You don't legally need a business account as a sole trader, but keeping the business money apart makes tax, MTD and your records far easier. Three app-based accounts compared.
| Product | Starling No deal | Tide No deal | ANNA No deal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Sole traders who want a full, free bank account with a branchless bank. | New sole traders who want a free account now and more features later. | Sole traders who want invoices, receipts and tax estimates handled in the same app as the account. |
| Starts at | £0a month for the sole trader account | £0a month (Free plan) | £0a month (Pay as you go) |
| Other plans | Paid add-on for invoicing and tax tools | Smart £12.49, Pro £27.49, Max £69.99 a month | Business about £14.90, Big Business about £49.90 a month plus VAT |
| Priced by | Free account, paid add-ons | Monthly plan | Monthly plan, or a fee on money paid in |
| Free option | Open in the app | Free plan | First month free on paid plans |
| Main downside | Paying in cash at the Post Office costs 0.7%, at least £3. | The Free plan allows five transfers out a month. | Pay as you go takes 0.95% of money paid in. |
| Do we earn? | No | No | No |
| Try it | Visit Starling Plain link. We have no deal with Starling and earn nothing. | Visit Tide Plain link. We have no deal with Tide and earn nothing. | Visit ANNA Plain link. We have no deal with ANNA and earn nothing. |
Best free everyday account. Sole traders who want a full, free bank account with a branchless bank.
£0 a month for the sole trader account
Plain link. We have no deal with Starling and earn nothing.
Best for a free start you can grow into. New sole traders who want a free account now and more features later.
£0 a month (Free plan)
Plain link. We have no deal with Tide and earn nothing.
Best for invoicing and tax in one app. Sole traders who want invoices, receipts and tax estimates handled in the same app as the account.
£0 a month (Pay as you go)
Plain link. We have no deal with ANNA and earn nothing.
What we'd want to know before paying for each one.
There's no monthly fee for everyday banking, but cash is where it costs: paying in at the Post Office is charged at 0.7% of each deposit, with a £3 minimum. If customers often pay you in cash, that adds up.
Free is genuinely free, but it caps you at five transfers out a month, which a busy month of supplier payments can pass. Smart, at £12.49 a month, raises that to 30.
There's no monthly fee on Pay as you go, but 0.95% of each payment you receive goes to ANNA, which is more than a paid plan once you take a few thousand pounds a month.
Fees are from each provider's UK pages and recent reviews, checked September and October 2026. High-street banks such as NatWest, Lloyds and Barclays also offer sole trader accounts, usually with a free period then a monthly fee, and branches for paying in cash.
We have no deal with any of these 3, so every link on this page is a plain link and we earn nothing from it. How we make money
Free everyday account · Plain link
Starling, from £0