Starling Bank vs Tide: Features, Coverage and Pricing Compared (2026)

Key Features Compared

Starling Bank vs Tide at a Glance, November 2026

Feature	Starling Bank	Tide
Ratings
Fintech Index score	82 / 100Higher score	80 / 100
Overview
What it is	Licensed UK digital bank with business and personal current accounts; it also sells its banking software to other banks	UK business account and admin platform for sole traders and small companies, with free and paid plans, cards, and invoicing
Who uses it	UK sole traders, limited companies, and consumers; 6.2 million platform accounts	Sole traders, freelancers, and small limited companies; more than 2 million members, including ~900,000 in the UK
Main products	Business account, debit card, Spaces, invoicing, tax tools, built-in accounting, and a Making Tax Digital tool	Business account, card, invoicing, Tide Accounting, an admin service on Max, credit through Funding Options, and payroll through Onfolk
Where it operates	United Kingdom, with payments to 34 countries	United Kingdom, India, Germany, and France
Products and features
Company cards	Business debit card; no corporate card suite	Card with the account; 0.5% cashback on Max
Invoicing and bookkeeping	Free invoicing, tax tools, and accounting	Invoicing on all plans; Tide Accounting on Pro
Deposit guarantee	FSCS, as a licensed bank	FSCS through ClearBank
Pricing
How pricing works	No monthly fee; UK payments in and out are free; Post Office cash deposits cost 0.7% (minimum ~$4)	Free plan; Smart ~$17, Pro ~$37, and Max ~$94 a month
Published prices	No monthly fee	Free, then from ~$17 a month
Technology and compliance
Licenses and account protection	Licensed UK bank; eligible deposits covered by the FSCS	FCA-regulated e-money institution; UK accounts provided with ClearBank, with FSCS cover up to ~$160,000
Apps and API	App with Spaces and spending analytics; no public payments API on the business page	App with online account opening in minutes
Integrations and partners	Xero, QuickBooks, and FreeAgent, plus a view of accounts held at other banks	Xero connection; a shorter integration list than larger providers
Onboarding and support	Support 24 hours a day; each business application is reviewed case by case	Phone support that reviewers often praise; monthly plans with no long contract
Company
Founded	2014	2017
Headquarters	London, England	London, England
Ownership	Licensed UK bank, private	Private
Funding	~$605M across a 2021 Series D, a Goldman Sachs top-up, and a 2022 internal round from Fidelity, Qatar Investment Authority, Railpen, Millennium, and Goldman Sachs	~$300M from TPG Rise, Apax Digital, Augmentum, Creandum, LocalGlobe, and others
Key leader	Raman Bhatia	Oliver Prill
Scale	Revenue of ~$1.19B and profit before tax of ~$290M in the year to March 2026; ~$17.0B of deposits	~15% of UK small businesses; more than 1.1 million members in India

Fintech Index Scores Compared

We rate every company on eight criteria from 0 to 100, four tied to what buyers in its sector need and four shared by every company, and the rating is their average. Starling Bank scores 82 and Tide scores 80.

Criterion Scores Out of 100

Key Differences Between Starling Bank and Tide

Licence

Starling is a licensed UK bank. Tide is an FCA-regulated e-money institution, with UK accounts provided with ClearBank. Both carry FSCS cover.

Fees

Starling charges no monthly fee and nothing for UK payments. Tide's free plan includes five free UK transfers a month; paid plans run to ~$94.

Eligibility

Starling excludes businesses with corporate shareholders, charities, general partnerships, and owners outside the UK. Tide serves sole traders and small limited companies.

Pros and Cons

Who Each Is Best For

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Frequently Asked Questions