What is a bank aggregator, and what is it for?

You have a current account here, a savings account there, maybe a card in a neobank and a joint account. The result: you never have an overall view of your money. That's exactly the problem a bank aggregator solves.

The simple definition

A bank aggregator is a tool that brings all your accounts, from all your banks, into one place. You connect your banks once, then you see all your money on a single screen, updated automatically.

No more opening five apps to know where you stand.

How it works, concretely

The connection relies on open banking, framed by the European payment services directive (the famous PSD2). Only providers licensed by financial authorities can access accounts. In practice:

• You choose your bank from the list
• You authenticate on your bank's own website or app, with its own security
• Your accounts appear, read-only

Read-only is the key point: an aggregator can see your transactions, but can never move your money. It reads, it doesn't touch.

Consent isn't forever: the rules require you to renew your authorisation with your bank periodically. That's why an aggregator sometimes asks you to "reconnect" an account.

What it changes day to day

• You see your total balance, across all accounts
• Your spending sorts itself automatically by category
• You spot subscriptions and recurring charges
• You track your savings, and even your net worth, without entering anything by hand

It's the difference between enduring your accounts and steering them. To compare the main aggregators: Trya vs Bankin' and Trya vs Linxo.

Aggregator vs budgeting app

A pure aggregator displays your accounts. A budgeting app goes further: it lets you set limits, follow goals and understand your spending. Most modern apps do both: they aggregate your accounts to feed your budget without manual entry.

The security question

That's the first concern, and it's a legitimate one. The right reflexes to judge an aggregator:

• Your banking credentials must never be stored by the app: authentication happens at your bank.
• The connection must go through a PSD2-licensed provider.
• Data must be encrypted, and the business model clear: if the app is free with no paid plan, ask who pays.
• You must be able to delete everything whenever you want.

With Trya

Trya uses GoCardless, a licensed open banking provider: you authenticate directly with your bank, and your credentials never touch Trya's servers. Sync covers banks in 31 European countries (TRYA+), new transactions are categorised by AI, and your data is never sold. You can delete your account and all your data at any time.

You connect, and you see everything, securely, all the way to tracking your net worth.

Frequently asked questions