Quick Picks
- Best overall online business checking option: Bluevine
- Best simple account for solo owners and freelancers: Novo
- Best cash-flow organization for small teams: Relay
- Best startup-friendly banking platform: Mercury
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What Business Checking Accounts Should Do
A business checking account should separate company money from personal money, make payments easier to track, and give your bookkeeping a cleaner starting point. For a new small business, the right account is usually the one that keeps fees low, supports the way customers pay you, and does not create extra administrative work.
Look for:
- No or low monthly fees
- Clear transaction, wire, and ACH costs
- Debit cards and virtual card controls
- Easy transfers and bill payments
- Mobile check deposit when needed
- Subaccounts, envelopes, or reserves for budgeting
- Accounting integrations
- FDIC insurance through the provider’s bank partners
Online banking platforms can be excellent for digital-first businesses, but they are not all the same. Check whether the provider is a bank or a financial technology company, which partner bank holds deposits, how FDIC coverage works, and whether the account fits cash deposits, checks, wires, and international needs.
Recommended Business Checking Accounts
Bluevine
Bluevine is a strong overall option for small business owners who want online business checking, no monthly fees, debit cards, transfers, and the ability to earn interest when eligibility requirements are met.
Bluevine can be a practical fit for service businesses, consultants, ecommerce owners, and other companies that mainly bank online. It is especially worth comparing when you want a business checking account that combines low routine fees with a more modern dashboard than a traditional branch-first bank.
Choose Bluevine if:
- You want online business checking with no monthly fee.
- You care about ACH, wires, debit cards, and everyday money movement.
- You want to compare interest-earning options.
- Your business does not depend heavily on cash deposits.
Watch for:
- Bluevine is a financial technology company, not a bank.
- Review current APY, plan, fee, and FDIC program details before opening an account.
Novo
Novo is a good fit for solo business owners, freelancers, contractors, and small digital businesses that want a simple business account with practical built-in tools.
Novo focuses on ease of use, free standard ACH, invoicing, expense tracking, reserves, and integrations. It can be a good starter account when you want less banking complexity and more help organizing money around everyday business workflows.
Choose Novo if:
- You want a simple online business account.
- You are a freelancer, creator, consultant, or service provider.
- You care about invoicing and expense tracking.
- You want to keep monthly banking costs low.
Watch for:
- Novo is a fintech platform with banking services provided by a partner bank.
- Check cash deposit, wire, and transfer limitations against your actual workflow.
Relay
Relay is a strong option for small businesses that want more structure around cash flow, multiple accounts, spending controls, and team money management.
Relay can make sense when one checking account is no longer enough. It is useful for separating operating money, tax reserves, payroll, profit, owner pay, and expenses into different accounts or buckets so the owner can see where money is going.
Choose Relay if:
- You want multiple accounts for budgeting and cash flow.
- You manage spending with a team or bookkeeper.
- You need better visibility into incoming and outgoing money.
- You want banking workflows that support operating discipline.
Watch for:
- Make sure the account structure will not become overcomplicated.
- Review partner bank, deposit insurance, card, wire, and payment details before switching.
Mercury
Mercury is a startup-friendly banking platform for businesses that want digital banking, cash management, cards, and finance tools built for modern companies.
Mercury is often strongest for startups, online businesses, and founders who want a more finance-forward account experience. It may be more account than a very simple local service business needs, but it is worth comparing if you expect the company to grow into more complex financial workflows.
Choose Mercury if:
- You run a startup or digital-first business.
- You want modern banking and cash management tools.
- You care about cards, team access, and founder-friendly workflows.
- You expect your banking needs to become more complex.
Watch for:
- Mercury is a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank.
- Review eligibility, partner-bank coverage, cash deposit limits, and support fit before applying.
How To Choose
Start with Bluevine if you want a broad online business checking option with low routine fees. Compare Novo if you are a solo owner who wants simple banking plus practical business tools. Choose Relay if you want stronger cash-flow organization and multiple accounts. Look at Mercury if you are building a startup or digital business that needs more advanced finance workflows.
Before opening an account, list how you receive money, how you pay vendors, whether you deposit cash, how often you send wires, and whether you need team access. The best checking account is the one that fits your money movement, not just the one with the best headline offer.
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