Feature benchmarking: How UK banking apps stack up

The UK banking battlefield has never been more competitive. Customers expect financial apps that are personalised, seamless, and that genuinely make a difference — and they compare them not just to other banks, but to the best digital experiences in any industry. The margin for mediocrity is gone.

11:FS Pulse is the global product research platform for financial services. It captures real-world user journeys from over 800 brands worldwide, giving product and design teams a front-row seat to the best digital experiences in the market.

And our Feature Benchmarking tool measures what banking products actually deliver. We map every feature to a customer Job-to-be-Done, score its importance, and give extra credit for standout features that set new standards. The result is a clear snapshot of who combines breadth of service with UX that delivers.

And our latest benchmarking data release delivers exactly that — a ranking of the UK’s best banking apps for their holistic financial offering. It shows who’s winning the feature war, who’s closing the gap, and who’s falling behind. And at the very top, there’s a familiar name…

Behind the numbers

Feature benchmarking goes beyond surface-level design and app store ratings. It’s a forensic breakdown of the tools and capabilities that banks and challengers put in their customers’ hands — from everyday necessities like instant payments, to “hero features” that redefine how people manage money, like salary splitters, carbon trackers, and embedded investment platforms.

For this latest ranking, our experts covered over 3,000 user journeys, categorised each feature by its importance to customers, and gave extra credit for innovation that delivers genuine value. The result? A Pulse Feature Score out of 100 — a real-world measure of how a bank’s app performs for its users.

Here’s the official Feature score ranking of the UK's banks and challengers: 

Feature scores are calculated based on importance, ranging from basic conveniences to indispensable tools, with additional credit for standout features. Each feature is categorised by how it helps customers achieve real-world financial goals. 

The UX Score evaluates the overall usability of the app. This score combines Usability (66.67%) and Visual Design (33.33%). Scores are from mobile journeys published in the last six months. 

Now, let's dig into what the rankings tell us.

Monzo dominates, but incumbents crowd the top 10

Monzo has once again claimed the crown in our feature benchmarking list, with an almost perfect 98/100 feature score. Its app continues to set the bar for personalised, human-centred digital banking. Salary splitter, tailored spending insights, intuitive budgeting — all built to fit seamlessly into a customer’s life.

But here’s the twist: 7 of the top 10 spots go to incumbents. Yes, the same “legacy” banks that fintech evangelists once predicted would be extinct by now.

Coming in 2nd and 3rd respectively, RBS and NatWest both landed impressive 93/100 scores, thanks to features like fully customisable dashboards, carbon footprint tracking, and strong multi-currency support. HSBC scored 83, blending comprehensive budgeting with a robust security suite. Lloyds, at 80, stands out for its breadth of services, from investments to accessibility tools.

While challengers like Monzo (98/100), Revolut (89/100), and Starling (84/100) still own the narrative on user experience, the feature war is getting closer.

Where fintechs excel is in execution. Their apps feel coherent, fast, and built for mobile-first customers. Journeys are intuitive, flows are elegant, and features feel joined-up rather than bolted-on.

In contrast, many incumbents are still shackled by legacy systems and design debt. They can deliver the breadth of features, but the experience is often clunky — more a collection of tools than an integrated experience.

That gap matters. For product and design teams, it’s the difference between a feature being used once and forgotten, versus becoming an everyday habit. And habits are where loyalty — and market share — are won.

A new battleground

The real warning comes for mid-tier banks.

In our latest rankings, Virgin Money (19th), Metro Bank (21st), and The Co-operative Bank (23rd) have been leapfrogged by smaller, more agile players like Monese (12th), Wise (16th), and Zopa (18th).

These digital-first brands are carving out niches with curated, high-impact features.: 

• Wise’s international payments are unrivalled for speed and transparency.
• Zopa blends credit products with highly competitive savings tools in a way few banks have managed.
• Monese’s focus on multi-currency and migrant-friendly banking is laser sharp.

The lesson? In a world where big banks can match you on features and challengers can outpace you on experience, the only safe ground is a clear, differentiated proposition — backed by constant iteration.

The big picture

This latest ranking shows the UK banking market moving into a new phase.

The first wave of fintech disruption was about showing that banking could be better — faster, friendlier, more human. Now, incumbents have taken that lesson to heart and are attempting to rival fintechs on cohesion and UX delight, given they already have the upper hand when it comes to feature sets.

At the same time, niche challengers are quietly undermining mid-tier players by going deep on specialist use cases, from cross-border transfers to ethical investing.

The winners of the next five years won’t be decided by brand heritage alone. They’ll be decided by the banks and fintechs that can:

• Deliver the right features — not just more of them.
• Integrate them seamlessly into a unified customer experience.
• Evolve relentlessly in response to shifting customer needs.

The battlefield is changing, the bar is higher, and excuses are running out. Whether you’re a fintech founder or a bank product lead, feature benchmarking should be your reality check — the mirror that shows where you’re leading, lagging, or losing ground.

Take a look for yourself

The UK rankings are just the headline. 11:FS Pulse gives you access to over 17,000 handpicked user journeys from 800+ brands worldwide — a live, visual library of what’s working in digital banking today. Stay ahead of competitors, spot emerging trends, and cut your product research time by up to 90% - just ask Monzo. 

Book your demo with our experts at 11fs.com/pulse and see what you’ve been missing.

Catch you next time!