Everyone from Etsy sellers to tradespeople, landlords, café owners and online designers could save time and possibly money with the right business business bank account. Here are some of the best
Whether you’re just starting out or decades into your business career, the right current account can just make everything easier.
From accounting integration, automated invoices (plus tracking), international payments to simply integrating well with your payment terminal – it’s all possible with the right account.
In fact, you might even need one to access a new payment system or access a business loan.
But how do you choose between them, what features are available and what does it all cost? We explain all.
If you’re keen to compare accounts, you can skip straight to our table.
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How do you compare business bank accounts?
There are multiple factors you need to consider when choosing a business bank account, including:
Fees
Fees go far beyond just a monthly cost for having the account open – everything from cash withdrawals, expenses accounts, bank transfers and issuing cards can come at a cost with some accounts. Make sure you’re not caught out by this or a “cheap” deal could end up proving rather expensive in the long run.
Eligibility
Do you meet the requirements? Some providers can have strict rules – especially around residency – so it’s worth checking to make sure you qualify. Some businesses are also harder to get an account for than others, a limited liability partnership might find it harder to get an account than a sole trader, for exmaple.
Cash deposit allowances
If your business handles cash you will want to be able to deposit that in your account. Check the small print to see how much you can deposit and what the charges are for that.
Cash withdrawal allowances
You might need money to set up a float or pay suppliers, wages or contractors. Check the limits in the small print along with any costs.
Integrations
Some business bank accounts let you add third party apps and programs into them. This could be for invoicing, taxes, payroll, payment terminals or more. Work out what you’ll need and check to see how compatible your chosen account is.
User management
How many people would you like to be able to access the account? How much access do you want each of them to have? Should they all have their own card?
Compliance (eg for VAT / Making Tax Digital)
Does your chosen account allow you to work out things like VAT or other taxes? The right accounts can sync up with accounting software, and even transfer money into a “for tax” pot so you know you have enough put away to cover the bill from HMRC.
Linked savings
You’ll need to put some money aside at some point – to pay your tax if nothing else – so it’s a good idea to earn interest on that money. Several business bank accounts come with linked savings accounts while others offer in-credit interest on your balance.
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What is the best business bank account?
The best business bank account for you is one that makes your life easier. Exactly what that looks like depends on your business.
The first thing you need to ensure is that it offers the services you need to keep your your business running.
So if you frequently sell overseas online, you need to make sure it can handle those payments – possibly including foreign currency transactions.
If you’re a gardener, invoice tracking might be more important to you. If you run a shop, then making sure it works well with your payment terminals might well matter more.
After you find an account that meets your needs and fits in with any future plans you have in terms of features, the next question is what it costs.
While free accounts are available, paying for one might be well worth the money if it frees up your time and energies to be better spent actually running your business than on admin.
It might also save you money or make you extra cash if it’s got a good savings account attached.
Finally, it’s worth looking at customer service. How easy is it to use and what do other customers think about it? What happens when something goes wrong?
To help there, we’ve integrated the score real customers have given these products on our sister site Smart Money People in our table below.
Once you have all that – what you need from it, what it costs and what it could save you in time (and possibly accountant fees) you’ll have the best account for you.
Are free business bank accounts enough?
Free business bank accounts can be perfect for people starting out who just want to separate their personal finances from their business ones.
They can do a lot more than that, too – often working well for years and years.
However, as the amount of money you make grows, so do your costs. Be that accounting, transactional fees building up or expanding into more markets or new locations.
At that point, you could well be spending a lot of time and potentially money on things that the best paid-for business bank account will cover for you automatically – or missing out on opportunities because your current account doesn’t offer that feature.
Additionally, free accounts aren’t often entirely free. While there might be no monthly cost, any payment fees, transaction fees and more could add up as your business expands, meaning you could be paying more for a free account than you would with one that charged a monthly subscription.
How much does a business bank account cost?
In terms of monthly costs, business bank accounts range from being free to costing as much as £90 a month.
Of those that charge, most sit between about £5 and £30 a month, although what you get for that money changes.
The biggest advantage of paying a monthly fee is that this replaces ongoing transactional charges – even “free” accounts will have these included. These charges can cover anything from withdrawing or transferring cash to issuing credit cards and foreign exchange fees.
Not all of these go away when you pay a monthly fee instead, but what they cost and the limits before fees are charged change greatly.
Some things you can expect to be charged for include:
- Monthly fee
- Bank transfers
- Cash deposits
- Cash withdrawal
- Card transactions
- International card payments
- Invoicing
The best business bank accounts overall
Business banks
Customer rating
4.8/5
- Monthly fee£10
- Cash deposit fee£0
- Fee for transfers in/out10 free, £0.20 after
- Offer£100 welcome bonus*
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Integration with accounting tools Yes, Xero, Quickbooks and Sage
- HR integrations Deel, Personio, Zoho and Workday
- Automations Set up automations with Zapier, Slack, Zoho
- Ecommerce platforms Connect Shopify, WooCommerce, Prestashop
- Cash withdrawals Free up to £5000/day. After this, 2% fee per withdrawal
- Invoicing tools Yes
- Eligible businesses Your company's legal form shouldn't be a charity, operate in the public sector, act as a cooperative, or be registered as sole traders. Your company must be fully incorporated and active and must be registered in an eligible country
- Offer details Sign up by 31/12/2026 and add money to your account to redeem a £100 welcome bonus. Fees, promotion terms and T&Cs apply. New Business customers only.
- Cashback Earn RevPoints with Revolut Business Titan card
Customer rating
4.9/5
- Monthly fee£0
- Cash deposit fee0.7% (min £3)
- Fee for transfers in/out£0
- Access Online or via app
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Cash withdrawals 6 free withdrawals per day up to a maximum of £300
- Integration with accounting tools Can be connected to accounting software
- Invoicing tools Yes
- Eligible companies Limited companies, Limited Liability Partnerships or sole traders
Customer rating
4.9/5
- Monthly fee£0
- Cash deposit fee£1 per deposit
- Fee for transfers in/out£0
- Access Online or via app
- Cash deposits £1 per deposit at any UK PayPoint or Post Office
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Cash withdrawals Withdraw up to £1,000 per day
- Integration with accounting tools Not available - Integration only available with Monzo Pro and above
- Invoicing tools No
- Eligible companies Sole traders and registered limited companies
Mettle Business Bank Account
Customer rating
4.8/5
- Monthly fee£0
- Cash deposit fee£0
- Fee for transfers in/out£0
- Access Online or via app
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Cash withdrawals Free
- Integration with accounting tools Access to FreeAgent and connect to other accounting software
- Invoicing tools Yes
- Eligible businesses Sole traders and limited companies with no more than two owners
Customer rating
4.8/5
- Monthly fee£0
- Cash deposit fee0.55% (min £4)
- Fee for transfers in/outFree to receive, send for free three times each month, 35p afterwards
- Access Online or via app
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Cash withdrawals £2 per withdrawal
- Card issuing fee £9.95 one-off fee
- Integration with accounting tools Connect your chosen accounting software
- Invoicing tools Yes
- Eligible businesses Sole traders and limited companies
Zempler Bank (formerly Cashplus) Business Extra
Customer rating
4.8/5
- Monthly fee£9
- Cash deposit fee0.55% (min £4)
- Fee for transfers in/out20 free a month (35p after)
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Integration with accounting tools Connect your chosen accounting software
- Invoicing tools Yes
- Eligibility Sole traders and limited companies
- Access Online or via app
- Cash withdrawals Free
- Spending abroad Fee-free
- Cashback Up to 0.5% on card spend
Zempler Bank (formerly Cashplus) Business Pro
Customer rating
4.8/5
- Monthly fee£19
- Cash deposit fee0.55% (min £4)
- Fee for transfers in/out500 free a month (35p after)
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Integration with accounting tools Connect your chosen accounting software
- Invoicing tools Yes
- Eligibility Sole traders and limited companies
- Access Online or via app
- Cash withdrawals Free
- Foreign exchange fee Fee-free
- Cashback Up to 1% on card spend
- Exclusive savings 0.5% interest-earning savings pot
Countingup Business Bank Account
Customer rating
4.7/5
- Monthly fee£3-£18 per month
- Cash deposit feePost Office: 0.5% (£2 min) / PayPoint: 3%
- Fee for transfers in/out30p
- Access Via app
- FSCS Protected? No
- Cash withdrawals £1 per withdrawal
- Integration with accounting tools Fully integrated accounting tools
- Invoicing tools Yes
- Eligible businesses Sole traders or registered limited companies
- Fee details After the 3 month free trial, you'll pay a monthly fee depending on how much you deposit each month. Deposits up to £750: £3 per month; Deposits up to £7,500: £9 per month; Deposits over £7,500: £18 per month
Customer rating
4.8/5
- Monthly feeFrom £30 per month
- Cash deposit fee£0
- Fee for transfers in/outFirst 100 free, £0.20 after
- Offer£100 welcome bonus*
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Integration with accounting tools Yes, Xero, Quickbooks and Sage
- Invoicing tools Yes
- HR integrations Deel, Personio, Zoho and Workday
- Automations Set up automations with Zapier, Slack, Zoho
- Ecommerce platforms Connect Shopify, WooCommerce, Prestashop
- Cash withdrawals Free up to £5000/day. After this, 2% fee per withdrawal
- Eligible businesses Your company's legal form shouldn't be a charity, operate in the public sector, act as a cooperative, or be registered as sole traders. Your company must be fully incorporated and active and must be registered in an eligible country
- Offer details Sign up by 31/12/2026 and add money to your account to redeem a £100 welcome bonus. Fees, promotion terms and T&Cs apply. New Business customers only.
- Cashback Earn RevPoints with Revolut Business Titan card
Customer rating
4.8/5
- Monthly feeFrom £90/month
- Cash deposit fee£0
- Fee for transfers in/outFirst 25 free, £0.20 after
- Offer£100 welcome bonus*
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Integration with accounting tools Yes, Xero, Quickbooks and Sage
- Invoicing tools Yes
- HR integrations Deel, Personio, Zoho and Workday
- Automations Set up automations with Zapier, Slack, Zoho
- Ecommerce platforms Connect Shopify, WooCommerce, Prestashop
- Cash withdrawals £10000/day, 2% fee for withdrawals after
- Eligibility Your company's legal form shouldn't be a charity, operate in the public sector, act as a cooperative, or be registered as sole traders. Your company must be fully incorporated and active and must be registered in an eligible country
- Offer details Sign up by 31/12/2026 and add money to your account to redeem a £100 welcome bonus. Fees, promotion terms and T&Cs apply. New Business customers only.
- Cashback Earn RevPoints with Revolut Business Titan card
Expert thoughts on finding the best business bank account from the Be Clever With Your Cash team
Running a business is hard work. There’s a seemingly never ending stream of things to think about, issues cropping up, paperwork and more.
The right business bank account can take a lot of this mental load off your shoulders – letting you focus on the things that actually matter.
The problem is that people often get used to things being a certain way, especially if they’ve built a business from scratch themselves, when in fact there might be much better solution out there.
That’s why it’s important to stop now and again and take a look at how you’re spending your time, as well as your money, and take a look about.
Businesses change, people change and new products are launched, which means taking a few minutes to sit and think about the products and services you have now and how they fit with your business in reality could end up saving you a huge amount of time, worry and money.
