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Banking Checking Accounts

Best Checking Accounts [2025]

The top checking accounts we've reviewed offer low fees and minimums, perks like competitive interest or early direct deposit, and easy-to-use online tools.

Becca Borawski Jenkins
Kate Underwood
By Becca Borawski Jenkins
and Kate Underwood
Melinda Sineriz, ABFP™
Edited by Melinda Sineriz, ABFP™
Updated July 31, 2025
Fact check checkmark icon Fact checked

SoFi Checking and Savings

SoFi Checking and Savings

5.0
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2025 award winner Best Checking and Savings Combo

  • Earn up to a $300 bonus and up to 4.50% APY1 on your money
  • Limited-Time Offer: +0.70% Boost on Savings APY for 6 months on new accounts with eligible Direct Deposit. Terms Apply.2
  • No account, overdraft, or monthly fees3
  • Get your paycheck up to two days early4
  • Access additional FDIC insurance up to $3 million5
Learn More

Chime®

Chime®

4.6
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2025 award winner Best for Bad or No Credit

  • No minimum balance, no monthly service fees6
  • Get your paycheck up to 2 days earlier with direct deposit7
  • Eligible Members can access fee-free overdraft up to $2008
  • 50K+ fee-free ATMs nationwide9
  • Automatic savings helps you grow your money faster10
Open Account

A good checking account should do more than just keep your money safe. It should also make your life easier, with features like ATM access and early direct deposit, and sometimes even help you grow your money by earning interest or rewards. Checking accounts with all of these perks are hard to come by, but we've reviewed options with popular banks and banking platforms to find the accounts that offer the most everyday value and benefits.

Learn our picks for the best checking accounts.

How we evaluate products

Best checking accounts of August 2025 compared

Checking Account

Best for

Monthly fees and minimums

SoFi Checking and Savings

SoFi Checking and Savings

Combined online checking and savings

  • $0 minimum balance3
  • $0 monthly maintenance fee

Discover® Cashback Debit*

 Earning cash back

  • $0 minimum balance
  • No monthly maintenance fee11
Chime®

Chime® Checking

Minimal-fee checking

  • $0 minimum balance
  • No monthly maintenance fee6
Chase Total Checking®

Chase Total Checking®

 In-person banking

  • $0 minimum balance
  • $0 to $12 ($15, effective August 24, 2025) monthly maintenance fee
CapitalOne 360 Checking

Capital One 360 Checking

Best customer experience

  • $0 minimum balance
  • No monthly maintenance fee

*Details about Discover® Cashback Debit have been collected by FinanceBuzz editors. This information is accurate as of the date of the review and was not reviewed or approved by the issuer. FinanceBuzz does not receive commission for this product.

SoFi Checking and Savings

Best for keeping your spending and saving in one place

SoFi Checking and Savings
Financebuzz awards badge

2025 award winner Best Checking and Savings Combo

5.0
info
SoFi Checking and Savings
Earn Up to $300 When You Set Up Direct Deposit
Limited-Time Offer: Earn up to a $300 bonus and up to 4.50% APY on Savings (3.80% APY1with +0.70% APY Boost) for 6 Months on new accounts with eligible direct deposit. Terms Apply.2 FDIC Insured.5
Learn More

Pros
  • No monthly service or overdraft fees3
  • Up to 3.80% APY on savings with direct deposit12
Cons
  • Must have direct deposit to earn highest APY
  • No standalone checking or savings account

We'll always go to bat for this account from SoFi® as one of the best checking options, even if it isn't strictly a checking account. In fact, this is why we prefer it over other choices — it's a combined checking and savings account that rewards you for everything from your everyday earnings or rainy day fund. The account earns up to 3.80% on your savings balance with direct deposit and up to 0.50% (as of 01/24/25) on checking with direct deposit. You'll earn 1.00% (as of 01/24/25) on your savings balance if you don't have direct deposit set up.12.

You don't have to stress about overdraft or monthly maintenance fees with SoFi Checking and Savings.3 If you open this account, I recommend taking advantage of its overdraft coverage. If your account becomes overdrawn, SoFi will automatically pull from your savings to cover the charge.13 This joint account is also great for quickly transferring funds when you want to save more or need to tap into your savings.

Member FDIC 5

Visit SoFi Checking and Savings | Read our SoFi® review.

4.3
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2025 award winner Best for Overdraft Protection

Truist One Checking - Earn $40014
Terms apply. No overdraft fee, low minimum deposit of $50. Balance Buffer15for eligible clients. Ways to waive monthly maintenance fee.16 Member FDIC.
Open Account

Account to consider instead

If the SoFi Checking and Savings account appeals to you but doesn't seem quite right, the Axos ONE account is a very similar alternative. It's also a checking and savings one-two punch. The account earns up to 0.51% APY on checking balances when you meet requirements, and 4.46% APY on savings balances when you meet requirements.17 Plus, like SoFi's account, it offers early access to your paycheck18 and lets you separate spending money and savings.

You might like Axos ONE better than SoFi because it offers a higher yield on savings, but you do have to either receive at least $1,500 in total monthly qualifying direct deposits and maintain at least this amount as your average daily balance, or receive at least $5,000 in total monthly deposits and maintain this balance to qualify for this rate.

Visit Axos ONE

Discover® Cashback Debit

Best for earning cash back on debit card spending

Pros
  • 1.00% cash back on up to $3,000 in qualifying debit card purchases each month
  • Early access to paychecks
  • No NSF fee or minimum balance requirement
Cons
  • Can only deposit cash at Walmart

I have to say, there aren't many checking accounts that offer cash back on your spending. If you like the idea of earning money back on your debit transactions, you may want the Discover® Cashback Debit account.

It offers an impressive 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in qualifying debit card transactions each month. This is in addition to standard checking features such as no minimum balance requirements and early access to paychecks. It also has an extensive ATM network and a fee-free overdraft protection service.

One drawback to Discover Bank's checking account is that you can only make cash deposits at Walmart. You can make electronic deposits by transferring money from another institution, however. Member FDIC.

Read our Discover review

Chime® Checking

Best for making cash deposits

Chime®
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2025 award winner Best for Bad or No Credit

4.6
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Chime®
Chime® Checking19 - No Monthly Fees6 + Get paid up to 2 days early with direct deposit7
Checking Account. No minimum balance. FDIC Insured through The Bank Corp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A.
Open Account

Pros
  • No monthly service fees6
  • Offers fee-free overdraft protection of up to $200 to qualifying members8
  • Potential early access to paychecks7
Cons
  • Out-of-network ATM withdrawal fees
  • Not all members are eligible for mobile check deposit

One of the few online checking accounts we've found that allows cash deposits, the Chime checking account lets you make cash deposits at a long list of retailers, including Walgreens, Walmart, 7-Eleven, Dollar General, and more (though only Walgreens transactions are fee-free).20 This is more choices than you'd get with another platform that lets you deposit cash, like Varo.

There's plenty to like about this account, including a large fee-free ATM network9, a debit card, and no minimum balance requirements. I also like this account if your income and expenses might be a little erratic and occasionally lead to a lower balance.

You also might find some of Chime's other accounts useful, like the Secured Chime Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card21 or high-yield savings account22.

Like some of the other accounts on this list, Chime offers the ability to get your paycheck up to two days early with direct deposit. But on top of that, Chime SpotMe® overdraft protection covers any accidental overdrafts up to $200, so your purchases aren't declined, and it won't charge an overdraft fee either.8

Visit Chime® | Read our Chime review

Chase Total Checking

Best for in-person banking

Chase Total Checking®
4.2
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Chase Total Checking®
Enjoy $300 as a new Chase checking customer
When you open a new Chase Total Checking® account with qualifying activities.23 FDIC Insured. Offer valid through 10/15/2025.
Open Account

Pros
  • Large in-person branch network
  • Overdraft Assist
Cons
  • High monthly fee
  • Limited fee-free ATM network (around 15,000)

Chase offers a variety of checking account options, including Chase First Banking for kids as young as six years old and Chase College Checking for students. But one of its most popular accounts is Chase Total Checking®, the option we recommend for the majority of people.

It's a basic account that's compatible with Zelle and offers excellent in-person access through a network of more than 4,700 branches. It makes for a great joint checking account, and the monthly service fee of $12 ($15, effective August 24, 2025), while not ideal, is relatively easy to waive. To avoid it, you can:

  • Make qualifying electronic deposits totaling $500 or more to the account each statement period.
  • Have a minimum daily balance of at least $1,500.
  • Have a minimum combined balance of at least $5,000 across eligible Chase checking and savings accounts.

The account also includes Chase Overdraft Assist, which offers no overdraft fee if you're overdrawn by $50 or less at the end of a business day.

Member FDIC.

Visit Chase Total Checking® | Read our Chase Bank review

Capital One 360 Checking

Best customer experience

Pros
  • Excellent ATM access relative to other online banks
  • May offer welcome bonuses to new customers
  • Early access to paychecks24
  • Permits cash deposits at any CVS or Walgreens
Cons
  • Earns negligible interest
  • No debit card rewards
  • Does not reimburse ATM fees for out-of-network ATMs

This well-advertised account is worthy of its status as one of the most popular checking accounts today, from our perspective. Capital One 360 Checking doesn't offer the most features or rewards as some checking accounts out there, including others on this list, but it does more things right than not.

For instance, you won't pay any overdraft fees with this account (because you can either have these transactions automatically declined or protect your account from a negative balance by linking another account), and you can get your paycheck up to two days early with direct deposit. Plus, this account offers better cash access and deposit options than others. You can use more than 70,000 ATMs without incurring fees, and you can even make fee-free cash deposits, which is far less common.

We ultimately included this account on our list because Capital One is known for providing an above-average customer banking experience. In the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study, Capital One scored the highest in both the Mid-Atlantic and South Central regions. The Capital One mobile banking app is rated 4.9 out of 5 stars in the App Store and 4.5 stars on Google Play to boot.

Visit Capital One 360 Checking | Read our full Capital One 360 review.

Our advice for picking a checking account

As you compare the best checking accounts available, you'll need to consider your goals and lifestyle. Here's what to look at as you research account options:

Steer clear of fees (or at least make sure you can waive them)

There's almost no reason to pay for your checking account, and many banks have stopped charging account maintenance fees altogether. While some of the banks and companies here charge these, you can typically waive monthly fees with certain account activities, like direct deposit. 

If you plan to keep a sizable balance in your checking account, an account that waives monthly fees when you meet a minimum balance requirement might be good.

Take into account any fees you might encounter before signing up for a new checking account. You can search online for the bank's name or checking account and "fees" and typically find this information.

Look for the following:

  • Monthly account maintenance fees (and how to waive them, if possible)
  • Overdraft fees
  • ATM fees
  • Non-sufficient funds (NSF) fees
  • Debit card fees

Of course, no one wants to pay any fees, but be sure you understand fee structures of your new account. If you rarely let your balance dip below $500 and that's the minimum amount to avoid a monthly fee, you're probably safe. Or if ATMs are important to you, check the bank's ATM locator to ensure that there are plenty of fee-free machines in your area.

5.0
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Max-Rate Checking - 3.00% Annual Percentage Yield25
No transaction fees and ATM fee refunds worldwide.2627 FDIC insured up to the applicable limits.28Waive the $15 monthly account fee when you maintain an average account balance of $5,000.
Learn More

Make sure the bank offers the features and benefits you need

Next is a fairly obvious question as well. What do you want from your checking account? Figure out what matters most to you. You probably won't get all of these features, so prioritize the benefits you need and want.

  • Fee-free ATM access: How many ATMs are available? Does the bank reimburse out-of-network ATM transactions?
  • Annual percentage yield (APY) or cashback rewards: Does the checking account pay more than a pittance in interest on your balance? How do you earn it?  A few checking accounts offer a rewards program on your spending.
  • Overdraft protection: Does the bank offer overdraft protection if you make a payment and your balance dips temporarily?
  • Early access to your paycheck: Does the bank provide optional access to funds up to two days before the direct deposit date?
  • Joint accounts: If this applies to you, you might want a joint checking account with a partner or relative.
  • In-person branches: If you prefer in-person banking, choose a bank with physical branches near you.
  • Monthly statements: All checking accounts provide monthly statements summarizing your account activity for a statement period, or a month, and many give you the flexibility to choose either paperless electronic statements or physical paper statements. Some accounts charge a small fee — usually $1 — for paper.

I prefer mobile banking to in-person, for example, but I don't really care about ATM access or cash rewards. I tend to keep a relatively high balance in my checking account, so I don't need to worry about a minimum balance or overdraft fees. But your priorities in a checking account may be different, so choose what works for you.

Tip
Some banks offer account bonuses to new customers opening a checking account. You typically need to meet certain requirements like having a certain amount of qualifying direct deposits.

FAQs

What is required to open a new checking account?

Requirements vary by bank for opening an account, but you'll typically need to be at least 18 years old and have a valid Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. You'll also need to submit photo identification and provide proof of your current address.

How many checking accounts should I have?

There's no magic number; it's totally okay to have one or multiple checking accounts in your name. Sometimes, having more than one checking account can make money management and budgeting easier. For example, you might want a separate checking account for spending on your kids, or a business checking account for your business expenses.

How much should I keep in checking?

You should keep at least the minimum balance in your checking account and ensure you have enough to cover all your monthly bills. It's a good idea to have a cushion to protect yourself from accidental overdrafts. I tend to keep more than necessary because that's what's comfortable for me, but it's better to move excess funds into a high-yield savings account where it can earn you more.

Bottom line

Choosing the right checking account is crucial for healthy money management. Some checking accounts offer high interest rates, while others have low or no fees. Some have convenient mobile banking features, while others provide more flexibility and perks.

Among our top recommendations are Chime and Sofi. However, there are plenty of options available, so make sure to research and compare your options before making your choice.

Reach Your Savings Goals Faster
SoFi Checking and Savings
5.0
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Financebuzz awards badge

2025 award winner Best Checking and Savings Combo

SoFi Checking and Savings Benefits
  • Limited-Time Offer: Earn up to a $300 bonus and up to 4.50% APY on Savings (3.80% APY1with +0.70% APY Boost) for 6 Months on new accounts with eligible direct deposit. Terms Apply.2
  • No account, overdraft, or monthly fees3
  • Get your paycheck up to two days early4
  • Access additional FDIC insurance up to $3 million5
Open an account with SoFi® here