Monese Simple vs Revolut Standard

Bank accounts without monthly fees from UK's top neobanks

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MonesePay as you go

Our score
8.2 / 10
Monthly price
£0.00 /mo

Better value on 3 rows for Monese Pay as you go and on 18 for Revolut Standard, with 25 ties.

RevolutStandard

Our score
8.6 / 10
Monthly price
€0.00 /mo

Side by side

marks the better value: lower price or fee wins, more included wins, available beats not (or not yet) available. = is a tie; details that can't be compared have no winner.

FeatureMonese Pay as you goRevolut StandardBetter value
Price & plan : Monese 0, Revolut 1, 1 tie
Price, per month£0.00€0.00No winner
CommitmentCancel monthlyNot statedNo winner
Sign-up bonusNo-20% paying annuallyRevolut better
Deposit protection Up to £85'000Up to £85'000Tie
Accounts : Monese 0, Revolut 1, 3 ties
IBANs BE, GBLT, UKTie
Sub-accounts included 11Tie
Shared accounts NoNoTie
Child accountsNoYesRevolut better
Mobile payments : Monese 0, Revolut 1, 3 ties
Apple Pay YesYesTie
Google Pay YesYesTie
Samsung Pay NoNoTie
Other methodsNot statedGarmin Pay, Fitbit PayRevolut better
Cards : Monese 0, Revolut 2, 6 ties
Card networkMastercardVisaNo winner
Cards included 11Tie
Maestro/VPayNoYesRevolut better
Debit cards YesYesTie
Credit cards NoNoTie
Virtual cards YesYesTie
Replacement fee£4.95€6.00No winner
Free replacementsNot stated1 per yearRevolut better
Metal card NoNoTie
Wooden card NoNoTie
Payment methods : Monese 0, Revolut 1, 2 ties
iDEALNoYesRevolut better
SOFORT YesYesTie
Bancontact NoNoTie
Fees: Monese 0, Revolut 1, 0 ties
SWIFT (receive)N/A€2.00No winner
Foreign exchange fee2.00%1.00%Revolut better
Currency fee-free limitNot statedup to €1,000 /moNo winner
ATM withdrawals : Monese 0, Revolut 3, 1 tie
Daily limit£500€3,000Revolut better
Free withdrawals, per monthNot stated5 timesRevolut better
After that, per withdrawal£1.50 + 2%€1.00 + 2%Revolut better
Withdrawal fee abroad 2%2%Tie
Interest : Monese 0, Revolut 1, 1 tie
Current account 0%0%Tie
Savings accountNo2%Revolut better
Limits : Monese 0, Revolut 1, 1 tie
Deposit limit£50,000No limitRevolut better
Monthly spend limit No limitNo limitTie
Other products & perks : Monese 2, Revolut 3, 7 ties
Overdraft NoNoTie
Investments in-appNoYesRevolut better
Crypto tradingNoYesRevolut better
Cheques NoNoTie
CashbackNo10% cashback on hotelsRevolut better
InsuranceAccident, medicalNoMonese better
Lounge access NoNoTie
Purchase protectionUK onlyNoMonese better
Transaction categorization YesYesTie
Round-up savings YesYesTie
Budgeting features YesYesTie
Deals & discounts YesYesTie
Other benefitsCredit builderPowerful analyticsNo winner
Our ratings: Monese 1, Revolut 3, 0 ties
Ease of use8.39.5Revolut better
Customer service8.27.5Monese better
Features8.48.5Revolut better
Value for money7.78.8Revolut better

Monese Pay as you go or Revolut Standard?

Pick Monese Pay as you go if…

  • You value simplicity and quality of features over quantity

  • You live in the UK and almost exclusively pay in GBP, EUR or RON

  • You want to build up a credit history without taking out loans

Pick Revolut Standard if…

  • You travel outside of the EU frequently and/or pay in currency online

  • You're just exploring and want to go all-in with a premium account afterwards

  • You're looking to get a joint bank account with your partner

  • You have a lot of friends using Revolut already

Overview

Choosing between Monese Pay as you go and Revolut Standard? Today, we will be comparing these bank accounts, providing you with a complete overview of features available, pricing and fees. Below you will find a brief introduction for both of the banks, after which you can explore our comparison table listing all the key information on fees and products available for both of the options. At the end of the article, we provide bullet points of key pros and cons of both options and our verdict.

Comparing Revolut "Standard" with Monese's "Simple" bank account is not easy. These plans are fairly similar: they come at monthly cost and both financial institutions behind these accounts come from the UK. Both banks created an excellent entry-level experience that will - by design - leave you wanting more. However, this should not discourage you - there is plenty both of these offer. As a bonus, Revolut & Monese bank cards are both powerful, accepted worldwide, grant you access to multi-currency and... they look great as well! Although, we must mention that Revolut also offers great metal bank cards - obviously, not on a free plan.

So what makes these two different and what should your choice drivers be here? Let's dive into the differences.

There are quite a few considerations to keep in mind when choosing, so make sure to identify what deal-breakers there are for you personally.

Monese Pay as you go

Simple is Monese's no-hassle, feature-rich entry plan. You can open an account easily from your mobile device and get a digital account for your everyday banking needs. A free debit Mastercard is included, along with Apple or Google Pay, budget insights as well as multi-currency accounts in GBP, EUR and RON. You can easily transfer money abroad in 15 currencies including USD, AUD, PLN and more.

London, UKFounded 20152'000'000+ usersRead our Monese review

Revolut Standard

The entry-level plan from international mobile bank Revolut provides with all the essentials for those who can benefit from accessing multi-currencies. Includes solid budgeting and payment capabilities as well as access to more advanced financial features such as stock and crypto trading.

London, UKFounded 201540'000'000+ usersRead our Revolut review

Revolut & Monese: Pros & cons

The detailed breakdown of dozens of terms and complex fee structures can get overwhelming - to avoid that, here are some of the key benefits and disadvantages of both Monese and Revolut's propositions.

Monese Pay as you go

  • Pro: A reasonable pack of mobile banking features at no monthly cost, including multi-currency accounts in GBP, EUR and RON.
  • Pro: Gives you access to interest-bearing savings account enabled by its integration with Raisin.
  • Pro: A wide selection of budgeting features that help you manage your money, including spending insights, and Pots allowing you to categorise your funds.
  • Con: Fees on cash deposits, withdrawal and foreign currency payments are relatively high.
  • Con: Not properly localised for EEA countries just yet. For example, you cannot make iDeal payments which is essential for residents in Netherlands.
  • Con: Monese is not technically a bank. While security measures are in place, it comes with some limitations in terms of financial products they can offer in the future.

Revolut Standard

  • Pro: Strong suit of mobile banking features including budgeting insights, saving & group vaults and round-up for saving or charity.
  • Pro: Disposable virtual cards make it easy to be secure while online shopping.
  • Pro: Gives access to 10% cashback on hotel bookings made through the in-app Stay feature.
  • Con: Card delivery is not free and only 1 free physical card is included in the plan.
  • Con: Fees for crypto or commodities trading are higher than the more advanced plans.
  • Con: Does not include some travel features such as travel insurance, airport launch access.

Our verdict: Monese Pay as you go or Revolut Standard?

Ultimately, when deliberating between Revolut and Monese, you shouldn't be looking for the "right" answer. What is definite, though, is that you can open both accounts in less than 10 minutes from the comfort of your home. Even better is the fact that there is absolutely zero investment required for you to open these two bank accounts, or even try the higher-tier ones. How? Well, you get a free "no-strings-attached" trial of a higher-tier plan of both banks if you register using any of the links on this page! After all, there is no better way of knowing for sure than trying them out yourself.

If you found any of these plans to be a good fit for your specific banking needs, you will find links to their official websites or apps in the "Pick … if" section above. By signing up via links on our website, you support us in our mission of making finance easy and accessible to everyone.

Please note that the information on pricing, contract terms and availability of products in certain markets is subject to change and can differ from what is stated above. We aim to keep this comparison as accurate and up-to-date as possible, but we advise you to treat the information provided above as indicative and always check banks' official websites for actual terms before signing up.

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