At a Glance: Our Top 3 Picks
Different businesses need different accounts. Here is the right one for each common situation.
Live Oak Bank
No minimum, no monthly fee, no activity requirement. FDIC plus ICS coverage to $10 million. The cleanest pure savings product for businesses that do not want to babysit a balance.
Open Account →Axos Bank
Higher rate than Live Oak by 75 basis points, no minimum, no fee. The best pick if you only care about APY and do not need an integrated checking account.
See Axos →Mercury Treasury
Money market fund yield for cash-rich businesses. Requires $250K balance and pays 0.15% annual fee. Not FDIC. Best for VC-funded startups and large operating cash positions.
See Mercury →
Axos pays a higher rate, but Live Oak is the only major business savings account with zero minimum, zero fees, and zero activity requirements, plus FDIC plus ICS coverage to $10 million. If you want to park cash and forget it, this is the cleanest product.
Full Comparison Table
Rates verified May 2026. APYs are variable and subject to change. Ranked by APY (highest first).
| Bank | APY | Min. Open | Monthly Fee | FDIC | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mercury Treasury Highest yield |
Up to 4.47% | $250,000 | 0.15%+ AUM | Not FDIC | Details |
|
First Internet Bank MM |
3.64% / 2.94% | $100 | $5 (waived $4K avg) | $250K | Details |
|
Axos Business Premium Highest pure savings |
3.60% | $0 | $0 | $250K | Details |
|
Relay (Scale plan) |
3.00% | $0 | $90 (Scale) | $3M sweep | Details |
|
Bluevine Premier |
3.00% | $0 | $95 (waivable) | $3M sweep | Details |
|
Live Oak Bank Our pick |
2.85% | $0 | $0 | $10M ICS | Apply → |
|
nbkc Business MM |
2.75% | $0 | $0 | $250K | Details |
In-Depth Reviews
Detailed analysis of each account, including pros, cons, and the kind of business it fits best.
★ Our Pick
2.85% APY with no minimum, no monthly fee, and no activity requirement. The cleanest business savings product on the market. FDIC plus ICS coverage stacks to $10 million. Best for owners who want to park cash and not babysit a balance.
- No minimum balance to open or maintain
- Zero monthly fees, no activity requirements
- FDIC plus ICS sweep coverage up to $10 million
- Live Oak is the #1 SBA 7(a) lender in the US (real bank, not a fintech)
- Award-winning customer service from a small-business-focused bank
- Axos pays 75 basis points more (3.60% vs 2.85%)
- No physical branches (online only)
- No business checking account to pair with savings
- APY is variable and can change with Fed moves
Pick Live Oak if you want a true set-it-and-forget-it savings account. You will earn 0.75% less than Axos, but you also will not have to monitor balances, hit activity hurdles, or pay subscriptions. For a $100K balance held a year, the rate gap is $750. If your time and simplicity are worth more than that, Live Oak wins.
Highest Pure Savings APY
The highest APY on a pure business savings account in our review at 3.60%. Flat rate up to $5 million in balance. No minimum to open, no monthly fee. $600 signup bonus through June 30, 2026 for qualifying balances.
- Highest APY for pure business savings (no activity needed)
- $600 signup bonus through June 30, 2026
- Pairs well with Axos Basic Business Checking
- FDIC coverage is the standard $250K (no sweep extension)
- Mixed Trustpilot reviews on customer service
If you only care about APY and your business cash sits under $250K (FDIC limit), Axos is the rational pick. You will earn 0.75% more than Live Oak. The trade-off is mixed service reviews and no extended sweep coverage. Worth it for most balances under the FDIC cap.
Best for $250K+ Cash
Money market fund yield for cash-rich businesses. Up to 4.47% APY but requires a $250,000 minimum balance to qualify and pays an annual fee of 0.15% AUM. Not FDIC insured (held in SEC-registered money market funds).
- Highest yield in this review (4.47%)
- Pairs with Mercury Business Checking
- Best for VC-funded startups parking burn capital
- Not FDIC insured (money market fund)
- 0.15% annual fee shaves your effective yield
- $250K minimum makes it inaccessible for most
Only relevant if you have $250K+ in operating cash and you understand this is a money market fund, not a savings account. For VC-backed startups parking runway, the higher yield is worth the lack of FDIC. For everyone else, Live Oak or Axos.
Best for Profit First
Up to 20 savings accounts under one business banking login. 3.00% APY on the Scale plan ($90/mo). Free Starter and mid-tier Grow plans available at lower APYs. FDIC sweep coverage up to $3 million via Thread Bank.
- Open up to 20 individual savings buckets (Profit First friendly)
- FDIC sweep coverage up to $3 million
- Built-in QuickBooks and Xero integrations
- 3.00% APY requires the $90/month Scale plan
- Lower plans (Starter, Grow) pay 1.11% and 1.75%
- Not a bank itself; banking partner is Thread Bank
Only worth the Scale plan if you have $50K+ in savings and use the Profit First method. At lower balances, the $90/mo fee cancels the APY advantage. For everyone else, the Standard Relay plan is great as a free checking complement and your savings should sit at Live Oak.
Best Checking + Savings Combo
Pairs business checking with high-yield savings at 3.00% APY on your full balance. Requires either $100K average balance OR $5K card spend, and pays a $95 monthly Premier fee that is waivable when you hit both hurdles.
- 3.00% APY on entire balance, not capped
- Combined checking + savings in one platform
- FDIC insured up to $3M via sweep network
- Unlimited transactions and unlimited transfers
- $100K average balance + $5K card spend to waive fee
- $95/mo Premier fee if you miss the hurdles
- APY drops significantly on the free Standard tier
Worth it only if you reliably hit both the $100K average balance and $5K monthly card spend. If you do, you get a great combined account. If you do not, the fees eat your yield. Live Oak is simpler for most businesses.
Closest Comparable
2.75% APY with no minimum, no fees, no activity requirements. The closest comparable to Live Oak in the market. Live Oak wins by 10 basis points and offers higher FDIC sweep coverage.
- No minimums or fees, just like Live Oak
- Pairs with nbkc Business Checking
- 10 basis points lower APY than Live Oak (2.75% vs 2.85%)
- Standard $250K FDIC limit (no sweep extension)
Solid honorable mention. Same simplicity profile as Live Oak with a slightly lower APY and smaller FDIC ceiling. If you already use nbkc Business Checking, the savings account is a fine pair. Otherwise Live Oak is the better single account.
Best for $5M+ Jumbo
3.64% APY on jumbo balances above $5 million, 2.94% on standard. $5 monthly fee (waived with $4,000 average balance). Strong pick only if you are parking $5M+, otherwise Live Oak beats it.
The jumbo tier (3.64%) is excellent, but most businesses fall into the standard tier (2.94%) which trails Live Oak. Use it only if you have $5M+ to park or you specifically want a regional online bank.
We reviewed 10 business savings accounts and money market accounts available to US small businesses. Rankings prioritize APY, fees, minimum balance requirements, FDIC insurance, and simplicity (zero activity hurdles). Affiliate relationships do not affect our rankings. Rates were re-verified May 14, 2026 directly against each bank's website.
Common Questions About Business Savings Accounts
