Tide vs Starling Bank Business
The two most popular choices for UK small businesses — and a genuinely instructive contrast: Tide is a business platform with banking attached; Starling is a bank first, with tools around it.
| Tide | Starling Bank Business | |
|---|---|---|
| Account type | E-money institution — accounts via ClearBank | Fully licensed UK bank |
| Monthly fee | £0 to ~£69.99 by tier | £0 |
| UK transfers | 5 free, then 20p (unlimited on Pro) | Unlimited, free |
| Deposit protection | FSCS up to £120,000 via ClearBank | FSCS direct up to £120,000 |
| Cash deposits | PayPoint ~3%; Post Office £2.50/£500 | Post Office 0.7% (min £3) |
| Borrowing | Limited | Overdrafts and loans in-app |
| Business tooling | Invoicing, expense cards, formation, MTD tools | Feeds to accounting apps; £7/mo Toolkit for in-app tools |
Where Tide wins — and where Starling Bank Business wins
Tide
- Fastest onboarding in the category — plus company formation inside the app
- Business admin built in: invoicing, expense cards, savings pots
- Tiers that grow into unlimited transfers and built-in accounting
Starling Bank Business
- Actually free at any volume — no transfer meters, no tier pressure
- Full bank: direct FSCS, overdrafts, loans, EUR/USD accounts
- Deeper integrations with the accounting platforms accountants use
Our verdict
For most UK small businesses Starling is the better default: free means free at 5 transfers or 500, and full-bank depth covers scenarios Tide cannot. Choose Tide when setup speed, built-in invoicing and company formation matter more than transfer economics — and price your monthly volume honestly before picking a tier.
How we compare: assessments draw on vendor documentation, published pricing, product testing where noted, and our published methodology. Prices are indicative entry-level figures — confirm current plans with vendors. We may earn commission from links on this page; it never affects our verdicts.