Business Bank Accounts for Freelancers

Finom is our 2026 top pick for freelancers in Europe: free tier, local IBANs and invoicing built into the account. US-based freelancers should look at Found or Lili, both in the table: US-only accounts held at a partner bank, so they don't come with a European IBAN. The table compares fees, IBANs and bookkeeping integrations.

Legally usually not (as a sole proprietor), but practically yes. Many consumer banks prohibit business use in their terms, and mixing personal and business transactions turns bookkeeping and tax prep into archaeology. A separate account is the single cheapest bookkeeping upgrade there is.

Yes, several providers in the comparison offer zero-monthly-fee tiers. Limits typically apply to the number of free transactions, cash deposits or sub-accounts. Check the “Free” column in the table for the accounts that stay free permanently.

Four things decide it: monthly fees (and what's actually included), a local IBAN or ACH details your clients can pay without friction, bookkeeping integrations (or built-in invoicing), and tax sub-accounts that set aside VAT/income tax automatically, the feature that saves freelancers from the classic year-one tax shock.