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.
Kroo vs Revolut: Vital statistics
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
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.
Round 2: Spending in the UK
Free card transactions in the UK | ||
---|---|---|
Contactless card limit | £100 | £100 |
Apple Pay | ||
Google Pay | ||
Samsung Pay | ||
Free ATM withdrawals | Up to £300 per day | Limited to £200 per month or 5 withdrawals |
Find out more |
You can spend on either the Kroo or Revolut card for free in the UK and both have a contactless limit of £100.
You’ll also be able to add your card to Apple Pay or Google Pay, but neither Kroo nor Revolut currently support Samsung Pay.
Revolut offers free UK ATM withdrawals up to £200 per month or 5 withdrawals, while Kroo has a higher limit of £300 per day.
- Winner: Kroo – it’s very close, but Kroo clinches it by offering a higher withdrawal limit.
Round 3: Using the card abroad
Free foreign transactions | Unlimited | Limited to £1,000 per month |
---|---|---|
Free foreign ATM withdrawals | Up to £200 per month | Limited to £200 per month |
Find out more |
At the moment, you can spend and withdraw cash on your Kroo card whenever you’re overseas for free. However, from 1 May 2025, 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 per month a month. If you spend or withdraw cash on your card overseas on a weekend, a mark-up of 1% applies.
- Winner: Kroo, as it doesn’t charge on weekends.
Round 4: Account types
Free account | ||
---|---|---|
Premium account | ||
Joint account | ||
Teen account (for 16- and 17-year olds) | ||
Kids' account or card | ||
Business account | ||
Find out more |
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 Account, and it offers business accounts. Kroo has neither of these options.
- Winner: Revolut, simply because it offers a much broader range of accounts.
Round 5: Signing up
Apply through the app | ||
---|---|---|
Quick application | ||
Credit check | ||
Card delivery fee | Free | £4.99 |
Card delivery timescale | 3-5 working days | Up to 9 working days |
Find out more |
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 a few days with Kroo, whilst Revolut tends to be longer.
- Winner: Kroo, simply because it delivers your card for free and offers a speedier service.
Round 6: Customer reviews
On Trustpilot, Kroo has a score of 4.4 out of 5 from 10.5K reviews. Revolut has a score of 4.2 out of 5 from over 165K reviews. We checked this is in October 2024.
Many reviews praised Kroo for the interest paid on current account balances, though some complained their accounts had been restricted.
Reviewers said Revolut was easy to use, though some complained about their accounts or transactions being frozen while they were being reviewed.
- Winner: Kroo.
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.
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