7 Best Bank Accounts for Small Businesses in 2026

[00:01] small businesses in 2026. Starting off with options for solopreneurs and freelancers and finishing off with banks that are ready to handle a venture sharing the number one banking option that most small businesses completely

[00:15] hundreds to thousands of dollars of extra income in your pocket every single year. So make sure you stick around. If video's going to save you hours of research because I did it all for you.

[00:28] And all that I ask in return is that you drop a like on this video and subscribe. this video, which is going to be a quick summary of the top picks before we get into a deep dive of each bank account. And guys, feel free to use the table of

[00:42] contents below if you want to skip ahead at any point. So here's a rundown of the top seven bank accounts for small businesses. I'm also going to include my links down below that can get you a free bonus like a cash deposit when you open

[00:54] up an account depending on who you go with. Novo is at the top of my list for those who are just starting out because they offer no hidden fees or minimum balance requirements in addition to an AI powered bookkeeper. This will

[01:06] automate expense tracking, separate it into different categories and even give you a ready to download profit and loss statement for tax season. Bluevine is a great option for anyone looking to earn interest on their cash balance held in

[01:18] their business account. You can think of this like a high yield savings account to transfer your money out to earn a decent rate. Number three on our list is services you probably didn't even realize that your business needs in

[01:33] addition to banking. This includes bookkeeping, tax automation for estimated payments, a built-in platform for onboarding and paying contractors and more. Next we have NorthOne which offers a highly competitive APY on their

[01:47] free and paid plans in addition to useful features for teams. This includes multiple debit cards, individual app logins and more. Now for businesses with large teams or ones that might grow into that, Relay is a solid option, too. This

[02:01] platform allows you to create up to 20 different individual checking accounts per business each with their own individual account number. In addition, you can create up to 50 debit cards, physical or virtual, and grant users

[02:14] levels of permission. And if you're taking your business to the next level and possibly raising money for it, Mercury might be the platform for you. One in three startups actually choose to bank with them and they offer features

[02:27] specifically designed for this type of business like the Mercury Treasury account. And finally, for the businesses that plan to scale and possibly become the next big unicorn startup, there is Grasshopper Bank. This fully chartered

[02:40] bank offers up to 125 million in FDIC insurance as well as lending options specifically designed for VC backed firms. So let's take a deeper dive into each one of these now starting off with Novo, a fintech company offering a fully

[02:54] digital banking experience for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Novo is trusted by over 250,000 small businesses and they take a no hidden fees approach to business banking. There is no minimum balance required, no

[03:07] monthly service charge, no account closing fees, no stop payment fees and more. The only place where you really run into fees is with express ACH delivery, express check deposit and outgoing wire transfers. In addition,

[03:21] Novo will reimburse you up to $7 a month for any ATM fees paid. So here's the key they're known for is their account integrations. You can track all of the different revenue streams for your business in one place by linking your

[03:35] Stripe, QuickBooks, Square, PayPal account and more. And this ties in directly with their next feature, which is automated bookkeeping powered by AI. This will automatically categorize business expenses for both your Novo

[03:48] account and any linked external accounts, too. When you're ready for tax season, it's going to create a ready to download P&L. The next core feature is called Reserves. This is going to allow you to create up to 20 different sub

[04:00] accounts for categories like profit, taxes, payroll and more. In addition, setting a percentage of the funds that you want to have automatically moved into these different accounts. And next, let's talk about their customizable

[04:14] invoicing. Not only are you able to send unlimited business invoices for free, you can also customize them with your business logo, color scheme and more. In with built-in invoice tracking and automatic reminders. Now, Novo also

[04:29] offers a business credit card. This $0 annual fee card earns up to 2% cash back with no spending limits. So if you want to earn rewards on your business spending, this is actually a really solid option. Now as far as who Novo is

[04:43] a good fit for, the first group is going to be anyone who hates hidden fees. It's also a solid choice for freelancers and new business owners because let's be honest, guys, bookkeeping is either a lot of work or a lot of money. In

[04:55] addition, the built-in customizable invoices make this a really solid pick for freelancers doing a lot of client work. And lastly, it's a great pick for anyone who loves automation. The simple approach to reserves means that you can

[05:08] set aside a portion of your revenue for different goals automatically like the all-important category of taxes. So be sure to check them out by visiting ryanoscribner.com/novo. Now at the beginning of the video, guys,

[05:21] banking option that could potentially put hundreds to thousands of dollars of extra income in your pocket. So it's time to discuss the fintech platform that might be able to accomplish this and that's Bluevine. If your business

[05:34] Bluevine can be a really attractive option because of their high yield business checking account. Most traditional business checking accounts earn 0% interest, which basically means your money is just sitting there doing

[05:47] nothing. Bluevine has shaken up this traditional norm here by offering up to 18 times the national average APY with an upgraded plan. And since this is what let's dive into the key features now and

[06:01] checking account. The standard account, which comes with no annual fee, which comes with no annual fee, currently earns 1.3% APY on balances up to 250,000. Now rates are subject to change and there are some basic

[06:14] requirements to unlock this but they're pretty easy to meet. The plus account currently earns 1.75% APY and the premier account earns 3% right now. Now there are monthly fees that might apply to plus or premier but

[06:28] you can get this fee waived based on how much money you have saved or what you spend each month. But beyond just interest earned, the next big feature they're known for is their sub accounts. This is going to let you split your

[06:40] funds into separate accounts but the key differentiator here is that each one has their own account number. So that can be especially helpful to separate out billing and stay organized and each of these accounts is going to earn the same

[06:52] high APY. In addition, you can also issue individual debit cards for each sub account with custom spending limits. The next key feature is their suite of payment tools. If you're looking to send checks, they will actually print and

[07:05] mail them to the payee for you and you also get a free checkbook with any of the business checking accounts. They also offer free standard ACH payments in addition to low fee wire transfers. And if you need to send money around the

[07:18] world, this can be accomplished with their international payments tool in as little as 24 hours. Lastly, we have their business loans that are offered which can help you to get easy access to financing. This includes a Bluevine line

[07:31] of credit up to 250,000, term loans up to 500,000 and SBA loans. when you're just starting out but as your business continues to grow, this could potentially help you scale. As far as who Bluevine is a good fit for, the

[07:47] wants to earn a high yield on the cash held in their business account. It's also a good fit for the highly organized business owners who are looking for sub accounts that have individual account numbers and separate debit cards.

[08:00] Finally, it's a good option for businesses that might seek out financing businesses that might seek out financing later. It's easier to get approved for

[08:14] business, visit ryanoscribner.com/bluevine. instead of just offering banking services, Found actually takes care of multiple aspects of what your business needs to be successful. This includes

[08:30] bookkeeping, tax automation, paying contractors and more on top of all of the standard business banking features. So let's cover the key features now and the first one is going to be automatic tax tracking. The app estimates what

[08:44] you're going to owe in taxes in real time and it can even move that money automatically to a tax pocket. Speaking of which, these cash management pockets are their next big feature and this is going to allow you to create sub

[08:56] accounts for easy cash flow management. You could have one for taxes, health care, payroll, a rainy day fund or whatever your business needs. And you can even create virtual debit cards to spend money directly from each

[09:08] individual pocket. That way you know exactly where your money is coming from. The next feature is contractor management. You're able to onboard, manage and pay independent contractors within the app with no fees. This is

[09:21] even going to include W-9 collection for verification purposes as well as 1099 generation and filing. As far as getting paid goes, you can send professional invoices right from Found. You can accept card payments in person with tap

[09:36] to pay and you can connect Found to Square, Stripe and more. And then feature. This is going to automatically categorize your expenses as you spend helping you to identify write-offs without manual entries. And this auto

[09:51] last key feature, which is going to be real-time insights and reporting for your business. You can get up-to-date income, expense, and P&L reports anytime that you need them, all without paying a bookkeeper a single dollar. So, as far

[10:06] as who Found is a good fit for, number one is going to be freelancers and out, you might not realize how much goes into bookkeeping, reporting, tax planning, and more, and Found is able to help you out with all of these things.

[10:20] It's also a great fit for businesses with independent contractors because you can take care of onboarding, paying, and reporting required all in one place. Finally, it's a great fit for those who are tax conscious. Their automation

[10:33] quarterly payments and even automatically set money aside to make those payments. This could help you to avoid stress, cash flow problems, late payment fees, and more. Now, the last thing I want to quickly mention is that

[10:47] Found does offer three different tiers of service. Everything we've just discussed falls under the basic Found plan, which is free and has no hidden fees. But, they also have Found Plus and Found Pro available for a paid

[11:00] subscription. The main differentiator is earning interest on your account balance and possibly earning cash back on your business spending. But, for most business owners, the basic free plan is going to get the job done. So, be sure

[11:12] to check them out by visiting ryanoscribner.com/found or linked down in the description below. The next option on our list here is NorthOne, which combines the online banking essentials with a high APY on

[11:26] your cash balance held. NorthOne is known for offering an industry-leading APY on their free business checking account with an even higher rate available through their paid plus plan. In addition, they try to help you avoid

[11:38] fees wherever possible with no minimum balance required, no overdraft charges, and fee-free ATM withdrawals available through Allpoint. As far as the key features go, the first one is going to be instant access to funds available.

[11:52] transfers from your sales on Square, Stripe, Amazon, PayPal, and more available 24/7. And that ties in with the next feature, NorthOne integrations.

[12:04] For starters, you can connect all major payment platforms to get a single view of your cash flow in one place. But, it also offers real-time synchronization with the major accounting softwares, eliminating the need for manual entries.

[12:17] You can also connect it with your day-to-day business tools like Slack, Google Sheets, and more, further boosting productivity potential. The next big feature is interest earned on cash balances with the ability to earn

[12:29] cash balances with the ability to earn up to 3% APY on their paid plus plan. Now, the free plan does pay interest as well, but keep in mind this is all subject to change. And the last big feature is their tools available for

[12:41] teams. Team spending can be easily managed with individual debit cards for each co-owner, and each person gets individual app access, too, so there isn't any logins that are being shared. The built-in analytics gives you full

[12:54] visibility, too, which is going to show you exactly who was spending what. As far as who NorthOne might be a good fit for, the first group is going to be anyone looking to earn a competitive APY on their business account balances. It's

[13:06] accept payments through multiple different platforms because you can track it all in one place and even get instant access to funds. Finally, this can be a solid choice for businesses that have multiple co-owners. Each owner

[13:20] gets their own debit card, separate logins, and expenses are going to be associated with them. You can learn more by visiting ryanoscribner.com/northone.

[13:32] list, and this is an online business banking and money management platform all-in-one. Relay aims to give businesses the clearest view of their cash flow possible. That way, they can see exactly what they are earning,

[13:44] spending, and saving. In addition, the features can be useful for both small businesses like sole proprietors or larger operations that might have multiple owners and employees. As far as the key features go, the first one is

[13:56] organized checking accounts. With each Relay business account, you can actually create up to 20 separate checking accounts, and each one has their own account numbers. In addition, their automated cash transfers feature allows

[14:09] you to set rules for movement of funds between accounts based on percentages or dollar values. They also offer a high FDIC insurance limit. Through their partnership with Thread Bank, Relay offers up to $3 million of FDIC

[14:23] coverage. Another key differentiator is their high-yield savings account. You their high-yield savings account. You can currently earn up to a 2.68% APY subscription offering. But, even the free plan, the starter plan, currently

[14:36] offers a 0.91% APY. And as far as why well, for starters, you can issue up to 50 different debit cards, physical or virtual, each for different individuals or accounts. Each one of these debit

[14:51] limits, and the detailed expense tracking is going to show you exactly who spent what. Relay is a great option for businesses that might be small now, bigger down the line. It's also a good potential fit for businesses that might

[15:06] want to put aside some money for savings and earn a little bit of interest on it. But, most of all, Relay is a great choice for a business with a large and potentially growing team. You can split things off into nearly two dozen

[15:18] checking accounts that all function individually, get debit cards for everyone, and have visibility into all of this. In addition, you can add all of these individuals to your Relay account with their own logins and assign

[15:30] different levels of permission. So, if you wanted to create a read-only account access for your bookkeeper, that's easy to accomplish. If you want to check them out, you can head over to ryanoscribner.com/relay.

[15:42] But, let's say your business is even bigger than a team of 20 to 50 people. You might need our next option on the list, Mercury, which is a digital banking platform built specifically for startups, tech companies, and growing

[15:54] businesses. Mercury is the banking backbone for some very well-known startups including Phantom Wallet, lovable.dev, and more. And you might think that a banking platform designed for startups would have high account

[16:06] fees and minimums, but Mercury has no monthly fees, no account minimums, and no overdraft fees. Key features for Mercury include a high FDIC insurance limit. You can get up to $5 million of FDIC coverage through their partner bank

[16:21] network. In addition, they also offer something called Mercury Treasury. This is a cash management account that allocates your money into ultra-low risk money market and bond funds. So, if you just raised money for your startup and

[16:34] there idle, that's exactly what this is designed for. Mercury also offers free money transfers. There are no fees for ACH payments, domestic or international wire transfers. Now, another key feature for Mercury is API access. This allows

[16:50] for robust in-custom financial automation for tasks like integrations and mass payments. And since this banking platform is designed for large teams, they also offer team permissions where you can customize user roles, what

[17:04] they're able to access, and what they're able to do. As I'm sure you guessed, Mercury is a good fit for startups. In fact, one in three startups actually choose to bank with them. The Mercury Treasury account is perfect for idle

[17:16] cash reserves, and the high FDIC limit is a good fit for businesses with a large cash balance. That's really the main group that Mercury is a good fit for. They've taken the approach here of tailoring a banking product for one

[17:29] specific group in mind, and it has paid off for them. Over 300,000 entrepreneurs want to join them, be sure to visit want to join them, be sure to visit ryanoscribner.com/mercury.

[17:43] and startups, we have Grasshopper Bank, which is specifically designed for the innovation economy. Unlike many fintech platforms that partner with other banks, Grasshopper is a fully chartered bank. That means they provide their own

[17:55] banking services and FDIC insurance, which is important to many groups. Now, businesses, the requirements are actually quite minimal. Their Innovator Business Checking account comes with no monthly fees, no minimum balance

[18:09] requirement, and unlimited transactions allowed. The Accelerator Checking account designed for startups offers a high interest rate up to 3% APY for some tiers, and free domestic wires and ACH transfers when a daily minimum balance

[18:23] requirement is maintained. Grasshopper includes many advanced features that are specifically designed for businesses that are scaling rapidly. This includes dual approval wire transfers where two parties have to sign off on them, and

[18:36] there's a lot of money on the line. banking, which was just rolled out in 2025. This is basically an AI assistant that allows clients to ask questions and analyze financial data surrounding their

[18:51] account. Grasshopper also offers very high FDIC insurance limits, currently offering up to $125 million in coverage across their deposit network. In addition, Grasshopper offers a suite of lending tools designed for startups.

[19:07] This includes SBA lending, venture capital or private equity lending, and their Innovator Term Loan, which is an unsecured term loan for startups needing quick access to capital. So, if you're planning on going big with your business

[19:20] and creating what might be the next big unicorn startup, Grasshopper might just be for you. You can learn more by visiting ryanoscribner.com/grasshopper. There you have it, guys. That's a full overview of the seven best bank accounts

[19:33] still getting things set up, you can click here to watch my video on the best business formation services. I'll see you there.