Best Limited Company Bank Accounts: Rated for 2026
Tide suits most new limited companies: same-day approval, no credit check, and invoicing built in. Starling is the free alternative with FSCS protection, no transfer fees, and a business overdraft.
- Tide runs your business account, invoicing, and expense tracking in one app.
- Open on day one of trading with no credit check required.
- Over 500,000 UK businesses use Tide as their primary business account.
Best Limited Company Bank Accounts at a Glance
Every provider on this list accepts limited companies. The real difference is what happens after you apply — approval speed, cost structure, FSCS protection status, and whether the account was built for a company with directors, a corporation tax liability, and a requirement for team access.
We verified fees, eligibility, and features directly against each provider’s published pricing in May 2026. The table below covers 13 providers from challenger banks to high street names.
All Cards at a Glance
Compare key features side by side.
| Provider | Monthly Fee | Best For | Integrations | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Sole traders and SMEs wanting free banking with built-in invoicing | Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent, Sage | View Deal → |
 | Free (Basic plan) | Businesses with international payments or multi-currency needs | Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent | View Deal → |
 | Pay As You Go (from £0) | Sole traders wanting AI-powered tax and expense automation | Built-in tax tools | View Deal → |
 | Free | Businesses wanting to earn interest on their balance | Limited | View Deal → |
 | £25/month (waived with £10k+ average balance) | Established SMEs wanting a named relationship manager and competitive savings | Xero, Sage | View Deal → |
 | £19/month (free with £10k+ deposits) | International businesses needing multi-currency wallets and batch payments | Xero, QuickBooks, NetSuite | View Deal → |
 | Free | Businesses wanting a full-featured free account with overdraft | Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent | View Deal → |
 | Free (Lite plan) | Digital-first businesses wanting clean mobile banking with ethical investment commitments | Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent | View Deal → |
 | Free | Sole traders and small LTDs wanting genuinely free banking | FreeAgent (free included) | View Deal → |
 | £8/month (free for 12 months) | Established businesses wanting high-street banking with branch access | Limited native; API available | View Deal → |
 | £8/month (free for 12 months for startups) | Startups wanting high-street banking with 12 months free | FreeAgent (discounted) | View Deal → |
 | £5/month (free for 12 months for startups) | Startups wanting a traditional bank with free FreeAgent | FreeAgent (free for 12 months) | View Deal → |
 | £7/month (free for 12 months) | Established businesses wanting traditional banking with overdraft | Limited native integrations | View Deal → |
Data verified against provider websites, May 2026. Fees and features may change.
Our Limited Company Bank Account Picks
Our winner labels reflect what wins in each specific category. A limited company handling mostly UK payments has different priorities from one paying overseas suppliers or holding six-figure cash reserves.
Best Overall
Tide suits most new limited companies: opens same-day with no credit check, free invoicing built in, and direct integrations with Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent, and Sage. Under 30 outgoing UK payments a month, the free plan costs nothing.
That’s the watch-out: 5 free transfers on the Free plan, then 20p per outgoing transfer. We ran the break-even. Tide Smart (£12.49/month, 30 included) beats paying per transfer at 63 payments a month. Tide Pro (£27.49, unlimited) wins at 138 or more.
Visit TideBest Free Account
Starling is genuinely free: no monthly fee, no per-transfer fees, FSCS protection up to £120,000, and multi-director access. For a limited company running mostly UK transactions, there’s no cheaper long-run option.
The overdraft is a genuine differentiator. Starling offers arranged overdrafts from £1,000 to £50,000 for limited companies trading for 24 months or more. Most digital banks don’t offer any business overdraft at all. We confirmed these terms directly in May 2026.
Visit StarlingBest for Fast Approval
Tide, Revolut, and Starling all approve limited company accounts within hours for most straightforward applications. You’ll need your Companies House number, a UK director’s photo ID, and a description of your trading activity.
If your company was incorporated today, Tide will open the account today. That’s a practical advantage when you can’t wait for a traditional bank’s 3–10 working day underwriting process.
Visit TideBest for International Payments
Revolut holds the edge for limited companies with regular overseas payments: interbank FX rates up to a £15,000 monthly limit on Grow, and the ability to hold and spend in 25+ currencies. Above the limit, a markup of 0.6–1% applies.
Airwallex is the stronger pick for batch international payroll or multi-currency collections. It supports local payment rails in 120+ countries and is accepted by limited companies and LLPs. It does not accept sole traders. Airwallex is an e-money institution, not a PRA bank.
Visit RevolutBest for Tax and Accounting Tools
ANNA stands out for limited companies managing their own bookkeeping: MTD-compliant VAT return preparation and real-time corporation tax estimates are built directly into the account, without needing a third-party accounting package.
The trade-off is regulatory status. ANNA is an e-money institution, not an FSCS-protected bank. Balances are safeguarded but sit outside the compensation scheme. We confirmed ANNA’s EMI status and built-in tax features against their product documentation in May 2026.
Visit ANNABest for Earning Interest
Allica is the standout pick for established limited companies with significant cash reserves: up to 4.08% AER (variable) via an integrated savings pot, FSCS protection up to £120,000, and a dedicated UK relationship manager.
The 4.08% rate is conditional. The base rate is 2.83% AER, with boosts for executing 15 transfers a month (0.5%), switching via CASS (0.5% for six months), and depositing £50,000+ in the first 14 days (0.25%). Eligibility requires 12 months of trading and sustained balances around £50,000.
One fee to note: from February 2026, Allica charges £25/month if your average balance drops below £10,000 in the previous month (waived if you hold a loan). Zempler is the free alternative: FSCS-protected, no monthly fee, and 0.5% AER on its savings pot with no minimum balance.
Visit AllicaProviders Compared
Individual verdicts for each of the 13 providers we track for limited companies. Each card covers fit, misfit, and the real product limitations that marketing pages understate.
ANNA Money Pay As You Go Account
Zempler Bank Business Go Account
Allica Bank Business Rewards Account
Starling Bank Business Current Account
Monzo Business Lite Account
Mettle Business Bank Account
HSBC Small Business Bank Account
Barclays Business Account for Startups
NatWest Business Bank Account
Lloyds Bank Business Account
What Limited Company Bank Accounts Really Cost
Headline monthly fees tell you roughly a third of the story. Transfer charges, cash deposit rates, and FX margins stack on top. We pulled live pricing from every provider in May 2026.
Monthly Fees and Transfer Charges
Tide, Starling, Mettle, Monzo Lite, Zempler, and Allica all offer a free base account with no monthly fee. Revolut Business Basic costs £10 a month and includes only 10 free local transfers before charging £0.20 each — it’s not a free account in any meaningful sense.
ANNA’s PAYG plan charges no monthly fee but levies 0.95% on every payment into the account. The first 20 outgoing transfers per month are free; above that, £0.20 each. For a company receiving £20,000 in invoices a month, that’s £190 in fees before you send a single payment.
Cash Deposit Fees
Tide accepts cash at PayPoint locations for £1 per deposit bag. Starling uses the Post Office at 0.7% of the amount deposited (minimum £3). Zempler uses the Post Office too at 0.55% (minimum £4). Revolut, Airwallex, and Monzo don’t accept cash at all.
Traditional banks (HSBC, Barclays, NatWest, Lloyds) allow in-branch cash deposits within monthly free allowances. If you’re depositing cash every week after market days, a traditional bank’s free allowance is the practical threshold that decides which account works.
When a Paid Plan Offers Better Value
Tide Smart (£12.49 a month) includes 30 UK transfers and gives budget certainty. Tide Pro (£27.49) removes the per-transfer fee entirely. We ran the break-even: Pro beats paying per transfer at 138 or more outgoing payments a month.
Revolut Business Grow costs £30 a month and includes 100 free local transfers. That’s not unlimited — £0.20 applies above 100. The FX limit is also £15,000/month at interbank rates. For high-volume international payers, Scale at £90 with a £60,000 FX limit and 1,000 included transfers changes the maths.
Opening a Limited Company Bank Account
Opening a limited company account takes between 10 minutes and 10 working days depending on your provider. Digital banks run automated identity checks. Traditional banks run underwriting reviews that involve a human assessor and often a credit check on the directors.
What You’ll Need
You’ll need your Companies House registration number, the registered address, and the full name and date of birth of each director and beneficial owner with 25% or more shareholding. Photo ID is required for each director. We confirmed these requirements against each provider’s application flow in May 2026.
Most digital banks also ask for a description of the company’s trading activity and its SIC code. Some reject specific SIC codes for manual review or decline outright; gambling, cryptocurrency services, and money services businesses are commonly flagged across Tide, Revolut, and Starling.
How Long It Takes
Tide, Revolut, Starling, Monzo, ANNA, and Zempler approve within hours for most straightforward limited companies. A complex ownership structure or a flagged SIC code can push this to a day or two for manual review.
HSBC, Barclays, NatWest, and Lloyds typically take 3–10 working days. These banks run underwriting reviews involving a human assessor, checking both the company and, for some products, the personal financial history of the directors.
If you incorporated yesterday and need to invoice your first client on Monday, a traditional bank won’t open in time. Tide, Revolut, or Starling can. That’s the practical difference that matters on day one of trading.
Director Checks and Credit History
Most digital banks don’t run a hard credit check on company directors for a current account. They use identity verification instead. A director with a personal CCJ can usually still open a business account with Tide, Starling, or Revolut without the application being declined on that basis alone.
Traditional banks use a soft credit search during account applications, which does not affect a director’s personal credit score. A hard check is only run if you apply for an overdraft or business credit card at the same time.
A history of personal defaults or a dissolved company on a director’s record can delay or block a traditional bank application. If that applies, start with the digital banks first.
Limited Company Bank Account Features
The features that matter most for a limited company differ from those that matter for a sole trader. Multi-user access, VAT management, and FSCS protection on larger balances each shift the shortlist.
Multi-User and Team Access
Tide, Revolut, and Starling all allow multiple team members to access the account under defined roles. Revolut is the most granular; you can set spending limits per card and require payment approval above a threshold on paid plans. Monzo Business Pro allows up to 3 members; Team allows 15.
Starling grants full administrative access to all added users — granular permission roles are not yet implemented. Traditional banks (Barclays, NatWest) offer dual authorisation, where two directors must approve outgoing payments above a set amount. Most digital banks don’t. Verify that before choosing.
Accounting and Tax Integrations
Every digital bank on this list connects to Xero and QuickBooks. NatWest and Mettle bundle FreeAgent free for as long as you hold the account. We confirmed FreeAgent bundle availability directly with NatWest and Mettle in May 2026.
ANNA goes further with built-in VAT return preparation and corporation tax estimates without needing any third-party integration. That’s the distinction: ANNA calculates your VAT obligations inside the bank; Tide, Starling, and Revolut feed your data to your accountant’s existing software.
For a limited company filing quarterly VAT returns, if your accountant already uses FreeAgent, Mettle or NatWest removes a separate software cost entirely. ANNA is the alternative when there’s no external accountant in the picture.
FSCS Protection vs E-Money Safeguarding
FSCS protection covers Starling, Mettle (via NatWest’s PRA licence), Monzo, Zempler, Allica, Tide (via ClearBank), and Revolut (full UK banking licence from March 2026) up to £120,000 per banking licence. ANNA and Airwallex use e-money safeguarding instead.
E-money safeguarding ringfences your funds from the provider’s own capital, but those funds sit outside the FSCS compensation scheme. For a profitable limited company, £40,000–£80,000 in earmarked VAT and corporation tax can sit in the account at any point in the year.
We cross-checked FSCS status against the FCA register for all 13 providers in May 2026. For companies holding substantial reserves, FSCS-protected accounts are the sensible default. With Revolut, Tide, and Monzo all in that bracket, the FSCS shortlist is wider than it used to be.
How to Choose the Right Account
Four questions shape the right choice: how many UK payments do you make each month, do you transact in foreign currencies, do you handle cash, and how large are the balances you hold between invoices and tax payments?
Under 30 outgoing UK payments a month, Tide Free or Starling both work. Between 30 and 137 payments, the comparison shifts: Starling at zero versus Tide Smart (£12.49, 30 included). Above 137 payments, Tide Pro (£27.49, unlimited) wins on transfer cost alone.
If you hold more than £50,000 in your company account regularly, FSCS protection should be on the checklist. Allica combines FSCS coverage with interest on balances. Since March 2026, Revolut and Tide (via ClearBank) are also FSCS protected, which widens the field considerably.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a limited company need its own bank account?
Yes, in practice. A limited company is a separate legal entity from its directors, and HMRC expects the company’s income and expenses to be clearly separated from directors’ personal finances. Using a personal account for company transactions creates complications: it can be treated as extracting company funds without a proper salary or dividend process, and most accountants will refuse to prepare accounts from mixed records.
Can a dormant limited company open a bank account?
Several digital banks, including Tide and Starling, will open accounts for dormant companies. You’ll need to confirm the dormant status and describe the intended future use. Traditional banks are less consistent and some require evidence of upcoming trading activity before approving a dormant application.
Do I need a business account to pay myself a salary from my limited company?
Yes. Director salaries and dividend payments need to flow from the company’s dedicated account to a personal account to be properly documented for HMRC. Mixing this through a personal account makes payroll records and self-assessment submissions harder to defend if HMRC queries the company’s tax position.
What happens to company funds if the bank fails?
Starling, Mettle (NatWest group), Monzo, Zempler, Allica, Revolut (full PRA licence, March 2026), Tide (via ClearBank), HSBC, Barclays, NatWest, and Lloyds all hold UK banking licences — eligible deposits are FSCS-protected up to £120,000 per banking licence. ANNA and Airwallex use e-money safeguarding instead: funds are ringfenced but sit outside the FSCS scheme.
Can two directors both access and approve payments?
Yes, with most providers. Tide, Revolut, Starling, and all traditional banks support multi-user access with defined roles. The distinction worth understanding is dual authorisation, where two directors must both approve outgoing payments above a threshold. Barclays and NatWest support configurable dual authorisation. Most digital banks don’t, though Revolut offers payment approval workflows on paid plans.
How We Reviewed
Ranking criteria. We rank limited company accounts on access (can most newly incorporated LTDs open it), total cost at typical UK payment volumes, FSCS protection status, multi-user functionality, and accounting and tax integrations. Speed of approval and app quality are the tie-break.
Data sources. We checked every provider’s pricing page, eligibility criteria, and product documentation in May 2026. We verified FSCS status against the FCA register, including Revolut’s full UK banking licence (March 2026), Tide’s ClearBank coverage, and Mettle’s NatWest PRA status. Some links are affiliate links — see our editorial policy.