Tide vs Revolut: Business Bank Account Comparison

If you're comparing Tide with other providers, our Tide vs Starling comparison and Tide vs HSBC comparison cover how it holds up against a digital bank and a high street bank.

What Revolut Business Is Designed For

Revolut Business is built for limited companies that operate across borders or manage spending across a team. Its core strengths are multi-currency accounts, currency exchange at the interbank rate within a monthly allowance, controllable physical and virtual cards, and automation tools such as bulk payments and an API on higher plans.

Key Characteristics of Revolut Business

• Plans start at £10 a month (Basic), rising to £35 a month for Grow and £125 a month for Scale. Grow and Scale are cheaper when billed annually, at £360 and £1,080 a year respectively, according to Revolut's business plan page.

• Holds 25+ currencies in separate sub-accounts, with local account details for receiving money in major currencies.

• Monthly currency exchange allowance at the interbank rate: £1,000 (Basic), £15,000 (Grow) and £60,000 (Scale). After that, a 0.6% fee applies, and a further 1% applies to exchanges outside market hours.

• Free UK transfers: 10 (Basic), 100 (Grow) and 1,000 (Scale) a month, then 20p each.

• Free international transfers: none on Basic, 5 on Grow and 25 on Scale, then £5 each.

• Physical and virtual corporate cards with spend controls on every plan.

• Invoicing, payment links, Tap to Pay on iPhone and card acceptance from 0.8% + 2p per transaction.

• Business Savings on Grow (2.15% AER, variable) and Scale (2.65% AER, variable).

Trade-Offs to Consider

• No free plan. Even the most basic Revolut Business account costs £120 a year before any transaction fees.

• No cash or cheque deposits on any plan.

• No overdraft or business credit.

• Support is through 24/7 in-app chat, with no general phone line and no branches.

• Not on the Current Account Switch Service for business accounts, so you'll need to move Direct Debits and payee details yourself.

• Add-ons can raise the real cost well above the plan fee. The Expenses tool costs £8 per active user a month, for example.

Revolut Business works well if your company deals in multiple currencies or needs proper control over team spending. For a sterling-only business, it's harder to justify.

If you're also weighing Revolut against a high street bank, our Revolut vs HSBC comparison looks at that trade-off.

How Much Do Tide and Revolut Cost?

Tide Pricing

Tide's Free plan has no monthly fee. It includes 5 UK transfers a month, with 20p charged per transfer after that. Smart costs £12.49 a month and includes 30 transfers. Pro (£27.49) and Max (£69.99) include unlimited UK transfers. Tide states on its Smart plan page that it doesn't charge VAT on paid plans.

Other charges to know about:

• Cash deposits: £2.50 at the Post Office for deposits up to £500. Above £500, the charge is 0.99% of the whole deposit on Free and 0.5% on paid plans. PayPoint deposits cost 3%.

• ATM withdrawals: £1 each, on every plan.

• Foreign-currency card spending: 2.75% on Free, 0% on paid plans.

• Expense cards: £5 a month each on Free. Paid plans include one or more.

Smart rarely pays for itself on transfers alone. It costs £12.49 more than Free and adds 25 extra free transfers, which are worth £5 at 20p each. In our experience, the real reasons to upgrade are the removal of the overseas card fee, phone support and a better savings rate, so check whether you'd use those before paying for the plan.

Revolut Business Pricing

Revolut's Basic plan costs £10 a month. Grow costs £35 a month (or £360 a year) and Scale costs £125 a month (or £1,080 a year). Enterprise is priced individually. Each plan includes an allowance of free UK transfers, international transfers and interbank-rate currency exchange.

Outside the allowances:

• UK transfers: 20p each.

• International transfers: £5 each. Guaranteed SWIFT (OUR) transfers, where you cover all the banks' charges, carry an extra fee.

• Currency exchange: 0.6% above your allowance, plus 1% for exchanges outside market hours.

• ATM withdrawals: 2% of the amount withdrawn.

• Expenses tool: £8 per active user a month.

We checked Revolut's business plan page and business fee schedule for this information.

What Would You Actually Pay Each Month?

To show how the fee structures play out, we priced four common business patterns using each provider's published fees. Each figure shows the cheapest plan for that pattern.

Calculated from Tide's and Revolut's published fees. Figures exclude any fixed per-payment charges on international transfers. Tide's FX markup is taken from third-party reporting in August 2026, so treat that row as indicative.

The result is clear. For domestic banking, Tide's Free plan undercuts Revolut at almost any volume. Once you're converting meaningful amounts of foreign currency each month, Revolut becomes the cheaper option by a wide margin.

Tide vs Revolut: Pros and Cons

Feature Comparison: Tide vs Revolut

Payments and Transfers

Both providers charge 20p per UK transfer once you go over your plan's allowance. Tide's Free plan includes 5 free transfers a month, while Revolut's cheapest plan includes 10. However, Revolut charges a £10 monthly fee for Basic. Tide's Pro plan includes unlimited UK transfers for £27.49, while Revolut's Grow includes 100 for £35. For a high-volume domestic business, Tide Pro is the simpler and cheaper route.

International Payments and Currency

This is where Revolut is strongest. You can hold 25+ currencies, receive money with local account details, and convert at the interbank rate within your monthly allowance. Tide is a sterling account. You can send money abroad, but you can't hold balances in other currencies, and conversions carry a markup. In practice, if you invoice clients in euros or dollars, Revolut lets you choose when to convert rather than taking the rate on the day the money arrives.

Account Access and Support

Both are app-based with no branches. Revolut offers 24/7 in-app chat on every plan but no general phone line. Tide supports Free plan users through in-app chat and adds phone support on Smart and above, with a dedicated team on Max. When we speak to business owners, the lack of a phone line matters most when an account is restricted during a compliance check. It's worth weighing that up if your payroll depends on a single account.

Business Debit Cards

Tide includes a free Mastercard debit card, with extra expense cards costing £5 a month each on Free and included in limited numbers on paid plans. Revolut includes physical and virtual corporate cards with detailed spend controls on every plan. Custom approval rules are only available from Grow upwards.

Invoicing and Admin

Tide includes invoicing on every plan, capped at 3 invoices a month on Free, Smart and Pro and unlimited on Max, alongside HMRC-recognised Making Tax Digital tools. Revolut includes invoicing on every plan with no stated monthly cap. To let customers pay invoices by card, you'll need to activate Revolut's separate merchant service, which charges payment acceptance fees.

Accounting and Tax Support

Tide is the stronger choice for UK tax admin. It offers MTD tools on the Free plan and includes Tide Accounting on Pro and Max. Both providers connect with Xero, QuickBooks and Sage. For more on choosing an account with bookkeeping built in, see our guide to business bank accounts with accounting and our round-up of business bank accounts with MTD software.

Overdraft and Lending

Neither provider offers a traditional overdraft on its business account. Tide runs a lending marketplace, connecting members with partner lenders for business loans and revolving credit, and offers a pre-approved Credit Line to some eligible members. Revolut doesn't currently offer business credit in the UK, although its banking licence opens the door to lending products in future.

Savings

Tide's Instant Saver is available on every plan, with variable rates that rise with your plan tier. Revolut's Business Savings is only available on Grow and above. It's worth noting that Revolut's Business Savings isn't held by Revolut Bank UK Ltd, so the protection arrangements differ from the current account (see below).

Are Tide and Revolut FSCS Protected?

Yes, in most cases. The two providers reach that protection in different ways.

Tide isn't a bank itself. New Tide business accounts are provided by ClearBank, a fully licensed UK bank, so eligible deposits are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to £120,000. That limit is shared with any other money you hold with ClearBank, including through other fintechs that use it. Some older Tide accounts were issued as e-money accounts, which are safeguarded rather than FSCS-protected. Your sort code and account documents will show which you hold.

Revolut Bank UK Ltd received its full UK banking licence on 11 March 2026 and is regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Eligible deposits held with the bank are protected up to £120,000. Older accounts opened with Revolut Ltd, the e-money company, are being moved across to the bank. Revolut recommends checking the footer of a business statement to see which entity holds your account.

Two further points are easy to miss:

• Sole traders: Under the FSCS, a sole trader's personal and business balances with the same bank count towards a single £120,000 limit. A limited company or LLP gets its own separate limit, as Revolut's help centre explains.

• Excluded businesses: Financial firms, insurers, investment firms, funds and public authorities aren't eligible for FSCS deposit protection with either provider.

Common Misconceptions About Tide and Revolut

"Revolut Business has a free plan." Not in the UK. Revolut's cheapest business plan, Basic, now costs £10 a month. Older comparison pages still list a free tier.

"Revolut Business isn't FSCS protected." This was true when Revolut operated only as an e-money institution. Since March 2026, eligible deposits held with Revolut Bank UK Ltd are covered up to £120,000.

"Tide is a bank." Tide is a business financial platform. Its current accounts are provided by ClearBank, which holds the banking licence and provides the FSCS cover.

"Upgrading to Tide Smart saves you money on transfers." Only rarely. Smart costs £12.49 a month and adds 25 free transfers, worth £5 at 20p each. You pay for Smart's other features, not the transfers.

"Sole traders can definitely open a Revolut Business account." Revolut's own published information is inconsistent. Its help centre lists sole traders as unsupported, while its Revolut Bank UK business terms (effective April 2026) refer to new sole traders. If you're a sole trader, check the eligibility you're shown during sign-up rather than relying on either page.

What Real Customers Say About Tide and Revolut

Tide holds a Trustpilot rating of around 4.4 out of 5 from more than 35,000 reviews, as of September 2026. Positive reviews commonly mention how quickly an account can be opened and how easy the app is to use. Negative reviews for app-only business accounts, Tide included, tend to focus on account restrictions during compliance checks and the time taken to resolve them.

Revolut's Trustpilot score covers the whole brand, and personal customers make up most of it, so it isn't a reliable guide to the business account. On business-specific platforms, the Revolut Business app was rated around 4.9 out of 5 on the UK App Store from more than 58,000 ratings, as of July 2026. Positive reviews focus on app usability, onboarding and multi-currency features. Negative reviews tend to focus on sudden account restrictions and relying on chat as the only support route.

Who Should Consider Tide?

Tide is worth considering if your business:

• Is a sole trader or small limited company banking mainly in sterling

• Wants a free account and makes fewer than a handful of transfers a month, or needs unlimited transfers at a predictable price

• Needs to pay in cash at the Post Office or PayPoint

• Wants invoicing, Making Tax Digital tools and accounting support in one app

• Wants to switch an existing account across using the Current Account Switch Service

If you're starting a new business, our guide to the best bank accounts for new businesses is a useful next read.

Who Should Consider Revolut?

Revolut Business is worth considering if your business:

• Is a limited company, LLP or partnership that sends, receives or holds foreign currency regularly

• Sells internationally and wants local account details in other currencies

• Needs corporate cards with spend controls and approval rules for a team

• Wants payment acceptance, invoicing and bulk payments in the same platform

• Never needs to deposit cash or cheques

If you sell online to overseas customers, our guide to the best business bank accounts for e-commerce sellers compares Revolut with other options.

FAQs About Tide and Revolut

Is Tide or Revolut cheaper?

Tide. Its Free plan costs £0 a month, while Revolut's cheapest plan costs £10. Revolut becomes cheaper once you're regularly converting foreign currency, because its exchange allowances avoid the markups Tide applies.

Can sole traders open a Tide or Revolut business account?

Sole traders can open a Tide account. Revolut's published information is inconsistent on sole traders, so check the eligibility shown during sign-up before applying.

Are Tide and Revolut FSCS protected?

Yes, for eligible deposits up to £120,000. Tide's protection comes through ClearBank, and Revolut's through Revolut Bank UK Ltd. Some older accounts with each provider may be safeguarded e-money accounts instead, so check which entity holds yours.

Can I deposit cash with Tide or Revolut?

You can with Tide, but not with Revolut. Tide accepts cash at the Post Office (£2.50 up to £500, then a percentage) and PayPoint (3%). Revolut Business doesn't accept cash or cheque deposits on any plan.

Does Tide or Revolut offer a business overdraft?

No. Neither offers a traditional overdraft on its business account. Tide connects members with lenders through its lending marketplace, and offers a pre-approved Credit Line to some eligible members. Revolut doesn't currently offer UK business credit.

Is Tide or Revolut better for international payments?

Revolut is better for international payments. It supports 25+ currency accounts and interbank-rate exchange within a monthly allowance. Tide is a sterling account and applies a markup to currency conversions.

Can I switch my business account to Tide or Revolut automatically?

You can switch automatically to Tide, but not to Revolut. Tide is part of the Current Account Switch Service. Revolut Business isn't, so you'll need to set up Direct Debits and update payment details yourself.

Our guide to switching business bank accounts without disrupting payments explains how to manage either route.

Alternatives to Tide and Revolut

• If you want a free digital account from a fully licensed bank, our Tide vs Starling comparison looks at how Starling's free account compares.

• If you'd prefer the option of a high street bank, our Tide vs HSBC comparison and Starling vs HSBC comparison cover that trade-off.

• If cash handling is your priority, our business bank accounts for cash handling guide rounds up providers built around that need.

• If a monthly fee is a deal-breaker, our free business bank accounts page compares accounts with no monthly charge.

• If you're planning to move providers, our switching guide explains how the Current Account Switch Service works and what to check before you move.

Our Verdict: Tide or Revolut?

If you're a sole trader or small limited company that banks mainly in sterling, Tide is the stronger starting point. Its Free plan costs nothing to hold, it accepts cash, and its invoicing and Making Tax Digital tools cover most of what a small UK business needs. In our experience, most low-volume businesses can stay on the Free plan for longer than they expect.

If your company trades internationally, gets paid in other currencies or needs tight control over team spending, Revolut is the better fit. The £10 Basic plan is hard to justify for sterling-only banking. However, once you're converting a few thousand pounds' worth of currency each month, the Grow plan's allowances can save far more than they cost.

Neither is right for every business. A UK company with a few overseas suppliers might run Tide as its main account and add Revolut for currency payments. A cash-taking business should rule Revolut out as its main account entirely. Fees, eligibility rules and protection arrangements have changed a lot for both providers , so check each provider's current terms directly before you apply.