Origin is an American AI-first app for budgeting, investing and financial planning. Forbes named it Best Budgeting App in July 2024. The catch: if you live in Berlin, Dublin, Amsterdam, London or Stockholm, you cannot link your bank account. Origin cannot connect accounts outside the US.
Martia does the same thing for Europe and the UK. Enable Banking PSD2 instead of Plaid. Euros, pounds and złoty instead of dollars. More than 2500 European banks instead of US ones. (This is not a rival product — it is a different market.)
Origin Financial is a US-only platform combining budgeting, investing and an AI advisor regulated by the SEC. Martia is the European counterpart of that philosophy — one dashboard for many accounts, automatic categorisation, zero configuration — built for the continent you actually live on.
Which banks Martia connects to
Martia connects to banks in the EU and the UK through Open Banking. US banks are not supported.
Key takeaways
- Origin is only available in the US — the consumer app is US-only and can't connect international accounts
- Martia connects to 2500+ banks across Europe and the UK via Enable Banking PSD2 — regulated by FIN-FSA
- Price: Origin $99/year (~€90) or $12.99/month; Martia is also a monthly or yearly subscription
- What Origin has that Martia does not: SEC-regulated AI Advisor, investment accounts, US tax filing (a deliberate scope choice)
- Running both makes no sense — they solve the same problem for different continents. You pick one
What Origin offers — and why Forbes picked it as Best Budgeting App
What is Origin Financial?
Origin Financial (useorigin.com) is an American platform combining budgeting, investing and an AI advisor. The company positions itself as “the first AI financial advisor regulated by the SEC”. The investment service is provided through Origin Investment Advisory LLC — a registered investment adviser in the US. Forbes Magazine named Origin Best Budgeting App in July 2024.
Origin does three things in one place. It connects all your American accounts (banks, credit cards, investments, 401(k), crypto) via Plaid, MX and Finicity, categorises transactions automatically, and shows portfolios in real time. On top of that sits an AI Chat — ask “can I afford a new car?” and you get an answer computed from your actual data.
Plus investment accounts with no AUM fees, a high-yield cash account, estate planning and federal and state tax filing. In a single subscription. That is something most PFM apps do not do — and it deserves credit. Origin is one of the most complete financial platforms in its category on the American market.
Pricing
$99 per year on the annual plan, $12.99 per month on the monthly plan, with a 7-day free trial. Full details are on the Origin website.
Where Origin hits a wall for European users
Origin connects to accounts via Plaid, MX and Finicity — these integrations primarily cover banks in the United States. Origin's direct-to-consumer app is only available in the US, and Origin cannot connect international accounts; a CSV upload is the only route. Even if you bank with N26 Germany, Revolut UK or BNP Paribas France, Origin will not connect to your account directly.
Access through an employer benefits programme is an edge case — for a standard user in Europe, Origin simply does not work. That is not a product flaw, it is a deliberate market scope.
Where Martia does it better for European users
Martia is a European personal finance app built on the same philosophy as Origin — one view for every account, automatic categorisation, an AI chat — but designed for users in Germany, France, the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland and the rest of Europe. The concept is identical. What differs is the banking integrations and the regulatory context.
2500+ institutions across 30 European countries via PSD2
Martia uses the Enable Banking API — a FIN-FSA-regulated Open Banking service built on the European PSD2 standard. Its current registry covers more than 2500 institutions across 30 European countries. Examples include German banks (N26, Commerzbank, DKB, Sparkasse), French banks (BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Crédit Agricole) and UK banks (HSBC, Revolut, Barclays). Check the current connection list for your bank. Origin simply does not cover this.
Multi-currency by default — EUR, GBP, PLN in one view
European users rarely hold everything in one currency. Salary in euros, savings in pounds, a Revolut card in złoty, a freelance invoice in Swedish krona. Martia shows it all in one view without manual conversion — each supported account in its native currency, with a live rate against your primary one. Origin's consumer app runs in USD. For anyone with supported accounts in more than one country, that is not a small detail.
European regulatory context — PSD2, GDPR, SEPA
Origin operates in the American regulatory context — SEC, FDIC, FINRA, IRS. Martia operates in the European one — PSD2 for bank data access (through Enable Banking, authorised by Finland's FIN-FSA), GDPR for privacy, SEPA for transfers. Local spending categories recognise the German Krankenversicherung, British Council Tax, French CSG. It is the difference between a tool that translates and a tool that understands.
If you want to understand how Open Banking works across Europe, read our guide to Open Banking.
Origin will not connect to your bank? Martia will.
If your account is with a German, French, British, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish or Polish bank — Martia connects in about two minutes via Enable Banking PSD2. No US bank needed, no 401(k) forms, no mental currency conversion.
Origin vs Martia — feature comparison
The table covers 9 criteria — from geographic availability to the scope of investing features. The accent marks where each tool wins in a given row.
| Criterion | Origin | Martia |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | US (consumer app) — no international accounts | Europe + UK — banks in the EU and the UK |
| Bank integration reach | US banks (Plaid/MX/Finicity) | 2500+ banks across Europe and UK |
| Currency | USD | EUR, GBP, PLN + multi-currency |
| Connection method | Plaid / MX / Finicity | Enable Banking PSD2 (FIN-FSA-regulated) |
| Price | $99/year (~€90 / £78) or $12.99/month | Monthly or yearly subscription |
| AI Advisor | SEC-regulated AI advisor + AI chat | AI categorisation + Chat Martia (no investment advice) |
| Investing in-app | Yes — investment accounts, no AUM fees | No — Martia is a budgeting app, not a broker |
| Time to first insight (European user) | Not possible without a US account | 2 min — log in + connect bank |
| Regulatory fit | SEC, FDIC, IRS, 401(k), IRA | PSD2, GDPR, SEPA |
Recommendation: Origin if you live in the US and want one platform for budgeting, investing and regulated advice. Martia if you live in Europe or the UK, bank there, and need a multi-account view.
When to switch from Origin to Martia
This is not the question “which product is better” — it is the question “which continent do you live on”. Origin and Martia solve the same problem for different markets. The choice is geographic, not functional.
Origin is for you if...
You live in the United States. Your accounts are with American banks (Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Capital One). You manage a 401(k) or an IRA, or file US taxes with the IRS. You want budgeting, investing without AUM fees and SEC-regulated advice in a single place. You are comfortable paying $99 a year for a complete platform with regulated advisory included.
Switch to Martia if...
You live in Germany, France, the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Ireland, Poland — or anywhere else in the EU or UK. Your accounts are in euros, pounds or złoty. You hold two or more bank accounts and want to see everything in one place. You do not need an American brokerage account or an investment adviser — you need a clear view of your real European finances. You would rather not pay €90 a year for a tool that will not connect to your bank anyway.
The Martia “Which Market” Test
The Martia “Which Market” Test is a single question that settles the choice: “Is your main bank account issued by an institution in the US or in Europe?” US — Origin. Europe or UK — Martia. There is no third answer, because there is no third scenario — Origin does not cover European accounts, Martia does not cover American ones.
For other comparisons with global finance apps, see our Copilot Money vs Martia or YNAB alternative for Europe.
Build your own Origin — for European bank accounts
Multi-account view, automatic categorisation, AI chat — same as Origin. Except it connects to your German, French, British, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish or Polish bank. No US bank needed.
Frequently asked questions
Why choose Martia over Origin?
Origin's direct-to-consumer app is only available in the US, and it can't connect international accounts. Martia connects to over 2500 banks across 30 European countries via Enable Banking PSD2 (regulated by FIN-FSA). Check the current connection list for your accounts; Origin cannot see them. Martia can.
Does Origin work in Europe or the UK?
No. According to Origin's help centre, its direct-to-consumer app (useorigin.com) is only available in the United States, and Origin cannot connect international accounts — the only route for a non-US bank is uploading transactions as a CSV file. If you have access to Origin via an employer benefits programme, the platform may display data in your local currency, but that is an edge case. A standard user in Germany, France, the UK or Poland cannot link their bank accounts to Origin.
Is migrating from Origin to Martia difficult?
Migration is straightforward because Origin and Martia hold different data — Origin connects to US accounts, Martia to European and UK ones. If you paid for Origin, cancel the subscription there, connect your European or UK accounts to Martia via Enable Banking (takes two minutes), and you are done. Martia builds a fresh context from your bank's own history.
What does Origin do that Martia does not (yet)?
A few things, honestly. First, Origin has an SEC-regulated AI Advisor — Martia does not offer investment advice. Second, Origin includes investment accounts with no AUM fees. Third, Origin covers US-specific planning: 401(k) and IRA tracking, estate planning and federal and state tax filing. Martia is a budgeting app, not a broker — that is a deliberate scope choice.
How much does Origin cost compared to Martia?
Origin costs $99 per year (about €90 or £78) on the annual plan, or $12.99 per month on the monthly plan, with a 7-day free trial. Martia is also a paid subscription, monthly or yearly, and the app shows the current price before you pay; you can cancel at any time. The bigger difference is what the money buys: with a bank in the EU or the UK, Origin has nothing to connect to.
How many European banks does Martia connect to?
Enable Banking's current registry for Martia covers over 2500 institutions across 30 European countries. Examples include N26, Commerzbank, DKB, Sparkasse, BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Crédit Agricole, HSBC, Revolut and Barclays. Check the current connection list for your bank.
Move your budget to Martia
If Origin will not connect to your bank, you do not need to look further. Martia works across Europe and the UK. Two minutes to set up, every account in one view.
Sources and references
- Origin Financial (2026), official product site, useorigin.com
- Origin Financial (2026), Why Origin Is the Best Budgeting App in 2026, useorigin.com/resources
- Origin Financial (2025), Unveils First AI Financial Advisor Regulated by the SEC, press release, finance.yahoo.com
- Origin Help Centre (2026), Does Origin support international account connection?, support.useorigin.com
- Enable Banking (2026), Bank Account Data coverage — Europe and UK, enablebanking.com