Apps Archives - Page 2 of 4

April 22, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Best Apps to Save Money UK 2026: The Ones We Actually Use

Last updated: 10 June 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

There are hundreds of money-saving apps in the UK app stores. Most of them are rubbish. The best apps to save money are the ones we've tested over the past few years, narrowed down and kept on our phones because they actually work. No fluff, no apps we downloaded once and forgot about. Just the ones that earned a permanent spot.

Between the team we've got about 12 money apps installed. Half of them we actually use. The other half sit there judging us. We tried about 20 apps before settling on this list. Some were too fiddly. Some had great ideas but terrible execution. A couple were brilliant but shut down. These are the survivors.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Some apps in this list offer savings and investment features. Your capital may be at risk. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

Our top money-saving pick

If you only set up one, make it Chip: it is the app that has quietly saved us the most by moving money before we miss it.

Try Chip

Published by Stiv in Apps, Finance, Money saving, Personal finance, Saving

Tags: airtime rewards, auto-saving, budgeting apps, cashback apps, chip app, emma app, JamDoughnut, money saving apps, monzo, personal finance uk, Plum app, saving apps UK, Sprive, TopCashback, TrainPal

April 13, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

How to Get Cashback on Groceries UK: Save £100+ a Year (2026)

Last updated: 8 June 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

This article is for information only and does not constitute financial advice. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. Rates and terms can change; always check the provider's current terms before acting.

If you want cashback on groceries UK, there are a handful of apps that deliver results. We have been using JamDoughnut, TopCashback, and Sprive for our own weekly food shops for months, and the savings quietly stack up. This is not couponing. This is not switching to own-brand everything. It is simply routing your existing spending through an app that gives you a percentage back.

We ran the numbers on a typical £80 weekly Tesco shop using JamDoughnut and, at a standard rate of around 2%, that works out at roughly £83 back over a year. When rates get "pumped up" (more on that below), it could be closer to £125 or more. For cashback beyond groceries, see our full cashback apps roundup.

Our pick for grocery cashback

Of the three we use, JamDoughnut is the one I like best for the weekly shop, thanks to the widest supermarket list and instant payouts.

Get started with JamDoughnut

Published by Stiv in Apps, Discount, Money, Services

Tags: Aldi, Asda, cashback, gift card cashback, groceries, grocery shopping, JamDoughnut, money saving, mortgage cashback, Sainsbury’s, Sprive, supermarket cashback, Tesco, TopCashback

April 12, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Monzo vs Starling 2026: Which UK Challenger Bank Is Better?

Last updated: 9 June 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

The Monzo vs Starling debate is the one that never dies in UK personal finance. Both are app-first, both are FSCS-protected, and both let you spend abroad without sneaky fees. On paper, they look almost identical. But after using both across our team for years, the differences show up in the daily details. This is not a spec sheet comparison. It is what actually matters when you open both apps every day.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and does not provide personalised financial guidance. This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view. We have no commercial relationship with Starling Bank.

Picking Monzo? Grab the sign-up reward

Join through a referral link and make a card payment within 30 days, and a random £5 to £50 lands in your account; the steps are on our Monzo page.

Get the Monzo mystery reward

Published by Stiv in Apps, Finance, Money, Personal finance, Services

Tags: bank comparison, challenger banks, digital banking, free bank account, monzo, Monzo vs Starling, Starling, uk banking

April 11, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Chip Prize Saver vs Premium Bonds UK 2026: Which Is Actually Better?

Last updated: 9 June 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

Over 24 million people in the UK hold Premium Bonds, which makes them the nation's most popular savings product. Yet most holders have never weighed up Chip Prize Saver vs Premium Bonds side by side, and the numbers reward a closer look. Around 62% of Premium Bonds holders have never won a single prize, according to AJ Bell. The prize fund rate sits at 3.30% for the June 2026 draw, with each £1 bond facing odds of 23,000 to 1. From the July 2026 draw, however, NS&I lifts the rate to 3.80% and shortens those odds to 22,000 to 1.

Meanwhile, Chip's Prize Savings Account offers an alternative: a prize-draw savings account that claims roughly 3.5 times better odds than Premium Bonds, plus quarterly big prizes reaching £250,000. We are not saying Premium Bonds are bad. Indeed, they are backed by the Treasury and pay tax-free prizes, which is a real advantage. However, if you have not compared them to anything in years, this is worth ten minutes of your time.

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

Want to try the Chip Prize Saver?

Our Chip referral page carries the current new-customer bonus and the sign-up steps, kept up to date.

Open Chip via our referral

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. It is not a recommendation to open, close, or switch any savings or investment product. Always do your own research or consider a qualified financial adviser before making financial decisions. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change. All product details were verified at the time of writing but may change, so always check the provider's website for current terms.

Published by Stiv in Apps, Finance, Money, Money saving, Saving, UK Made

Tags: Chip, Chip Prize Saver, FSCS, NS&I, Premium Bonds, prize draw savings, savings, savings comparison, tax-free savings, UK savings

April 9, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Autopilot App Review UK: 10 Months of Copy Trading Tested (2026)

Last updated: 21 June 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

Welcome to my updated Autopilot app review from a UK perspective, with performance as at 21 June 2026. Two months ago I was sitting on a tidy gain. Since then, I have sold out of one folio entirely, doubled down on another, and watched a third quietly surge. Same app, same dual-app setup, yet a very different portfolio. If you ever wanted proof that copy trading is a bumpy ride, this Autopilot app review is it.

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

This is a personal account of my own experience and does not constitute financial advice.

Capital at risk. The value of investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.

This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are the author's own and do not constitute professional advice.

This Autopilot app review is based on ten months of personal use since 11 August 2025, copy trading through a Robinhood UK account with real money on the line. Every number, friction point and verdict below comes from my own portfolio.

Cool Factor: 2/5

Want to try copy trading via Robinhood UK?

Autopilot cannot run without a connected broker, and Robinhood UK is the account I use for it. Your capital is at risk, and the latest sign-up terms sit on our referral page.

Open a Robinhood UK account

Published by Stiv in Apps, Investing, Reviews

Tags: Autopilot, copy trading, Inverse Cramer, investing apps, investment review, Jim Simons, Pelosi Tracker, Robinhood UK, stock trading, US stocks UK

April 2, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Mobbin New Apps (April 2026): Polestar, Paramount+ and AI Agents

Last updated: 2 April 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

Tracking Mobbin new apps each month is one of the fastest ways to spot where real product UX is heading without scrolling app stores for sport. April's batch has a clear theme: AI agents are moving out of chatbot demos and into real products people actually use every day.

If you are new to Mobbin, start here first: Mobbin review: is it worth it? If you already know you want it and just want the cheaper route: Mobbin promo code.

Published by Stiv in Apps, Designers, Services

Tags: ai ux, connected product ux, content discovery, mobbin, mobbin new apps, product design, ui patterns, ux design

March 21, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Monzo vs Chase UK: Which Bank Account Is Better? (2026)

Last updated: 9 June 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

Affiliate disclosure: This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

After the bigger sign-up bonus?

Chase's refer-a-friend offer pays £50 when you join and deposit £1,000 within 30 days; our referral page walks you through it.

Claim the Chase £50 offer

If you're weighing up Monzo vs Chase in 2026, you're in good company. Both are app-only banks, both are free to open, and both promise to make managing your money less painful. However, once you dig past the slick onboarding screens, the two take noticeably different approaches to savings, cashback and everyday features.

Chase (a trading name of J.P. Morgan Europe Limited) lures new customers with a boosted saver rate and 2% cashback on everyday spending. Monzo, the UK's original fintech darling, counters with powerful budgeting tools, paid plan perks like a free Railcard, and one of the most feature-rich banking apps on the market.

Below, we break down every meaningful difference so you can pick the one that actually fits your life. We also link to both referral offers if you want a bonus for signing up.

Published by Stiv in Apps, Banking, Comparisons, Finance, Investing, Personal finance, Reviews, Saving, Services

Tags: app review, bank comparison, cashback, chase, chase uk, digital bank, fintech, monzo, monzo vs chase, personal finance, savings, uk banking

March 19, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

TrainPal vs Trainline: Which Train App Saves More? (2026)

Last updated: 29 March 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

If you're booking train tickets in the UK, there's a good chance you've used Trainline. It's been around since 1997, and it's the name most people reach for first. But over the past few years, TrainPal vs Trainline has become a genuine debate. That's especially true for anyone who wants zero booking fees and automatic split ticketing. So which app actually saves you more money? We've compared the two side by side to help you decide.

Want money off your first TrainPal trip?

TrainPal books UK trains with zero booking fees, and our referral page keeps the current new-user offer up to date.

Get money off TrainPal

Published by Stiv in Apps, Commuter, Discount, Finance, Money saving, Reviews, Saving, Services, Travel lover, UK Deals

Tags: cheap train tickets, cheap train tickets UK, digital railcard, digital railcard UK, monzo, Monzo railcard, railcard, split ticketing, train apps uk, train booking apps UK, Trainline, Trainline alternatives, TrainPal, TrainPal vs Trainline, travel apps uk, UK trains

March 16, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Best Investment ISA 2026 – Top Picks Before the Deadline

Last updated: 21 June 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

Best investment ISA2026 Edit

The best investment ISA for every kind of UK investor

Finding the best investment ISA in 2026 really comes down to one question: what kind of investor are you? So instead of crowning a single winner, this guide matches the main UK stocks and shares ISA platforms to the people they actually suit, then compares them on the things that move the needle: fees, FX costs, choice of investments and how easy each one is to use.

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

Not financial advice. This article is for information only and reflects personal experience, not a recommendation. Because investing carries risk, always do your own research or speak to a qualified financial adviser before you act.

Capital at risk. The value of investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.

The low-cost ISA we track most

For transparency, Lightyear is the low-cost Stocks and Shares ISA we use and follow most closely, so you will see it referenced throughout. It is also the account behind our living can AI turn £1,000 into £10,000 experiment. You can check its current ISA details and any live offer on our referral page before you decide anything.

See Lightyear ISA details

Published by Stiv in Apps, Finance, Investing, Reviews, Services

Tags: best investment ISA, Freetrade, invest tax free, investing, isa allowance 2026, ISA deadline, isa deadline 2026, JPMorgan Personal Investing, junior isa, lifetime isa, Lightyear, nutmeg investment review, nutmeg isa, robo advisor uk, stocks and shares isa, Trading 212, uk finance

March 6, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Best AI Assistant UK 2026: ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini vs Perplexity

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

Choosing the best AI assistant UK users can trust in 2026 isn't as simple as picking the one with the catchiest name. Between Anthropic walking away from a $200 million Pentagon contract, a growing "Quit ChatGPT" movement, and genuine questions about where your data ends up, this is a decision that actually matters now. We've dug into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and others to compare everything from pricing and privacy to military contracts and water consumption — all with a UK lens.

Published by Stiv in Apps, Reviews, Services, Tech News, Technology lover

Tags: AI chatbot comparison, AI comparison 2026, AI data storage GDPR, AI environmental impact, AI military use, AI privacy UK, best AI assistant UK, ChatGPT UK, Claude AI UK, Gemini AI UK, Perplexity UK, which AI to use UK