Kroo has been around since 2016, while Revolut was founded a year earlier in 2015. Revolut offers a number of different plans to choose from, while Kroo only operates one current account. Let’s take a closer look at how these two providers compare.
Both Revolut and Kroo are app-based accounts which means you won’t be able to carry out any transactions in branch.
With the free Revolut “Standard” account, you receive a blue and pink two-tone card, while Kroo’s free and only account comes with a black card.
Kroo has a UK banking licence which means your funds will be protected up to £85,000 under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) if the bank goes bust. Revolut doesn’t have a UK banking licence so doesn’t come with FSCS protection. However, as a FCA-registered electronic money institution, it must keep its customers’ funds in a separate account at a licensed UK bank, which means the money is ring-fenced if Revolut stops trading.
Both Kroo and Revolut offer fee-free spending abroad. But while Kroo offers an overdraft and pays interest on in-credit balances, Revolut doesn’t.
Round 1: App features
Visual breakdown of spending
Spending categories
12
Customisable
Set spending budgets
Set up direct debits in the app
Top up via bank transfer
Have salary paid in
Separate savings accounts
Round-ups
Customer service via the app
Customer service via a telephone line
Cheque scanning
Freeze/unfreeze card in app
Send money abroad
Fee for sending money abroad
N/A
Free in SEPA region, between 30p and £5 to send elsewhere
Both Kroo and Revolut offer a visual breakdown of your spending in their respective apps. However, while Kroo only has 12 spending categories, Revolut lets you create and customise your categories.
Revolut’s app also lets you set spending budgets for your groceries, socialising and so on, while its round-ups feature rounds up spare change from your transactions and shifts it to a savings pot. Users of the Revolut app can also send money abroad.
Both apps let you freeze and unfreeze your card and contact customer service teams if needed.
Winner: Revolut – its app is far more comprehensive, with more features to take advantage of.
At the moment, you can spend and withdraw cash on your Kroo card whenever you’re overseas for free. However, from 1 November 2024, you’ll only be able to withdraw up to £200 fee-free in any calendar month, and a fee of 3% applies to any withdrawals over this limit.
By contrast, Revolut lets you spend on your card overseas for free on weekdays, up to a monthly limit of £1,000. Cash withdrawals are also free on weekdays up to a limit of £200 a month. If you spend or withdraw cash on your card overseas on a weekend, a mark-up of 1% applies.
Both Kroo and Revolut offer free accounts. But while this is the only account Kroo operates, Revolut also has four paid-for plans: Plus, Premium, Metal and Ultra.
In addition, Revolut operates a child account, called Revolut <18, and it offers business accounts. Kroo has neither of these options.
Winner: Revolut, simply because it offers a much broader range of accounts.
The application process is pretty similar for both Kroo and Revolut. You can sign up quickly via their respective apps and no credit check is carried out. However, you will need to provide a photo of your ID and a selfie. Your account should be up and running the same day.
The key difference is that your Kroo card will be delivered for free, while Revolut charges £4.99. Delivery can take 3-5 working days with Kroo, but up to 9 working days for Revolut.
Winner: Kroo, simply because it delivers your card for free and offers a speedier service.
Overall winner: Kroo
Choosing a winner here isn’t completely clear-cut as it ultimately depends on what you’re looking for in an account.
However, if we had to pick just one, it would probably be Kroo. This is a particularly great account if you’re a regular traveller and fee-free spending abroad is a priority. Kroo also pays interest on your account balance and offers an overdraft, which might suit you depending on whether you tend to stay in the black or drift into the red.
That said, if you’re looking for more in the way of account choice and you want an app packed full of useful features, you’re probably better off with Revolut.
We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.
Rachel Wait is a freelance journalist and has been writing about personal finance for more than a decade, covering everything from insurance to mortgages. She has written for a range of personal finance websites and national newspapers, including The Observer, The Mail on Sunday, The Sun and the Evening Standard. Rachel is a keen baker in her spare time. See full bio
Is Revolut’s app-only account the solution for you? Our review of this challenger banking brand explores the features and fees of its free Standard plan, and outlines the other Revolut accounts available.
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