Found vs Lili for Solo Operators (2026)

Both Found and Lili have a $0 tier as of 2026-10-06, so a solo operator can start either one without a monthly fee. Found's paid plans are Plus at $35 per month and Pro at $80 per month, while Lili's are Pro at $15, Smart at $35 and Premium at $55 per month. Lili suits a freelancer who wants a cheaper first step up, and Found suits one who wants only two paid plans, with annual pricing that costs less than paying monthly.

What is the best online business bank for freelancers?

For a solo operator, the best fit is the account whose free tier covers what the work actually needs, since both providers here can be started at $0. Each provider sets out which features sit on which tier on its own pages, which is where to confirm things like tax tools, invoicing or card features.

What can be stated is the price ladder. Lili has more steps and a lower first paid step. Found has fewer steps and a published annual price. Which of those suits a freelancer depends on how likely an upgrade is.

One structural point applies to any online account. Many are offered by companies that are not banks themselves, and that changes what deposit insurance does. That is covered below.

How do the prices compare side by side?

The table lists the two providers alphabetically. That is not a ranking, and the order carries no preference. All figures were checked on each provider's own pricing page on 2026-10-06 and can change.

Where the table points to a provider's own page, that page is where to confirm the figure.

What does Found charge?

Found lists a Free tier at $0, Plus at $35 per month or $315 per year, and Pro at $80 per month or $720 per year, as of 2026-10-06. The annual prices work out to less than twelve months at the monthly rate, so a freelancer who is sure of a paid plan saves by paying yearly.

Found has the shorter ladder of the two. That makes the decision simpler: stay free, or pick one of two paid plans. The cost of that simplicity is a larger jump between the free tier and the first paid plan than Lili has.

Found describes what its plans include, such as tax or bookkeeping tools, on its own site. A freelancer who is weighing a paid plan should read what each plan contains before comparing prices.

What does Lili charge?

Lili lists Core at $0, Pro at $15 per month, Smart at $35 per month and Premium at $55 per month, as of 2026-10-06. Those are the ongoing prices.

Lili also runs a promotional rate of roughly 40% off for three months on the paid tiers. That is introductory pricing and not the ongoing cost, so any budget should be built on the figures above and treated the promotion as a short-term discount.

The $15 Pro tier is the lowest paid step among the two providers, which helps a freelancer who wants a little more than free without a large commitment. As with Found, Lili sets out which features each tier includes on its own pages, so confirm it there.

Is the money insured at either provider?

Fees are only half of the comparison, and where the money sits is the other half. The FDIC states that the deposit accounts of a corporation, partnership, or unincorporated association are insured for up to $250,000. All accounts held by the same entity at one insured bank are combined, so separate accounts for different divisions or purposes do not get separate coverage.

The FDIC also says that nonbank companies are never themselves FDIC-insured. Funds sent to a nonbank are not eligible for FDIC insurance until the company deposits them in an FDIC-insured bank and other conditions are met. Deposit insurance does not protect against the insolvency or bankruptcy of a nonbank company, and recovery then runs through an insolvency or bankruptcy proceeding that may take some time.

Each provider publishes its own disclosures about how it holds funds, and they should be read before money is moved.

What about the other no-fee options?

Five other providers are on this site's list. They are shown alphabetically, which is not a ranking, with prices as of 2026-10-06.

• Axos Bank: Basic Business Checking is $0 per month with no minimum balance and no maintenance fee. Business Interest Checking is $10 per month, waived with a $5,000 minimum average daily balance, and it takes a $100 opening deposit.
• Bluevine: Standard is $0 per month, Plus is $30 per month and Premier is $95 per month, and the Plus and Premier fees are waivable. The APY is 1.3% on Standard, subject to a monthly activity goal, 1.75% on Plus and 3.0% on Premier.
• Mercury: The base tier is $0 per month, Plus is $29.90 per month and Pro is $299 per month.
• Novo: $0 per month, with no monthly fee.
• Relay: Starter is $0 per month, Grow is $30 per month and Scale is $90 per month.

Every one of these has a $0 entry point, so the monthly fee alone rarely separates them. The tier a freelancer would actually use is the better test.

Which is the better fit for a solo operator?

Lili fits a freelancer who wants a low-cost step up, since its first paid tier is $15 per month and it offers three paid tiers to grow into. Budgeting on the ongoing price rather than the promotion keeps that comparison honest.

Found fits a freelancer who prefers a short list of choices and may commit to a paid plan for a year. Its annual price is lower than twelve monthly payments, though the first paid step costs more than Lili's.

Neither is automatically better. A freelancer whose needs fit a free tier may pay nothing at either, and the deciding factor is then which free tier includes the features that matter, which this page cannot state.

Why does a separate business account matter for a solo operator?

The SBA says that keeping personal and business funds completely separate requires two different bank accounts. It frames the separation as a liability question, not just a tidiness one: failing to separate risks forfeiting the legal protections that entity structures offer, and separation is pivotal for protecting your own assets and credit.

The IRS makes the same point from the recordkeeping side. In Publication 583 it says one of the first things to do when starting a business is open a business checking account, and to keep it separate from the personal one. For a freelancer who has not yet formed an entity, the entity, the EIN and the formation documents come before the account. ZenBusiness covers that earlier stage, including formation, the EIN and a registered agent, along with a free accounting consultation for customers who form with it. It does not offer business banking, so it sits before the choice between Found and Lili rather than within it.

What should be checked before applying?

Four checks cover most of it. Confirm what the free tier includes and whether the work needs more. Confirm the ongoing price of any paid tier, not the promotional one. Read where the provider holds deposits. And confirm which documents the provider will ask for, since requirements vary by institution.

Bank of America, for example, asks for the business name and address, state of formation, an EIN or SSN, and the date established. It also asks for personal details, including SSN and date of birth, for everyone on the application, including those with at least 25% or more ownership. It may request the Articles of Organization or an equivalent, and it does not list an operating agreement as required. Other providers set their own lists, so the specific provider's requirements are the ones that count.

Sources

• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, "Deposit Insurance for Corporation, Partnership and Unincorporated Association Accounts"
• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, "Banking with Third-Party Apps"
• U.S. Small Business Administration, "5 Ways to Separate Your Personal and Business Finances"
• Internal Revenue Service, "Publication 583, Starting a Business and Keeping Records"

This is general information, not legal, tax or accounting advice, and requirements vary and change.