Starling vs Tide: Complete Comparison (2026)

Why choose Starling

• Higher Support score (7/10 vs 4/10)
• Higher Security score (8/10 vs 6/10)

Why choose Tide

• Higher Scalability score (4/10 vs 3/10)
• Higher Analytics score (5/10 vs 4/10)
• Better fit for startups (8/10 vs 6/10)

Starling

Pros

• The business account has no monthly fee, and UK transfers, invoicing, and up to five expense cards are free.
• The free Essentials tier includes MTD for Income Tax submissions, which helps sole traders and landlords facing the April 2026 rules.
• VAT returns can be filed to HMRC from inside the banking app for £7 a month until April 2027.
• Bank feeds connect to Xero, QuickBooks, and FreeAgent.
• UK-based support is available 24/7 in the app, and Finder ranked it highly for customer satisfaction in 2026.

Cons

• It is not a full accounting system: there is no general ledger, payroll, or multi-entity support.
• Accountants only get view-only access.
• Only GBP and EUR accounts are available, and new USD account applications are paused.
• Eligibility is strict: directors and people with significant control must be UK residents.
• Overdrafts and loans are not available to new business customers, and there are no branches.

Tide

Pros

• A free Lite plan includes a sort code account, card, payment links and Tap to Pay with no monthly fee.
• MTD VAT returns can be filed to HMRC directly from the app.
• Every plan syncs with major UK accounting packages, including Xero, QuickBooks, Sage and FreeAgent.
• Deposits are FSCS-protected through ClearBank, up to £120,000.
• Limited companies can be registered cheaply during sign-up.

Cons

• Reviewers frequently report accounts frozen or paused without explanation.
• Support responses can take days, according to user reviews.
• There are no overdrafts or business credit cards.
• Plans cap the number of team cards and users, at most 5 users on Max.
• The accounting tools lack a full general ledger and multi-entity features.