Finder makes money from featured partners, but editorial opinions are our own. Advertiser disclosure

8 Top Online Banks like Chime

Close alternatives to Chime include SoFi®, Fizz, Step, Varo, Current and more.

Chime is a fintech company with banking services provided by its partner banks. Chime offers a free checking account, a savings account with up to 2% APY and a credit-building card with no annual fee or interest charges. But it lacks some features like a cashback or points reward program, and you can’t open a joint account or deposit cash. While it’s a top competitor among online banks and fintechs, other online banks like Chime with different strengths might fit your needs better.

Compare top online banks like Chime

See how Chime compares to its closest competitors such as SoFi, Varo and Capital One.

Bank or fintechProducts offeredSavings APYChecking monthly fee
SoFi
SoFi Checking & Savings, personal loans, mortgages, investing
Up to 3.80% APY
$0
Fizz debit card
Credit-building secured card, cashback rewards
N/A
Starts at $5.99
Step
Credit-building secured cards, savings, kids’ banking, cashback rewards, investing
Up to 4% in savings rewards
$0
Varo
Varo account, savings, cashback debit card, cash advances, tax filing
Up to 5.00% APY on up to $5,000
$0
Current
Checking, savings, cashback rewards, credit-building secured card, paycheck advances, teen banking
Up to 4.00% savings bonus on up to $2,000 per pod
$0
OnePay Cash
Checking, savings, cashback rewards
Up to 3.75% APY
$0
Ally Bank
Checking, savings, credit cards, money market account, mortgages, personal loans, auto loans
Up to 3.6% APY
$0
Capital One
Checking, savings, kids’ banking, business financing, credit cards
Up to 3.6% APY
$0

Alternative for all-in-one

SoFi Checking and Savings

9 Excellent

Get up to $300 cash bonus with qualifying direct deposit. Terms apply. This offer is available until January 31, 2026.
Go to site
on SoFi's secure site
Read review
SoFi® is an FDIC-insured online bank with an all-in-one digital account called SoFi Checking and Savings. Similar to Chime, there are no monthly fees, overdraft fees or opening deposit requirements. Chime doesn't offer the ability to open two accounts in one, making a switch to SoFi more streamlined. And unlike Chime's low 2% APY, SoFi allows you to earn up to 3.80% APY on savings by setting up direct deposit which makes you a Plus member. You could also earn the high savings APY by paying $10 per month for the Plus membership, or you can deposit at least $5,000 per month for that tasty rate. And automatically, you earn 0.50% APY on your checking account with no requirements. Chime's checking account isn't interest-bearing at all. SoFi also accepts cash deposits, unlike Chime, but you'll pay $4.95 per deposit.
APYUp to 3.80%
Fee$0 per month
Minimum deposit to open$0

Alternative for college students

Fizz debit card

9.4 Excellent

Earn 1,000 points ($10 value) when you download the Fizz app and enter code FINDER.
Go to site
on Fizz's secure site
Read review
Similar to Chime, Fizz is a fintech company with banking services. The Fizz card is heavily geared toward college students, and it's backed by an external checking account, making it more like a prepaid credit card. There's no APR, foreign transaction fees, late fees and, best of all, no credit check when you apply. The cashback rewards are also impressive, offering up to 25% cashback offers daily and sometimes flash offers from 75% to 100% cash back at a monthly rotating list of merchants such as Starbucks, Auntie Anne's and Jamba Juice. In comparison, Chime's secured card requires you to have its checking account and Chime's card doesn't have cashback rewards. However, the Fizz card has an annual fee that starts at $59.99 for students.
APYN/A
FeeFrom $5.99 per month
Minimum deposit to open$150

Alternative for teens

Step Visa Card

9.4 Excellent

Go to site
on Step's secure site
Read review
Step is a fintech offering a secured card backed by the Step deposit account. It requires no opening deposit and has no monthly fees or interest charges. Step is heavily designed for teens and young adults to start building a credit history without the risk of accumulating debt, offering anyone under 18 to get the card with adult approval and sponsorship — unlike Chime, which requires you to be at least 18 years old to open its secured card. A Step account also offers up to 4% in savings rewards on your savings balance by meeting deposit requirements, and you can earn cashback rewards, open its optional investing platform and teens can learn financial literacy through its Money 101 course. For comparison, Chime has no cashback rewards, no investing platform and has strict eligibility requirements for its secured card.
APY4.00%
Fee$0 per month
Minimum deposit to open$0

Alternative for rewards

Varo

9.6 Excellent

Existing and new customers get a $25 referral bonus when signing up for a Varo Bank account. T&C apply.
Go to site
on Varo's secure site
Read review
Varo is very comparable to Chime, but Varo's checking account has a major leg up thanks to its cashback rewards. You'll earn up to 6% in cash back with select merchants, which is unusually high for a checking account. Similar to Chime, Varo's checking account has no monthly fees, opening deposit requirement, overdraft fees or foreign transaction fees. Opening Varo's checking account also unlocks the savings account, which earns up to 5% APY, whereas Chime's savings account only earns up to 2%. Also, unlike Chime, Varo is directly insured by the FDIC and accepts cash deposits for a fee.
Fee$0 per month
Minimum deposit to open$0

Alternative for credit building

Current

9.2 Excellent

Get a $50 referral bonus by inviting your friends to join Current. Once the person receives the invite link and makes qualifying deposits of at least $200 within 45 days of opening the account, you and the referred friend each earn $50
Go to site
on Current's secure site
Read review
Current is a fintech with banking services provided by Choice Financial Group and has very similar offerings to Chime. When you get a Current account, you can choose between a credit-building secured card or a debit card. Both cards come with an account offering a rewards program, no monthly fees, fee-free overdraft and budgeting features. Create up to three pods that can each earn 4% bonus on up to $2,000 by meeting deposit requirements, which is much higher than Chime's savings with a 2% APY. Current also offers Paycheck Advances by meeting deposit requirements with no credit check. And the secured Current Build card has no interest charges or annual fees and reports to TransUnion to help build a credit history.
APY4.00%
Fee$0 per month
Minimum deposit to open$0

Alternative for Walmart shoppers

OnePay Cash

9.6 Excellent

Earn 10% cash back at Walmart on your first purchase made within your first month, on up to $200 spent. Limited time offer. Earn 3% cash back at Walmart on up to $150 spent per month, with eligible deposits.
Go to site
on OnePay's secure site
Read review
One Finance's online, all-in-one account offers a much higher 3.75% APY than Chime's 2%. To earn the high 3.75% APY, you'll have to direct deposit at least $500 per month, or keep an average balance of least $5,000. If you don't meet the requirements, your savings still earns 1% APY. OnePay Cash also offers cashback rewards, such as up to 3% cash back at Walmart on up to $150 spent per month if you meet the same deposit requirements to earn the 3.75% APY. Like Chime, OnePay Cash doesn't charge any monthly fees, and it offers overdraft protection services. However, also like Chime, OnePay Cash also doesn't accept joint accounts.
APYUp to 3.75%
Fee$0 per month
Minimum deposit to open$0

Alternative for budgeting

Ally Bank Spending Account

8.6 Great

Read review
Very similar to Chime but slightly better, Ally is an online bank with free checking and savings accounts, integrated budgeting features, and a full suite of products and services. You'll get budgeting 'buckets,' similar to the envelope budget method, with both the Ally Bank Spending Account and the Savings Account. Create up to 30 customizable buckets to organize your spending and build a budget. As a bonus, you can earn up to 0.25% APY on checking balances over $15,000 and 0.1% APY on balances under $15,000. The Ally Savings Account is also better than Chime's, offering a high 4.2% APY with no requirements, compared to Chime's so-so 2% savings APY. And unlike Chime, Ally also offers a money market account, certificates of deposit, and accepts joint accounts. But Ally doesn't have a way to accept cash deposits.
APYUp to 0.25%
Fee$0 per month
Minimum deposit to open$0

Alternative for travelers

Capital One 360 Checking

9.2 Excellent

Earn $250 bonus when you use code CHECKING250 and set up at least 2 qualifying direct deposits each of $500 or more to your 360 Checking account within 75 days of account opening. Terms Apply.
Read review
Capital One is a hybrid between an online and traditional bank. Its 360 Checking online account is a top option for globetrotters, with no foreign transaction fees or currency transaction fees. You'll also get access to a network of 70,000 ATMs, earn up to 0.1% APY on your balance and enjoy no overdraft fees or monthly fees. While the APY on that account isn't as high as Chime's 2% APY on its savings account, Capital One also offers its 360 Savings account with a 4.30% APY. Overall, Capital One is more like a full-service bank than Chime, offering more products like traditional credit cards, kids banking, loans and CDs, and some physical branches in a handful of states. You can also easily add a joint owner to your Capital One accounts, while Chime offers no joint account options at all.
APY0.10%
Fee$0 per month
Minimum deposit to open$0

How Chime compares

Chime has a lot going for it. It offers a no-fee checking account, the well-known overdraft service Chime SpotMe, automatic savings features and more. Chime’s savings account APY isn’t too shabby either, offering up to 2% APY with no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements. Chime Credit Builder secured card has no interest charges, requires no credit check, no APR, and no minimum opening deposit requirement. On the downside, you’ll need the Chime Checking Account to get the secured card and must have qualifying direct deposits of at least $200 per month. And unfortunately, Chime doesn’t offer any cashback rewards on its checking or secured credit card.

Pros

  • Free checking account
  • Decent 2% APY on savings
  • Secured credit card with no APR or credit check
  • Overdraft service called Chime SpotMe

Cons

  • No cashback rewards
  • Requires Chime checking for secured card
  • No joint accounts
  • No cash deposits

Frequently asked questions

What bank is most similar to Chime?

Chime and Current are very similar. They’re both fintech companies with partner banks, have fee-free checking and savings accounts, use the Allpoint ATM network, offer a credit-building card, have overdraft services and require similar deposit requirements to earn their best available APY. The two fintechs also have similar downsides, as neither supports joint accounts or has any physical branches.

Is Chime or SoFi better?

Chime and SoFi are very similar, but SoFi has more to offer. SoFi’s checking earns interest, has cashback rewards, you’ll get a higher APY on savings, and SoFi supports joint accounts. For a full comparison, see our SoFi vs. Chime review.

What are the easiest online banks to open?

If you have a clean banking history, any of the top online banks and fintechs like Chime, SoFi or Varo are pretty easy to open, just requiring some basic information and filling out an online application. Chime is one of the easiest places to get a checking or savings account since it doesn’t use ChexSystems, which is a bureau that keeps a record of your banking history. If your banking history isn’t super great, consider a second-chance bank account.

Holly Jennings's headshot
To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Holly Jennings as part of our fact-checking process.
Bethany Hickey's headshot
Written by

Banking editor

Bethany Hickey is the banking editor and personal finance expert at Finder, specializing in banking, lending, insurance, and crypto. Bethany’s expertise in personal finance has garnered recognition from esteemed media outlets, such as Nasdaq, MSN, Yahoo Finance, GOBankingRates, SuperMoney, AOL and Newsweek. Her articles offer practical financial strategies to Americans, empowering them to make decisions that meet their financial goals. Her past work includes articles on generational spending and saving habits, lending, budgeting and managing debt. Before joining Finder, she was a content manager where she wrote hundreds of articles and news pieces on auto financing and credit repair for CarsDirect, Auto Credit Express and The Car Connection, among others. Bethany holds a BA in English from the University of Michigan-Flint, and was poetry editor for the university’s Qua Literary and Fine Arts Magazine. See full bio

Bethany's expertise
Bethany has written 446 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Personal finance
  • Banking
  • Auto loans
  • Insurance
  • Cryptocurrency and NFTs

Ask a question

Finder.com provides guides and information on a range of products and services. Because our content is not financial advice, we suggest talking with a professional before you make any decision.

By submitting your comment or question, you agree to our Privacy and Cookies Policy and finder.com Terms of Use.

Questions and responses on finder.com are not provided, paid for or otherwise endorsed by any bank or brand. These banks and brands are not responsible for ensuring that comments are answered or accurate.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

More guides on Finder

  • Does Bank of America Have Zelle?

    Learn how to use Zelle with your Bank of America account, including how to enroll, sending limits, fees and more.

  • Does Discover Have Zelle?

    Zelle is a peer-to-peer payment app that lets you seamlessly send and receive money from people you know. Find out if Discover supports Zelle.

  • SoFi Plus Benefits and How It Works

    SoFi Plus is a new membership option for SoFi customers that’s free with qualifying direct deposits and earns extra rewards and higher APYs.

  • Is Bank of America a Good Bank?

    Bank of America is a dependable and accessible bank network, but keep an eye out for monthly fees compared to other options.

  • Zelle Transfer Limits by Bank

    Zelle transfer limits vary by bank. Some of the banks with the highest Zelle limits include Capital One, SoFi, Chase, PNC and Wells Fargo.

  • Does SoFi® Have Zelle? Yes! Here’s How to Use It

    Popular online bank SoFi is one of the only fintechs that works will Zelle, a peer-to-peer money transfer app.

  • Chime Account Bonuses

    Chime offers a competitive $100 referral bonus and a $100 direct deposit bonus when you meet certain requirements. See details here.

  • Banks That Pay Two Days Early

    Many banks offer early direct deposit up to 2 days early, including SoFi, Chase, Chime, Discover, Huntington and many more. See the full list.

  • Dave Banking App Review

    A financial app with cash advances, banking and budgeting tools.

  • Contactless ATMs: What It Means and the Banks That Offer Them

    Cardless cash provides a convenient way to use an ATM without their card. If you often go out without your wallet, or want to make it easier for family members to take out money, this is a feature that deserves a second look.

Go to site