Best Checking Accounts in 2021
GOBankingRates’ comprehensive analysis of the Best Banks of 2021 paid significant attention to checking accounts, which are many customers’ entry point to banking. Even with so many online banking options, consumers still turn to brick-and-mortar banks for basics like a checking account. Traditional banks have worked hard to compete with their digital-only counterparts, offering robust apps, online bill pay, and low-fee or no-fee checking. Some even provide a return on your investment with checking that offers interest.
See: These Are the Best Banks of 2021 – Did Yours Make the Cut?
Find: 90% of Americans Say They’re Happy with Their Bank – But Most Could Get Better Rates and Lower Fees
To help you in your quest for better banking, GOBankingRates analyzed financial products from over 100 banks to find some of the best checking account offers for 2021. Criteria included the following:
Minimum deposit required
Monthly maintenance fee
Minimum balance required to avoid fees
Annual percentage yield
Nonsufficient funds fee
20. First Internet Bank: Free Checking
Why we like it: First Internet Bank’s Free Checking offers free checks, Zelle P2P payments and no fees, combining the best of online banking with traditional tools like checks.
Benefits
Free bill pay
Up to $10 in monthly ATM fee reimbursements
$25 minimum to open account
No monthly maintenance fee
Free first order of checks
Upgrade to Interest Checking to earn up to 0.30% APY
Drawbacks
$30 overdraft fee
Online-only bank
No interest
Learn more about the best checking accounts of 2021 here.
19. Radius Bank: Rewards Checking
Why we like it: No-fee, high-APY checking with free worldwide ATM withdrawals make the Radius Bank Rewards Checking account a knockout contender.
Benefits
Receive 1% cash back from purchases with a balance of $2,500-plus or at least $2,500 in monthly direct deposits
Earn up to a 0.15% APY on balance of $100,000 or more
Free ATMs worldwide
Free first order of checks
Early access to direct deposits
Mobile money management
Drawbacks
$100 minimum deposit required to open account
$25 overdraft fee
Related: Best Savings Accounts of 2021
18. USAA Federal Savings Bank: Classic Checking
Why we like it: USAA has no monthly maintenance fees, a network of more than 60,000 fee-free ATMS nationwide and a robust app that includes a Quick Balance widget to see your account balance without logging in.
Benefits
No minimum balance required
No monthly fees
Up to 0.01% interest
Access to more than 60,000 ATMs with no fees nationwide
$15/month reimbursement for out-of-network ATMs
Only $25 deposit required to open an account
Drawbacks
$29 overdraft fee
Only available to U.S. military members and veterans, pre-commissioned officers, their spouses and children
Rear our full review to get a deeper look at the features that make this a strong contender.
17. Charles Schwab Bank: High Yield Investor Checking
Why we like it: With no monthly maintenance fees and no minimum balance, the Charles Schwab High Yield Investor Checking account links to your Schwab One brokerage account for seamless money management. It offers a reasonable APY, no foreign transaction fees and an easy-to-use mobile app.
Benefits
No minimum balance required
No monthly fees
0.03% APY interest
No minimum deposit
Easily manage all your Schwab accounts and investments with one login
Robust mobile app
Unlimited reimbursement of fees at ATMs worldwide
No foreign transaction fees
Drawbacks
Online-only banking; no physical branches
$25 overdraft fees
Our full review goes into the customer experience, rates and more at Charles Schwab Bank.
16. NBKC Bank: Everything Account
Why we like it: With no minimum balance, NBKC Bank’s Everything Account delivers an APY of 0.80%, plus fee-free banking.
Benefits
No minimum balance required
No monthly fees
No overdraft fees
Network of more than 34,000 MoneyPass ATMs are free
$12/month reimbursement for out-of-network ATMs
Free online bill pay
Drawbacks
Deposits may be held for 5 to 9 business days on new accounts (within the first 30 days)
Explore More: The Best Online Banks of 2021 – Enhanced Services & Low Fees
15. Axos Bank: Essential Checking
Why we like it: With no fees and an option to get paid up to two days early with Direct Deposit Express, Axos Bank Essential Checking helps your money go farther, faster.
Benefits
Online bill pay
No minimum deposit
No fees of any kind
Access direct deposit funds two days earlier
No minimum balance required
Reimbursed ATM charges
Drawbacks
No physical bank
Takes 15 minutes to apply online
No interest paid
Learn more about what has turned Axos Bank into a leader in the nation for 2021.
14. SoFi: SoFi Money
Why we like it: A new addition to our list of best checking accounts in 2021, SoFi Money requires no minimum deposit, has zero fees and can deliver between 0.01% and 0.25% interest. Plus, earn as much as $125 when you sign up for a checking account, set up direct deposit of $500 and use your SoFi debit card for purchases.
Benefits
Access to more than 55,000 ATMs worldwide with no fees
Generous bonus
Checking account with interest
P2P transfers
No overdraft fees
Free access to events, experiences, financial planning, and other services
Drawbacks
Not a physical bank
Our full review explores about the reasons SoFi appeared on our list this year.
13. U.S. Bank: Easy Checking
Why we like it: With a low monthly maintenance fee, fee-free overdraft protection and free checking for adults 65+, US Bank offers a host of benefits.
Benefits
Low monthly fee that can be waived with direct deposits or a minimum account balance
Free account for adults 65+
Mobile check deposit
Online bill pay
Overdraft protection from a linked account
Drawbacks
$2 paper statement fee
$36 overdraft fee
U.S. Bank topped several of our categories this year – see why in our expert’s full review.
12. JPMorgan Chase Bank: Total Checking
Why we like it: Chase Bank sits on the cutting-edge of technology with an advanced mobile app, online bill pay and access to Chase QuickPay with Zelle. Plus, Chase is currently offering new customers a $200 bonus for opening a Total Checking account and setting up direct deposit right away. With a low minimum deposit to open your account and low monthly fees (including multiple ways to avoid the fee), Chase Total Checking has plenty going for it.
Benefits
Low minimum deposit
Low monthly fees, with multiple ways to avoid fees
Free mobile banking, including mobile deposits
$200 bonus, plus bonuses for referring friends
Many branches and ATMs
Drawbacks
No interest on checking
$34 overdraft fee
Find out more about features, customer experience and more in our review of Chase Bank.
11. CIT Bank: eChecking
Why we like it: There are no hidden fees, and you can open an account for as little as $100.
Benefits
Monthly ATM fee reimbursement up to $30
No monthly fees
Drawbacks
$30 overdraft fee
We get into the nitty-gritty of CIT Bank’s perks and practicalities in our full review.
10. Ally Bank: Interest Checking
Why we like it: With no monthly maintenance fees and up to 0.25% interest (with a minimum balance of $15,000, or 0.10% with no minimum balance), Ally Bank offers many benefits, including a robust mobile app, a network of 43,000 fee-free ATMs and no minimum deposit to open an account.
Benefits
No minimum balance
No monthly fees
Between 0.10% and 0.25% interest
Network of 43,000 fee-free ATMs in the Allpoint network
Send money with Zelle
Round debit transactions to the nearest dollar and have the change deposited into your connected Ally Online Savings Account
Drawbacks
$25 overdraft fees
Online-only bank
9. Truist Bank: Essential Checking
Why we like it: SunTrust Bank has become Truist after a merger with BB&T and is offering no-fee mobile banking, low maintenance fees with multiple ways to waive the fees and access to Zelle P2P payments.
Benefits
Free starter pack of checks
Low maintenance fee with multiple ways to waive it
Free checking for students
Drawbacks
$36 overdraft fee
Paper statement fee
Learn more: The Best Regional Banks of 2021 – Localized Focus With Broad Product Lines
8. TIAA Bank: Yield Pledge Checking
Why we like it: With purchase benefits on their debit cards, TIAA Bank offers generous interest rates on balances and no fees.
Benefits
No minimum balance required
No monthly fees
0.12% APY interest
ATM fee reimbursement
Free debit card with benefits
Drawbacks
Requires $100 minimum deposit to open an account
$30 overdraft fee
Check out what our experts had to say about TIAA Bank’s full experience in our review.
7. E*TRADE Bank: E*TRADE Checking
Why we like it: E*TRADE is one of the few banks today that offers free checks plus a robust mobile app and no minimum deposit to get started.
Benefits
No minimum balance required
Free checks
No monthly maintenance fees
Owned by Morgan Stanley
Drawbacks
Transferring money can take up to 3 business days, while check deposits can take up to 5 to open your account
$25 overdraft fee
Discover more about E*Trade in our review.
6. Betterment: Checking
Why we like it: Betterment provides a simple, fee-free checking account and debit card with no minimum deposit required.
Benefits
No monthly fees or account minimums
ATM fees and foreign fees reimbursed automatically
Earn cash back at select locations
No overdraft fees
Backed by NBKC Bank, which is FDIC-insured
Drawbacks
Not a physical bank
See: The Best Online Banks of 2021 – Enhanced Services & Low Fees
5. PNC Bank: Virtual Wallet Checking Pro with Spend
Why we like it: This checking account may be a mouthful to say, but it’s got no minimum balance and low monthly service fees that are easily waived. Plus, it’s offered by the reputable PNC Bank, with a 100+ year history in financial management. PNC combines its Spend checking account with a virtual wallet that makes it easy to manage your money on the go. Plus, you can earn up to $500 when you open your account.
Benefits
Low monthly service fees
No minimum balance to open an account
Network of 18,000 ATMs nationwide to manage and access your money with no fees
Linked savings account with no fees
Backed by reputable PNC Bank
Free checking for adults 62+
Drawbacks
No interest
$36 overdraft fee
4. Simple Bank: Simple Checking + Protected Goals
Why we like it: This high-yield checking account from Simple, an online bank that also provides budgeting services, incorporates fee-free checking and no minimum deposit, plus no overdraft fee. What’s not to like?
Benefits
Free online bill pay
No monthly service fee
No overdraft fee
Ultra-low minimum balance
Free online and mobile banking
High APY
Lets you save money toward your goals in an easy-to-access checking account
Access to more than 40,000 fee-free ATMs
Drawbacks
No physical location
Protected Goals account does not include a debit card, but Simple Checking does
We explore Simple Bank further in our full review.
3. Discover Bank: Cashback Debit
Why we like it: This online-only checking account backed by credit card company Discover provides a debit card that offers cash back – a rare find in today’s banking climate. With no fees, free checks, online bill pay and Discover’s reputation behind it, this checking account is perfect for anyone who doesn’t care about having a brick-and-mortar location to visit.
Benefits
No overdraft fees
Online and mobile banking access
Cash back debit card
Free checks
No insufficient funds fee
No minimum deposit
Drawbacks
No interest paid
Find out more about what makes Discover Bank a strong choice in 2021 in our full review.
2. Bank of America: Advantage Plus
Why we like it: Bank of America offers three tiers of Advantage Checking: Advantage SafeBalance, Advantage Plus and Advantage Relationship. While the middle option, Plus, makes our list of best checking accounts, the beauty of their offerings is that you can scale up or down as needed. With a robust app that offers mobile deposits and Zelle compatibility to send money, Bank of America is a tech-forward company that also offers more than 4,267 branch locations and a nationwide network of ATMs.
Benefits
Low monthly fees with multiple ways to waive them
Mobile deposits and access to Zelle payment platform
Scalable options based on your monthly deposits and banking needs
Drawbacks
$100 minimum to open an account
$35 overdraft fee
1. Wells Fargo: Best Checking Account
Why we like it: Founded in 1852, Wells Fargo has a longstanding history as one of America’s top banks. With more than 13,000 ATMs and 5,200 branches across the U.S., the bank is both reputable and accessible. You need just $25 to open a checking account, making it a great choice for college students, young adults and those new to banking. Low monthly service fees and a robust mobile app set Wells Fargo apart from many smaller banks.
Benefits
Longstanding reputation
Multiple branch and ATM locations
Low minimum deposit to open an account
Many ways to avoid monthly fees
Available in many states across the U.S.
Free checking for college students and those between the ages of 17 and 24
Drawbacks
No interest on deposits
No branches in select states, particularly in the Northeast U.S.
$35 overdraft fee
More from GOBankingRates:
Methodology: To discover the Best Checking accounts, GOBankingRates looked at the top institutions in terms of total assets size that had available published data. To determine rankings GOBankingRates looked at the following factors: (1) total assets as sourced from the FDIC; (2) number of branch locations as sourced from the FDIC; (3) minimum deposit to open an account; (4) monthly fees associated with the account; (5) minimum balance needed to avoid the fee; (6) APY on the checking account; (6) overdraft fee amount; (7) the average mobile app rating between the android and apple stores. All factors were then scored and combined, with the lowest score being best. Factor (1) was weighted 1.5 times, factor (2) was weighted 2 times, and factor (6) was weighted 0.5 times. For all Savings and Checking Account data only the basic accounts/products offered at each institution was analyzed. All data is up to date as of November 4, 2020, rates and fees subject to change.
John Csiszar contributed to the reporting for this article.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Best Checking Accounts in 2021
