General information only, not financial advice. Grow & Guard is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to give advice. It is not a personal recommendation. Check details with the provider and consider independent advice before making financial decisions.
Quick answer
- No monthly fee from a UK bank: Starling. Free UK payments, free invoicing and up to five free expense cards.
- Free plan with the most add-on tools: Tide. A free Lite plan, with paid plans from £12.49 a month.
- Free account with low-cost upgrades: Monzo Business. Pro from £9 a month adds invoicing and accounting links.
- Free account with FreeAgent included: Mettle. For companies with up to two owners.
- For trading in other currencies: Revolut Business. From £10 a month.
Comparison at a glance
| Account | Monthly fee | Paid plans | Cash deposits | Protection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starling Bank | No monthly fee | Optional extras | Post Office: 0.7%, minimum £3; cheques free | UK bank; eligible deposits FSCS-protected up to £120,000 |
| Tide | Free (Lite) | Smart £12.49, Pro £27.49, Max £69.99 | Post Office: £2.50 up to £500, then 0.99% (Lite) or 0.5%; PayPoint 3% | Current accounts powered by ClearBank; eligible deposits FSCS-protected up to £120,000 |
| Monzo Business | Free | Pro from £9, Team from £25 | Check Monzo's fee pages | Eligible money may be FSCS-protected up to £120,000 |
| Mettle | No fee to maintain the account | Mettle+ optional at £4 | Post Office: £2.75 per deposit | Provided with NatWest; eligible deposits FSCS-protected up to £120,000 (check your account type) |
| Revolut Business | Basic £10 | Grow from £30, Scale from £90 | Not listed on the plans page we checked | Check which Revolut company provides your account |
Why a limited company needs its own account
A limited company is a separate legal entity, so its money belongs to the company, not to you. GOV.UK explains that you can only take money out of a company as salary, dividends, expenses or a director's loan, and each has its own tax and record-keeping rules. Keeping company money in an account in the company's name makes that separation clear, makes your annual accounts and Corporation Tax return easier, and is what most banks' terms require for business use. Our sole trader account comparison covers the rules if you are self-employed rather than running a company.
What to check before you apply
- Eligibility: providers check Companies House records and the identities of directors and people with significant control. Starling, for example, requires every person with significant control to be a UK-resident individual and does not support holding companies. Mettle is for companies with up to two owners.
- Directors and team access: if more than one director needs to use the account, check that they can be added. Starling offers free access for multiple directors; Mettle allows only one owner to access the account.
- Protection: limited companies can be eligible for FSCS protection on deposits with UK-authorised banks. E-money accounts are safeguarded instead, which works differently. Use the FSCS protection checker.
- Cash: if customers pay in cash, compare deposit fees carefully. On a £1,000 Post Office deposit, Starling's fee would be £7 (0.7%), Tide's £9.90 on Lite (0.99%) or £5 on a paid plan, and Mettle's a flat £2.75, using the fees published on 1 November 2026.
- Accounting links: most companies use an accountant or accounting software. Check the account connects to Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent or Sage, whichever you use.
- International payments: if you buy or sell abroad, exchange fees and transfer charges matter more than the monthly fee.
The accounts in detail
Top pick
1 Starling Bank: no monthly fee from a UK bank
Starling is a UK-licensed bank, and its business current account for limited companies and LLPs has no monthly fee. UK payments in and out are free, invoicing is free, you can order up to five expense cards for your team at no cost and add other directors free of charge. Starling Accounting brings bookkeeping and tax tools into the app, and the account connects to Xero, QuickBooks and FreeAgent. You can pay in cheques for free by post or in the app. Support is available around the clock.
Price checked 1 November 2026: No monthly fee. Post Office cash deposits cost 0.7% (minimum £3). Up to six free ATM withdrawals a day, with a £300 daily limit. Contactless payments taken on your phone cost 1.6% per transaction.
Good points
- No monthly fee and free UK payments
- FSCS protection for eligible deposits
- Free expense cards and multiple directors
- Free invoicing and accounting tools
Watch out for
- All persons with significant control must be UK-resident individuals
- Cash deposits carry a fee
- Not an affiliate partner of ours
2 Tide: free plan with the most add-on tools
Tide is a business financial platform used by sole traders and limited companies. Its free Lite plan includes a business account, UK card payments, Direct Debits, cash and cheque deposits, payment links, Tap to Pay and three invoices a month. Paid plans add more included transfers, no exchange fee on card spending abroad, extra current accounts, team cards and, on Pro and Max, accounting features. Tide says its current accounts are powered by ClearBank, with eligible deposits FSCS-protected up to £120,000; some older members hold e-money accounts that are safeguarded instead.
Price checked 1 November 2026: Lite free; Smart £12.49 a month; Pro £27.49 a month; Max £69.99 a month. Bank transfers beyond your plan allowance cost 20p each.
Good points
- Genuinely free entry plan
- Lots of optional tools as you grow
- Cash deposits at the Post Office and PayPoint
- Team cards on paid plans
Watch out for
- Lite includes 5 bank transfers a month
- 2.75% fee on card spending abroad on Lite
- Xero connector needs a paid plan
3 Monzo Business: free account with low-cost upgrades
Monzo Business is open to sole traders and limited company directors in the UK. The free account covers everyday banking. Pro, from £9 a month, adds invoicing, tax pots and integrated accounting with Xero, FreeAgent, Sage and QuickBooks. Team, from £25 a month, adds expense cards and bulk payments for paying staff and suppliers. Monzo says eligible money for small businesses may be protected by the FSCS up to £120,000.
Price checked 1 November 2026: Free account; Pro from £9 a month; Team from £25 a month.
Good points
- Free account from a UK bank
- Low-cost Pro plan for invoicing and accounting links
- Phone and in-app help
Watch out for
- Invoicing and expense cards need a paid plan
- Not an affiliate partner of ours
4 Mettle: free account with FreeAgent included
Mettle, from NatWest, is for sole traders and limited companies with up to two owners, although only one owner can access the account. There is no fee to maintain the account, and FreeAgent accounting software is included as long as you make at least one transaction a month from your Mettle account. Optional Mettle+ costs £4 a month and lets you send quotes and turn them into invoices. Mettle says eligible deposits are protected by the FSCS up to £120,000, and also mentions e-money accounts provided by PrePay Technologies, so check which type you hold.
Price checked 1 November 2026: No fee to maintain the account; Mettle+ optional at £4 a month. Post Office cash deposits £2.75 each; card cash withdrawals £1.
Good points
- No account fee
- FreeAgent included with monthly use
- Flat cash deposit fee
Watch out for
- Only for companies with up to two owners
- Only one owner can access the account
- Not an affiliate partner of ours
5 Revolut Business: for trading in other currencies
Revolut Business suits companies that buy or sell abroad. Plans include a monthly allowance for exchanging currency at the interbank rate (£1,000 on Basic, £15,000 on Grow, £60,000 on Scale), with a 0.6% fee beyond it, plus allowances for no-fee local and international transfers. Every plan allows unlimited team members, with card controls and an optional expense management tool at £8 per person a month. Grow and Scale can be paid annually for a discount. For a company trading only in the UK the monthly fee is harder to justify.
Price checked 1 November 2026: Basic £10 a month; Grow from £30 a month; Scale from £90 a month; Enterprise custom.
Good points
- Strong multi-currency features
- Unlimited team members
- Annual billing discounts on higher plans
Watch out for
- No free plan on the page we checked
- Fees apply outside allowances, including 2% on cash withdrawals
- Check how your money is protected
Which account should you consider
- You want no monthly fee from a UK bank, with several directors: Starling.
- You want a free plan now and optional tools later: TideAd.
- You want cheap invoicing and accounting links: Monzo Business Pro.
- You are a one or two-owner company that wants FreeAgent included: Mettle.
- You trade internationally: Revolut BusinessAd. Compare it in more depth in Tide vs Revolut Business.
Running your company's money
Once the account is open, a few habits help. Put money aside for Corporation Tax and VAT as you go, so the bill does not come as a surprise. Pay yourself in a way you and your accountant have agreed, and record director's loans properly. Use accounting software that connects to your bank so transactions flow in automatically: our guide to accounting and MTD software compares the main options. And protect the account itself: turn on two-factor authentication and always verify changes to supplier bank details by phone, as our cyber security checklist explains.
How we compared these accounts
We compared plan prices, fees, eligibility rules and protection statements on each provider's UK website on 1 November 2026. We have not opened these accounts for this comparison, and each provider decides whether to accept your company. We do not cover business credit cards or loans on this page. This is general information, not a personal recommendation. See how we review.
Sources we checked
All checked on 1 November 2026. Prices and features change, so confirm on the provider's site before you buy.
- Starling business account
- Tide plans and pricing
- Tide: is my money safe
- Monzo Business
- Mettle
- Mettle fee information document
- Revolut Business plans (UK)
- GOV.UK: taking money out of a limited company
- FSCS: check your money is protected