Recent smartphone technology, connectivity, and security advancements have transformed mobile banking into a must-have for consumers today.
As a result, there are countless mobile banking apps on the market. But not all of them are created equal.
This article breaks down the best mobile banking apps based on specific categories.
Keep reading to learn which mobile banking services can help you reach your personal finance goals.
11 Best Mobile Banking Apps
Here are the top mobile banking apps you can open an account with today:
- Chase: Best National Banking App
- Ally: Best Online-Only Banking App
- Chime: Best for direct deposit
- Bank of America: Best for security
- Discover: Best for customer service
- PNC: Best for budgeting
- Capital One: Best for credit cards
- Varo: Best for Fee-Free Accounts
- Wells Fargo: Best for Mobile-Accessibility
- U.S. Bank: Best for In-Person Banking
- Citi: Best for Financial Account Tracking
1. Chase: Best National Bank App
- Apple iOS: 4.8 /
- Google Play: 4.4 /
- JD Power: 678
Chase Bank is one of the largest financial institutions in the U.S., with over $3.7 trillion in assets.
As you might expect, Chase invests heavily in technology, as is evident with its mobile app’s overall functionality. The Chase mobile app allows you to bank from almost anywhere while ensuring the utmost security using biometric login features. You can instantly lock or unlock your debit card, make payments and transfers, and take advantage of special Chase offers.
The mobile app also offers opportunities to manage your budget, track your credit journey, and even conduct investment trades.
Learn More:
- Read our full Chase Bank review
2. Ally: Best Online-Only Bank App
- Apple iOS: 4.7 /
- Google Play: 2.3 /
- JD Power: 709
In recent years, Ally Bank has emerged as one of the most robust all-around mobile banking apps on the market.
As a lean online-only bank, Ally’s banking account delivers higher interest rates for customers — along with lower fees. So, if you’re looking for high-interest checking and a great banking experience, Ally is worth exploring.
Ally also provides a stellar mobile experience to accompany its high interest rates and widespread ATM access. For this reason, Ally is one of the most popular online banks.
On the Ally Bank mobile app, you can check your balances, transfer funds, find ATMs, manage transfers, deposit checks, pay bills, and transfer money with Zelle.
All Ally Bank online banking customers are eligible for Ally mobile banking and can rest assured your information is safe as they use 256-bit encryption to ensure the utmost safety.
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3. Chime: Best for Direct Deposit
- Apple iOS: 4.8 /
- Google Play: 4.7
If you receive direct deposits from your employer, you should strongly consider using the super helpful Chime app. As a customer, you can receive payments two days earlier than with a traditional bank.
Chime also has a handy budgeting feature that lets you automatically set aside a portion of each paycheck into a Chime savings account.
The company is also an online-only bank. As such, they are able to offer higher interest rates than most traditional banks.
With the Chime Bank mobile app, you can check balances, pay bills, transfer money, deposit checks, and use Apple or Google Pay. You can also use their ‘Pay Anyone’ feature that allows you to pay friends and family fee-free, even if they don’t use Chime Bank.
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4. Bank of America: Best for Security
- Apple iOS: 4.8 /
- Google Play: 4.6 /
- JD Power: 641
If you’re looking for a highly secure app, Bank of America offers one of the most trusted mobile apps on the market.
The Bank of America mobile app offers many features a security meter that helps you determine the level of security you have set up in the app. It also offers continuous credit monitoring and instant notifications when suspicious activity is detected.
In addition to strong mobile security, the Bank of America mobile app comes with Erica, an automated assistant for quick and reliable support — like checking account balances and account information and seeing whether recent bill payments went through. It also has a handy mobile deposit feature, so you don’t have to go to a physical bank for a check deposit. Instead, you can do it all on your smartphone.
Whether you want to check your account balances, send money through Zelle, or transfer money between your accounts, Bank of America Mobile Banking does it all. Plus, like all national banks, your funds are FDIC-insured.
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5. Discover: Best for Customer Service
- Apple iOS: 4.9 /
- Google Play: 4.5 /
- JD Power: 715
Discover is best known for credit cards, but its banking products, including its cash-back checking account, are quickly attracting attention.
The company also shines in the customer support department, which is a must-have when shopping for banks (and mobile apps).
Discover Bank offers 24/7 live customer support, seven days a week. They also offer live online support, allowing you to chat with a U.S.-based representative when you need help.
The Discover mobile banking app offers mobile check deposits, an ATM finder, online bill pay, money transfers between accounts, and Zelle transfers to pay friends and family. You can also freeze your debit card and set up customized alerts. The Discover mobile app also works on many wearable devices.
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6. PNC: Best for Budgeting
- Apple iOS: 4.8 /
- Google Play: 4.5 /
- JD Power: 652
PNC customers who open a Virtual Wallet account can access some excellent budgeting tools within the PNC Mobile Banking app.
You can send and receive money with Zelle, tailor your overdraft policy with Low Cash Mode, schedule bills, and track payments with a user-friendly calendar feature.
Additionally, the app allows Virtual Wallet account holders to establish savings goals and set up custom alerts for different spending categories. These tools can be beneficial if you need some assistance sticking to a budget.
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7. Capital One: Best for Credit Cards
- Apple iOS: 4.8 /
- Google Play: 4.5 /
- JD Power: 694
Capital One is another online banking that offers high APYs and no fees. With a vast network of 70,000 fee-free ATMs and instant alerts to help you keep your account safe, it’s easy to bank with Capital One from almost anywhere.
Capital One offers a top-rated mobile app that allows you to bank on the go. You can check balances, transfer funds, pay bills, make mobile deposits, and transfer funds using Zelle.
Other benefits Capital One offers include automatic savings, a free credit score tracking program called CreditWise, and early access to your direct deposit funds.
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8. Varo Bank: Best for Fee-Free Accounts
- Apple iOS: 4.9 /
- Google Play: 4.7 /
- JD Power: 672
Varo Bank is a true online-only bank with no hidden fees and pays high interest rates. However, Varo Bank isn’t your typical neo-bank. In 2020, they acquired their own national banking charter, so they don’t have to rely on outside resources for their banking services.
Varo Bank is one of the largest neobanks in the country, with over 7 million customers and a user-friendly mobile app. Varo Bank offers a fee-free checking account, savings account, and many savings tools. They have 40,000+ fee-free ATMs and offer a credit-building credit card for people looking to build credit.
The Varo Bank mobile app lets you track your bank balances and transactions, make mobile deposits, Zelle friends and family, and access live support in just a few seconds, all for free.
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9. Wells Fargo: Best for Mobile-Accessibility
- Apple iOS: 4.9 /
- Google Play: 4.8 /
- JD Power: 594
Wells Fargo is the third largest bank in the United States by asset size. They offer a large selection of checking, savings, CDs, credit cards, and loans to satisfy all your banking needs. Wells Fargo has over 11,000 ATMs and offers many bank promotions.
The Wells Fargo mobile app doesn’t disappoint, as it allows you to send money, pay bills, and deposit checks from your phone. To keep you on track, the app allows you to set up customized alerts and monitor bank balances. You can also send money via Zelle, set up recurring bill payments, and use your digital wallet.
Users can also access Ask Fargo, the Wells Fargo virtual assistant ready to answer your everyday banking questions.
Learn More:
10. U.S. Bank: Best for In-Person Banking
- Apple iOS: 4.8 /
- Google Play: 4.7 /
- JD Power: 667
U.S. Bank is one of the country’s top five banks by asset size and offers many banking products to provide a one-stop shop for your financial needs.
You can open a checking, savings, money market, and CD account to reach your financial goals and leverage your purchases with personal, auto, and mortgage loans.
Because they are a national, brick-and-mortar bank, you won’t find high interest rates like you would at a bank like Ally, but sometimes having access to in-person banking, along with the best banking apps, is what users need.
The U.S. Bank app helps you solve all your financial needs, including depositing checks, transferring money between accounts, sending money via Zelle, checking your balance, locking or unlocking your debit card, and paying with your digital wallet.
Learn More:
11. Citi: Best for Financial Account Tracking
- Apple iOS: 4.9 /
- Google Play: 4.7 /
- JD Power: 661
Citi is the country’s fourth-largest bank by assets and offers many banking products, including checking, savings, CDs, and loan accounts. However, many of their banking accounts have monthly maintenance fees, so keep a close eye on their costs.
The Citi mobile app helps you bank from anywhere and includes features such as mobile deposit, an ATM finder, bill management, and credit score tracking. You can send and receive money free via Zelle, and use Citi Mobile® Snapshot, which provides a snapshot of your account without logging in.
If you have Citi credit cards or other loan accounts, you can link them to your Citi mobile app to have everything in one place and set up account alerts so you know in real-time if anything changes.
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Tips for Selecting a Mobile Banking App
Here are some important things to remember when selecting a mobile banking app.
Be Selective
As you can see, there are so many good bank apps to choose from that it might feel overwhelming.
Whenever possible, I recommend consolidating your accounts with the best one or two providers. Not only is it easier to manage fewer bank accounts (you can save a ton of time), but the risk of your data getting compromised is also much lower.
So, if you are looking to open a new HYSA, see if the bank also offers checking accounts. If it does, you can consolidate your checking and savings accounts in one place and delete the old account and app you don’t need.
For most people, two or three apps are plenty. For example, one can be for your everyday checking, one for savings, and the third for investing.
Customer Service is Critical
Not all banks provide the same level of customer support. You can use the best mobile bank apps in the world, but frustration is bound to ensue if you can’t get help when you need it.
Look for apps that provide in-app customer support. Some offer live chat support within the app, while many online banks require you to send an email or submit a ticket and wait for a reply (which can be incredibly annoying if you need help right away).
Large banks usually offer phone support, which you can use through the mobile app.
Overall, banks tend to talk a big game with customer support, but they don’t always deliver on their promises. Poor customer service should be a dealbreaker when selecting a mobile bank app.
Place a Premium on User Experience
You’re going to spend a lot of time using your bank app. In fact, it’s not uncommon for people to engage with their bank apps several times each day. Furthermore, it’s through this mobile app that you will be transferring money and paying for most of your bills.
In other words, it’s essential that your bank app reliably functions well.
That being the case, if you are considering signing up for a new bank and downloading its app, narrow your focus on the top-rated options. High ratings usually indicate that the apps have an excellent user experience.
Unless you’re a glutton for punishment, you should avoid apps with poor ratings. With so many choices out there, I would say that you should probably skip over any mobile bank app whose rating is under 4- stars (out of 5).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I trust mobile banking?
Overall, yes. In the past, mobile banking was less secure. But these days, leading banks are prioritizing cybersecurity. As such, you can expect to see a variety of security measures in place, with features like two-factor or multifactor authentication, full encryption, and round-the-clock fraud monitoring.
That said, never assume your bank is 100% secure because no bank is. Protect your password, and add a passcode on your mobile so no one can access your bank account if you lose it.
Finally, when vetting mobile bank apps, look for red flags indicating a company is not serious about security. Generally speaking, this will be reflected in the apps’ reviews.
What is multi-factor authentication?
Multi-factor authentication is a form of password protection involving multiple safeguards to protect user accounts.
For example, multifactor authentication may involve using security questions or SMS messages in conjunction with passwords. Many companies are also using biometric authentication to protect accounts from unauthorized intruders.
Multi-factor authentication adds a bit of time when logging into apps or making transactions, but it can go a long way in preventing fraud. If an account offers multi-factor authentication, you should probably use it.
What is the best mobile banking app?
To answer this question, you first have to determine which bank is right for you. Are you the type of person who wants the ability to pop into a local branch and develop a working relationship with your bankers? If so, you should probably pick a large national bank, and any of the “Big Four” bank apps can probably service your basic banking needs.
On the other hand, if you are comfortable using an online-only bank or are really keen on investing, then you should probably look into an account that satisfies those conditions.
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Methodology
When choosing the best banking apps for your banking needs, you must consider many factors. When we compiled our list of the best apps to consider, we looked at the following factors:
- Features: We looked for banking apps with as many helpful features as possible. The goal of mobile banking is to eliminate the need to visit a bank, so we looked for apps that covered all the bases.
- Customer service: Banking on your phone can be scary when something goes wrong. Readily available customer service was key when deciding which banking apps to make our list.
- Availability: We only chose mobile banking apps available on iOS and Google Play to help as many people as possible.
- Good ratings: We rely on the reviews of actual users who tell the good and bad about an app. A bank can market their app as ‘the best’ all they want, but it’s the true users that tell the story.
- Good security: Security is key when banking on a mobile app. We only chose apps with the highest security level to ensure your safety.
Which Mobile Banking App is Best for You?
There has never been a better time to engage in mobile banking. You’re using your smartphone today for just about everything, so it makes sense to manage finances with it, too.
Another benefit of using your phone to manage money is that the more you do it, the more you will be on top of your finances. Gone are the days of visiting an ATM to view your account balance and making a purchase without knowing if you have enough money to avoid an overdraft.
Simply put, the more you incorporate money management into your daily life, the better you will get at it. Online banking apps can play a big part in making this happen. In no time, you’ll have the money mindset — and this can be powerful.
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