Tide vs Revolut Business: which one actually fits you
These two get compared constantly, and the honest answer is that they’re solving slightly different problems, even though both will happily open a UK business account for you today.
Tide’s strength
Straightforward UK-focused banking. Fast setup, free formation bundled in, invoicing that’s genuinely usable, and expense cards for a team. If almost all your money moves in pounds, Tide covers what you need without extra complexity.
Revolut’s strength
Multi-currency accounts and spend controls that go further than Tide’s. If you’re paying suppliers in dollars or euros, or getting paid by overseas clients, Revolut’s exchange rates and account structure are built specifically for that. It also tends to appeal to businesses that want tighter card controls across a team.
Where they overlap
Both offer free company formation with an account, both have decent apps, both scale from solo founder to small team reasonably well. Neither is meaningfully cheaper than the other at the basic tier.
How to actually decide
If you can honestly say “I rarely touch foreign currency,” Tide is the simpler, more UK-native choice. If foreign currency is a real part of how you trade, even occasionally, Revolut’s tools will save you more in FX costs than the extra complexity costs you in time.
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.