Tide vs Mettle: Business Bank Account Comparison

Tide typically appeals to invoicing-led businesses whose accountant works in Sage, or who expect to outgrow a free account as transaction volumes climb. A closer look at how it stacks up against a full banking licence is in our Tide vs Starling comparison.

What Mettle Is Designed For

Mettle focuses on stripping out cost rather than adding features, pairing free banking with a genuinely free accounting subscription.

Key Characteristics of Mettle

• Completely free account with zero monthly fees and zero UK transaction fees

• A full FreeAgent accounting subscription included free, conditional on at least one transaction a month from the Mettle account

• Automatic transaction syncing to FreeAgent, with no separate Open Banking authorisation required

• A Savings Pot paying 0.95% AER (variable) on balances from £10 up to £1m

• Backed by National Westminster Bank plc, giving statutory FSCS protection rather than e-money safeguarding

Trade-Offs to Consider

• No overdraft or credit facility at any level

• No built-in invoicing; quote-to-invoice conversion needs the optional Mettle+ add-on at £4 a month

• Only one owner can access the account, even on a two-owner limited company

• Limited to sole traders and UK limited companies; LLPs and partnerships can't apply

• No phone support, only in-app chat and a help centre

Mettle tends to suit consultants and small service businesses that would otherwise be paying for FreeAgent separately, particularly those with steady, predictable income rather than a need to borrow. See how it fares against a similarly free challenger in our Starling vs Mettle guide.

How They Charge

Tide Pricing

Tide's free plan costs nothing and includes five free transfers a month, then 20p each way, plus three free invoices a month. Smart costs £12.49 a month (or £99.99 a year) and adds 30 free transfers, 0% overseas card fees and a better savings rate, though it never actually beats the free plan on transfer costs alone. Pro, at £27.49 a month, is the first tier with unlimited free transfers, and Max, at £69.99 a month, adds unlimited invoicing and 0.5% cashback on eligible card spend.

A business making around 15 transfers a month pays roughly £2 on Tide's free plan, but a business making 150 or more finds Pro's flat fee works out cheaper.

Mettle Pricing

Mettle's account fee is £0, with free UK transfers in both directions regardless of volume. The only optional charge is Mettle+ at £4 a month, which adds quote creation, automatic quote-to-invoice conversion and automated client reminders. ATM withdrawals cost a flat £1 each. International transfers and cash deposit fees are not clearly published, so confirm these directly at mettle.com before relying on them.

For a wider look at what 'free' actually covers across UK providers, our free business bank accounts guide breaks down the usual catches.

Tide vs Mettle: Pros and Cons Compared

Feature Comparison: Tide vs Mettle

Everyday Banking

• Payments and transfers: Both support Faster Payments. Mettle's are free at any volume, while Tide charges 20p per transfer beyond the free allowance on its entry plan.

• Account access: Both are mobile-first apps with a UK sort code and account number.

• Business debit cards: A Mastercard debit card is included with both providers.

Invoicing and Admin

• Tide: Built-in invoice creation and tracking, with automatic payment matching, on every plan.

• Mettle: No native invoicing; quote-to-invoice tools sit behind the optional Mettle+ upgrade.

Accounting Support

• Tide: A direct Sage bank feed plus Xero, QuickBooks and FreeAgent integrations, all on the free plan.

• Mettle: A full FreeAgent subscription included free, with native syncing rather than a separate Open Banking connection.

International Payments

• Tide: Sends and receives via SEPA and SWIFT, though it doesn't hold foreign-currency balances and converts incoming payments to GBP automatically.

• Mettle: International transfer capability is not clearly confirmed; check directly at mettle.com if this matters to your business.

Savings

• Tide: Tide Instant Saver pays from 2.00% AER up to 3.75% AER depending on plan, all variable.

• Mettle: Savings Pot pays 0.95% AER (variable) on balances from £10 up to £1m.

Regulation and Protection

Tide and Mettle sit on different regulatory footing, and this is one of the most commonly confused parts of the comparison.

Tide Platform Limited is the FCA-regulated fintech that builds the app, while new accounts are provided by ClearBank, a fully licensed UK bank, which is what gives eligible deposits FSCS protection up to £120,000. Some longstanding Tide customers still hold legacy e-money accounts from before the ClearBank switch, which are safeguarded rather than FSCS-covered, so it's worth checking your sort code if you've held the account for several years.

Mettle sits under National Westminster Bank plc's own banking licence, so eligible deposits carry the same statutory FSCS protection up to £120,000. The catch is that this limit is shared across NatWest Group brands, including NatWest plc, Ulster Bank and NatWest Boxed, so a business holding balances with NatWest and Mettle needs to count the combined total, not treat each as a separate allowance.

Businesses that want a simpler, single-institution FSCS picture might prefer to keep other banking away from NatWest Group entirely. For more on how the current £120,000 threshold works, see our guide to business bank accounts with built-in accounting.

Common Misconceptions About Tide and Mettle

"Mettle is basically a NatWest business account." It isn't. Mettle is a standalone, app-only brand within NatWest Group. You get none of NatWest's branch network, staff or product range through a Mettle account, and the two products aren't interchangeable day to day.

"Tide is a bank." Tide itself doesn't hold a banking licence. It's the FCA-regulated platform and app; the licensed bank behind new accounts is ClearBank. That distinction is exactly what determines whether your money is FSCS-protected.

"Both providers offer free invoicing." Tide includes invoicing on every plan, but only three a month below the Max tier. Mettle's standard app has no built-in invoice creation at all; quote-to-invoice conversion only arrives with the paid Mettle+ add-on.

"Mettle's FSCS cover is separate from NatWest's." It isn't additional protection. The £120,000 limit applies across your combined balances with NatWest Group brands, not £120,000 for each one you hold.

"Free means no fees." On Tide's free plan, "free" refers to the monthly subscription. Transfers past the first five each month cost 20p, and ATM withdrawals and cash deposits carry separate charges.

What Real Customers Say About Tide and Mettle

Tide holds a Trustpilot rating of around 4.4 out of 5 from more than 36,800 reviews as of August 2026. The recurring praise is for fast account opening and an invoicing flow that works without friction, while the main complaints cluster around support response times and account restrictions during compliance checks, a pattern common across app-based business accounts rather than unique to Tide.

Mettle sits at around 4.5 out of 5 from over 6,400 Trustpilot reviews as of July 2026, an "Excellent" rating. Positive reviews focus consistently on account simplicity and the value of the bundled FreeAgent subscription, particularly among freelancers who'd otherwise pay for it separately. The main recurring complaint is around application delays, with some customers reporting waits of several days for account approval during identity checks.

Reddit sentiment broadly echoes the Trustpilot pattern: satisfaction with day-to-day use, occasional frustration with account reviews or delayed approvals.

Who Should Consider Tide?

Tide may be a good fit if your business:

• Invoices clients regularly and wants that built into the banking app

• Works with an accountant who uses Sage

• Expects transaction volumes to grow past what a free account comfortably covers

• Wants a paid tier with cashback, priority support or extra team cards to grow into

• Is a sole trader, freelancer or UK limited company (not an LLP or partnership)

If you're just starting, our startup business bank accounts guide covers other free-banking-period options worth comparing alongside Tide.

Who Should Consider Mettle?

Mettle may be better suited if you:

• Want banking and accounting bundled at zero monthly cost

• Already use, or are happy to use, FreeAgent for your books

• Make a high volume of UK transfers and don't want per-transaction charges

• Run a sole trader business or a UK limited company with one or two owners

• Don't need an overdraft, multi-user access or built-in invoicing

FAQs About Tide and Mettle

Is Tide or Mettle better for a limited company?

Both accept UK limited companies, though Mettle caps this at companies with up to two owners and only one person can access the account, while Tide has no owner limit and supports multiple team members with expense cards on paid plans. A growing company with several directors is likely better served by Tide.

Can I get an overdraft with Mettle or Tide?

No, Tide offers no overdraft on any plan, and Mettle doesn't offer one either. Businesses that need short-term credit access should look elsewhere.

Are Tide or Mettle Accounts FSCS protected?

Both are. Tide's new accounts are FSCS-protected to £120,000 via ClearBank, and Mettle's are protected to £120,000 via National Westminster Bank plc, though that limit is shared with other NatWest Group accounts you hold.

Does Mettle or Tide offer free invoicing?

Tide includes three free invoices a month on Free, Smart and Pro, and unlimited invoicing on Max. Mettle has no built-in invoicing on its free account; quote-to-invoice conversion requires the £4/month Mettle+ add-on.

Can sole traders use Tide or Mettle bank accounts?

Yes, both accept UK sole traders as a core eligible business type.

Which has better accounting software integration?

Tide connects directly to Sage, Xero, QuickBooks and FreeAgent. Mettle bundles a full FreeAgent subscription free, but hasn't confirmed direct connections to other accounting platforms. Choose based on which software your accountant actually uses.

Are Mettle business bank accounts really free?

Yes, for UK banking: no monthly fee and no transfer charges. The exceptions are a £1 ATM withdrawal fee and the optional £4/month Mettle+ upgrade if you want invoicing features.

Alternatives to Tide and Mettle

You may want to explore other business accounts if you:

• Operate as an LLP or partnership, since neither Tide nor Mettle accepts these structures

• Need an overdraft or other credit facility

• Trade internationally and want to hold multiple currencies

• Want a fully licensed bank with a broader product range beyond Mettle's stripped-back offering

In these cases, it's worth comparing other business bank account providers, or looking at how Mettle and Tide each stack up against a full banking licence in our Monzo vs Mettle and Tide vs ANNA comparisons.

If you're switching from an existing account, our switching guide covers how the Current Account Switch Service works for eligible businesses.