Plum

Freemium

Plum is a UK-based finance app that plugs into your bank and moves small amounts of money into savings or investments without you doing anything.

It watches your income and spending, then sweeps what it thinks you can spare into pockets. You can dial this up or down with a mood slider.

The free tier covers basic auto-saving and a Cash ISA. Paid tiers unlock stocks, higher interest rates, and more rules. It sits in the finance category alongside banks and robo-advisors.

Open it if you want to save without thinking. Skip it if you need fast customer help or want full control over every penny.

Plum fits people who want money to leave their account before they spend it.

• People who want passive, automated saving: The AI moves money 4-5 days after analyzing your spending. You build savings without deciding how much.
• Users comfortable with basic money management: You trust an algorithm to judge what you can afford. You do not need to approve each move.
• Those who don't need frequent customer support: Support is slow and tricky to reach. You rarely need to ask questions.
• UK residents wanting automated savings without thinking about it: Open Banking connects your UK bank. Money leaves quietly into FSCS-protected pockets.
• Beginners who want to start investing from small amounts: Fractional US shares from £1. You do not need a large lump sum to begin.
• People who respond well to behavioural nudges and savings 'rules': Beast Mode saves aggressively. The Naughty Rule stashes £2 when you spend at flagged shops.
• Users wanting a combined savings and investment platform: Cash ISA, Stocks and Shares ISA, Lifetime ISA, and SIPP live in one app.
• People who struggle to save manually and want AI to handle it: The algorithm intercepts money before you see it. You cannot miss what you never had.
• First-time investors wanting managed funds without complexity: Ready-made options avoid picking individual stocks. You choose a risk level and leave it.

These parts keep working after the novelty wears off.

• AI auto-save that adapts each month: It saves less when your income dips. You do not need to pause it manually during tight months.
• Cash ISA rates that beat the high street: 4.40% to 4.81% AER depending on your tier. You skip chasing rate-switching deals.
• Saving moods from Shy to Beast Mode: You slide one setting instead of calculating percentages. The app matches your current financial stress.
• Multiple account types in one view: Easy Access, Cash ISA, Stocks and Shares ISA, Lifetime ISA, and SIPP. You see short and long-term money together.
• Round-ups that actually add up: £2.70 spend becomes 30p saved. The Total creeps toward goals without you noticing.
• True Balance after bills: The app strips out rent and subscriptions. You see what you can actually spend today.

The setup takes minutes.

1. Download the app and connect your bank account through Open Banking.
2. Set your saving mood on the slider from Shy to Beast Mode.
3. Pick which pockets to use: instant access, interest-bearing, or investment.
4. Let it run for a week and check what it moved.
5. Adjust the mood or pause if the amount feels wrong.

Skip Plum when these limits matter to you.

• Slow customer service: You may wait days for a response. One user had to write "Speak to human" in the subject line to escape the chatbot loop.
• Best features behind paywalls: Stocks and Shares ISA and higher rates need £3.99 to £14.99 monthly. The free tier is a demo, not a full tool.
• Interest rates drop after 12 months: The 4.81% bonus rate falls to 2.54% base. You must chase new offers or upgrade tiers to keep returns.
• App deletion does not stop withdrawals: You must cancel subscriptions and rules inside the app. Money can keep leaving after you uninstall.
• Compliance checks freeze funds: Account reviews can lock your money with unclear timelines. You cannot always withdraw when you need to.
• Primary pocket pays no interest: Only specific Interest Pockets earn rates. You must manually move money to earn anything.