Head to head
Novo vs Mercury
Both platforms are scored with the same methodology and the same category rubric. Nothing on this page is influenced by advertising.
55/100 | 61/100Higher score | |
|---|---|---|
| Category rank | #6 | #2 |
| Confidence | High confidence | High confidence |
| External Reputation | 74 | 75 |
| AI Authority | 29 | 39 |
| Web Authority | 63 | 64 |
| Expert Assessment | 49 | 64 |
| TOP10 User Score | — | — |
| Pricing | $0/month · free tier: Full business checking account with $0 monthly maintenance fee, no minimum balance, $0 standard ACH, and free invoicing, bookkeeping and reserve accounts | $35/month (Mercury Plus), or $29.90/month billed annually · free tier: $0/month Mercury plan: checking and savings, free domestic and international USD wires, virtual and physical debit cards, corporate credit cards, security protocols; expense reimbursement capped at 5 active users/month |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium subscription |
| Best for | Digital-first, low-cash-volume US small businesses — freelancers, consultants, agencies and e-commerce sellers — that want free checking plus invoicing in one place, keep balances well under $250,000, and maintain a second banking relationship as a backstop. | US-incorporated startups and SMBs, especially VC-backed and multi-entity businesses, that want free checking and wires, a strong UI and a high sweep-based insurance ceiling for operating cash. |
| Avoid if | You handle cash (restaurants, salons, retail, trades), cannot survive a multi-week loss of access to operating funds, hold more than $250,000, need heavy or cheaply priced wires, or want Novo as your only banking relationship. | You cannot survive a sudden unexplained account freeze, have a non-US or hard-to-document structure or third-party payment flows, need phone support, want yield on idle cash, or are a heavy expense-management user. |
| Markets | SMB, Freelancers and sole proprietors, E-commerce sellers, Professional services | Startups, SMB, VC-backed companies, Agencies and professional services, E-commerce, Accounting firms, Multi-entity businesses |
| Founded | — | — |
| Headquarters | — | San Francisco, California, United States |
A higher TOP SCORE means more of the evidence favours that platform on this methodology — it is not a recommendation, and it does not account for your specific requirements. Advertisers are never declared the winner of a comparison.