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Best Free Online Bank Accounts

All digital, fee-free checking and savings accounts with high APYs and fancy tools.

Haven’t visited a physical bank in years and want a free checking account? If so, then digital banks are probably right up your alley. Online banks don’t pay to maintain physical branches, and they pass those savings on to their customers. With no monthly fees, top-of-the-line mobile apps and quick online applications, the best free online bank accounts can offer numerous benefits.

Why trust Finder?

  • 300+ banks and credit unions reviewed
  • 190+ checking accounts analyzed and rated by our team of experts
  • Evaluated under our unbiased rating system covering 8 categories
  • 20+ years of combined experience covering financial topics

We're big on editorial independence. That means our content, reviews and ratings are fair, accurate and trustworthy. We don't let advertisers or partners sway our opinions. Our financial experts put in the hard work, spending hours researching and analyzing hundreds of products based on data-driven methodologies to find the best accounts and providers for you. Explore our editorial guidelines to see how we work.

8 best free online bank accounts

Best overall

SoFi Checking and Savings

9 Excellent

Get up to $300 cash bonus with qualifying direct deposit. Terms apply. This offer is available until January 31, 2026.
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on SoFi's secure site
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SoFi is an online, full-service, FDIC-insured bank that offers an online bank account with no monthly fee. SoFi's hybrid Checking and Savings account also has no opening deposit requirements and offers high APYs on checking and savings balances. With direct deposit, you become a SoFi Plus member which gets you the account's highest APYs, early paycheck arrival, overdraft protection and more. Get high FDIC insurance of up to $3 million, and compare a large suite of lending options, credit cards, business financing, and investing services. SoFi also accepts cash deposits for a small fee of up to $4.95 at Green Dot retail locations. You'll also get access to over 55,000 Allpoint ATMs. However, SoFi doesn't offer international wire transfers.
APYUp to 3.80%
Fee$0 per month
Minimum deposit to open$0

Best for credit building

Step Visa Card

9.4 Excellent

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A banking app and type of secured card for those looking to build a better credit history, Step's card has no monthly fees, overdraft fees or opening deposit requirements. The Step card works like a debit card, but its a secured card backed by your Step deposit account. Once per month, Step uses your deposit account to pay off your Step card without any interest charges. Step also offers up to 3% in cash back on select brands, and 1% to 2% on other purchases like dining, delivery and entertainment. The Step Black card steps it up a notch with up to 8% in cashback rewards, Visa signature exclusive event access and $1 million in FDIC insurance. Step Black costs $4.99 per month, but you can waive the fee with $500 in monthly direct deposits. On the downside, Step doesn't have a customer service phone line.
APY4.00%
Fee$0 per month
Minimum deposit to open$0

Best for business checking

Bluevine Business Checking

9 Excellent

You can earn $300 when you open a new Bluevine Business Checking account and meet eligibility requirements. Apply with referral code CA300.
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Bluevine is a fintech company with banking services backed by FDIC-insured Coastal Community Bank. Its business banking has three plans: Standard for $0/month, Plus for $30/month and Premier for $95/month. All plans offer unlimited transactions, 200 free checks if you maintain a balance and no foreign transaction or overdraft fees. The Standard plan offers up to 1.5% APY on balances up to $250,000 by spending at least $500 per month or receiving at least $2,500 per month in deposits. With a paid plan, you can earn either 2.7% or 3.7% APY with no activity requirements, and the monthly fee can be waived. There are also team management tools and up to $3 million in FDIC insurance. Plus, Bluevine is partnered with various ATM networks for deposits and withdrawals. But customer service is only available during weekdays, and there's a 2.90% fee when you pay bills with your credit card.
APYUp to 3.70%
FeeFrom $0 per month
Minimum deposit to open$0

Best for second-chance banking

Chime® Checking Account

9.6 Excellent

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on Chime's secure site
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Chime is a fintech company that offers banking services. Most banks review your banking history when you apply for an account, but Chime won't look at your ChexSystems report, giving you a higher chance for approval if your banking history isn't squeaky clean. Its checking account has no monthly or foreign transaction fees. One of the better perks is the overdraft service called SpotMe®, which allows qualified users to fee-free overdraft up to $200 for eligible members which is repaid with their next direct deposit. There are cash advances for qualified users, Chime's Credit Builder Secured Visa® Credit Card card that works with the Chime Checking account and a peer-to-peer (P2P) payment system called Pay Anyone. On the downside, Chime doesn't offer joint accounts, you can't send wire transfers and it doesn't offer certificates of deposit (CDs) or money market accounts (MMAs).
Fee$0 per month
Minimum deposit to open$0

Best for cashback checking

Upgrade Rewards Checking Plus

8.6 Great

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Upgrade is a fintech with banking partners. The Upgrade Rewards Checking Plus has no overdraft or monthly maintenance fees. By setting up direct deposit of at least $1,000 per month, you can earn up to 2% cash back at places like convenience stores, drugstores, restaurants and bars (up to $500 per year). And you can earn 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases. This checking account also provides one free domestic wire transfer fee per month and no-fee cash withdrawals at over 55,000 Allpoint ATMs nationwide. But just know if you don't meet direct deposit requirements, your cashback rate drops. And like most fintechs, Upgrade doesn't accept cash deposits.
Fee$0 per month
Minimum deposit to open$0

Best for traveling

Capital One 360 Checking

9.2 Excellent

Earn $250 bonus when you use code CHECKING250 and set up at least 2 qualifying direct deposits each of $500 or more to your 360 Checking account within 75 days of account opening. Terms Apply.
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Capital One 360 Checking is a great free checking account for the regular traveler. There are no foreign ATM fees, foreign transaction fees or currency transaction fees. There are also no monthly fees and no minimum deposit requirements, and you'll have access to over 70,000 fee-free Capital One and Allpoint ATMs. You can choose different overdraft options, including an auto-decline or a free transfer that sends funds from another account into your checking to prevent overdrafts. Capital One is also integrated with the Zelle app and offers checkbooks. However, there are some fees for services like outgoing wire transfers or getting a checkbook, as well as a possible insufficient funds fee of $9.
APY0.10%
Fee$0 per month
Minimum deposit to open$0

Best for budgeting

Ally Bank Spending Account

8.6 Great

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Ally Bank is one of the best and largest online banks. The Ally Spending account has no monthly or overdraft fees and offers a feature called 'buckets,' which lets you organize spending and savings goals. The account is also interest-bearing, offering 0.1% APY for balances under $15,000 and 0.25% APY for balances higher than that. Ally's savings and CD APYs are also high, and it's rare to see an online bank with CDs at all. You can also browse its various lending options, like mortgages, credit cards, auto loans and personal loans. To make up for the lack of branches, Ally offers extended phone hours and a 24/7 customer support chat function. However, it doesn't accept cash deposits.
APYUp to 0.25%
Fee$0 per month
Minimum deposit to open$0

Best credit union

Alliant Credit Union High-Rate Checking

8.4 Great

Prefer a not-for-profit option? Alliant Credit Union is an online credit union that allows nearly anyone to become a member. Its high-yield checking account has no monthly fees, overdraft fees or balance requirements. You'll earn 0.25% APY on your balance, have fee-free access to over 80,000 ATMs and get up to $20 in out-of-network ATM reimbursements. If you live outside its service area, you can make a one-time donation to the Alliant Credit Union Foundation to become an Alliant member. Alliant's accounts have competitive interest rates and few fees, and it offers lending and investing services, savings and CDs with high APYs, teen checking and kid savings accounts. But Alliant doesn't offer business banking.
APY0.25%
Fee$0 per month
Minimum deposit to open$0

Methodology

Finder’s banking experts analyze over 150 online federally-insured banks and fintechs to narrow down the best options. We chose the best options based on multiple factors, including state availability, monthly fees, mobile apps and more. We also favor online banks that accept cash deposits, although it’s not a requirement.

  • $0 monthly fee
  • $0 minimum opening deposits
  • $0 overdraft fees
  • Must be an online bank, credit union or fintech company
  • Available in all 50 states

How to compare free online checking accounts

Online banks may not have all the same products as traditional banks, but they make up for it with fewer fees, higher insurance coverage and top-of-the-line tech.

  1. Monthly fee. Online banks typically offer fee-free checking accounts. Traditional banks may nickel and dime you with monthly maintenance fees of $5 to $25 per month just to keep the account open.
  2. Insurance coverage. Some online fintech companies offer banking services through an FDIC-insured partner bank or a network of banks. Those that partner with more than one bank provide insurance that exceeds the typical $250,000 coverage amount, such as SoFi, which offers up to $3 million in FDIC coverage.
  3. Site and mobile app. Look for speed, accuracy and ease of navigatation on the bank’s website and online platform. After all, you’ll need to manage your account primarily online.
  4. Customer service. Some online banks are limited in terms of customer service, but many offer 24/7 chat support, phone support and automated chat support. Since you can’t visit a branch, make sure the customer service is accessible and offers extended support hours.
  5. ATMs. Most online banks don’t have their own ATM network. Instead, they’re part of a shared network of ATMs like AllPoint. However, many online banks don’t offer cash deposits, and those that do often use Green Dot locations, which typically charge a $4.95 fee.
  6. Savings APYs. Online banks consistently have some of the highest savings APYs in the market, including Varo, Upgrade and Marcus.

Are online banks worth it?

If you don’t need to make frequent cash deposits and are comfortable with online banking, the payout and convenience of digital banks can be worth the lack of branch access. Many of us have said goodbye to regular bank trips anyway, thanks to mobile and online banking.

But if you prefer branch access or frequently make cash deposits, a traditional bank or credit union may be more your speed.

Pros and cons of free online banking

Pros

  • Convenience. With bank apps and online portals, trips to the bank have nearly become obsolete. An app allows you to make mobile check deposits, access early paychecks, transfer funds between accounts, view bank statements, pay bills and much more.
  • No monthly fees. Since online banks don’t have to pay for physical branches, most offer checking and savings accounts without annoying monthly maintenance fees.
  • High APYs. For the same reason online banks often don’t charge monthly fees on deposit accounts, they can offer higher APYs and pass on more savings to their customers with high savings rates. Many online banks offer savings accounts with APYs around 5% — over 11 times higher than the national average of 0.42%.(1)
  • Souped-up mobile apps. Without physical branches, online banks are compelled to provide great mobile apps since that’s how their customers will manage their accounts. You’ll likely get mobile check deposit features, peer-to-peer payment options, budgeting tools, in-app chat features and much more.

Cons

  • No physical branches. Without branch locations, you’ll have to rely mainly on electronic communication to resolve issues, such as chat support or email. If possible, look for an online bank with a customer support phone line.
  • May not accept cash deposits. Unless the online bank has an ATM network that can accept cash, you’ll have to do electronic transfers or mobile check deposits.
  • Limited account options. Some online banks, like Ally or SoFi, only offer one or two account options. Traditional banks like Wells Fargo or Chase tend to offer various account options.

Digital banking adoption

Digital banking is growing in popularity in the US, with roughly 37% of American adults saying they do at least some of their banking online, and 19% saying they exclusively bank online.

How to open an account with an online bank

Opening a bank account online is pretty straightforward:

  1. Visit the bank’s site.
  2. Select the account you want.
  3. Follow the application instructions.

You may need to submit some documents to verify your identity, such as a driver’s license or government-issued identification, and provide a deposit via ACH transfer from an existing, external bank account.

Bottom line

Choosing the best online bank for your needs ensures you can manage your money with ease wherever life takes you. Learn more about how online banking works so you know what to expect when you open and set up your account.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best online bank?

A few of the best online banks include SoFi, Ally Bank, First Internet Bank and Axos Bank. These banks are FDIC-insured on their own and have accounts with low fees and high savings rates.

Can you trust an online bank?

The most important factor when choosing an online bank is making sure it has FDIC or NCUA insurance. Typically, banks offer up to $250,000 in coverage, meaning that if the bank were to fail, your deposit accounts are covered up to that amount.

Just keep in mind that deposit insurance is per depositor, not per deposit account. If you need more insurance, look to banks or fintechs like SoFi, Wealthfront or Bluevine for higher-than-average deposit insurance.

What’s the easiest bank account to open?

Most online banking options have fast and easy online applications that can be completed in minutes, and approval can be sent near-instantly. Online banks with quick applications that only take a few minutes to complete include SoFi, Axos and Ally Bank.

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To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Holly Jennings as part of our fact-checking process.
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Written by

Banking editor

Bethany Hickey is the banking editor and personal finance expert at Finder, specializing in banking, lending, insurance, and crypto. Bethany’s expertise in personal finance has garnered recognition from esteemed media outlets, such as Nasdaq, MSN, Yahoo Finance, GOBankingRates, SuperMoney, AOL and Newsweek. Her articles offer practical financial strategies to Americans, empowering them to make decisions that meet their financial goals. Her past work includes articles on generational spending and saving habits, lending, budgeting and managing debt. Before joining Finder, she was a content manager where she wrote hundreds of articles and news pieces on auto financing and credit repair for CarsDirect, Auto Credit Express and The Car Connection, among others. Bethany holds a BA in English from the University of Michigan-Flint, and was poetry editor for the university’s Qua Literary and Fine Arts Magazine. See full bio

Bethany's expertise
Bethany has written 439 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Personal finance
  • Banking
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  • Insurance
  • Cryptocurrency and NFTs

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2 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    CandyDecember 9, 2018

    Does bank of America have a fee free checking account if so where do I apply

      Default Gravatar
      nikkiangcoDecember 12, 2018

      Hi Candy,

      Thanks for reaching out! Upon checking, Bank of America doesn’t have a fee free checking account. Hope this was helpful. Don’t hesitate to message us back if you have more questions.

      Best,
      Nikki

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