WealthR vs Moneyhub: free UK retirement planner vs paid Open Banking aggregator.
Both apps want to help you understand your money. They go about it in completely different ways — and the right choice depends entirely on the question you're trying to answer. Here's an honest read on each, side by side.
The short answer
Choose WealthR if your question is "will my retirement plan work, and what should I do next?" — long-term forecasting, UK tax modelling, retirement income, sequence-of-returns stress testing, and FIRE planning. Free at the core tier, manual-entry, privacy-first.
Choose Moneyhub if your question is "where did my money go last month, across all my accounts?" — Open Banking aggregation, spending categorisation, transaction-level history, regulated Money Coach features. Paid subscription, requires bank linking.
Many UK users run both: Moneyhub for current-month visibility, WealthR for the retirement plan.
Side by side
| Feature | WealthR | Moneyhub |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | ✓ All core features free forever | ✕ Paid subscription (free trial only) |
| Bank linking required | ✕ Manual entry by design — no Open Banking | ✓ Open Banking is the core of the product |
| Primary focus | Future planning & retirement income | Past spending & account aggregation |
| UK income tax calculator | ✓ Full 2026/27 — HICBC, Marriage Allowance, Scottish bands, Student Loan | ✕ Not included |
| Retirement income modelling | ✓ 11 stream types with correct UK tax | ~ Pension balance view via OB; no income modelling |
| Sequence-of-returns stress test | ✓ Yes — the only free UK tool that does this | ✕ No |
| Tax-efficient withdrawal ordering | ✓ Yes (Cash → GIA → SIPP UFPLS → ISA → SIPP marginal) | ✕ No |
| Top-slicing relief calculator | ✓ Pro feature | ✕ No |
| FIRE calculator | ✓ Full FIRE, Coast FIRE, depletion modelling | ✕ No |
| Transaction-level spending categorisation | ✕ Not the focus | ✓ Core feature |
| Automatic balance updates | ✕ Manual monthly entry (~2 minutes) | ✓ Via Open Banking |
| Regulated financial advice | ✕ Not regulated — planning aid only | ~ Money Coach features (verify FCA scope) |
| Privacy / data handling | ✓ No bank linking, no ads, no data selling | ~ Bank-linked via Open Banking infrastructure |
| Adviser share link (read-only) | ✓ Pro feature — share with your IFA / accountant | ~ Business-tier features exist for advisers |
| PDF report exports | ✓ Pro feature — IFA-style report | ~ Tier-dependent |
| Mobile app | ✓ iOS & Android (PWA) | ✓ Native iOS & Android |
| Pricing (consumer tier) | Free; Pro £4.99/mo or £39.99/yr | Paid — check moneyhub.com for current pricing |
| Built in | Edinburgh, UK | Bristol, UK |
What each does well
Where WealthR is stronger
WealthR is built around future planning — particularly UK retirement income. The retirement income module models 11 stream types each with the correct UK tax treatment (State Pension, DB pension, SIPP UFPLS, SIPP drawdown, annuity, ISA withdrawal, GIA dividends, GIA interest, rental, offshore bond 5% withdrawal, other taxable, other tax-free). The Pension tab shows a recommended tax-efficient withdrawal sequence — the kind of advice you'd typically pay an IFA £500-£1,500 to lay out. The Forecast tab includes a sequence-of-returns stress test (a -20%/-10% crash in retirement years 1-2 with a 7-year recovery curve) — Moneyhub does not model this, nor do most paid IFA tools below the high-net-worth tier.
The full UK income tax calculator covers 2026/27 bands, HICBC with the higher-earner rule, Marriage Allowance with the £12,570 partner cap, Scottish rates (six bands), Student Loan Plans 1-5 plus Postgraduate, salary sacrifice relief, and the 60% personal allowance taper trap between £100k and £125,140. Moneyhub doesn't include a tax calculator at all.
Where Moneyhub is stronger
Moneyhub is genuinely excellent at aggregating past spending. If you have 4 current accounts, 3 credit cards, an ISA, a SIPP and a mortgage spread across multiple providers, Moneyhub will pull them into one view via Open Banking — automatically, every day. WealthR doesn't do that. For users who want a unified spending dashboard without the friction of manual entry, Moneyhub is the right tool.
Moneyhub is also FCA-regulated as an information provider and offers Money Coach-style features that go beyond categorisation. For users who genuinely want guided budgeting and behavioural nudges around spending, Moneyhub's product depth there is greater than WealthR's.
WealthR — pros
- Free at the core tier with no expiry
- Built specifically for UK retirement, FIRE and decumulation
- Full UK income tax calculator (2026/27, HICBC, Scottish bands)
- Sequence-of-returns stress test — only free UK tool
- Privacy by design — no bank linking, no data sold
- One subscription covers your whole household
WealthR — cons
- Manual entry — about two minutes a month
- No automatic transaction categorisation
- No native iOS/Android app yet (works as PWA)
- Not regulated — planning aid, not advice
- Smaller team than Moneyhub — younger product
Moneyhub — pros
- Comprehensive Open Banking aggregation
- Automatic transaction categorisation
- Detailed spending insights and budgeting tools
- FCA-regulated as an information provider
- Established product with long track record
Moneyhub — cons
- Paid subscription only — no permanent free tier
- No UK income tax calculator
- No retirement income modelling (just balance view)
- No sequence-of-returns stress test
- Requires Open Banking — bank-link dependency
When to choose which
Choose WealthR if…
- You're approaching or already in UK retirement
- You want to model when your pot might run out
- You want an IFA-style report without the IFA fee
- You don't want to link your bank accounts
- You're planning FIRE / early retirement
- You're a UK couple modelling joint retirement
- You want a free UK income tax calculator built in
- You care about privacy and data minimisation
Choose Moneyhub if…
- Your priority is consolidating bank account views
- You want automatic transaction categorisation
- You want detailed monthly spending breakdowns
- You're comfortable with Open Banking access
- You want regulated Money Coach features
- You don't need retirement income modelling
- You're willing to pay a monthly subscription
FAQ
Is WealthR a genuine free alternative to Moneyhub?
Why doesn't WealthR use Open Banking like Moneyhub does?
Can I run my Moneyhub and WealthR setup at the same time?
Does WealthR work for couples planning retirement together?
Which is better for someone already retired in the UK?
Is the WealthR data actually accurate to the latest UK tax year?
Try WealthR for free, see if it fits.
Free forever at the core tier. No bank linking. No credit card. The full retirement income module, FIRE calculator, UK tax calculator and sequence-of-returns stress test are all in the free tier.
Try WealthR free → Browse free UK tools