Our Startup Business Bank Account Picks
Best Overall
Pick Tide if you want formation, invoicing, and accounting integrations in one place. Tide Free includes 5 transfers a month and charges 20p after that, so a busy month costs real money on a free plan. Starling charges nothing per transfer at any volume.
Get £200 cashback with TideBest for New Limited Companies
Tide accepts zero trading history and no filed accounts; your brand-new LTD gets the same terms as a five-year-old business. Forming the company through Tide costs £1 if you take its Company Secretary subscription at £12.50 plus VAT a month, or £14.99 on its own. Full detail in our Tide business banking review.
Get £200 cashback with TideBest for Sole Trader Founders
Starling is the cleanest sole-trader fit: permanently free, FSCS protected, with a usable invoicing-free current account. Tide is stronger if you want built-in invoicing, but it charges 20p a transfer once you pass the 5 included in the free plan.
See Starling: FSCS protectedBest for Low Fees
Starling and Mettle charge nothing per transfer at any volume, and both are FSCS protected. Cash and cards are not free on either: Mettle charges £2.75 a Post Office deposit and £1 a cash withdrawal.
Starling used to be the free digital account with an overdraft, but it has paused new applications, so do not pick it for that. Mettle bundles FreeAgent, on the condition that you make at least one transaction a month from the account.
That’s a meaningful bundle when bookkeeping software is a real cost.
Get Starling’s zero feesBest for Company Formation
Tide forms your company for £1, but treat that as a sweetener for its Company Secretary subscription rather than the going rate: on its own, formation costs £14.99. Either way the account opens the same day Companies House confirms.
ANNA offers formation as a paid add-on bundled with AI tax calculations and invoicing.
Get £200 cashback with TideBest for Same-Day Opening
The digital providers accept an application the day Companies House confirms your incorporation, and most new companies are through quickly. None of them promises same-day approval, and every one reviews applications case by case, so treat a fast opening as likely rather than guaranteed.
Get £100 bonusBest for International Startups
Revolut is the pick if you invoice clients or pay suppliers overseas from day one. Basic converts £1,000 a month at the interbank rate, then charges 0.6%, and 1% at weekends. Against the 2.5% to 3% a high-street debit card adds, that is real money on every cross-border payment.
Our Revolut Business account review has the full FX tier and plan cost comparison.
Get £100 bonusBest for Pre-Revenue Startups
Mettle pairs a zero monthly fee with FreeAgent, which Mettle values at a saving of at least £150 a year. You have to make at least one transaction a month to keep it. For a pre-revenue single-director company that needs bookkeeping software anyway, that is the strongest bundle here.
Get free FreeAgent with MettleBusiness Bank Account Providers Compared
We assessed each provider on five criteria: formation, eligibility for new LTDs, year-one cost at real volumes, features that matter in the first twelve months, and real-world fit. Where an account doesn’t work for most startups, we’ve said so.
Tide Free Business Account
Revolut Business Basic Account
ANNA Money Pay As You Go Account
Zempler Bank Business Go Account
Starling Bank Business Current Account
Monzo Business Lite Account
HSBC Small Business Bank Account
Mettle Business Bank Account
What These Startup Business Bank Accounts Really Cost
Most accounts on this page have a £0 entry point. Revolut does not: its cheapest business plan is £10 a month. The rest of the difference shows up in per-transfer charges, cash deposit fees and FX, none of which are free anywhere.
| Provider | UK transfer | Cash deposit | FX markup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starling | Free | 0.7% (Post Office, min £3) | 0.4% |
| Tide Free | 5 included, then 20p | 3% (PayPoint) | 1.5% (in-house) |
| Revolut Basic (£10/mo) | 10 included, then 20p | Not accepted | Interbank to £1,000/mo, then 0.6% |
| Monzo Business Lite | Free | £1 per deposit (PayPoint or Post Office) | n/a |
| Mettle | Free | £2.75 per deposit (Post Office) | n/a |
| Zempler | Free | 0.55% (Post Office, £4 min) | n/a |
| HSBC Small Business | Free (digital) | 1.5% (Post Office or self-service) | 2.75% on the debit card |
| ANNA | Pay As You Go, 0.95% on money in | 1% per deposit (PayPoint) | n/a |
| Verified 2 August 2026. | |||
At 50 outgoing payments a month, Tide Free costs £10 in transfer fees while Starling, Monzo Lite, Mettle and HSBC cost nothing. Volume splits these accounts, not the headline fee.
Cash costs money everywhere on this page. Starling takes 0.7% at the Post Office with a £3 minimum, Zempler 0.55% with a £4 minimum, and HSBC 1.5%.
Tide charges 3% at PayPoint. Monzo is a flat £1 a deposit and Mettle £2.75 at the Post Office, both with monthly caps, and ANNA is 1% at PayPoint. Revolut is the one account here that takes no cash at all.
On FX, Revolut is cheapest, but only inside its allowance: Basic gives you £1,000 a month at the interbank rate, then charges 0.6%, and 1% at weekends. Starling is a flat 0.4%, which beats Revolut once you go past the allowance.
Tide Free includes 5 transfers a month and charges 20p after that. Smart at £12.49 includes 30, which never repays its own fee on transfers alone. Pro at £27.49 is unlimited and only pays for itself past roughly 140 payments a month.
If what you want is a relationship manager and a visible lending path, that is an argument for HSBC or one of the high-street startup accounts, not for a bigger Tide plan.
Eligibility and Account Requirements
Startup-friendly providers differ on trading history, director residency, and company structure. The criteria below come from each provider’s own published eligibility and pricing pages.
| Provider | Maximum business age | Legal structures accepted | Opening time | Company formation | Lending or overdraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tide | None | Sole trader, LTD, partnership, LLP | Apply the day Companies House confirms | £1 with Company Secretary, or £14.99 | No overdraft |
| Starling | None | Sole trader, LTD, LLP (not general partnerships) | Apply the day Companies House confirms | No | Overdraft paused for new applicants |
| Revolut | None | LTD (sole traders use Revolut Pro) | Apply the day Companies House confirms | No | No overdraft |
| Monzo | None | Sole trader, LTD | Apply the day Companies House confirms | No | Sole trader overdraft to £3,000; loans to £25,000 |
| Mettle | None | Sole trader, LTD with up to two owners | Apply the day Companies House confirms | No | No overdraft |
| ANNA | None | Sole trader, LTD | Apply the day Companies House confirms | Paid add-on | No overdraft |
| Zempler | None | Sole trader, LTD, partnership, charity | Apply the day Companies House confirms | No | No overdraft |
| HSBC | None stated | Startups and small businesses, turnover to £6.5m | About 3 business days | No | Borrowing up to £100,000 |
| NatWest | Under 1 year trading | Sole trader, LTD | Not published | No | Full high-street lending range |
| Barclays | Within 12 months of trading | Sole trader, LTD | Not published | No | Full high-street lending range |
| Lloyds | None stated | Sole trader, LTD | Not published | No | Full high-street lending range |
| Verified against each provider’s own eligibility and pricing pages, 2 August 2026. “None” under business age means the provider sets no maximum: a company incorporated today qualifies. | |||||
Sole Traders
Tide, Starling, Zempler, Monzo, Mettle, and ANNA accept sole traders on day one of self-employment. Revolut’s main Business account excludes sole traders; they get Revolut Pro, a fee-free product in the personal app, instead.
HSBC does not confirm sole trader access on the Small Business Banking Account, and the product it used to point sole traders to, Kinetic, is closed to new applications.
Limited Companies
All eight accept newly incorporated LTDs with zero trading history. Mettle accepts LTDs with up to two owners but only one can access the account, so a co-founded startup can use it, though only one founder gets day-to-day access.
HSBC accepts small businesses and startups that are UK tax residents, though its pages are not consistent about single-director shareholder companies.
Partnerships
Tide and Zempler accept partnerships and LLPs on the free tier. Starling accepts LLPs but not general partnerships. Revolut, Monzo, Mettle and ANNA don’t support partnership structures on their startup offerings. HSBC does not publish a partnership position on this account.
Credit Checks and Application Criteria
The digital providers on this page open accounts without a hard credit search in the ordinary case, which is why a new company with no filed accounts can still get through. A bank that is also lending to you will search your credit file as part of that decision.
Non-UK directors should expect additional verification across every provider: identity confirmation, residence documents, and sometimes proof of UK business address.
Business Bank Account Features That Matter Most
In year one, the features that save you time matter more than the ones that look impressive on a pricing page. We weighted invoicing, integrations, and overdraft access by how often you actually use them as a founder.
Accounting Integrations
Tide and Starling cover Xero, QuickBooks, and FreeAgent directly. Revolut and Monzo connect to Xero and QuickBooks. ANNA integrates with Xero and QuickBooks but has no Sage feed. HSBC has limited native feeds and offers API access.
If your accountant has picked a platform already, this often decides your shortlist before any other feature does. You can save yourself a renegotiation later by matching the integration to your bookkeeping stack on day one.
Invoicing Tools
Tide ships built-in invoicing with payment links and automatic reconciliation on the free tier. Zempler includes a free invoice generator, cashflow tracking, and Making Tax Digital tools. ANNA bundles AI invoice matching and tax forecasting as a paid add-on.
Starling, Monzo, Revolut, Mettle, and HSBC leave invoicing on their core accounts to your accounting software. Starling’s optional Business Toolkit (£7/month) is the exception, adding in-app invoicing and bookkeeping.
Interest and Overdrafts
Zempler and Monzo are the digital startup accounts you can still apply to for an overdraft. Starling has paused new applications, so its overdraft is not a reason to choose it today. Zempler’s interest-earning savings pot is a paid Business Pro tier feature, not something the free Business Go account pays on its balance.
Monzo offers sole traders an overdraft up to £3,000 (39% EAR) and business loans up to £25,000, both subject to eligibility.
HSBC offers borrowing of up to £100,000 on the Small Business Banking Account. Starling publishes overdraft terms for limited company accounts, an annual fee of 1.75% of the limit or £50 whichever is higher, but has paused new applications. It has never offered one on a sole trader account.
Tide, Revolut, Mettle and ANNA offer no overdraft on startup pricing. If you expect to need a buffer in year one, that narrows the list before any fee comparison does.
App and Day-to-Day Banking
In-app chat, instant card freeze and push notifications on every transaction are standard across the digital providers here.
What differs is what sits on top. Tide and Zempler build in invoicing and bookkeeping. Starling charges £7 a month for the same through its Business Toolkit, rising to £14 from April 2027. Mettle bundles FreeAgent instead.
How to Choose the Right Startup Business Bank Account
The right startup account depends on four things: how many payments you send, whether cash is part of your business, what structure you trade under, and how much admin you want the bank to absorb for you.
Choose by Payment Volume
Up to 5 UK payments a month, Tide Free costs nothing and includes invoicing. Past that its 20p fees start accumulating, and Starling, Monzo Lite and Mettle are cheaper at any volume because none of them charges per transfer.
Tide Smart at £12.49 buys 30 transfers, which is more than the £6 of fees those transfers would cost on the free plan. Paying to move up a Tide plan only makes sense for the invoicing and team cards, not for the transfers.
Choose by Cash Handling Needs
If any material part of your revenue comes in cash, price the deposit fee before the monthly fee. Zempler at 0.55% and Starling at 0.7% are the cheapest percentages, and Monzo’s flat £1 wins on small frequent deposits.
Tide’s 3% at PayPoint is the most expensive way to bank takings on this page: £300 of cash a week costs you £468 a year. Revolut takes no cash at all.
Choose by Business Type
Solo founder with a single-director LTD: Mettle, Tide, or Starling. Co-founded LTD with multiple directors: Tide, Starling, HSBC, or Revolut (Mettle works for two owners, but only one gets account access). International founder or non-UK director: Revolut or Starling. Sole trader side-project: Tide or Starling.
We ranked these based on the applications we’ve actually run end-to-end in April 2026.
Choose by Admin and Bookkeeping Needs
If you want formation plus banking in one flow, Tide or ANNA. If you want bookkeeping software bundled free, Mettle (with FreeAgent). If you want a clear lending relationship from day one, HSBC or a high-street startup account. If you want to keep admin minimal, Starling.
Pick the bank that fits your accountant’s platform, not the other way round.
How to Switch Startup Business Bank Accounts
Startups usually switch for one of three reasons: the free period ended, the account doesn’t fit the direction the business took, or a better product emerged. The Current Account Switch Service (CASS) handles the mechanics for providers that support it.
Which Providers Support CASS
Starling, Monzo, HSBC, Tide (via ClearBank), and Zempler support full CASS transfers in and out. Mettle, ANNA, and Revolut don’t participate in CASS: you migrate standing orders and direct debits manually.
For a startup with more than ten recurring payments (HMRC, payroll, SaaS subscriptions, suppliers), the difference is meaningful.
When to Switch from an Introductory Offer
Barclays charges £8.50 a month once its 12-month free period ends, and Lloyds £10. NatWest runs two years free before moving you to its standard tariff. Set a calendar reminder three months out and price the alternatives before the switch happens by default.
How to Avoid Disruption
A full CASS switch closes the old account for you, so there is no overlap to manage. If you move manually instead, keep the old account open for at least 60 days: HMRC direct debits and some SaaS billing are the ones that get missed.
Reconcile both accounts for the first month after switching. Any payment that did not redirect shows up in the reconciliation and can be chased before it becomes an overdue bill.
Final Verdict
For most UK startups, Tide is the pick. It forms the company, opens the account the day Companies House confirms it, and bundles invoicing, all on a plan that costs nothing to hold.
Starling is the better account on two counts, and they are not small ones: it charges nothing per transfer at any volume where Tide includes only 5 a month, and it takes cash at 0.7% against Tide’s 3%. If you move money often or bank takings, start there instead.
On formation, Tide charges £1 if you take the Company Secretary subscription at £12.50 plus VAT a month, or £14.99 on its own. Watch the 20p-per-transfer fee: only 5 transfers are included on the free plan, and Starling charges nothing per transfer at any volume. Revolut is the pick for founders invoicing or paying overseas from day one, at the interbank rate on the first £1,000 a month and 0.6% after that. It became a UK bank in March 2026, so new accounts are FSCS-protected to £120,000, though existing e-money balances stay safeguarded until Revolut migrates them.
Mettle is the best bundle for a pre-revenue, single-director LTD: no monthly fee, and FreeAgent included as long as you make one transaction a month. It takes cash at £2.75 a deposit, but only one owner can use the account, so a co-founded company will outgrow it.
HSBC suits founders who want branch access and a visible lending path: no monthly fee, borrowing up to £100,000, and cash at 1.5%. Monzo adds FSCS cover and a sole trader overdraft to a clean app, ANNA automates tax, and Zempler pays interest only on its paid Business Pro tier, not on the free account.
The short version: Starling for the best free all-rounder, Tide for formation plus invoicing, Revolut for international, Mettle for a pre-revenue solo LTD, HSBC for branch and lending access, Monzo for app-plus-FSCS. Match the account to how you actually trade in year one — payment volume, cash, structure, and whether FSCS cover matters — before its headline price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a startup bank account before my company is registered?
No. You need a Companies House registration number to open a business bank account for a limited company. Most digital banks accept the application on the same day your incorporation is confirmed by Companies House, which typically takes 24 hours for online filings. Tide, ANNA, and Zempler all facilitate company formation as part of their account-opening flow, so you can start the process before your company is formally registered and complete the account setup once confirmation arrives. If you’re a sole trader, you can open an account without incorporation at any point.
What happens when the free startup period ends?
On the accounts compared here, nothing happens, because none of them runs a startup free period. Tide Free, Starling, Monzo Lite, Mettle, Zempler Business Go and HSBC’s Small Business Banking Account have no monthly fee to revert to, and no fixed point at which one starts. The high-street startup accounts are the ones with a clock on them: Barclays moves to £8.50 a month after 12 months, Lloyds to £10 after 12, and NatWest to its standard tariff after two years. Set a reminder three months before yours ends.
Do I need trading history or minimum revenue to apply?
No. Tide, Revolut, Starling, Monzo, ANNA, and Mettle all open accounts for newly incorporated companies with zero revenue, no filed accounts, and no trading history. Identity verification is the main gate, not financial history. HSBC assesses creditworthiness on the Small Business Banking Account because it comes with a borrowing facility. The exception on this page is Zempler, which may apply additional checks.
What documents do I need to open a startup business bank account?
For a limited company, you need your Companies House registration number, a valid government-issued photo ID (passport or driving licence) for each director, and the registered business address. Most digital banks verify ID via a selfie and document scan in the app. HSBC may request additional documentation including proof of business address. Non-UK directors should expect additional steps regardless of provider. Check the specific requirements at the provider’s website before starting the application.
Can I hold a startup account at a traditional bank and a digital bank at the same time?
Yes. There is no legal limit on the number of business bank accounts a company can hold. Many startups open a Tide or Starling account for day-to-day transactions and invoicing, and an HSBC or Barclays account to build a banking relationship for future lending. This also spreads your FSCS protection across multiple banking licences if your combined balances exceed £120,000. The practical consideration is admin: each account needs reconciling, so keep the setup simple in year one unless you have a clear reason for both.
Are startup bank accounts FSCS protected?
Not all of them. Starling, HSBC, Mettle (via NatWest), and Zempler are FSCS protected up to £120,000 per banking licence. HSBC’s limit is shared across HSBC UK, first direct and HSBC Private Bank, so holding accounts at more than one of those brands does not double your cover. Tide (via ClearBank), Revolut (a UK bank since March 2026) and Monzo Business Lite are also FSCS protected to the same limit. Only ANNA still operates as an e-money institution here: funds are safeguarded but not covered by FSCS. For cash reserves above £10,000, FSCS protection materially matters.
How we reviewed business bank accounts for startups
Ranking criteria. We ranked providers on cost, eligibility, features, and ease of access. Cost and protection carry the heaviest weight because these matter across every business type and rarely change with reader preferences.
How we tested. We opened accounts with the providers that let us, ran the newly-incorporated application path, and put each app through the first-month jobs a startup does.
Pricing and terms were checked in April 2026, and the FCA register cross-checked for regulatory status.
Update cadence. We re-check every provider on this page against its own pricing and eligibility pages, and again whenever a provider changes its terms. The date shown is the date of the last full check, and each provider card carries the date its figures were read. Some links on this page are affiliate links, see our editorial policy.