Best banks and bank accounts in UK 2026

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Best banks and bank accounts

The first table lists the banks we were able to get enough customer responses for, with a product score for their best-scoring current account.

The second table lists all the current accounts rated by our experts.

Bank reviews

What about Allied Irish Bank and Revolut?

Allied Irish Bank narrowly missed out on becoming a WRP. It matched the top performers, with a customer score of 85%, but its below-average product score meant it didn't quite make the cut. 

Revolut came close too, however, at the time of our survey it was still operating as an e-money provider here, which meant customers were not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). 

It was eventually granted a full UK banking licence in March 2026, five years after its application (whereas rivals Monzo and Starling got theirs within little more than a year). 

But, we have other concerns about Revolut – we've repeatedly flagged its poor treatment of fraud victims. It has been named in more fraud complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) than any bank since 2023. 

Revolut also received disproportionately higher levels of authorised push payment (APP) fraud money than other current account providers, according to data from the payments regulator covering 2022-24. This data points to the firms failing to stop fraudsters abusing their accounts due to weak controls. 

Nationwide fined by the regulator

You should know that Nationwide was fined £44m for inadequate anti-financial crime systems and controls in December 2025. 

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said that – between October 2016 and July 2021 – it had 'ineffective systems' for assessing risk and monitoring the transactions of its personal current account customers. It was also aware that some of those customers were using their accounts for business activity, in breach of its terms.

Starling and Monzo have also faced recent penalties for poor financial crime controls related to historical issues. 

All three providers fully co-operated with the regulator's investigation and say they've made the relevant improvements in their controls. 

We don't condone the lax systems and processes that led to these significant failings, however, we are still confident that these providers offer an excellent day-to-day banking service for consumers that we recommend.

'Mix and match banks for the best results'

Chiara Cavaglieri, Which? banking expert, says:

For too long, the biggest banks haven’t had to work very hard to keep customers, but challengers such as Monzo and Starling have quickly made their mark. They’ve forced bigger providers to innovate, and the result is a market where different providers shine in different areas. 

Even if you can’t bear to ditch your longstanding bank, think about what's important to you. 

We focus on service and product offerings to choose our WRPs. But, we also help you pick a more ethical bank account with our analysis of banks’ climate policies, and we regularly gather feedback from disabled customers to highlight providers going the extra mile. 

You can mix and match accounts from multiple providers to benefit from different perks such as interest on credit balances, cashback on household bills, low overdraft fees, branch-based banking, cheap overseas spending or an innovative mobile app. 

Spreading your money across multiple current accounts can also ensure you aren’t left high and dry if your main provider has technical problems – something that is increasingly common.

The greenest banks – our Eco Providers

You might not think twice about the environmental impact of choosing one bank over another, but many UK high street banks are among the worst culprits when it comes to financing fossil fuels.

To help you choose a greener bank, we examined the environmental policies of 16 of the UK’s leading current account providers in October 2025. 

Only two hold the Which? Eco Provider badge: 

• The Co-operative Bank
• Triodos Bank

We want all banks to have detailed public policies to futureproof them against harmful financing. With the help of two non-governmental campaigning and research organisations, we rated banks on their fossil fuel policies and agricultural commodities. 

Reclaim Finance analysed coal, oil and gas policies, including unconventional sectors such as the Arctic, fracking, tar sands and seabed drilling below 1,500 metres. 

We asked Global Canopy to assess policies for seven agricultural commodities: palm oil, soy, cattle products (beef and leather), timber, pulp & paper, cocoa, coffee and rubber – the expansion of which causes more than 70% of tropical deforestation. 

We also rewarded transparent climate reporting, strong commitments, credible targets and use of shared standards such as the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF) and Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).

While Nationwide was named an Eco Provider in 2023, it has since merged with Virgin Money so it didn't make the cut. 

• Find out more: is your bank a Which? Eco Provider or a fossil fuel financier?

Best banks if you have a disability

There are 16.8 million disabled people in the UK – a quarter of the total population – yet the same banks appear at the bottom of our rankings year after year. 

Which? asked more than 2,200 disabled people from Which? Connect and the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers to share their experiences of using banking services in October 2025.

First Direct and Nationwide achieved the highest customer scores once again, while NatWest, TSB and Virgin Money were the worst-rated banks.

See our full table of scores for 13 current account providers.

Banks have a legal obligation under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for disabled customers. You should never be asked to pay for these. Some simple steps can help make life easier for disabled customers, but which banks offer them? 

Major current account providers confirmed which accessible services they offer in October 2025:

Best student bank accounts

If you're about to go to university, already a student, or recently graduated, you can access current accounts from almost all high street banks with special perks.

To find the best account, look at these factors in order of most to least important:

1. Interest-free overdrafts – the more money you can borrow for free, the less you'll have to pay in interest. Top student accounts offer £3,000 free overdrafts by your third year.
2. Freebies – you could get free cash, railcards and other such perks. Make sure you'll use them.
3. Which? customer score – we survey customers of banks (not only students) to produce a customer score.
4. Local branches – with branches closing at record rates, check your bank has a branch you can get to.
5. Interest – some accounts will pay interest on your balance, though you could earn more with a savings account.

You may not get the maximum overdraft – banks will assess your eligibility on an individual basis based on your credit score. A handful of banks impose funding requirements to qualify for the full overdraft, or extend their overdrafts in instalments. 

Also note that you don't have to stay with the same provider – you can switch accounts in seven days using the current account switching service. Check that your new bank will match your current interest-free overdraft first. 

When you graduate, many banks will turn your student account into a graduate account, often with similar perks. However, the free overdraft tends to reduce each year until it turns into a standard account.

• Find out more: how to pay off your debts

About Which?’s bank account research

Customer score

The Which? rating for customer satisfaction is based on feedback from real customers. The score is made up of a customer's overall satisfaction with the brand and how likely they are to recommend that brand. 

We surveyed 6,665 members of the general public about their current accounts in September 2025. Where no star rating is given, the sample size was either too small (-) or the provider does not offer this service (n/a).

Product score

We don't just pick Which? Recommended Providers (WRPs) on the basis of their customer score. 

We analyse dozens of elements, including rewards and benefits, fees and charges, and how you can operate the account, to calculate a product rating score.

Where banks have multiple accounts, we have shown the highest score it achieved from our analysis.

How we pick Which? Recommended Providers

A customer score of at least 70% makes a brand potentially eligible for Which? Recommended Provider status. But we'll only give this if customers rate it highly for key services, and one of its main current accounts achieves an average or above product score.

Until October 2024, we also expected banks to be signed up to a voluntary code for compensating victims of authorised push payment (APP) scams.

But as a new mandatory code has come into effect, membership of the voluntary code is no longer a must for recommended provider status. However, we won't award WRP status when we have concerns about how a bank is treating its customers.

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