Best Business Banking Accounts 2026: Mercury vs Bluevine vs Novo
Mercury, Bluevine, Novo, Relay and Chase Business — modern business banking for startups and SMBs.
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- Mercury — Overall startup bank.
- Bluevine — High APY checking.
- Novo — Solopreneurs + freelancers.
- Relay — Multi-account workflow.
- Chase Business — Traditional bank.
Editor's shortlist
Three options worth your shortlist — full reasoning continues below.
Top-rated for overall startup bank.
Check MercuryAffiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Top-rated for high apy checking.
Check BluevineAffiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Top-rated for solopreneurs + freelancers.
Check NovoAffiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our research process for this comparison
- Last reviewed
- Jun 2, 2026
- Approach
- Research-driven product comparisons: vendor docs, live pricing, public benchmarks, and trial-account checks where available.
- Sources we used
- Vendor websites and changelogs, official pricing pages, third-party uptime monitors and verified user reports.
- Limitations
- Not every product on this page received controlled lab testing. Pricing and features change frequently — confirm on the provider's website.
Read the full review methodology and our editorial policy.
Top picks compared (2026)
| Product | Rating | Best for | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| MercuryBest Overall | 9.6 | Overall startup bank | Visit Mercury |
| Bluevine | 9.4 | High APY checking | Visit Bluevine |
| Novo | 9.3 | Solopreneurs + freelancers | Visit Novo |
| Relay | 9.3 | Multi-account workflow | |
| Chase Business | 9.2 | Traditional bank |
Links marked Visit are affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Rankings are decided by our scoring rubric, not commission rate. How we make money.
Quick verdict
Mercury, Bluevine, Novo, Relay and Chase Business — modern business banking for startups and SMBs.
Head-to-head comparison
| Product | Best For | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Overall startup bank | 9.6 |
| Bluevine | High APY checking | 9.4 |
| Novo | Solopreneurs + freelancers | 9.3 |
| Relay | Multi-account workflow | 9.3 |
| Chase Business | Traditional bank | 9.2 |
1. Mercury — Overall startup bank
Mercury stands out for overall startup bank. Score: 9.6/10. Based on our research into pricing, capability, real-world performance and user feedback, it remains a strong pick in this category for 2026.
2. Bluevine — High APY checking
Bluevine stands out for high apy checking. Score: 9.4/10. Based on our research into pricing, capability, real-world performance and user feedback, it remains a strong pick in this category for 2026.
3. Novo — Solopreneurs + freelancers
Novo stands out for solopreneurs + freelancers. Score: 9.3/10. Based on our research into pricing, capability, real-world performance and user feedback, it remains a strong pick in this category for 2026.
4. Relay — Multi-account workflow
Relay stands out for multi-account workflow. Score: 9.3/10. Based on our research into pricing, capability, real-world performance and user feedback, it remains a strong pick in this category for 2026.
5. Chase Business — Traditional bank
Chase Business stands out for traditional bank. Score: 9.2/10. Based on our research into pricing, capability, real-world performance and user feedback, it remains a strong pick in this category for 2026.
Final verdict
Our pick: Mercury is the strongest overall choice in this category for 2026. Pick based on your specific need from the comparison above.
Frequently asked
Best bank for startups?+
Mercury — built for tech companies with strong API and no monthly fees.
Highest yield business checking?+
Bluevine — up to 2% APY on balances up to $250k.
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What's changed
Every meaningful edit to this article is logged here. Spotted something out of date? Submit a correction.
- Jun 2, 2026Article first published.
How the ProductsVerdict score is calculated
Every review and comparison on this site is graded against the same five-factor rubric. Weights are fixed so two reviewers grading the same product land within ~0.5 of each other.
- 30%Features & capabilitiesDepth, breadth and reliability of what the tool actually does.
- 25%Pricing & valueCost vs. what you get, including hidden fees and renewal traps.
- 20%Ease of useOnboarding, UX, documentation and learning curve.
- 15%Support & reputationSupport quality, response times and verified user sentiment.
- 10%InnovationRoadmap, AI features and how it's evolving vs. competitors.
Total: 100%. Scores are recalculated whenever a product ships a major update or changes pricing.
Reader feedback
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Our verdict in four picks
The right choice depends on what you're optimizing for. Here's our shortlist by use case.
Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
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Affiliate links — ProductsVerdict may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Rankings are decided by our scoring rubric, not commission rate. Full disclosure.
ProductsVerdict Research Team
Research, comparisons & verdictsProductsVerdict Research Team leads ProductsVerdict's research on guides, evaluating live pricing, public benchmarks, vendor documentation and trial accounts to publish recommendations readers can actually act on. No paid placements, no pre-publication review by brands.
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