Relay vs. Found: Which Free Business Account Fits Your Business?

Relay and Found are two of the most popular free online business accounts. Both are financial technology companies, not banks, and both hold your money at FDIC insured partner banks. They are built for different owners.

Relay vs. Found at a glance

	Relay	Found
Free plan	Starter, $0	Found, $0
Paid plans	Grow $30 a month; Scale $90 a month (limited time, normally $120)	Plus $35 a month ($315 a year); Pro $80 a month ($720 a year)
Accounts	Up to 20 checking accounts (50 on Scale)	Up to 20 Pockets
Outgoing domestic wire	$8 on Starter; $5 on Grow and Scale	$15; $10 on Pro
Incoming wire	$5	Free
Same day ACH	$1 on Starter; $0.50 on Grow; free on Scale	Instant payments cost 1.75% (minimum $0.50, maximum $50)
Cash deposits	Allpoint ATMs (up to $1,000 each, $2,000 a day) or Green Dot retailers (Green Dot may charge)	79,000+ retailers; 1 free a month, then $2; up to $2,000 per 7 days
Savings APY	1.19% Starter, 1.87% Grow, 3.21% Scale (as of Sep 17, 2026)	None on the free plan; 1.50% on up to $20,000 on Plus; 2.50% on Pro
Bookkeeping and taxes	Integrates with QuickBooks and Xero	Built in bookkeeping, tax estimates, tax set aside, Schedule C forms
Bills and invoices	Bill pay with approval rules	Bill pay and unlimited invoicing
Partner bank	Thread Bank (FDIC 9499)	Lead Bank (FDIC 8283)
FDIC coverage	Up to $3 million through Thread Bank’s sweep program	Up to $250,000
Our score	4.1	4.0

Plans and fees checked on each company’s pricing page and fee schedule Oct 6, 2026 (Relay fee schedule effective Sep 1, 2026; Found fee schedule updated Jul 13, 2026). APYs are variable.

Which is cheaper?

On the free plans, it depends on how you move money. Relay is cheaper if you send wires: $8 vs. $15 each. Found is cheaper if you receive wires, which are free at Found and $5 at Relay. For cash, Relay’s Allpoint ATM deposits carry no Relay fee, while Found gives you one free retail deposit a month and then charges $2 each.

Neither charges a monthly fee on its free plan, and neither has a minimum balance.

Which pays interest?

Relay, even on the free plan: 1.19% APY on Starter savings, rising to 3.21% on Scale (as of Sep 17, 2026). Found pays nothing on its free plan. Found Plus pays 1.50% APY on up to $20,000 and Pro pays 2.50% on all balances. On a $20,000 cash cushion, Relay Starter earns about $238 a year with no plan fee, while Found Plus earns about $300 but costs $315 a year.

Which has better tools?

Found is an account and a bookkeeping app in one. It sorts expenses, estimates your taxes in real time, sets money aside for taxes automatically, sends invoices, tracks mileage and produces Schedule C and 1120 or 1120 S forms. For a freelancer without an accountant, that is the main reason to pick it.

Relay is built around control. You can open up to 20 checking accounts for payroll, taxes, profit and operating costs, issue debit cards to your team, set approval rules for bills and sync with QuickBooks or Xero. It suits businesses that already use accounting software or work with a bookkeeper.

Is my money safe at Relay and Found?

Yes, at their partner banks. Relay accounts are held at Thread Bank, FDIC certificate 9499, and Relay says its sweep program extends FDIC coverage up to $3 million across program banks. Found accounts are held at Lead Bank, FDIC certificate 8283, with coverage up to $250,000 per depositor, per ownership category. We confirmed both banks in the FDIC BankFind database.

As with any app that is not a bank, FDIC coverage protects you if the partner bank fails, and depends on the records being kept correctly. It does not protect you if the app company itself has problems. Keep balances you cannot afford to have frozen within limits you understand.

Which should you choose?

Choose Relay if you have employees or contractors, want separate accounts for different purposes, send wires, hold more than $250,000, or use QuickBooks or Xero.

Choose Found if you are self employed, want taxes and bookkeeping handled in the same app and mostly get paid by ACH or card.

Still deciding? See Relay vs. Bluevine, Bluevine vs. Found or all best business checking accounts.

Frequently asked questions

Is Relay or Found better for freelancers?

Found, for most freelancers. Its free plan includes bookkeeping, real time tax estimates, automatic tax savings and unlimited invoicing.

Is Relay or Found better for a business with employees?

Relay. It offers up to 20 checking accounts, team debit cards, bill approvals and QuickBooks and Xero integrations.

Are Relay and Found banks?

No. Both are financial technology companies. Relay’s banking partner is Thread Bank and Found’s is Lead Bank, both FDIC insured.

Which has lower wire fees?

Relay charges $8 per outgoing domestic wire on its free plan vs. $15 at Found. Found receives wires free; Relay charges $5.

Do Relay and Found pay interest?

Relay pays interest on savings on every plan, starting at 1.19% APY (as of Sep 17, 2026). Found pays interest only on its paid Plus and Pro plans.