Every founder asks it in week one: "which business bank account should I open?" There are dozens, most are fine, and the decision matters less than opening one immediately and never mixing company and personal money. But when founders ask what we'd pick, the answer is usually the same: Mettle, by NatWest. Here's the honest why.
It's free, and free matters when you're counting runway
No monthly account fee. For a pre-revenue startup watching every pound, a bank account that costs nothing — while the "premium" fintechs charge £5–£15/month — is real money kept in the business. Over a first year that's a chunk of your domain, email and insurance covered by a banking choice.
It's backed by a real bank
Mettle is provided by NatWest and FCA-regulated, with eligible funds protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. You get app-first convenience with the reassurance of a major UK bank behind it — which also matters when a customer or supplier does due diligence on you.
It talks to FreeAgent — for free
This is the part that seals it for us. Mettle customers get FreeAgent included free, and because our startup packages also include FreeAgent, your entire money stack — bank account, bookkeeping software, and a named accountant watching it — costs less than the standalone software would elsewhere. Transactions flow from Mettle straight into FreeAgent, categorised, so your books largely keep themselves. Invoicing, receipt capture and a live corporation-tax estimate, all in one loop.
The honest caveat
Mettle is built for sole traders and companies with up to two owners (one owner accesses the account). If you're incorporating with three co-founders all needing access, or you'll need multiple cardholders soon, Mettle won't fit — and we'll tell you so and recommend an alternative. We're not paid to force a square peg; we're paid to get your finances right.
The setup we recommend for most startups
- Open a free Mettle account (minutes, no credit-history gymnastics).
- Connect it to FreeAgent (included in your package with us).
- Put receipt capture on your phone home screen.
- Get a named accountant watching the numbers — from £49 + VAT a month.
Bank, software, accountant — three pieces, one afternoon, near-zero friction. That's the startup finance stack we'd set up for ourselves. Get started.
