Banking Bank Reviews

SoFi® vs. Capital One [2025]: Member Perks or Family-Friendly Products?

SoFi® has a wide variety of financial products, but Capital One may be better for families and those who prefer in-person support.

Updated Oct. 22, 2025
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SoFi
SoFi
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    No account fees on SoFi Checking and Savings
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    Competitive APYs
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    Member perks like free financial planning and loan discounts
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    Highly-rated, unique mobile app
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    Investment options (including fractional shares)12
VS
Capital One
Capital One
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    Full-service banking with no monthly fees or overdraft charges
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    High ratings for its mobile app and customer satisfaction
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    Over 70,000 fee-free ATMs
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    Permits fee-free cash deposits at Walgreens or CVS
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Our view

When comparing SoFi and Capital One, SoFi is the better choice for most.

SoFi offers better member benefits, a wider array of financial products, and a higher APY on checking and savings accounts, making it an ideal choice for those who want to manage most of their financial life in one place.

Capital One, on the other hand, offers more ATM access and in-person support options. It also has more specialized accounts for kids and teens as well as a more competitive APY for those who don't have direct deposit or a $5,000 minimum balance.

If you need that in-person help or have kids you want accounts for, Capital One is likely the way to go. If you don't, you may want to give SoFi a serious look to take advantage of all it has to offer.

How we rate products

SoFi vs. Capital One

SoFi Checking and Savings Capital One
Best for Member benefits and one-stop solution for your finances Kids and teens accounts and in-person banking options
Number of branches 0 265
Number of fee-free ATMs 55,000+3 70,000+
Mobile app rating 4.8 4.9
Products offered
  • Checking account
  • Savings account
  • Credit cards
  • Auto loan refinancing
  • SoFi invest®4
  • Student loans
  • Personal loans
  • Mortgages
  • SoFi Protect insurance
  • Checking accounts
  • Savings accounts
  • Credit cards
  • Auto loans
  • CDs
Read our SoFi review Read our Capital One review

SoFi is an online-only institution that offers a wide range of financial products. Capital One provides both online and in-person banking options. Both SoFi and Capital One are Member FDIC institutions,5 ensuring your deposits are federally insured.

Checking accounts

Monthly fee Minimum opening deposit
SoFi $06 None
Capital One 360 $0 None
Capital One MONEY Teen Checking $0 None

Capital One and SoFi have many similarities. Capital One 360 and SoFi Checking and Savings are ranked as top checking accounts. Neither has any minimum deposit requirements, and neither charges monthly fees or overdraft fees.7 Early pay is available with both SoFi and Capital One checking accounts, and both offer access to Zelle, making sending money a simple process.8

However, there are also some important differences between them.

SoFi offers member benefits to accountholders that Capital One can't match, including member rewards that you can earn and deposit into savings, home loan discounts up to $500, savings on travel, and more.

If you meet direct deposit requirements, SoFi earns a higher annual percentage yield (APY) on checking balances: 0.50% APY9 to Capital One's 0.10% (as of 09/15/25) APY.

Financebuzz awards badge
2025 award winner Best Checking and Savings Combo
5.0
info
SoFi Checking and Savings
SoFi Checking & 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% APY10with +0.70% APY Boost) for 6 Months on new accounts with eligible direct deposit. Terms Apply.11 FDIC Insured.5

While you can't typically deposit cash with SoFi unless you pay a fee to do so with Green Dot, Capital One has more free options for making deposits, including the ability to add cash to your account at no cost at Walgreens.

When it comes to international transactions, Capital One does not charge foreign transaction fees for its 360 Checking and MONEY Checking accounts, while SoFi may pass on a small fee charged by Mastercard.

Lastly, Capital One has more accounts focused towards kids as young as eight, while SoFi offers a student bank account but nothing specifically geared towards younger kids getting started with money management.

Financebuzz awards badge
2025 award winner Best Overall Checking Account
4.9
info
CapitalOne 360 Checking
CapitalOne 360 Checking — Earn a $250 bonus
Earn a $250 bonus with 360 Checking. No fees, no minimums. Terms Apply.12

Savings accounts

Monthly fee APY
SoFi $0 Up to 3.80% with eligible direct deposit
Capital One 360 $0 3.40%
Capital One Kids Savings $0 2.50% (as of 10/14/25)13

SoFi and Capital One both offer high-yield savings accounts with no monthly fees or minimum balances. SoFi offers the option to round up debit card purchases to the nearest dollar and automatically transfer the funds to savings, while Capital One does not.

SoFi's standard APY is also a bit higher than Capital One's, but SoFi requires an eligible direct deposit or a $5,000 balance to qualify for the best rate, while Capital One pays the same rate for all account balances without this added requirement. Capital One also offers a specialized kids' savings account, which SoFi lacks.

SoFi Plus members can unlock a higher APY by paying the SoFi Plus subscription fee. SoFi Plus membership is $10 per month. A SoFi Plus membership also includes higher cash back rewards with SoFi credit cards, unlimited financial planning with SoFi Wealth, and a 1% match on recurring deposits to SoFi Invest, paid in rewards points.

Both accounts make saving for separate goals simple. Capital One does so by allowing you to open multiple savings accounts, while SoFi uses vaults so you can save for multiple goals within one savings account. Some people find that easier.

5.0
info
Financebuzz awards badge
2025 award winner Best Checking and Savings Combo
SoFi Checking & 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% APY10with +0.70% APY Boost) for 6 Months on new accounts with eligible direct deposit. Terms Apply.11 FDIC Insured.5
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Other products

SoFi and Capital One both offer other products beyond just savings and checking accounts.

However, SoFi's offerings are more comprehensive. Its member benefits include discounts or boosted rates across product lines, so customers who are loyal to SoFi are more richly rewarded than dedicated Capital One customers.

SoFi

Here are some of the other financial products offered by SoFi:

  • Credit cards
  • Investments
  • Student loan refinancing
  • Personal loans
  • Mortgages
  • Private student loans
  • Auto loan refinancing

Notably, SoFi does not have CDs or money market accounts on offer for its customers.

Capital One

Capital One doesn't provide all of the same financial products as SoFi, but there are still plenty of options, including:

  • Credit cards
  • CDs
  • Auto loans
  • Auto loan refinance loans

ATM and branch access

Capital One has a larger ATM network than SoFi with 70,000 ATMs for Capital One compared to 55,000+ for SoFi. Capital One also offers in-person branches and cafes, while SoFi lacks any options to get support in person.

Customer service and support

SoFi

SoFi does not offer in-person support, but there are plenty of options to get help online or via phone. You can:

  • Chat with SoFi, but you must log into your account first to do so (or create an account). A virtual assistant is available 24/7 to help with some problems, or you can be connected to a live person during working hours.
  • Call 1-855-456-SOFI (7634) to talk with SoFi support.

While the hours vary by department, you can typically call between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. However, some products, such as home loans, have shorter hours, and representatives are available only from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Capital One

Capital One offers automated service any time, but live support is available Sunday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. EST.

You can reach customer service for the bank at 1-800-655-BANK (2265), or you can navigate to the company's website to find a different phone number for questions related to credit cards, auto financing, and business transactions.

Capital One also offers local support at branches and Capital One Cafes.

FAQs

Can I open both SoFi and Capital One accounts?

You can open both SoFi and Capital One accounts, and there are good reasons to. For example, you may want to open an account with SoFi for member benefits and a Capital One account for your kids. Both come with no monthly fees and plenty of perks, including automated savings options, so there's little downside to opening either or both accounts.

Are my deposits safe at both SoFi and Capital One?

Deposits are safe with both SoFi and Capital One. Both are FDIC-insured.

Does SoFi or Capital One have better budgeting tools?

SoFi offers Relay, which is an app that allows you to view all of your financial accounts in one place and set a budget. The Capital One Mobile app offers some budgeting tools that allow you to monitor where your funds are going, including by monitoring upcoming bills and subscriptions. While Relay is more comprehensive, both can be helpful in taking more control of your finances.

Bottom line

SoFi and Capital One both have some great features with no monthly fees, so it's just a matter of picking which is right for you. If your kids want an account or if you want to visit in-person branches or Capital One Cafes, then Capital One is the obvious choice. If member benefits, like discounted rates on other loans, are more important than in-person support, SoFi is your best bet.

You can't really go wrong with either, so check out our SoFi review or Capital One review to learn more and decide which is right for you.