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Head to head

Mercury vs Relay

The same six questions asked of each one, side by side.

AttributeLowest ongoing costMercuryAlternativeRelay
Starting priceBusiness checking is $0. Mercury earns the net interest margin on your deposits and interchange on card spend, so the account is free because the balance is the product. Paid tiers are software upsells on top: Plus at $29.90/mo and Pro at $299/mo.Starter is $0. Relay earns the net interest margin on deposits and interchange on card spend — the paid tiers buy you a share of that back as APY and cash back. Grow is $30/mo and Scale lists at $120/mo, currently promoted at $90.
Free tierYesYes
Ease of startScored 4/5Running in an hourScored 4/5Running in an hour
Fit for solo / small teamScored 5/5Made for one personScored 5/5Made for one person
Switching costMediumMedium
Best forStartups and small software businesses that want a clean API, sub-accounts and no monthly fee. Nothing about the free tier is crippled to push you upward.Small businesses running Profit First or any envelope-style allocation. Twenty checking accounts on the free plan makes the method practical instead of theoretical.
Worth knowing side by side
Renews higherNoNo
Worst forAnyone who needs a banking relationship. Mercury states plainly that it is a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank; Choice Financial Group and Column N.A. hold the money.Businesses holding large balances who do not upgrade. Starter pays 1.11% APY while Relay keeps the rest of the spread, so idle cash is quietly expensive.
Skip it ifYou need cash deposits, branch access or lending. Mercury does none of those, and the free checking does not change that.You want one operating account and nothing else. The multi-account structure is the whole reason Relay exists and is overhead if you will not use it.
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Why Mercury is flagged here

Free because your deposits are the product — and it is a fintech, not a bank. It has the lowest ongoing cost of the tools compared here. We compare on the price you keep paying, not the introductory rate — a plan advertised cheaply that renews higher is ranked on its renewal price. Read the methodology.

Other matchups