Business bank accounts, itemised one line at a time
The accounts small businesses and LLCs actually open - Novo, Mercury, Bluevine, Relay, American Express and the national banks - written up in plain words, with the trade-offs left on the page instead of flattened into a number.
Each line below opens the page that covers it.
American Express Business Checking
Checking that pays interest on balances, with no monthly fee.
Chase Business Complete
What a national branch network buys you, and what it charges for.
Online-only against a branch you can walk into
The trade most small businesses are actually choosing between.
What a monthly fee waiver really asks of you
Minimum balances, card spend and transfer counts, in plain terms.
Cash and cheque deposits: who still takes them
Where the money physically goes in when there is no branch.
Opening an account for a brand-new LLC
EIN, formation documents, and keeping the books separate from day one.
First reads
The core of the site
Banks, Fintechs and What Deposit Insurance Really Covers (2026)
Are online-only business banks safe for keeping my company's money?
Read the guide ExplainerWhat Separates a Good Business Bank Account From a Bad One?
What should I look for when choosing a business bank account?
Read the explainer ShortlistBest Business Bank Accounts (2026)
What should I look for when choosing a business bank account?
Read it How-toHow to Switch Business Banks Cleanly (2026)
How do I switch my business banking from one bank to another?
Follow the steps ShortlistBest Business Accounts That Pay Interest (2026)
Which business bank accounts pay good interest on balances?
Read it Head to headChase vs Bank of America Business Checking (2026)
What's the best business bank account for a new LLC?
Read itTeller notes
Four notes on how the writing is done. For fees dated to each bank's own schedule, see Best Business Bank Accounts.
The name says rank; the ranking is words
No scores, no star ratings, no leaderboard. Where one account is the better pick for a particular job, the write-up says so and shows the reasoning.
Nothing is claimed as tested
No account was opened to produce this page. Where a write-up rests on published terms and fee schedules rather than on use, it says which.
Fees and terms move
Anything time-sensitive is dated on the page and cites the bank's own fee schedule.
Affiliate links are disclosed
Some links earn a commission. That never sets the order things appear in, and it is stated on every page it applies to.
What readers ask
Start from the question you have
- I just formed my LLC. How soon should I open the business account, and where?Shortlist
- How do I switch my business banking from one bank to another?Shortlist
- Is a traditional bank or an online banking platform better for my new business?Alternatives
- Which business bank accounts integrate well with bookkeeping software?Head to head
The full list