactions and income and auto-saves what you can spare, and you can invest in funds too. Remember the boosted rate only lasts 12 months, and the easy access account has a limit on penalty-free withdrawals each year. Don’t expect Plum’s budgeting features. Here’s my Chip review.

Best for budgeting: Snoop

If you’re not bothered about savings products but want proper money management, Snoop is for you. It tracks your spending, bills and credit cards across all your banks and points out where you could save. Read my Snoop app review.

Best for ISAs: Moneybox

Moneybox has the widest choice of accounts here: Cash, Stocks and Shares and Lifetime ISAs, savings accounts and a pension, all in one app. It’s great for rounding up your spare change, though it has no budgeting tools. Read my Moneybox review.

How do money saving apps work?

Most of them connect to your current account through open banking, a secure link you approve through your own bank, and then help you save in one or more of these ways.

• Automatic saving: the app looks at your income and spending, works out what you can spare and moves it for you. Plum and Chip both do this, and you can tell them to save more or less.
• Round-ups: every card payment is rounded up to the nearest pound and the spare change is saved. Buy a £2.60 coffee and 40p goes into savings. Moneybox and Plum do this, and some banking apps, like Starling, have it built in.
• Pots and goals: separate pots for a holiday, Christmas or a house deposit, so you can see each goal grow and you’re less tempted to dip in.
• Spending insights: apps like Snoop don’t hold your savings at all. They find the money for you by spotting bills you’re overpaying and subscriptions you forgot. For more on this, see my best budgeting apps.
• Cashback: cashback apps pay you back a slice of what you already spend. They’re a different kind of app, so I’ve covered them in my best cashback apps guide.

The money you save usually lands in a savings account, Cash ISA or investment account offered through the app, often run by a partner bank or investment firm behind the scenes.

Is my money safe in a money saving app?

This is the question most people skip, and the answer depends on where the app actually keeps your money.

• Savings held with a UK bank are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to £120,000 per person, per bank. That limit went up from £85,000 on 1 December 2025. Banks in the same group can share one limit.
• E-money is how some apps hold the money sitting in your main app balance. It’s safeguarded, which means kept separate from the company’s own money, but it isn’t covered by the FSCS. If the firm went bust you should get it back, but it could take longer and costs can be taken off first.
• Investments are covered up to £85,000 per person, per firm, if the firm fails and your money is missing. The FSCS doesn’t cover your investments falling in value.

Most apps mix these. Plum, for example, holds its savings pockets and Cash ISA with partner banks covered by the FSCS, while some app balances are e-money. Chip holds savings deposits with its partner bank, ClearBank. Each app spells this out on its website, so read the money protection page before you put serious money in, and check the firm on the FCA Register.

Are savings apps the best place for your savings?

Not always, and I’d rather be honest about that. Savings apps are brilliant at building the habit, but the rates on their pots and accounts can often be beaten by the best savings accounts on the market. Boosted rates also end: Chip’s boost, for example, lasts 12 months.

What I’d do: let the app do the hard bit of saving without you thinking about it, then every few months move a chunk into the best home for it. That might be a top easy access account, a regular saver or an ISA. My guide to the 3 savings accounts everyone should have explains where each pot of money should live.

Do you pay tax on the interest?

Maybe. Most people can earn some interest tax free thanks to the Personal Savings Allowance: £1,000 a year for basic rate taxpayers, £500 for higher rate taxpayers and nothing for additional rate taxpayers. Interest above that is taxed, and the government has announced that tax rates on savings interest go up from April 2027. Interest inside a Cash ISA is tax free, and you can put up to £20,000 a year into ISAs. Here’s my ISA vs savings account guide if you’re weighing it up.

Pros and cons of money saving apps

Pros

• Saving happens automatically, so it doesn’t rely on willpower.
• Pots and goals make it easy to see your progress, which keeps you going.
• Money is moved out of your current account, so you’re less likely to spend it.
• Many let you step up to an ISA or investing in the same app when you’re ready.

Cons

• Rates are often lower than the best savings accounts, and boosts don’t last.
• Not every balance is FSCS protected, so you need to check.
• The best features usually sit behind a monthly subscription.
• Auto-saving can move money you needed if you don’t keep an eye on it.

How to choose the right money saving app

• Start with your goal. Want saving to happen on its own? Plum or Chip. Want the best rate? Chip. Want to see where your money goes? Snoop. Ready for an ISA? Moneybox.
• Check where your money is held. Look for FSCS protection on savings, and know which balances are e-money.
• Look past the headline rate. Check what the rate drops to after any boost, and whether it needs a paid plan.
• Check how you get your money out. Some accounts limit penalty-free withdrawals each year.
• Work out the real cost. A monthly fee can wipe out the extra interest on a small balance.

How to save more money

Track your spending

Knowing where your money goes is the first step. Use a money saving app or a simple spreadsheet, and you’ll quickly spot patterns and things you could cut or switch to a cheaper provider.

Keep an eye on your bank account

A quick scroll a few times a week helps you spot bills and subscriptions creeping up, so you can act before the higher price sticks. Most money saving apps will flag this for you.

Set savings goals

Give your money a job. I set both short-term goals, like a Christmas fund or car insurance, and long-term ones, like a house deposit. Small targets give you quick wins and keep you going, and a separate savings pot for each goal stops you dipping in.

Budget for savings

Pay yourself first. The 50/30/20 rule puts 20% of your take-home pay towards savings and debt, and once it’s automatic you’ll barely notice it. My free budgeting calculator can help you work out your numbers.

Cut back on spending

I have shiny object syndrome, so I know how hard it is to walk past a new jacket. Start with small swaps that don’t hurt, like coffee from home or a packed lunch a couple of days a week, and move the money you save straight into a savings pot. Here are 9 unnecessary expenses I cut to get you started.

Tell people what you’re doing

Telling friends and family makes you more likely to stick with it. Even better, find a savings buddy and chase a target together.

FAQs

What is a money saving app?

An app on your phone that helps you save, usually by connecting to your bank account, tracking your spending and moving money into savings for you. Most also offer savings accounts or pots that pay interest.

What is an automatic savings app?

One that connects to your bank and moves money into savings for you, usually by direct debit. Apps like Plum and Chip look at your spending and decide how much to put away, and you can set how aggressive you want them to be.

Which apps round up your spare change?

Moneybox and Plum both round up your card spending and save or invest the difference. Some banking apps, like Starling, also have round-ups built in.

Are money saving apps worth it?

Yes. Automatic saving and savings pots help people who’ve always struggled to save finally build a buffer. Some apps now use AI to help manage your money by suggesting what to save and where your budget needs work.

Are money saving apps safe?

The good ones are FCA authorised and keep savings with UK banks, covered by the FSCS up to £120,000 per person, per bank. Some app balances are e-money instead, which is safeguarded but not FSCS protected, so check the app’s money protection page.

Can I lose money in a savings app?

Not in a savings account or Cash ISA with FSCS protection, unless you hold more than the limit with one bank. If you use the app’s investing side, your capital is at risk and you could get back less than you put in.

Do I pay tax on interest from a savings app?

Only if your interest goes over your Personal Savings Allowance: £1,000 a year for basic rate taxpayers and £500 for higher rate. Interest in a Cash ISA is tax free.

How much should I save each month?

Work backwards from your goal. Decide how much you need and by when, divide it by the number of months, and that’s your number. My own savings are split between an emergency fund, a sinking fund for known costs, and investing.

How can I save money fast?

Make a budget so you can see where your money goes, then cut the costs you don’t value. A budgeting app makes this much quicker, and my plan to save £5,000 in a year breaks it down month by month.

What is the 50/30/20 rule?

A way to split your take-home pay: 50% on needs, 30% on wants and 20% on savings, debt or investing. Stick to it, or push the savings share higher, and your money works harder for you.

More comparisons

• Best Stocks and Shares ISAs
• Best investing apps in the UK
• Best pension providers
• Best Junior Stocks and Shares ISAs
• The 3 savings accounts everyone should have
• Best budgeting apps
• Best cashback apps