Compare Free Business Bank Accounts
15 Best Free Business Bank Accounts in 2024
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How it worksIf you're looking to keep your overheads down a free business bank account can help do just that. Since account and transaction fees add up, choose from accounts that offer free periods, free plans or no fees at all for a cheaper banking experience.
Find the best free business bank account from the UK's top high street and online challenger banks and see how much your business could save.
Tide Business Current Account
- Digital business bank account with no monthly fees, pay for what you use
- Dedicated to freelancers, sole traders & limited companies
- Charge 20p per transfer, in or out, ATM withdrawals cost £1, while card payments are free
- Score great with a 4-star TrustScore on Trustpilot
- Hold up to five business accounts, get cashflow insights & access business loans
- Try Tide Accounting free for two months or integrate other popular software
- Get an automatic instant savings account with an exclusive 4.07% variable AER
- Access to company name check services, virtual office & company formation for £14.99
- Tide offer FSCS-covered accounts provided by ClearBank, protecting deposits up to £85,000
Zempler Bank Business Go
- Online free business bank account with no credit checks & fast opening
- Available to freelancers, sole traders, SMEs & growing businesses
- You'll get three free transfers each month, then they cost 30p each
- Trustpilot average rating of 3.6 stars out of 5
- UK cash withdrawals cost £2, while withdrawals abroad cost £3
- Card payments are free but your first card will cost £9.95, any additional are £5.95 each
- Cash can be deposited at any Post Office branch for a 0.5% fee
- Integrate with accounting software, schedule payments, categorise spend & capture receipts all online
- Full UK bank offering FSCS protection on eligible deposits, up to £85,000
ANNA Money Pay As You Go
- Business account with no monthly fees, just pay for what you use
- Local transfers cost 20p each & withdrawals cost £1
- Completely free transfers to other ANNA accounts
- Rated 4.4 stars on Trustpilot
- Refund of month's subscription if support take longer than 10 minutes to reply within app
- Multiple plastic & virtual cards, with 1% cashback, included
- Instant payment notifications & expense matching
- Built-in invoicing & accounting software
- Not a bank, offer e-money accounts not covered by the FSCS
Allica Bank Business Rewards Account
- Free business bank account with cashback & 4.08% AER instant access savings pot
- Available to businesses that have are at least a year old & have balance of £50K, or a business loan with Allica
- There are no monthly fees & transfers are free
- Earned an excellent 4.6-star TrustScore from Trustpilot reviews
- Get 1% cashback on card payments, 1.5% once you spend over £10K in a month
- No cash or cheque deposit services are available
- Manage online or by mobile app with multiple director access
- Get a dedicated relationship manager to help with any banking needs
- Fully licenced bank with FSCS protection up to £85,000
OakNorth Bank Business Current Account
- Free digital business bank account with automatic access to savings
- Enjoy fee-free transactions & free debit cards for your team
- Available for businesses with complex structures or multiple SPVs
- Turnover needs to be £1 million or you will need to deposit a minimum of £100K
- Rated excellent on Trustpilot with a TrustScore of 4.8 out of 5
- Earn Vault savings earns a variable 3.35% AER on idle funds
- Deposits & interest can be reached in one working day
- Access business loans, OakNorth have already leant over £10 billion to UK businesses
- Covered by the FSCS, protecting eligible deposits up to £85,000
Revolut Business Basic Account
- Free account for companies & freelancers available with restrictions
- Send five local payments for free per month, 20p each thereafter
- No charge for sending money to other Revolut accounts
- Manage the account 24/7 online, via the web or mobile app
- Rated 4.2 stars out of 5 on Trustpilot
- Hold & exchange in more than 25 different currencies
- Track spend in real-time & automatically categorise payments
- Integrates with accounting software such as Xero or QuickBooks
- Deposits not protected by the FSCS, accounts are authorised by the FCA as e-money accounts
Airwallex Business Account
- Free online multi-currency account with lots of extras & perks
- Get local accounts in 60+ countries to collect funds in 23+ currencies
- No setup fees, monthly account fees or any hidden fees
- Average TrustScore of 3.6 stars, on Trustpilot
- Local transfers are free while SWIFT payments cost £10-£20
- Which can be made to 150 countries in more than 40 currencies
- All with access to market-leading FX rates, 24/7
- Connect leading accounting software for full financial visibility
- Deposits are not protected under FSCS, however Airwallex UK is bound by safeguarding requirements that ensure your funds are protected at all times
Starling Bank Business Current Account
- Award-winning free business bank account with no transaction or monthly fees
- Made for limited companies & limited liability partnerships, including startups & sole traders
- Pay nothing for ATM withdrawals, both in the UK & abroad (ATM fees may apply)
- Cheques are free to deposit in-app or by Freepost, but cash deposits come with a 0.7% fee at the Post Office
- Rated excellent on Trustpilot with 4.3 stars
- Manage completely online or using the mobile app
- With multiple director access but does not support third-party access (accountants for example)
- Highly commended for Business Start-up Bank of the Year in the Business Moneyfacts Awards 2024
- Fully licenced bank, meaning eligible deposits are protected by the FSCS, up to £85,000
Mettle Business Bank Account
- Completely free business bank account, by NatWest
- Made for sole traders & limited companies with up to two owners
- Though only one owner can have account access at the moment
- The maximum balance limit is £1 million
- Have an excellent TrustScore on Trustpilot of 4.6 stars
- Use FreeAgent accounting software for free, or connect others
- Create & send invoices straight from your phone
- Online-only banking with desktop & app access
- Full bank account protecting eligible deposits up to £85,000
Monzo Business Lite
- Free account available with restrictions like no access to exclusive offers or integrated accounting
- No monthly account fee, only pay for usage
- Enjoy free & instant UK bank transfers
- Accounts for sole traders & limited companies
- Rated great on Trustpilot with a TrustScore of 4.3 stars
- 24/7 account management with their app
- Get notified when you pay someone or someone pays you
- Award-winning customer support from real people
- Switch your account in seven days from your mobile
- Eligible deposits benefit from FSCS-protection, up to a total of £85,000
Virgin M Account for Business
- Business current account with no monthly fee & free everyday online banking
- Made for sole traders, partnerships & limited companies with an annual turnover less than £1 million
- There are no fees for UK bank transfers up to £30,000
- Nor are there for ATM cash deposits or cheque deposits via the app
- Cash withdrawals & card purchase are also free, with 0.25% cashback on card spend
- Categorise your business spend automatically & get free insights with M-Track dashboard
- Integrate with popular accounting software for a full financial overview
- Get three months of QuickBooks or Xero completely free
- Eligible deposits are covered up to £85,000 for each business
NatWest Business Current Account
- Business bank account with no monthly fees & FreeAgent accounting software free
- Available to those that turnover more than £1 million but have been trading for less than a year
- Or those that turnover less than £1 million and have been trading for longer than a year
- Online transfers & ATM withdrawals cost 35p each,
- While manual & cash transactions cost 70p per item
- All free for 24 months if you switch to NatWest or open their startup account
- Bank online whenever with their award-winning mobile app
- Access to a dedicated relationship manager & business experts
- Also offer business savings, overdrafts & other finance options
SumUp Business Account
- Online business account with no monthly fees & free transfers
- Receive three free ATM withdrawals each month
- Online-only account managed through the web or mobile app
- 24/7 support available via email, phone or online chat
- Contactless Mastercard with free transactions included
- Manage expenses & track spending with the SumUp app
- Access their suite of products to help accept payments or sell online
- Create invoices easily with their integrated accounting features
- Not a bank, nor are deposits covered by the FSCS, other safeguarding in place
Royal Bank of Scotland Business Current Account
- Business bank account with no monthly fees & FreeAgent accounting software free
- Available to those that turnover more than £1 million but have been trading for less than a year
- Or those that turnover less than £1 million and have been trading for longer than a year
- Online transfers & ATM withdrawals cost 35p each,
- While manual & cash transactions cost 70p per item
- All free for 24 months if you switch to RBS or open their startup account
- Reach your account anytime with online & mobile banking
- Access to a dedicated relationship manager & business experts
- Also offer finance options, business overdrafts & savings
The Co-operative Bank Business Current Account
- Simple, free business bank account for sole traders & single directors
- No monthly fee or any fees for digital transactions plus £200 joining bonus (until 31st Oct)
- As always, card payments are free & so are cash withdrawals
- However, cash paid in or out costs £1.50 per £100, while exchanges cost £1.60 per £100
- For every cheque issued or deposited it costs £1.50
- Manage online, by secure messaging, by phone, in branch, or in-app
- Get free integration with top accounting software
- Offer a host of tools, guides & webinars for startups & growing businesses
- UK bank offering FSCS protection on eligible deposits up to £85,000
What is the best free business bank account?
Here's a summary of what we think are the best business bank accounts with no monthly fees:
- Best free business bank account overall: Tide Business Current Account · Free
- Best free account with interest: Allica Business Rewards Account · Free
- Best for registering your business: ANNA Money Pay As You Go · Free
- Best for established businesses: OakNorth Business Current Account · Free
- Best for no credit checks: Zempler Business Go · Free
- Best for international: Revolut Business Basic Account · Free
What is a free business bank account?
A free business bank account refers to an account that doesn't charge a monthly fee, catering primarily to small businesses and startups. These accounts tend to offer basic banking services such as online and mobile banking, debit cards, and payment capabilities.
While they don't charge a monthly fee, free business accounts may charge fees for specific transactions like deposits and transfers.
Additionally, there are often limitations on the number of transactions allowed within a specific period, and exceeding these limits might incur charges. It's crucial for businesses to carefully review the terms, considering potential fees and transaction limits, before choosing a free business bank account.
Do free business bank accounts have any fees?
This depends on the type of account you choose.
There are some business accounts, like those offered by Starling Bank or Mettle, that are completely free.
While others adopt a pay-as-you-go rate with no monthly account fees, charging for transactions like transfers, card payments or cash withdrawals.
More traditional banks offer free banking periods, to new customers, where no charges are incurred for everyday use. These tend to be for 12 months but can last up to 30 months.
Is there any specific eligibility criteria for free business accounts?
There are a number of business accounts that come completely free and don't require any specific criteria to be met to be eligible, though that doesn't mean all accounts are the same.
Almost all online accounts offer free trials to new customers or offer a free plan that comes with balance or income limits. Its not uncommon to also be restricted in the features you can use, like access to rewards or priority customer support.
While most high street banks do also offer free accounts, they tend to only offer them to new businesses in their first year of trading, with a low projected annual turnover, or as a switching incentive.
How to open a free business bank account
In most cases opening a free bank account is no different from opening any other business bank account, and can be done conveniently online.
During the application you'll need to verify some personal information as well as some basic information about your business.
Depending on your business structure the requirements may vary, but for most applications you'll need to provide:
- Proof of identification - a passport or driver's licence
- Proof of address - a recent bank statement or utility bill
- Business information - the registered address, contact details, expected yearly turnover, credit history, and the Companies House registration details if applicable
How to choose the best free business bank account
If you're looking for a free account to just keep costs down then any of the accounts listed above are suitable.
Otherwise, the best way to choose a free business bank account is to understand exactly what you want the account for and what features will be a must for your business.
It doesn't make sense to choose an online account when you mostly deal with cash (since most online accounts don't have cash services) or a high street bank when all of your dealings are digital.
Frequently asked questions
It's not uncommon to have questions when looking in to business banking, especially for the first time. These are some of the most relevant questions for business bank accounts:
Free forever accounts tend to be e-money accounts, which have safeguarding requirements to operate in the UK. Free periods are usually with banks insured by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), which protects deposits up to £85,000.
Most aren't completely free forever and will either have fees for certain transactions outside of set allowances or charge once the free period ends.
Free plans tend to have less features but better limits and less charges. Free periods offer full feature access, but for a limited period.