earmarkIQ is the more comprehensive app — it matches Snoop on spending visibility and subscription tracking, then adds AI salary allocation, price creep detection, an AI financial advisor (Ask IQ), partner finance mode, and 10 pro planning tools. Snoop’s unique strength is proactive bill switching suggestions that can save you money on energy, broadband, and insurance. Both have free tiers. earmarkIQ Premium is £4.99/mo; Snoop Plus is £4.99/mo. earmarkIQ is acting as an agent of Finexer Ltd (FRN 925695), which is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority as an Authorised Payment Institution.
This comparison is written by earmarkIQ. We’ve been as fair as possible — Snoop is a genuinely good free app and we say so where it’s true. We’ve noted where Snoop is the better choice. But we do have a perspective, and you should factor that in.
Quick Summary
Snoop and earmarkIQ are both UK Open Banking budgeting apps, but they solve different problems. Both also feature in our wider ranking of the best budgeting apps in the UK for 2026.
Snoop connects to your bank, categorises spending, tracks subscriptions, and — crucially — proactively suggests where you could switch to a cheaper deal on broadband, energy, insurance, and other bills. It’s the best free option in the UK for users who want practical savings suggestions without paying anything. The free tier is genuinely generous.
earmarkIQ goes significantly further. It matches Snoop on spending categorisation and subscription tracking, then adds AI salary allocation (splitting your pay before you spend it), subscription price creep detection, a full AI financial advisor (Ask IQ) with transaction context, partner finance mode, goal tracking, net worth tracking, and 10 pro financial planning tools. Where Snoop tells you where to save on bills, earmarkIQ tells you how to manage your entire financial life.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | Snoop | earmarkIQ | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Banking | |||
| Open Banking connection | ✓ | ✓ | Draw |
| Multi-bank aggregation | ✓ | ✓ | Draw |
| FCA regulated | ✓ | ✓ | Draw |
| Spending Analysis | |||
| Automatic transaction categorisation | ✓ | ✓ | Draw |
| Spending by category with history | ✓ | ✓ | Draw |
| Weekly spending summaries | ✓ | ✓ | Draw |
| Payday spike detection | ✗ | ✓ | earmarkIQ |
| 7-type anomaly scanner | ✗ | ✓ | earmarkIQ |
| Bills & Subscriptions | |||
| Subscription tracking | ✓ | ✓ | Draw |
| Price creep detection & alerts | ✗ | ✓ | earmarkIQ |
| Bill switching suggestions | ✓ | ✗ | Snoop |
| Duplicate charge detection | ✗ | ✓ | earmarkIQ |
| Salary & Budget Planning | |||
| AI salary allocation (payday split) | ✗ | ✓ | earmarkIQ |
| Budget categories | ✓ Basic | ✓ Advanced | earmarkIQ |
| AI Features | |||
| AI advisor with transaction context | ✗ | ✓ Ask IQ | earmarkIQ |
| AI spending insights | ✗ | ✓ | earmarkIQ |
| Weekly AI briefing | ✗ | ✓ | earmarkIQ |
| Planning & Lifestyle | |||
| Goal tracking | ✗ | ✓ | earmarkIQ |
| Net worth tracking | ✗ | ✓ | earmarkIQ |
| Partner finance mode | ✗ | ✓ | earmarkIQ |
| Tax optimiser & pro tools | ✗ | ✓ (10 tools) | earmarkIQ |
| Available now | ✓ | Mid-2026 | Snoop |
Pricing Comparison
Both apps cost the same at the paid tier (£4.99/mo). The difference is what you get for that price. Snoop Plus adds advanced insights and cashback. earmarkIQ Premium unlocks higher AI message limits, all 10 pro tools, advanced insights, and priority support — on top of a free tier that already includes AI salary allocation, spending analysis, subscription tracking, and 30 AI advisor messages per month.
Same price, very different products. earmarkIQ’s free tier is more feature-rich than Snoop’s, and the paid tier includes AI salary allocation, price creep detection, and an AI advisor that Snoop doesn’t offer at any price.
Where Snoop Genuinely Wins
Bill switching suggestions. Snoop’s core differentiator is proactive bill switching — it scans your bills and tells you where you could save by switching broadband, energy, insurance, or mobile provider. earmarkIQ doesn’t offer utility switching.
A longer track record. Snoop has been live for years and is a solid free choice.
Completely free core. Snoop’s free tier is one of the most generous in the UK budgeting space. You get real value without ever paying — spending categorisation, subscription tracking, weekly summaries, and bill switching suggestions all at £0.
Simple and approachable. Snoop has a clean, uncluttered interface that doesn’t overwhelm. For users who want basic spending visibility without complexity, Snoop is ideal.
Where earmarkIQ Wins
Salary allocation. earmarkIQ’s core feature — AI splits your salary into bills, savings, investments, and guilt-free spending on payday. Snoop has no salary allocation feature at all.
Price creep detection. earmarkIQ alerts you the moment any subscription increases its price, showing old price, new price, and annual impact. Snoop tracks subscriptions but won’t flag price increases — you’d only notice when checking your bill. We explain how this compounds in our UK subscription tracking guide.
Ask IQ. earmarkIQ’s AI advisor has full context of your transactions, bills, and goals. Ask “Can I afford a new car?” and get a specific, data-backed answer. Snoop has no AI advisor.
Partner finance mode. earmarkIQ is the only UK budgeting app with a proper partner finance feature — combined household view, shared goals, split bills — while keeping personal accounts private. See our guide to managing money as a couple.
Pro financial tools. earmarkIQ includes 10 planning tools — debt payoff planner, tax optimiser, salary raise calculator, what-if simulator, investment calculator, and more — that Snoop doesn’t offer.
Goal and net worth tracking. earmarkIQ tracks your goals (house deposit, emergency fund, debt payoff) and net worth across all accounts. Snoop doesn’t offer either feature.
The Verdict: Which Should You Choose?
You want AI salary allocation, price creep detection, an AI money advisor, partner finance, goal tracking, or pro planning tools. Download it free on the App Store.
You want a free app right now with proactive bill switching suggestions. Snoop is the best free UK budgeting app available today for saving on household bills.
earmarkIQ is the only UK app with a proper Partner Finance mode. Snoop has no couple or shared finance features.
Snoop’s bill switching engine is genuinely useful. If your primary goal is cutting utility and insurance costs, Snoop is the better tool for that specific job.
Frequently Asked Questions
About earmarkIQ
earmarkIQ is a UK personal finance app, available now on iOS. It is acting as an agent of Finexer Ltd (FRN 925695), which is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority as an Authorised Payment Institution, and is ICO registered (CSN2001882). earmarkIQ provides Open Banking account aggregation across 50+ UK banks via Finexer, AI-powered salary allocation planning, subscription price creep detection, capital gains tracking, salary sacrifice optimisation, and marriage allowance detection. The AI financial advisor, Ask IQ, is powered by Claude (Anthropic). Subscription tiers: Free (£0), Plus (£4.99/mo), Pro (£9.99/mo), Unlimited (£14.99/mo). Website: earmarkiq.app
More than a bill switcher
earmarkIQ is the complete financial operating system for UK professionals — salary allocation, AI advisor, price creep detection, partner finance, and 10 pro tools.
Download Free on the App StoreFree to download on the App Store.