Snapshot
Starling Business and Tide compared on the points that usually decide a business account: account type, monthly fee, currency support, eligibility and where each one is available.
Starling Business figures as of 27 May 2026Tide figures as of 29 May 2026Last updated 11 October 2026
General information, not financial, legal, or tax advice. There is no single best account. The right fit depends on your business. Verify current terms and eligibility with each provider before applying.
Starling Business and Tide suit different businesses. Use the comparison below to weigh account type, fees, currency support and eligibility against how your company operates, then confirm the latest terms with each provider. Figures are shown as of 27 May 2026 for Starling Business and 29 May 2026 for Tide.
Starling Business vs Tide at a glance
| Feature | Starling Business | Tide |
|---|---|---|
| Account type | Sterling business current account from a United Kingdom licensed bank | Business account from Tide, which is not a bank. Tide is authorised by the FCA as an electronic money issuer, and eligible deposits held with ClearBank are protected by the FSCS up to 120,000 pounds per depositor. |
| Who it suits | United Kingdom sole traders and small limited companies that want a free, app based business current account | Sole traders and small limited companies in the United Kingdom that want a free or low cost account with invoicing and admin tools in an app. Some business structures and industries are not accepted. |
| Monthly fee | No monthly fee on the sterling business current account. Optional add ons may carry a charge, so check them with Starling | Free plan no monthly fee; Smart about 12.49 pounds per month; Pro about 27.49 pounds per month; Max about 69.99 pounds per month, as of 29 May 2026. |
| Transaction fees | No charge for everyday United Kingdom payments. Cash deposits carry a charge of 3 pounds or 0.7 percent of the deposit, whichever is higher. Verify with Starling | The Free plan includes 5 bank transfers a month, Smart 30, and Pro and Max unlimited. Tide's pricing page does not state the charge beyond the allowance or for cash deposits, so check these with Tide. As of 11 October 2026. |
| FX fees | Payments can be sent to accounts in 34 countries, and Starling charges no fee of its own for card spending or withdrawals abroad. Its international transfer fee could not be confirmed for this review, so check it with Starling | International bank transfers and SWIFT payments are available on all plans. Card payments abroad carry a 2.75% FX fee on the Free plan and 0% on Smart, Pro and Max. As of 11 October 2026. |
| Minimum deposit | Starling does not publish a minimum opening deposit on its business account page. Verify with Starling | No headline minimum opening deposit is published. Verify with the provider, as of 29 May 2026. |
| Multi currency | A sterling account, with payments to accounts in 34 countries. Check the current currency account options and their charges with Starling | Primarily a sterling account, with international payment features available. Confirm current multi currency options with the provider, as of 29 May 2026. |
| Integrations | In app savings spaces, an optional accounting add on and bookkeeping tools. Verify the current list with Starling | Invoicing, expense, and accounting tools, with connections to common accounting software. Confirm current integrations with the provider. |
| Eligibility | United Kingdom sole traders, and United Kingdom registered limited companies and limited liability partnerships whose persons of significant control are United Kingdom resident individuals. Verify with Starling | You must be at least eighteen, have a United Kingdom mobile number, and be registered with HMRC as a sole trader or with Companies House as a limited company, with a valid address. Some business types and industries are not accepted, as of 29 May 2026. |
| Broadly available in | The United Kingdom only | United Kingdom. |
Starling Business suits a United Kingdom sole trader or limited company whose people of significant control live in the United Kingdom and that wants a licensed bank account with no monthly fee and no charge on United Kingdom payments. Tide suits a United Kingdom business whose directors may live overseas, or one that wants invoicing and admin tools on plans from free to 69.99 pounds a month.
Open a business account
Both providers accept business customers in their supported markets. Fees and eligibility shown as of 27 May 2026 for Starling Business and 29 May 2026 for Tide. Confirm current terms with the provider before applying.
Visit Starling → Commission link: we may earn a fee if you open an account through it. It does not change what we publish or how we rank providers. Read the Tide review →Questions about Starling Business and Tide
Which is better for my business, Starling Business or Tide?
It depends on your needs. The table on this page compares Starling Business and Tide on account type, fees, currency support, eligibility and availability using each provider's published terms. Weigh those against how your business operates, then confirm current terms with each provider. This is information, not advice.
Can I open both Starling Business and Tide?
Often yes, subject to each provider's eligibility rules. Some businesses keep more than one account, for example one for everyday banking and another for currency conversion. Check eligibility with each provider before applying.
Are the fees on this page current?
Each figure is shown with the date it was recorded. Starling Business figures are shown as of 27 May 2026 and Tide figures as of 29 May 2026. Fees and eligibility change, so confirm current terms with each provider before you apply.
Fees, features, and eligibility change and vary by region. This page was last reviewed on 11 October 2026. Confirm current terms with each provider before applying.