Best PhonePe alternatives

#1 alternative

Jupiter

active

Indian money app on a partner-bank current account.

4.3

Bengaluru · 8M+ · ~$130M raised

6.9Mixed

Buy Jupiter for the app. Read the partner-bank line for the deposit. Same rule as Fi.

Best for: Urban Indian users who want a prettier Federal Bank account.

Licence

Partner-bank / NBFC stack

Protection

DICGC on the partner scheduled bank, up to ₹5 lakh — not on the Jupiter brand

Monthly

Free core · metal/credit extras paid

#2 alternative

Niyo

active

Indian forex and salary card for people who actually leave the country.

4.0

Bengaluru · 4M+ · ~$90M raised

7.1Solid

Pick Niyo for the trip. Pick a scheduled bank for the salary. Do not confuse the two in an alternatives table.

Best for: Indian travellers and NRI-adjacent users who want a forex card, not a full bank.

Licence

Forex / partner-bank

Protection

Partner-bank DICGC where a bank balance exists; forex wallets differ

Monthly

Product-dependent; forex cards often zero annual

#3 alternative

Scapia

active

Indian travel credit card. Zero forex, Federal Bank issued.

4.4

Bengaluru · 3M+ · Series B-era

7.5Solid

Scapia is the Indian travel-card answer, not a current account. Put it next to Niyo (forex prepaid) and a scheduled-bank salary account. Do not list it as a neobank deposit.

Best for: Indians who want a travel credit card with a named scheduled-bank issuer.

Licence

Credit card issued by a scheduled bank

Protection

This is a credit card, not a deposit account — Federal Bank is the issuer

Monthly

Nil joining / annual on the core travel card (confirm live offer)

#4 alternative

11Onze

active

Catalan community fintech. El Canut is the app, not a Banco de España bank.

Barcelona · Community-scale · Member / community-era

6.2Mixed

11Onze is a Catalan fintech community. El Canut can show an IBAN and a card. That is not Abanca. Keep a Spanish credit-institution account for salary if you want FGD. Score the app as a wallet and a gathering place, not as a bank.

Best for: Catalan users who want a community app and already keep salary at a real bank.

Licence

Fintech community / wallet — not a Spanish credit institution

Protection

Not Spanish FGD unless a named bank holds the balance. Treat El Canut as a wallet + aggregator until the statement names a credit institution.

Monthly

Account SKUs — confirm live

#5 alternative

albo

active

Mexican IFPE. CNBV payments licence. Not IPAB. Not a bank.

Mexico City · Millions in MX · Series-era LatAm fintech

6.5Mixed

albo is an IFPE. Write that on the card. IPAB does not follow the brand. If you need a Mexican bank deposit, wait for a banco licence or use a bank. The Mastercard is a spend rail.

Best for: Mexico-resident users who want a CNBV-authorised payments account and will keep IPAB money at a bank.

Licence

IFPE (institución de fondos de pago electrónico)

Protection

Not IPAB. IFPE balances are a payments product, not a bank deposit. Nu México’s bank conversion is a different file.

Monthly

Freemium / plus SKUs — confirm live

#6 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