Side hustlers and business owners have unique needs when it comes to setting up a business checking account. 

And for years, most banks made the bulk of their fees on business products - including business checking accounts. 

So, it's historically been frustrating as a side hustler or business owner to find a checking account because, unlike personal accounts which have lots of free checking account options, businesses typically didn't have that available.

But technology is changing that. And more banks are starting to offer great online business checking accounts with low or reasonable fees. 

Note: The banking offers that appear on this site are from companies from which The College Investor receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). The College Investor does not include all banking companies or all banking offers available in the marketplace.

Business Checking Account Options

Based on the criteria we share below, here are our choices for the best business checking accounts available. Some of these accounts are basically free, while others do require some minimum balances and/or other requirements to waive the monthly fees.

1. Novo

Novo is a no-fee digital banking platform for small business owners and side hustlers. This is the perfect online checking account for small businesses. Novo is a fintech, not a bank. Banking services provided by Middlesex Federal Savings F.A.; Member FDIC.

They are very mobile friendly with a great app, photo check deposit, no fees, and they have a bunch of integrations to connect with the other tools you already use! They also offer sub-accounts, which is perfect if you like to use Profit First in your business. That's awesome for a business account.

Why I Like It: Free, easy to use, online business checking.

Read our full Novo review here.

Open a Novo Account here >>

2. Bluevine

Bluevine has been a lender for small businesses for almost a decade, and it recently launched a business banking product that provides free business checking.

They offer free business checking with unlimited transactions per month. They also have no minimum balance requirements and free online statements. 

Unlike most business checking accounts, they also pay interest on balances up to $100,000. Right now, you can earn 1.50% APY on your balance up to the $100,000 limit, as long as you meet one of the following requirements:

• Debit Card Spend: Spend $500 per month with BlueVine Business Debit Mastercard® issued by Coastal Community Bank pursuant to a license from Mastercard inc, which can be used everywhere Mastercard® is accepted.
• Incoming Payments: Receive $2,500 per month in customer payments into BlueVine Business Checking account via ACH, wire transfer, mobile check deposit, or directly from merchant payment processing provider.

Read our full Bluevine Banking review here.

Why I Like It: Free business checking that earns interest.

Learn more about Bluevine Business Checking.

3. Chase Business Complete Banking℠

The Chase Business Complete Banking℠ is one of the more popular business checking account options because Chase has a huge number of branches and great service. It isn't truly free unless you meet the minimum monthly requirements to make it so, but we list it as a top business checking account because it's available nationwide, has branches nearly everywhere, and is one of the most robust banking products out there currently. Plus, the minimum requirements are super easy to meet - check it out.

Chase Business Complete Banking℠ has a $15 per month fee that's easily waived if you simply do the following in the month:

• Keep a minimum daily balance of $2,000 or more in your account
• Receive $2,000 in deposits from Quick Accepts transactions or other eligible merchant services
• Chase Ink Business credit card purchases of at least $2,000
• Link a Chase Private Client Checking account
• Provide a valid, qualifying proof of military status (active or veteran)

Bonus Offer: Right now, you can earn $300 when you open a new Chase Business Complete Checking℠ account. For new Chase business checking customers with qualifying activities.

Read our full Chase Bank Review here.

Why I Like It: A great account opening bonus, with one of the largest, most well known banks in the United States.

Earn a $300 Bonus!

4. Grasshopper

Grasshopper calls itself the best digital business checking account - and we've been excited about what it offers. It's a fee-free business checking account with some great perks.

First, there's no monthly fee - which is huge for side hustlers and small business owners. Then, you can earn cashback on your spending! Users can earn unlimited 1% cashback on all debit purchases.

They offer unlimited free transactions, which is very unlikely for a business bank account (banks usually charge a fee per transaction) - this includes ACH and incoming wires.

Finally, you can earn interest on your money - 1.50% APY on your balance.

They also have one of the easiest online applications - taking about 5 minutes! Most banks do not have complete online application and have to send in multiple documents that takes up a lot time.

This account also has the usual features you'd expect in a top notch business checking account:

• Online banking
• Free ATM withdrawals at 46,000+ ATMs
• Free online bill pay

Read our full Grasshopper Bank review here.

Why I Like It: A business checking account option that can earn cashback on your spending.

Learn more about Grasshopper here.

6. AXOS Basic Business Checking

AXOS is an online bank that focuses on simple business banking online. It's free, but it does have some higher requirements compared to other banks.

With AXOS, you get no monthly maintenance fees, no minimum deposit requirement, and unlimited domestic ATM fee reimbursements.

Their free tier comes with unlimited transactions (deposits, transfers, ACH, etc) per month. Plus, you also get 2 free domestic wires monthly.

Read our full Axos Bank review here.

Why I Like It: Free mobile business banking.

Learn more about AXOS Basic Business Checking.

7. Relay

Relay is a fee-free online business checking account that offers a huge range services to help you run your small business online. You can open multiple accounts, send and receive ACH transfers, setup automatic recurring payments, and so much more! Plus, it allows sub-accounts so you can run your business with a Profit First mindset if you want.

The amazing thing about Relay is that it offers a no-monthly fee level that includes so many features you'd be shocked it's free. Relay does have a Relay Pro-level that is designed for businesses that need more accounts payable features.

Read our full Relay Review here.

Why I Like It: Free business checking with a whole suite of complimentary business products.

8. Lili

Lili is an online business checking account that is designed for freelancers. With no monthly fees, no minimum opening deposit, and helpful tools built-in, it's a great online business checking account.

One thing that sets Lili has a great tax saving tool which allows you to automatically set money aside for taxes on every income, and an Emergency Bucket, which helps users set money aside for emergencies with daily deposits of small amounts.

They are very mobile friendly with online bill pay, invoicing, no fees, and they have a bunch of integrations to connect with the other tools you already use! That's awesome for a business bank account.

Why I Like It: Free, easy to use, online business checking.

Learn more in our Lili review here.

9. Navy Federal Business Checking

Navy Federal Credit Union Business Checking is one of the best business checking products available, if you qualify to be a member of Navy Federal Credit Union. 

This account is a basic business checking account with online banking, mobile check deposits and more.

But best of all, it pays interest (just a small amount, but that's something). Right now, the basic business checking earns 0.01% APY. You can get up to 0.45% APY on their Premium Business Checking.

NFCU Basic Business Checking is limited to just 30 transactions per month. That's low. If you need more, you might consider the Premium Business Checking. It does have a $20 per month fee, but that fee is waived with a $5,000 minimum balance.

Read our full Navy Federal Credit Union Review here.

Why I Like It: Interest bearing business checking.

Learn more about NFCU Basic Business Checking.

10. nbkc Free Business Checking

nbkc is a Midwest bank that offers some very competitive checking account options. When it comes to business checking, they offer a monthly-fee free product that's very competitive.

This account has online and mobile banking (with mobile check deposit), a debit card, and has no minimum balance requirements. One of the features we love is that they don't charge anything for incoming wire transfers.

Read our full nbkc Bank review here.

Why I Like It: Great online banking with free incoming domestic wire transfers.

Learn more about nbkc Free Business Checking.

Why A Business Checking Account vs. A Personal Checking Account?

When you're running a business - even just as a side hustle - it's important to keep your business finances separate from your personal finances. For many people starting out, that can be as simple as having a PayPal account. But as your business grows, you start receiving check and ACH payments, you simply need more.

You should keep your business accounts separate from your personal accounts for a variety of reasons. First, it's simplicity. By keeping all your business stuff in one place, you can easily know what you made, what you spent, and what's left. 

Second, by mixing personal and business accounts, you can create bookkeeping, accounting, and tax headaches for yourself come tax time.

Third, you can also run into major liability issues - opening yourself up for personal liability if anything should happen to your business. If you're an LLC, S-Corp, or C-Corp, you definitely need to have a separate business bank account to maintain the liability protections a business offers. 

Finally, if your business fails and you need to declare bankruptcy, your personal assets become open to being used for your debts because there's no way for a judge to separate the two. 

The Process To Setup A Business Bank Account

Why most people hesitate to open a business checking account is because of the costs and the hassle to open one up.

The process to open a business checking account has traditionally be tedious - you need to bring documents, meet with a banker in person, and it takes time. However, technology is changing that and some companies are doing it all online (for example, LendingClub's Tailored Checking Account is 100% online). 

To open a business checking account, you'll need the following:

• Your business employer identification number (EIN) - if you're a sole-proprietor, your SSN will work
• Business documents: Articles of Incorporation, Articles of Organization, charter
• Government issued ID

If you're a partnership or LLC with more than one member, you'll also need to have each member present to open the account.

What You Need In A Business Checking Account

Side hustlers and business owners have unique needs for their checking account. They also might not have a job yet (for direct deposit), or have other accounts at the bank.

As such, they have unique requirements that we wanted to share, so that you can see how we based our criteria for the best business checking account options.

In order to be one of the best business checking accounts, we put the following criteria in place:

Common Questions

Here is a FAQ of the common questions we see around business checking accounts:

Does my business need a checking account?

It's recommended to keep your business and personal finances separated, and having a business checking account helps with that.

What's the best business checking account?

The best business checking account depends on your needs as a business. For example, do you operate online? Do you have a lot of cash transactions or deposits? All of these will play a role in figuring out which business account is best for you.

Do I need an LLC to open an account?

No, but you do need an EIN. You can get an EIN for your business by following these directions.

Can I open a business checking account at a credit union?

Yes! Most credit unions offer business checking accounts, and some of our best accounts on this list are actually at credit unions.

Do business checking accounts charge fees?

Many business accounts do charge fees - and that makes operating as a small business owner challenging. However, the accounts on this list are pretty fee-free, which is great.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully you can see that there are good options for free business checking. You can also check out our guide to business saving and money market accounts.

You don't have to pay fees to have a business checking account - you just need to open your account at a good bank. 

Methodology

The College Investor is dedicated to helping you make informed decisions around complex financial topics like finding the best business checking account account. We do this by providing unbiased reviews of the top banks and checking accounts for our readers, and then we aggregate those choices into this list.

We have picked checking accounts based on our opinions of how easy they are to use, their costs and fees, any interest rates and bonuses provided, and a variety of other factors. We believe that our list accurately reflects the best business bank accounts in the marketplace for side hustlers, small business owners, and freelancers.