The best business banking platform for a fintech bank account depends on the business. Rho fits a US-incorporated, digital-first company that wants checking, cards, expense management, and bill pay in one place, and Mercury, Relay, Bluevine, Novo, Brex, and Found each lead for a different kind of company.
A fintech business account is typically offered by a technology company that partners with FDIC-insured banks to hold your deposits. The differences that matter are fees, how the account handles cards and bills, and who it serves.
Below, you'll find the best-for table, a pick by business type, and a review of each of the seven platforms.
Rho fits a US-incorporated, digital-first business that wants checking, corporate cards, expense management, and bill pay on one platform. Business checking has no monthly, per-user, or minimum-balance fees.
Your business type decides the rest of the shortlist. A free plan, many separate accounts, sub-accounts with their own account numbers, funded-startup spend, and bookkeeping in the account each point to a different provider on this list.
Fees differ in more places than the monthly fee. Check what is $0 on domestic ACH and wires, whether pricing is per user, and which plan unlocks the features you need.
Cards matter too. Check the personal guarantee requirements, Cashback terms, and card controls each provider publishes.
Eligibility is not the same everywhere. Some providers serve only formally incorporated businesses, so confirm eligibility before you compare anything else.
What is the best business banking platform?
Rho is one of the best business banking platforms for a US-incorporated, digital-first business that wants checking, corporate cards, expense management, and bill pay on one platform. Mercury, Relay, Bluevine, Novo, Brex, and Found each win a narrower job: Mercury for an early-stage startup, Relay and Bluevine for separate accounts, Novo for checking with no monthly fee or minimum balance, Brex for funded startups, and Found for sole proprietors, LLCs, S corps, and C corps that want bookkeeping and taxes in the account.
Business banking platforms, by who each fits best:
Platform | Best for | What the provider publishes |
|---|---|---|
A US-incorporated, digital-first business that wants corporate cards with no personal guarantee, 24/7 live human support, and expense management with no per-user fees, with checking and bill pay on the same platform | No monthly, per-user, or minimum-balance fees on business checking. $0 domestic ACH and wires. Corporate cards with no personal guarantee. Live human support 24/7 on every account, at no cost. | |
Mercury | An early-stage startup | A $0 plan, with $0 ACH, domestic wires, and USD international wires on every plan. |
Relay | A business that wants many separate checking accounts | 20 checking accounts on Starter and Grow, 50 on Scale, with unlimited users on every plan. Starter is $0. |
Bluevine | A business that wants sub-accounts with their own account numbers | Up to 5 sub-accounts on Standard, 10 on Plus, and 50 on Premier, priced at $0, $30, and $95 per month. |
Novo | A business that wants checking with no monthly fee and no minimum balance | A $0 monthly fee and no minimums, plus Reserves, which are up to 20 buckets inside the checking account. |
Brex | A startup that has raised funding or plans to | Essentials is $0 per user per month, with free unlimited same-day ACH payments. Premium is $12 per user per month. |
Found | A sole proprietor, LLC, S corp, or C corp that wants bookkeeping and taxes in the account | Core features are free, with no monthly account maintenance fees, built-in bookkeeping and tax tools, and unlimited free invoicing. Found Plus is $35 per month. |
Pick Rho as your business banking platform when one platform should run your money. Rho corporate cards require no personal guarantee and no personal credit pull, every account has live human support 24/7 at no cost, and expense management has no per-user fees.
Rho also covers business checking, and bill pay that is free to customers, in the same place. It connects natively to NetSuite, QuickBooks Online, Sage Intacct, and Puzzle.
Pick a different business banking platform when the job is different. If your main need is many separate accounts or budgeting buckets, Relay, Bluevine, Novo, and Found are built for that. Mercury, Relay, Bluevine, Novo, Brex, and Found each publish a $0 entry option, so compare what the free tier includes using the table above. If you are a sole proprietor or unincorporated, Found fits, because Rho serves US-incorporated businesses only.
Need a branch, cash deposits, or a lending relationship under one roof? A traditional bank is the better fit than any platform above. The best banks for small business guide covers that route, and the best online business bank accounts guide covers the wider online field.
Now the same business banking platform answer, by business type.
Quick picks: where to start by business type
The right account depends on what your business does with money. Each pick below is a good place to start, not a final answer; the reviews further down give the detail.
Your business | Good place to start | Why |
|---|---|---|
Digital-first, incorporated business that wants banking, corporate cards, and bill pay in one place | Rho, then Mercury | No monthly, per-user, or minimum-balance fees on business checking, $0 domestic ACH and domestic wires, and checking, cards, expense management, and bill pay on one platform. |
Growing team with card spend and vendor bills to manage | Rho | Corporate cards with no personal guarantee, up to 1.25% Cashback on Daily Terms and up to 1% on Monthly Terms (terms apply), up to 2% on Daily Terms and up to 1.75% on Monthly Terms with Rho Platinum (terms apply), on up to $1M in eligible annual card spend, card controls for team and vendor cards in the mobile app, and free bill pay and expense management. |
Early-stage startup | Mercury | A $0 plan, and $0 ACH, domestic wires, and USD international wires on every plan. |
Budgeting across many separate accounts | Relay | 20 checking accounts per business on Starter and Grow, and 50 on Scale. |
Sub-accounts that each have their own account number | Bluevine | Up to 5 sub-accounts on Standard, 10 on Plus, and 50 on Premier. |
Checking with no monthly fee and no minimum balance | Novo | A $0 monthly fee, no minimums, and Reserves inside the checking account. |
Startup that has raised funding or plans to | Brex | Essentials is $0 per user per month, with free unlimited same-day ACH payments. |
Sole proprietor, LLC, S corp, or C corp that wants bookkeeping and taxes in the account | Found | Built-in bookkeeping and tax tools, unlimited free invoicing, and no monthly account maintenance fees. |
The best fintech banks for small business, compared
Platform | Built for / best for | Standout feature | Entry price |
|---|---|---|---|
Rho | Digital-first, incorporated businesses | Checking, corporate cards, expense management, and bill pay on one platform | $0 monthly fee on business checking |
Mercury | Early-stage startups | $0 ACH, domestic wires, and USD international wires on every plan | $0 plan |
Relay | Many separate accounts and budgeting | 20 checking accounts per business (50 on Scale) | Starter $0 |
Bluevine | Sub-accounts with their own account numbers | Up to 5 / 10 / 50 sub-accounts by plan | $0 / $30 / $95 per month |
Novo | Checking with no monthly fee or minimum balance | No monthly fee, no minimum balance, and Reserves | $0 |
Brex | Funded startups | Free unlimited same-day ACH payments | Essentials $0 per user per month |
Found | Bookkeeping and taxes in the account | Built-in bookkeeping, tax tools, and invoicing | Core features free |
Card Cashback varies by provider and plan, so it is not compared in this table. Each provider publishes its own terms.
The seven platforms, reviewed
1. Rho: one of the best fits for banking, cards, and bill pay on one platform
Built for: a US-incorporated, digital-first business that wants its checking account, corporate cards, expense management, and bill pay on one platform instead of stitching together separate tools for each.
Business checking has no monthly, per-user, or minimum-balance fees, and domestic ACH and domestic wires are $0.
Key features:
Corporate cards with no personal guarantee and no personal credit pull.
Live human support 24/7 on every account, at no cost.
Expense management with no per-user fees, and bill pay that's free to Rho customers.
Cashback: up to 1.25% on Daily Terms and up to 1% on Monthly Terms (terms apply) on card spend; Rho Platinum earns up to 2% on Daily Terms and up to 1.75% on Monthly Terms (terms apply), on up to $1M in eligible annual card spend.
Card creation and controls for team and vendor cards in the mobile app.
Four native accounting integrations: NetSuite, QuickBooks Online, Sage Intacct, and Puzzle.
FDIC pass-through coverage on checking up to $250,000 per entity.
See how Rho's corporate cards work and how Rho's bill pay handles vendor payments for a closer look at each.
Here's how the other six compare, provider by provider.
2. Mercury: best for early-stage startups
Best for: an early-stage startup that wants a $0 plan and $0 ACH and wires.
Mercury offers a $0 plan and paid plans above it; the plan prices are on Mercury's pricing page.
Key features:
$0 ACH, domestic wires, and USD international wires on every plan, and $0 mailed checks.
A 1% currency exchange fee on non-USD international wires.
3. Relay: best for many separate checking accounts
Best for: a business that runs a profit-first or envelope-style budgeting system and wants separate checking accounts for each purpose.
Relay's Starter plan is $0.
Key features:
20 checking accounts per business on Starter and Grow, and 50 on Scale.
Unlimited users on every plan, and up to 50 debit cards per cardholder per checking account.
Worth knowing: Starter includes bill creation, intake, and multi-step approval rules. Grow adds batch vendor payments and spend approval requests, and bill payment automation is on Scale.
4. Bluevine: best for sub-accounts with their own account numbers
Best for: a business that wants to route specific payments into separate buckets.
Bluevine's plans are Standard at $0, Plus at $30 a month, and Premier at $95 a month.
Key features:
Up to 5 sub-accounts on Standard, 10 on Plus, and 50 on Premier.
Each sub-account has its own account number, while all Bluevine accounts share one routing number, and debit cards can be issued per sub-account.
Free standard ACH, with same-day ACH up to $10 and outgoing wires up to $15.
5. Novo: best for checking with no monthly fee and no minimum balance
Best for: a business that wants a $0 monthly fee and no minimum balance.
Novo has a $0 monthly fee and no minimums.
Key features:
Free standard ACH, and incoming wires at no cost.
Third-party ATM fees reimbursed up to $7 a month.
Reserves: up to 20 separate buckets inside your checking account, with rules that route a percentage of incoming funds.
6. Brex: best for startups that have raised funding or plan to
Best for: a startup that has raised funding or plans to, and wants per-user pricing with a $0 entry tier.
Brex's Essentials plan is $0 per user per month and covers up to two entities. Premium is $12 per user per month, and Enterprise is custom.
Key features:
Unlimited same-day ACH payments, free.
No account minimums, overdraft fees, or monthly fees, as stated on Brex's page.
Worth knowing: Brex does not accept PO boxes, UPS boxes, or registered-agent addresses, and applicants need an SSN or a valid photo ID.
7. Found: best for bookkeeping and taxes in the account
Best for: a sole proprietor, LLC, S corp, or C corp that wants bookkeeping and taxes handled inside the account.
Found's core features are free. Found Plus is $35 a month or $315 a year, and Found Pro is $80 a month or $720 a year.
Key features:
Built-in bookkeeping and tax tools, and unlimited free invoicing.
No monthly account maintenance fees, no credit check, and no minimum balance.
Pockets, which Found describes as sub-accounts for easy cash flow management.
Banking services by Lead Bank, Member FDIC. Found says it is a financial technology company, not a bank.
Worth knowing: Wire, instant-transfer, and ATM fees apply.
Point solution or unified platform: why this list looks the way it does
Each provider on this list leads with something different: a $0 plan, separate accounts, sub-accounts, funded-startup pricing, or bookkeeping in the account.
Rho puts checking, corporate cards, expense management, and bill pay on one platform.
That's not a knock on any single-purpose product. A business that only needs one thing, separate accounts or a $0 plan, will likely be served just as well by the provider built around it.
A business that manages team spend, vendor payments, and banking as three separate problems, though, is running three separate tools by definition.
How to choose
Work through these questions in order rather than picking the provider with the most name recognition:
Is the business formally incorporated? Eligibility rules differ across this list, and some providers serve only formally incorporated businesses. Confirm eligibility before evaluating anything else.
How many people need spend authority, and does anyone need cards with limits? If more than one or two people are making purchases, card controls and personal guarantees stop being a side issue.
Do you need many separate accounts or buckets? If yes, compare how many each provider allows and whether each one gets its own account number.
Is bill pay or vendor-payment workflow part of the problem, or just the checking account? A pure banking need and a banking-plus-bill-pay need point toward different providers on this list.
Have you raised funding, or do you plan to? If so, check each provider's eligibility and per-user pricing before you commit.
If the answer to questions 1, 2, and 4 is yes, an incorporated business with a team and vendors to pay, Rho's entry above is worth a close read.
When none of these are the right fit
Not every business belongs on this list. A cash-heavy business that deposits physical currency regularly will run into friction with any fintech platform, since fintech platforms generally operate without branches. A traditional bank with branch access handles cash better.
Our guide to the best banks for small business covers branch banks side by side.
A business that isn't formally incorporated yet should check eligibility first, because rules differ by provider.
And a business that's already happy with its current bank and isn't experiencing a specific, named cost, a fee, a missing integration, a card limitation, doesn't need to switch just because a comparison page exists.
For a broader set of options, compare the best business bank accounts overall or, for a fully online setup, the best online-only business bank accounts.
Picking the account that matches your business
If the team has grown past a single free checking account and is now juggling banking, cards, and vendor payments as separate problems, that's the gap Rho is built to close. If the need is narrower, separate accounts, sub-accounts with their own account numbers, or bookkeeping in the account, one of the point solutions above will likely serve just as well or better.
Have your entity documents and EIN ready before you apply. Rho serves US-incorporated businesses, and applications are subject to approval. If the business isn't incorporated yet, our guide to incorporating a company walks through entity types and costs.
Still comparing? See the best online business bank accounts. If that sounds like your business, open a Rho account.
FAQs
Rho is one of the best business banking platforms for a US-incorporated, digital-first business that wants checking, corporate cards, expense management, and bill pay together. Mercury fits an early-stage startup, Relay and Bluevine fit businesses that want separate accounts, Novo fits checking with no monthly fee or minimum balance, Brex fits startups that have raised funding, and Found fits sole proprietors, LLCs, S corps, and C corps that want bookkeeping and taxes in the account.
Fintech business accounts are typically offered by technology companies, not banks, and deposits are held at FDIC-insured partner banks. FDIC insurance protects against the failure of the bank that holds your deposits, not the failure of the fintech. Standard coverage is $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, per ownership category. Check which bank holds your money. Our guide to whether fintech business banking platforms are safe goes through what to check.
It depends on how the business gets paid. A fintech business account suits a business that gets paid by ACH, wire, or card and wants software, cards, and low fees in one place. A traditional bank suits a business that deposits cash regularly or wants in-person service, since fintech platforms operate without branches. Many businesses keep both. Our guide to the best banks for small business compares branch banks and online platforms side by side.
No, Rho is a fintech company. See the disclosure at the bottom of this page for details on which bank provides Rho's checking and card services.
No. Rho business checking has no monthly, per-user, or minimum-balance fees, and domestic ACH and domestic wires are $0.
Rho serves US-incorporated businesses. Sole proprietors and unincorporated businesses are not served. Rho is a fintech company and banking platform, not a bank. Products and services offered through the Rho platform are subject to approval.
No. Rho's corporate cards don't require a personal guarantee or a personal credit pull.
Cashback is up to 1.25% on Daily Terms and up to 1% on Monthly Terms (terms apply). Rho Platinum earns up to 2% on Daily Terms and up to 1.75% on Monthly Terms (terms apply), on up to $1M in eligible annual card spend.
Once an LLC is formed, pick by what the business does with money. Rho fits a business that wants checking, corporate cards, expense management, and bill pay on one platform. Mercury fits an early-stage startup, Relay fits many separate accounts, Bluevine fits sub-accounts with their own account numbers, and Found fits an LLC that wants bookkeeping and taxes in the account. Eligibility rules differ by provider, so confirm before applying.
Relay fits a business running an envelope-style or profit-first budgeting system, since it supports 20 checking accounts per business on Starter and Grow, and 50 on Scale.
Rho connects natively to four accounting tools: NetSuite, QuickBooks Online, Sage Intacct, and Puzzle.
It depends on the business. A digital-first, US-incorporated business that wants checking, corporate cards, expense management, and bill pay on one platform should read Rho's entry above closely. A business that deposits cash or wants a branch is usually better served by a traditional bank. Our guide to the best banks for small business covers that route.