ANNA vs Tide: which suits a brand new small business
ANNA and Tide are often mentioned in the same breath, both target the same audience, freelancers and small companies who want banking and formation sorted quickly, without a trip to a branch.
What ANNA does well
Tax reminders and tax pots are a genuine standout, ANNA nudges you to set money aside for VAT and Corporation Tax before it becomes a problem, which is exactly the kind of thing a new founder underestimates. Invoicing is also solid, with automated chasing for unpaid invoices built in.
What Tide does well
A slightly broader ecosystem, more integrations with accounting software, a wider set of expense card options for teams, and a longer track record with a larger existing customer base, which matters if you value a provider that’s clearly well established.
Where they’re genuinely similar
Free company formation bundled with an account, fast digital onboarding, invoicing tools, and a free tier that covers most solo founders adequately.
How to choose
If staying on top of tax obligations as a first time founder is your biggest worry, ANNA’s proactive tax tools are worth leaning into. If you want a slightly bigger ecosystem and plan to grow a team quickly, Tide’s broader toolset tends to serve that better. Either is a perfectly sound way to get started.
Some links here are referral links, if you sign up with a partner we may earn a fee at no cost to you. It never changes what we recommend or the order we list it, and where the free option is genuinely the best one, that’s what we’ll say. Details change, always check current terms on the provider’s own site. This is information, not financial advice.