{"id":341192,"date":"2020-10-06T18:59:26","date_gmt":"2020-10-06T17:59:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/?page_id=341192"},"modified":"2026-03-27T14:12:50","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T14:12:50","slug":"tide-vs-starling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/business-banking\/tide-vs-starling","title":{"rendered":"Tide vs Starling: Which is best for a small business?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tide<\/a> and Starling<\/a> each offer free business accounts that you can access and use through a mobile banking app. They both come with payment cards, they both integrate with various accounting software, and they are both set up and managed digitally. The 2 providers have also been featured on our guide about the best business accounts<\/a> on the market right now. So which might be best for you? We examine their different features to find out.<\/p>

Tide's cashback offer for new accounts<\/h3>\nTide is currently offering new users who open a business account a \u00a3250 cashback reward<\/strong>, making it a strong sign-up incentive compared with any other provider. T&Cs apply.\n
\n
\nClaim offer<\/a>

Tide vs Starling: Vital statistics<\/h3>
\n \n
<\/th>\"Tide<\/a><\/td>\"Starling<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Finder score<\/th>8.9<\/span><\/span>Great<\/span><\/span><\/td>9.5<\/span><\/span>Excellent<\/span><\/span><\/td><\/tr>
Customer satisfaction survey<\/th>4.2 <\/span>
\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/div><\/td>
Not yet rated<\/td><\/tr>
Free spending abroad<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Interest when you're in credit<\/th>0%<\/td>0%<\/td><\/tr>
Branch access<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
FSCS protected<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Product image<\/th>
\"Tide<\/td>		\"Starling<\/td><\/tr>
<\/th>Go to site<\/a><\/td><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table><\/div>

The free Tide and Starling business accounts are both managed digitally, as neither provider has a branch network. These accounts both come with a contactless card \u2013 Starling\u2019s one and only business card is black, while Tide\u2019s free business account plan comes with a blue card. You can use these cards for free to spend money in the UK, but only Starling offers fee-free transactions abroad. Neither provider offers interest on your account balance when you\u2019re in credit, and while you can apply for an overdraft with Starling, overdrafts are not available with Tide.<\/p>

Starling has a UK banking licence, so it\u2019s covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme<\/a> (FSCS), which protects individual customer funds up to the value of \u00a3120,000. Tide\u2019s accounts are provided by Clearbank, so its FSCS protection comes from there.<\/p>

Round 1: Account features<\/h3>
\n \n
<\/th>\"Tide<\/a><\/td>\"Starling<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Cash deposits<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Cheque deposits by post<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Cheque scanning<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Freeze\/unfreeze card in the app<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Extra cards for employees<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Accountancy software integrations<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Send money abroad<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Marketplace<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
<\/th>Go to site<\/a><\/td><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table><\/div>

If you need to deposit cash into your Tide account, you can pay in up to \u00a3500 a day via a Post Office or a PayPoint, although Tide doesn\u2019t accept cheques at all, either physically or digitally. You can make international transfers with this account, but only in EUR via SEPA.<\/p>

The free Tide business account can only be accessed by the named account holder, who also gets an accompanying bank card. However, up to 50 Expense Cards can be ordered per account, which allows named employees to make purchases related to business expenses (which you can then track in the account). Each Expense Card costs \u00a35+VAT per month to operate with the free account. Alternatively, you can pay to upgrade your account and get a set number of free expense cards as well as add extra team members to your account.<\/p>

The Tide account also offers integrations with 7 accounting software packages: Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent, Crunch, Kashflow, ClearBooks and Sage.<\/p>

Over at Starling, you can also deposit cash into your business account at any Post Office branch, up to \u00a35,000 per day. For cheques, you can deposit these for free using the cheque imaging function in the Starling banking app, as long as the value of each cheque doesn\u2019t exceed \u00a31,000. For anything over this you can send the cheques directly to Starling by Freepost. International transfers are also possible from this account.<\/p>

At Starling, payment cards are only available to each person who has access to the business account, which at the moment is limited to company directors or sole traders themselves. So you can\u2019t get any additional cards for employees. Business account holders at Starling can connect to accountancy software packages QuickBooks, Xero and FreeAgent through the Starling \u201cMarketplace\u201d. The Marketplace also offers link-ups with other Starling partners, who offer services such as insurance or pensions.<\/p>

Winner:<\/strong> Tie. Tide\u2019s Team Cards feature and 7 accountancy software integrations beat Starling\u2019s 3. However, if you do need to make international transfers or deposit cheques, then Starling is better.<\/p>

Round 2: Account costs<\/h3>
\n \n
<\/th>\"Tide<\/a><\/td>\"Starling<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Monthly account charge<\/th>Free<\/td>Free<\/td><\/tr>
Fee for cash deposits<\/th>\u00a32.50 for deposits up to \u00a3500, 0.50% for deposits over \u00a3500 (at Post Offices), 3% (at PayPoints)<\/td>0.7% or \u00a33 minimum (at Post Offices)<\/td><\/tr>
Fee for cheque deposits<\/th>Doesn't accept cheques<\/td>Free<\/td><\/tr>
Fee for payments in or out<\/th>20p each<\/td>Free<\/td><\/tr>
Fee for direct debits<\/th>20p each<\/td>Free<\/td><\/tr>
Fee for sending money abroad<\/th>20p each for euro payments via SEPA<\/td>Local network fee + 0.4% Starling fee<\/td><\/tr>
<\/th>Go to site<\/a><\/td><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table><\/div>

Tide doesn\u2019t charge a monthly fee for its basic business account. Transfers between Tide accounts are free, and there is a charge of \u00a32.50 or 0.50% at a Post Office, or 3% at a PayPoint, to deposit cash. It costs 20p to receive or send UK payments from your account, and 20p plus a 0.50% FX fee to send money to a foreign bank account (euros only). <\/p>

With the Starling business account there is no monthly fee, and Starling won\u2019t make charges for electronic payments (such as direct debits and standing orders), or for domestic transfers and cheque deposits. There is a 0.7% fee (with a minimum charge of \u00a33) for depositing cash at a Post Office, and a 0.4% fee to make an international payment direct from your account.<\/p>

Winner:<\/strong> It\u2019s close, but Starling edges it. Neither provider charges a monthly account fee and both have small fees for cash deposits. But Tide\u2019s 20p fee for each transfer in and out of your account could soon add up.<\/p>

Round 3: Spending in the UK<\/h3>
\n \n
<\/th>\"Tide<\/a><\/td>\"Starling<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Free card transactions<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Contactless card limit<\/th>\u00a3100<\/td>\u00a3100<\/td><\/tr>
Free ATM withdrawals<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
<\/th>Go to site<\/a><\/td><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table><\/div>

With Tide, it\u2019s free to spend on your card in the UK, although ATM withdrawals cost \u00a31 each.<\/p>

It\u2019s free to make purchases using your Starling card in the UK as well, plus it\u2019s also free to make any ATM withdrawals.<\/p>

Winner:<\/strong> Starling, for it\u2019s free ATM withdrawals in the UK.<\/p>

Round 4: Using the card abroad<\/h3>
\n \n
<\/th>\"Tide<\/a><\/td>\"Starling<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Free foreign transactions<\/th>No, 1.75% fee on foreign transactions<\/td>Unlimited<\/td><\/tr>
Free foreign ATM withdrawals<\/th>No, \u00a31 each plus 1.75% foreign transaction fee<\/td>Unlimited<\/td><\/tr>
<\/th>Go to site<\/a><\/td><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table><\/div>

You can use your Tide card aboard to spend at places like retailers and restaurants, but you\u2019ll be charged a fee. Withdrawing cash at a foreign ATM also incurs a fee (the same as for using your Tide card at a UK ATM).<\/p>

You can enjoy limitless free international spending on your Starling card, at the Mastercard exchange rate with no extra fees. Unusually, taking money out of foreign ATMs is also free from Starling\u2019s end \u2013 it doesn\u2019t make any charges or impose any free allowance limits, wherever you are in the world.<\/p>

Winner<\/strong>: Starling. While Tide\u2019s offering is still very competitive compared to most other bank cards, it\u2019s hard to beat totally free.<\/p>

Round 5: Signing up<\/h3>
\n \n
<\/th>\"Tide<\/a><\/td>\"Starling<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Apply through the app<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Quick application<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Credit check<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Card delivery fee<\/th>Free<\/td>Free<\/td><\/tr>
Card delivery timescale<\/th>2-5 working days<\/td>5-7 working days<\/td><\/tr>
Replacement card fee<\/th>Free<\/td>1 free, then \u00a35 each<\/td><\/tr>
<\/th>Go to site<\/a><\/td><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table><\/div>

To set up a Tide business account you\u2019ll need to download the app from the App Store or Google Play Store, and provide a form of ID: a driving licence, passport or European National ID card. Tide may also ask you to provide evidence that your business is established, such as: your business website or social media profiles, invoices, bank statements, signed contracts, qualifications or an HMRC registration. Tide says 53% of new business customers open their accounts in under 10 minutes, 70% in under 60 minutes and 81% within 48 hours. Tide doesn\u2019t conduct a hard credit check and it\u2019s free to receive your accompanying bank card, as well as free to order a replacement.<\/p>

To set up a Starling business account, you\u2019ll need to download the Starling app and provide at least one of the following documents to verify your identity: a passport, EU\/EEA ID card, UK residence card or UK photo driving licence (full or provisional). To confirm the nature of your business you may also be asked for: invoices, bank statements, accountant letters, signed contracts, qualifications or payslips. If you have all your documentation to hand, Starling says the application itself can take as little as 10 minutes, and 93% of its new business banking customers will get their account number on the same day. Starling doesn\u2019t conduct a hard credit check, and the account\u2019s accompanying bank card is free to receive and costs \u00a35 to replace in the UK.<\/p>

Winner:<\/strong> A draw. Both providers ask for similar information in the application process, and both business accounts can be up and running quickly once that application process is complete.<\/p>

Round 6: Customer support and account switching<\/h3>
\n \n
<\/th>\"Tide<\/a><\/td>\"Starling<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Customer service via the app<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Customer service via a telephone line<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
CASS switch guarantee<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
<\/th>Go to site<\/a><\/td><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table><\/div>

Account holders can message Tide through their app, or send Tide an email with their contact number to request a call back from the customer support team during working hours. There is also an automated telephone service to report a lost or stolen card.<\/p>

Over at Starling, there is 24\/7 support available from customer service advisers, through the in-app chat, over email and via telephone.<\/p>

You already have a business account with another bank, you can use the Current Account Switch Service (CASS) to move it to either of these. <\/p>

Winner:<\/strong> Starling, for having 24\/7 customer support. Although in terms of communication channels, both providers can be contacted in the app or by email, both can be reached by phone (although not directly in Tide\u2019s case) and both have a number where you can report lost or stolen cards.<\/p>

Round 7: Customer reviews<\/h3>

On Trustpilot, Tide has a score 3.9 from more than 24,000 reviews. Starling doesn\u2019t have a dedicated reviews page for its business account, though its overall score is 4.3 out of 5, from more than 44,000 reviews (updated May 2025).<\/p>

Reviews about Tide were positive for the most part, though some people said customer service could be better.<\/p>

Some customers talked about how they like Starling\u2019s Business Toolkit, but others that said they had issues with customer service.<\/p>

Winner:<\/strong> Starling, because its score is higher and comes from double the amount of reviews.<\/p>

Round 8: Making Tax Digital (MTD)<\/h3>

Tide already offers integrated HMRC-recognised software<\/a> that business account holders can use for free to make their MTD submissions. <\/p>

Starling also offers integrated HMRC-recognised software that business account holders can use to make their MTD submissions. Again, this will be free of charge. <\/p>

In both cases, customers can use the software to keep digital records, file quarterly updates and submit their year-end final declaration. It can also be used to categorise transactions, automate expenses and capture receipts. <\/p>

Winner:<\/strong> Both. Both accounts come with the same type of software with similar features. <\/p>

Overall winner: Is Tide better than Starling?<\/h3>

Both the Starling and Tide business accounts have a lot to offer, but if we had to pick just one it would probably be Starling, as it wins out in a higher number of our rounds than Tide does. Starling\u2019s fee-free account and free overseas card use are very competitive aspects of its offering, and overall, it\u2019s a comprehensive digital-only business account which you can still pay cash and cheques into. But it\u2019s worth noting that Tide does integrate with a larger number of software packages than Starling at present, plus if additional cards for your employees is what you\u2019re after, then Tide might be the better option for you.<\/p>

We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms \"best\", \"top\", \"cheap\" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use<\/a>. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables is provided by Defaqto. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.<\/div><\/article>

Sources<\/h3>\n
<\/div>\n