Best Beacon alternatives

#1 alternative

Starling Bank

active

The grown-up UK challenger: bank first, app second.

4.7

London · 4M+ · ~$1.1B raised

8.1Strong

If the question is ‘will this still be here in ten years,’ Starling scores at the top of the UK set. Monzo is more fun; Starling is more bank.

Best for: UK individuals and SMEs who want a real bank, not a wallet.

Licence

UK bank

Protection

FSCS up to £85,000

Monthly

Personal free · Business from £0–£7+

#2 alternative

Monzo

active

UK current account that made banking feel like a group chat.

4.7

London · 11M+ · ~$1.3B raised

8.1Strong

The UK salary account to beat. Pair it with Wise or Revolut if you invoice in euros or dollars. Do not open Monzo expecting a travel-card replacement on the free plan.

Best for: UK residents who want FSCS protection and the best everyday app.

Licence

UK bank

Protection

FSCS up to £85,000

Monthly

Free · Plus/Premium/Max paid

#3 alternative

Algbra

active

UK ethical / Sharia-screened EMI. FCA FRN 952360. Not FSCS.

London · UK ethical-fintech scale · EMI-era

6.5Mixed

Algbra is an EMI. FSCS stays with Starling and Monzo. Use this for screened spend, not rent. The 2025 Mastercard principal-issuer step is a card fact, not a bank licence.

Best for: UK residents who want a screened spend account and will keep salary at Starling or Monzo.

Licence

Authorised EMI — Algbra FS UK Limited, FRN 952360

Protection

Safeguarded e-money, not FSCS. Algbra’s own copy says the scheme covers banks, not EMIs.

Monthly

Confirm live ethical-account tariff

#4 alternative

Kestrl is a habit layer. Keep a Monzo/Starling/high-street account for the actual deposit. Halal branding does not move FSCS.

Best for: UK Muslims who want a money app that speaks their constraints, with a real bank still underneath.

Licence

App + partner EMI/bank rails

Protection

If a spending account exists, it is partner-EMI or bank — not Kestrl-as-bank

Monthly

Freemium / subscription SKUs — confirm live

#5 alternative

Found

active

US banking for the self-employed: taxes, invoices, and a debit card.

4.8

San Francisco · Self-employed base · Series-era (Allianz x others)

7.3Solid

Found is the freelancer current account. Novo is generic SMB. Relay is multi-entity ops.

Best for: US freelancers who hate QuickBooks more than they hate banks.

Licence

Fintech with partner banks

Protection

FDIC via Piermont Bank and partners

Monthly

Free core

#6 alternative

Varo Bank

active

The rare US neobank that is actually a bank.

4.6

San Francisco · 7M+ · Bank holding + private capital

7.2Solid

When a US page asks ‘is it a real bank?’, Varo is the yes. Chime and Current are the no-with-an-asterisk.

Best for: US users who want a neobank app without the partner-bank asterisk.

Licence

National bank charter

Protection

FDIC insured as Varo Bank, N.A. — not pass-through theatre

Monthly

No monthly on core checking