Eleven providers offer a business account or card program with no monthly fee, and the useful differences are in what else is free: Mercury gives free domestic and international USD wires, Relay gives twenty checking accounts, Bluevine pays 1.3% APY with conditions, Wise charges a one-time $31 for multi-currency details, and Brex and Ramp give cards and spend management at $0 a user to businesses that qualify. Revolut Business is not here because its Basic plan is €10 a month in Europe and its US pricing could not be verified. Prices are USD and were checked on 22 October 2026. How we score · All Kurums Free lists
TL;DR — the free business account that fits
- US startup paying vendors by wire: Mercury — $0 monthly, free ACH, domestic and international USD wires.
- Profit-first budgeting with many sub-accounts: Relay Starter — up to 20 checking accounts and 50 cards per account, $0 monthly.
- Want interest on the balance: Bluevine Standard — 1.3% APY up to $250K if you spend $500 on the card or receive $2,500 a month.
- Receiving in several currencies: Wise Business — no monthly fee, $31 one-time for account details in 22 currencies.
- Cards and spend control, not a bank: Brex Essentials or Ramp — $0 per user, link your existing bank.
Which business banking & cards tools have a free plan in 2026?
Every provider below charges no monthly fee for its base account or plan. Nine are deposit accounts or card programs provided through partner banks (Mercury, Relay, Novo, Bluevine, Found, Lili, Axos, Grasshopper) or a licensed money institution (Wise); two are corporate-card and spend platforms that sit on top of a bank account you already have (Brex, Ramp). All are US-focused except Wise.
“No monthly fee” hides the real prices, which are transaction fees — outgoing wires ($15 at Found and Axos, free at Mercury), ATM fees, foreign exchange (Wise from 0.23%, Mercury 1%) — and the conditions attached to interest. The Scorecard records each fee the vendor states and marks “not stated” where the page is silent, which it often is.
The table shows the binding condition and Free Score. Open a row for every stated fee, the FDIC arrangement, the upgrade trigger and the page we checked.
| Company | Free as | Key limit | Card | Free Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M |
Free forever | $0/mo · free wires · 1% FX | No | 90 | Scorecard ↓ |
| R |
Free forever | $0/mo · 20 accounts · fees ‘apply’ | No | 84 | Scorecard ↓ |
| B |
Free forever | $0/mo · 1.3% APY with conditions | No | 80 | Scorecard ↓ |
| B |
Free forever | $0/user · 2 entities · must qualify | No | 78 | Scorecard ↓ |
| R |
Free forever | $0/user · charge card · needs a bank | No | 76 | Scorecard ↓ |
| N |
Free forever | $0/mo · $7 ATM refunds · outgoing wires n/s | No | 74 | Scorecard ↓ |
| W |
Free forever | No monthly fee · $31 one-time · FX from 0.23% | No | 72 | Scorecard ↓ |
| F |
Free forever | $0/mo · wires $15 · Plus trial auto-charges | No | 70 | Scorecard ↓ |
| A |
Free forever | $0/mo · unlimited txns · wires $15/$50 | No | 68 | Scorecard ↓ |
| G |
Free forever | $0/mo · APY tiers · $25K+ for 1.35% | No | 64 | Scorecard ↓ |
| L |
Free forever | Free · limits unverified | No | 56 | Scorecard ↓ |
Free tiers verified 22 October 2026 on each vendor’s pricing page (third-party sources named in the Scorecard where the vendor page was silent). Order is by Free Score only; sponsorship never changes it.
What do the free business account plans actually include?
Open any row for the eight-field Scorecard. The “Why it ranks here” note under each row explains the score in plain terms.
1M
MercuryUS · $0 checking and savings with no minimum balance, free ACH, domestic, RTP and international USD wiresFree forever$0/mo · free wires · 1% FXNo card90⌄
- What’s free
- $0/month checking and savings, no minimum balance, free ACH, domestic wires, RTP and international USD wires, up to 6 checkbooks a year
- Hard limits
- 1% conversion fee on non-USD wires (optional $15 flat to absorb intermediary fees) · Books $35/month and Payroll $100 + $50 per person waived until 31 Dec 2026 · number of accounts and cards not stated
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Advanced tooling on Plus or Pro
- Cheapest paid step
- Mercury Plus $29.90/month (15% off annual); the FAQ says ‘from $35/month’ — the page conflicts
- Best free for
- A US startup or LLC that pays vendors and contractors by wire
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · mercury.com/pricing
2R
RelayUS · Starter plan with up to 20 checking accounts per business and 50 debit cards per account, no minimum balanceFree forever$0/mo · 20 accounts · fees ‘apply’No card84⌄
- What’s free
- Starter $0/month: up to 20 checking accounts, up to 50 debit cards per cardholder per account, no minimum balance
- Hard limits
- 20 checking accounts · ‘additional transaction fees apply’ with amounts not on the pricing page
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Same-day ACH or accounting automation (Grow)
- Cheapest paid step
- Grow $30/month (14-day trial); Scale $90/month limited-time, from $120
- Best free for
- A business running Profit First or envelope budgeting across many accounts
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · relayfi.com/pricing
Why it ranks here. Unmatched on account count for free, docked because the pricing page says transaction fees apply without saying what they are.
3B
BluevineUS · Standard account with no monthly fee and 1.3% APY on up to $250K if you spend $500 on the card or receive $2,500 a monthFree forever$0/mo · 1.3% APY with conditionsNo card80⌄
- What’s free
- Standard: no monthly fee, 1.3% APY on balances up to $250,000 with activity conditions, no incoming domestic wire or ACH fees, sub-accounts
- Hard limits
- APY requires $500 monthly card spend or $2,500 monthly inbound payments · outgoing wire and international fees apply, amounts not on the page
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Unconditional, higher APY and fee discounts (Plus)
- Cheapest paid step
- Plus $30/month, waivable; 1.75% APY with no requirements
- Best free for
- A business that keeps a working balance and wants it to earn something
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · bluevine.com/business-checking
Why it ranks here. The best free interest rate here, with conditions most active businesses meet. FDIC coverage up to $3M through Coastal Community Bank and program banks.
4B
BrexUS · Essentials at $0 per user: unlimited global cards, cash management account, bill pay and one local card programFree forever$0/user · 2 entities · must qualifyNo card78⌄
- What’s free
- $0 user/month: unlimited global cards accepted in 210+ countries, cash management account, bill pay with automated invoice entry, 1 local card program
- Hard limits
- Up to two entities (one global) · spend limits not stated · eligibility typically needs an incorporated, often funded, entity — not stated on the page
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Multi-entity, multiple expense policies or live budgets (Premium)
- Cheapest paid step
- Premium $12/user/month
- Best free for
- A venture-backed startup that wants cards and treasury in one
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · brex.com/pricing
Why it ranks here. Cards, treasury and bill pay free — for companies Brex will approve. Core job is scored a notch below the banks because it is a card and cash-management product, not a checking account.
5R
RampUS · unlimited virtual and physical cards, bill pay and expense management at $0 per user, linked to your existing bankFree forever$0/user · charge card · needs a bankNo card76⌄
- What’s free
- $0/month/user: unlimited virtual and physical cards, bill pay by ACH, card, check or wire, expense management
- Hard limits
- User limit not stated · charge card, not a bank account · a business bank account is required to link
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Advanced controls and procurement (Plus)
- Cheapest paid step
- Plus $15/user/month plus a platform fee by team size (20% off annual); free 30-day Plus trial
- Best free for
- An SMB that wants spend control on top of the bank it already has
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · ramp.com/pricing
Why it ranks here. Same offer as Brex with no entity cap stated, but it is not a place to hold money. Pair it with any bank on this list.
6N
NovoUS · no monthly fee, no minimum balance, free standard ACH and incoming wires, up to $7 a month in ATM fees refundedFree forever$0/mo · $7 ATM refunds · outgoing wires n/sNo card74⌄
- What’s free
- No monthly fees, no minimum balance, free standard ACH, incoming wires at no cost, third-party ATM fees reimbursed up to $7/month
- Hard limits
- ATM refunds capped at $7/month · outgoing wire fees not stated · opening deposit not stated
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- None stated; no paid plan listed
- Cheapest paid step
- None listed
- Best free for
- A freelancer who wants invoicing and checking in one app
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · novo.co/business-checking (the pricing page returned an error)
Why it ranks here. Simple and fee-free for inbound money; docked for a pricing page that would not load and silence on outgoing wires. Deposits via Middlesex Federal Savings, Member FDIC.
7W
Wise BusinessUK · no monthly fee; a one-time $31 set-up fee buys local account details in 22 currencies, with conversion from 0.23%Free foreverNo monthly fee · $31 one-time · FX from 0.23%No card72⌄
- What’s free
- No monthly fee; account details in 22 currencies for a one-time $31; free card payments in any currency; free ATM withdrawals to $250/month
- Hard limits
- $31 set-up fee · ATM above $250/month 1.95% + $1.95 · e-wallet top-up 2% · conversion from 0.23% by currency
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- None — pay per use
- Cheapest paid step
- No subscription; conversion fees from 0.23%
- Best free for
- A business invoicing clients in several countries
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · wise.com/us/pricing/business
Why it ranks here. The only non-US entry and the only one that is free for FX in any meaningful sense. The $31 is a one-time fee, which is why it is listed under ‘no monthly fee’ and docked on friction.
8F
FoundUS · $0 account with Mastercard debit, team cards with controls, and built-in bookkeeping and invoicingFree forever$0/mo · wires $15 · Plus trial auto-chargesNo card70⌄
- What’s free
- $0/month, no minimum balance, business debit (Lead Bank) plus team cards with spending controls, built-in bookkeeping and invoicing
- Hard limits
- Domestic wires $15 · paper checks $1 · instant transfer and ATM fees apply, amounts not stated
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Tax tools and advanced bookkeeping (Plus)
- Cheapest paid step
- Found Plus $35/month or $315/year — 30-day trial, then auto-charged
- Best free for
- A sole proprietor who wants banking and books in one place
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · found.com/pricing
Why it ranks here. The free tier is fine; the Plus trial auto-converts, which is the only auto-charge on this list and costs friction points. Do not start the trial unless you mean it.
9A
Axos Basic Business CheckingUS · no monthly fee, $0 opening deposit, unlimited transactions and all domestic ATM fees refunded, from an actual bankFree forever$0/mo · unlimited txns · wires $15/$50No card68⌄
- What’s free
- No monthly fee, $0 minimum opening deposit, unlimited transactions, automatic refunds of all domestic ATM fees, incoming wires $0
- Hard limits
- Outgoing domestic wire $15 · international wire $50
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Interest-bearing checking
- Cheapest paid step
- Not stated in the source
- Best free for
- A cash- or ATM-heavy small business that wants a chartered bank rather than a fintech
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · NerdWallet review, updated 10 Feb 2026 (both axosbank.com pages returned errors)
Why it ranks here. The one entry that is itself a bank, with unlimited transactions free. Scored from a third-party source because Axos’s own pages would not load; re-verify before opening.
10G
Grasshopper InnovatorUS · no monthly fee, unlimited transactions, up to 1.35% APY and 1% cash back, higher when bundled with the money marketFree forever$0/mo · APY tiers · $25K+ for 1.35%No card64⌄
- What’s free
- No monthly fee, unlimited transactions, up to 1.35% APY and 1% cash back on debit; up to 3.25% bundled with the Innovator Money Market
- Hard limits
- 1.35% APY needs a $25,000–$250,000 balance (1.00% outside that band) · minimum deposit, wire and ACH fees not stated
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- The startup Accelerator suite for free ACH and domestic wires
- Cheapest paid step
- No paid tier listed
- Best free for
- A business holding $25K or more that wants yield plus cash back
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · grasshopper.bank homepage (product page errored); APY tiers from NerdWallet, 5 Jan 2026
Why it ranks here. Competitive yield for the right balance, but the product page would not load and the fee schedule is unknown. Scored on what could be read.
11L
Lili BasicUS · the Basic tier is listed as free with a debit card; its feature limits could not be read this monthFree foreverFree · limits unverifiedNo card56⌄
- What’s free
- Lili Basic listed as free: business checking with a debit card
- Hard limits
- Fee schedule not retrievable · Basic feature limits not stated in the fetched source
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Tax tools, accounting or interest (Pro)
- Cheapest paid step
- Lili Pro $15/month (Smart $35, Premium $55); 40% off the first three months
- Best free for
- A freelancer who wants a basic no-fee account and may grow into the tax tools
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · Lili support article (pricing pages returned errors)
Why it ranks here. Free is confirmed from Lili’s own support site; nothing else is. Lowest score on the list for verification reasons, not product ones.
Which free business account has no credit-card requirement?
Opening a business account requires identity and business verification everywhere; none of the eleven states a card requirement because a card is what they issue, not what they ask for. The relevant friction is different: Brex and Ramp approve businesses rather than accepting them, Wise charges $31 once, and Found’s Plus trial auto-charges after 30 days — the only auto-conversion on this list.
Also note what the base accounts do not include: outgoing wires are $15 at Found and Axos and unstated at Relay, Novo, Bluevine and Grasshopper; only Mercury makes them free. If you wire often, that single fee outweighs every other difference.
When does the free plan stop being enough?
Kurums Match: which free business account fits your situation?
Funded startup, pays by wire
Mercury.
Agency running Profit First
Relay Starter.
Keeps a balance, wants yield
Bluevine Standard.
Freelancer, invoicing in-app
Novo or Found.
Clients in several currencies
Wise Business.
Wants a chartered bank
Axos Basic.
Needs cards and spend control
Brex Essentials or Ramp, with any of the above.
How we score free tiers
Duration (30): free forever scores 30, a 30-day-plus trial 15, a trial of 14 days or less 8, credit-based tiers 12. Capacity (30): whether the limits carry a team of three for twelve months. Core job (25): whether the free tier does the category’s main work — here, holding business money, paying and getting paid by ACH and wire, and issuing cards, with no monthly fee. Friction (15): no card 15; card but no auto-charge 8; auto-charge 0; self-hosting deducts for setup and maintenance.
Each free tier was checked on the vendor’s pricing page on 22 October 2026; where the vendor page was silent, the Scorecard names the third-party source used. Free tiers change, so this list is re-verified every quarter and a discontinued free plan stays listed for one month with a notice. Order is by Free Score only. Kurums Free sells no placement; sponsorship, affiliate links and vendor requests never change a score, a rank or a label. Vendors can submit corrections through the Update your free tier form.
How did we verify these free tiers?
We opened each provider’s pricing or product page and recorded the monthly fee, stated transaction fees, interest conditions, account and card limits and the paid tier. Novo’s pricing page, Lili’s pricing pages, Axos’s pages and Grasshopper’s product page returned errors; those rows use the provider’s product page or support site where available and NerdWallet reviews (February and January 2026) where not, as stated in each Scorecard. Mercury’s page conflicts on the Plus price; we quote both. Revolut Business was checked and excluded: its official EU page shows Basic at €10 a month and its US pricing page would not load.
Prices are USD except where stated. Mercury, Relay, Novo, Bluevine, Found, Lili and Grasshopper are fintechs whose deposits are held at partner banks named on their pages; Axos is a chartered bank; Wise is a licensed money institution; Brex and Ramp are card and spend platforms, not deposit accounts.
Frequently asked questions
Which business bank account has no monthly fee and free wires?
Mercury — free ACH, domestic, RTP and international USD wires on its $0 account. Axos and Found charge $15 for outgoing domestic wires; Relay, Novo, Bluevine and Grasshopper do not state the fee.
Is Revolut Business free?
Not reliably. Revolut’s official EU pricing shows Basic at €10 a month, and its US pricing page would not load for our check, so it is not listed.
Does Bluevine’s free account pay interest?
Yes — 1.3% APY on up to $250,000 if you spend $500 a month on the debit card or receive $2,500 a month in payments. Plus pays 1.75% with no conditions for $30 a month.
Are Brex and Ramp bank accounts?
No. Both are card and spend-management platforms at $0 per user; Brex includes a cash-management account, Ramp links to a bank account you already hold. Both require business approval.
How many accounts can I open free on Relay?
Up to 20 checking accounts per business on the Starter plan, with up to 50 debit cards per cardholder per account.
Is Wise Business really free?
There is no monthly fee. A one-time $31 set-up fee buys local account details in 22 currencies, and conversions cost from 0.23%.
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