Best UK business bank accounts (2026)
A short, opinionated, independent shortlist of UK business banking for new and growing businesses. Tide is highlighted because of its current £200 cashback (REFER200) — but we explain when each alternative is the better pick. Last reviewed 16 June 2026.
| Feature | Tide | Starling | Monzo | Revolut | Mettle | ANNA | Wise | Cashplus | HSBC Kinetic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | New SMEs + cashback | Full UK bank, simple fees | Polished UX, tax pot | International / FX | Free sole traders | Automated tax & VAT filing | Multi-currency / FX | High acceptance + built-in credit | High-street bank, branch access |
| Monthly fee | Free / £12.49 Smart / £27.49 Pro / £69.99 Max | Free sole trader; £7/mo Ltd | Free Lite; £9/mo Pro | Free Basic + paid tiers | Free | Free Pay As You Go / £14.90 Business / £49.90 Big Business | One-off £45 setup for a business account, no monthly fee | Free Business Go; paid tiers from ~£9.95/mo | Free for Kinetic customers (eligibility applies) |
| FSCS | Via ClearBank-issued accounts | Yes | Yes | E-money — safeguarded | Via NatWest | E-money — safeguarded | E-money — safeguarded | Yes (Cashplus Bank) | Yes (HSBC UK) |
| Built-in invoicing | Yes (all plans) | Basic | Pro only | Yes | Yes | Yes (with auto-chasing) | Yes | Basic | No (uses HSBC tooling) |
| Multi-currency | No | EUR/USD on Business + Pro add-on | No | 30+ currencies | No | No | 40+ currencies | No | No |
| Sign-up offer | REFER200 up to £200 | — | — | Varies | — | — | — | — | — |
How we chose the shortlist
We weight five factors: account protection (FSCS vs e-money safeguarding), total cost of ownership at typical SME volumes, day-to-day tooling (invoicing, expense data, accounting integrations), customer support, and any meaningful sign-up offer. We disclose all commercial relationships — currently a referral relationship with Tide via REFER200. Inclusion on this shortlist is not paid for and we maintain providers we don't earn from because the comparison wouldn't be useful otherwise. See our editorial policy.
Tide — best all-rounder for new UK businesses
FCA-authorised platform with business bank accounts issued via ClearBank. Free plan is genuinely free, built-in invoicing on every tier, integrated company formation, Xero/QuickBooks/FreeAgent. Current REFER200 offer adds up to £200 cashback. Best pick if you're opening your first account and want one app that handles banking and finance ops. See our Tide review.
Starling — best fully licensed UK bank
Fully licensed UK bank, full FSCS on the main account, free UK ATM withdrawals, 24/7 phone support. Built-in tooling is thinner than Tide. £7/month for limited companies; free for sole traders. Best when account protection or branch-style support matters more than tooling.
Monzo Business — best UX and tax pot
UK banking licence, FSCS-protected, with the polished UX of Monzo's personal app. Pro tier (£9/month) adds automatic tax pots and invoicing — the tax pot in particular is one of the cleanest features in UK SME banking. No current cashback offer.
Revolut Business — best for international
Multi-currency from day one — hold 30+ currencies, send international payments at near-interbank rates within plan limits. Not the right answer for UK-only SMEs (it's e-money in the UK, not FSCS-protected), but the obvious answer if international flows dominate your business.
Mettle by NatWest — best free option backed by a big bank
Free business account from NatWest, aimed at sole traders and small Ltd companies. FSCS via NatWest. No current cashback. A good safe-default option if Tide's e-money/FSCS nuance bothers you and Starling's monthly fee for Ltd companies doesn't appeal.
ANNA Money — best for automated tax & VAT filing
ANNA's stand-out feature is built-in VAT and Corporation Tax filing — calculated, set aside in a pot, and submitted to HMRC from the app. Pay As You Go tier is free; paid tiers add unlimited transfers and bookkeeping. Best pick if tax admin is the part of running your business you most want to outsource. See our Tide vs ANNA comparison.
Wise Business — best for multi-currency & FX
Hold and convert 40+ currencies at the mid-market rate plus a transparent per-conversion fee. One-off setup fee, no monthly fee. UK e-money (safeguarded, not FSCS). Best as a secondary FX account alongside a UK operational account. See our Tide vs Wise comparison.
Cashplus Bank — best for high acceptance & built-in credit
Fully licensed UK bank with high application acceptance and a built-in business credit card / overdraft facility once eligible. Useful when other providers decline or when access to credit on day one matters. See our Tide vs Cashplus comparison.
HSBC Kinetic — best high-street option for digital SMEs
HSBC's app-first business account for sole traders and small Ltd companies, with FSCS via HSBC UK and access to wider HSBC lending and FX. Slower onboarding and narrower tooling than Tide, but the right answer if you want a high-street bank relationship. See our Tide vs HSBC Kinetic comparison.
Who we don't shortlist (yet)
High-street incumbent business accounts (HSBC Kinetic, Barclays, Lloyds, NatWest) remain useful for specific needs — cash-heavy businesses, regulated industries, lending relationships, large balances above FSCS limits across multiple providers — but for a clean digital-first SME shortlist they typically lose on fees, application friction or tooling.
How to pick in 30 seconds
- New SME, want one app, want the cashback → Tide.
- Want a fully licensed UK bank, simple fees → Starling.
- Love Monzo, want an automatic tax pot → Monzo Business.
- International / multi-currency heavy → Revolut Business.
- Free, want a NatWest-backed account, sole trader → Mettle.
Frequently asked questions
Which UK business account has the best sign-up offer in 2026?+
Tide's REFER200 is currently the most generous structured cashback offer on a UK business account, worth up to £200 split across a card-spend reward and an Instant Saver reward.
Should I open more than one?+
Many UK SMEs run two providers — one for operations, one for FSCS comfort or international FX. There's no requirement to choose only one.
Are these recommendations paid?+
Inclusion is not paid. We disclose all commercial relationships — currently a referral relationship with Tide via REFER200. See our editorial policy.
What's the best free business account in the UK?+
Tide Free, Starling (sole trader), Monzo Lite and Mettle are all genuinely free at the entry tier. Tide's edge in 2026 is the REFER200 cashback on top of the free plan.
What's the best account for a brand-new limited company?+
Tide if you want one app that handles banking, invoicing, expense data and (optionally) company formation, plus £200 cashback. Starling if full FSCS on a licensed bank is your priority.
Which UK business account is FSCS-protected?+
Starling, Monzo Business, Mettle (via NatWest) and Tide ClearBank-issued accounts are FSCS-eligible up to £85,000. Revolut Business and Tide e-money accounts are safeguarded but not FSCS-protected.
Which account is best for international payments?+
Revolut Business for multi-currency and FX volume. Wise (alongside any UK account) for cheap one-off international payments. Starling for occasional EUR/USD.
Which account works best with FreeAgent / Xero / QuickBooks?+
All five providers on our shortlist integrate with FreeAgent, Xero and QuickBooks. Tide and Starling are the most commonly recommended pairings by UK contractor accountants.
How often should I review my business account choice?+
Annually, or whenever your turnover, transfer volume or international flows change materially. Switching is straightforward — there's no Current Account Switch Service for business, but redirecting payments takes a few weeks.
Can I open all five?+
Yes, technically — but two well-chosen accounts cover most needs (one operational, one for FSCS or FX). Multiple accounts add admin without proportionate benefit for most SMEs.
Key facts summary
- The current code promoted on this site is REFER200.
- The offer is described as up to £200 cashback, not a guaranteed reward.
- Eligibility and payout are controlled by Tide and the applicable offer terms.
- This website is independent and is not Tide; we may receive a referral reward.
- Last checked: 16 June 2026.
Related guides
Open Tide with REFER200
Use referral code REFER200 at sign-up to claim up to £200 cashback when you meet the qualifying steps.
Up to £200 cashback
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REFER200Up to £200 cashback. T&Cs apply. Tide determines account approval, eligibility and cashback validation. Last checked 16 June 2026.
Independent introducer disclosure: this site is not Tide and is not operated by Tide. If you sign up using our link or the code REFER200, we may receive a referral reward. Tide controls account approval, eligibility and cashback validation. This is not financial advice. Always check the latest Tide terms before applying. Last checked 16 June 2026.