Freelancers don't need a fancy business account. They need one that's free, safe, and doesn't make bookkeeping harder. That's the lens we use when clients ask what to open — and it's why we usually land on Mettle, by NatWest. Here's the honest comparison.
Traditional bank business accounts
Solid and familiar, but most charge a monthly fee (often after an introductory free period), and the apps and bookkeeping integrations can feel dated. Fine if you already bank there and value branch access — but for a freelancer working from a laptop, you're often paying for things you'll never use.
Fintech business accounts
Slick apps, quick onboarding — but the useful tiers usually cost £5–£15+ a month, and some are e-money institutions rather than banks, which means different (sometimes weaker) deposit protection. Read what protects your money before you're charmed by the interface.
Where Mettle lands
- Free — no monthly fee, full stop.
- Backed by NatWest, FCA-regulated, with FSCS protection on eligible funds — bank-grade safety, not e-money ambiguity.
- FreeAgent included free — and since FreeAgent is in our packages too, your banking and bookkeeping software both cost nothing extra. Transactions feed straight in, categorised.
- Built for one or two owners — which is exactly the shape of most freelance businesses.
The honest caveats
Mettle suits sole traders and one/two-owner companies — not larger teams needing multiple cardholders. And no single account is right for everyone: if you handle foreign currency heavily, or need specific features, another account might edge it. We'll tell you if so. But for the typical UK freelancer wanting free, safe, and bookkeeping-friendly, it's the one we'd open ourselves.
The real point
Whichever account you choose, the rule that actually matters is keep business money separate from personal — it's the foundation of clean books, maximised expenses and painless Making Tax Digital. A free Mettle account just makes that rule cost nothing. Get started with us from £19 + VAT a month.
