Starling Bank vs ila Bank.
Starling Bank (S77/100) and ila Bank (i50/100), scored on the same six pillars and compared row-by-row. Every cell is sourced from licence registers and live pricing pages, not opinion. Starling Bank leads ila Bank 4-1.
| i ila Bank №74 · ila Bank is the digital retail brand of Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait 50 /100 | S Starling Bank №12 · FCA 77 /100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | ||
| Composite score Out of 100 | 51 /100 | 77 /100 |
| Fees | ||
| Monthly fee Cheapest paid tier (€0 if free) | €0 Free tier | €0 Free tier |
| FX markup Debit card abroad | 1.50% | Interbank |
| Free FX / month EUR equivalent | €0 | €0 |
| Free ATM Before fee kicks in | — | — |
| Protection | ||
| Banking licence Tier | Payment inst. | Full bank FCA |
| Deposit guarantee Per depositor | Safeguarded BH.DCS | £85,000 GB.FSCS |
| Reach | ||
| Markets served Licensed jurisdictions | 1 country | 1 country |
| Crypto Coins available | No | No |
| Stocks & ETFs Self-directed | No | No |
| UX | ||
| Trustpilot Customer score | — | — |
| App store iOS + Android avg | 4.2 ★ iOS 4.3 · And 4.1 | — |
| Read review → | Read review → | |
Pick ila Bank if…
Digital retail brand of Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK B.S.C., Bahrain Bourse: BBK) — one of the GCC's oldest commercial banks (founded 1971). Launched November 2019 as Bahrain's first fully-digital retail bank. CBB Conventional Retail Bank licence sits at the BBK parent; ila is a brand inside that charter, not a separately licensed entity. Bahrain DPS cover BHD 20,000 per depositor flows via the parent licence under CBB Rulebook Volume 6. Conventional banking; for Sharia products from the same group, see KFH Bahrain (separately licensed Islamic bank).
Pick Starling Bank if…
Pick if you bank in the UK and want a clearing bank for personal + business with no retail crypto, no brokerage.
- Best for fees Starling Bank won 1 of 4
- Best for protection Starling Bank won 2 of 2
- Best for reach Tied
- Best for ux ila Bank won 1 of 2
Starling Bank vs ila Bank — FAQ
Quick answers to the four questions the search-bar asks most about a head-to-head.
Is ila Bank better than Starling Bank?
Under our v3 methodology, Starling Bank leads ila Bank 4–1 across 12 dimensions. Composite scores: ila Bank 50/100 vs Starling Bank 77/100. Starling Bank is stronger overall, but the right pick depends on which row matters most to you — fees, protection, reach, or app quality.
Is ila Bank or Starling Bank cheaper?
Monthly fee — ila Bank: €0; Starling Bank: €0. Card FX markup — ila Bank: 1.50%; Starling Bank: Interbank. Starling Bank wins more fee rows (1 of 4). See the Fees section of the matrix above for ATM caps and the rest.
Which is safer for deposits, ila Bank or Starling Bank?
ila Bank holds a Payment inst. licence under ila Bank is the digital retail brand of Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK B.S.C.) — CBB Conventional Retail Bank licence held at the BBK parent. CBB Rulebook Volume 6 Deposit Protection Scheme cover up to BHD 20,000 per depositor per institution; ila and BBK aggregate against one ceiling because they are the same legal entity. Verify the current DPS ceiling on cbb.gov.bh.; deposit guarantee per depositor: Safeguarded. Starling Bank holds a Full bank licence under FCA; deposit guarantee per depositor: £85,000. Starling Bank is the stronger pick on regulatory protection.
Where can I use ila Bank and Starling Bank?
ila Bank operates in 1 country; Starling Bank operates in 1 country. Check each provider's signup page for the live country list — eligibility depends on residency, not just the licence footprint.
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