Tide vs ANNA
Both bundle free company formation with an account and target the same first-time-founder audience. The real difference shows up in what each one nudges you to do once you're actually trading.
Updated 2026-07-03 • Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Tide
Top pickBroader ecosystem, larger existing user base.
- Type
- E-money
- Free company formation
- Yes
- Monthly fee
- Free plan available
- FX / multi-currency
- Basic
- Wider integration ecosystem
- Larger, more established customer base
- Strong built-in invoicing
- E-money institution, not a bank — no FSCS protection on the standard account (safeguarding instead).
- Financial Ombudsman has upheld complaints regarding account freezes.
- Well-documented complaints about slow, largely automated support.
- Free plan charges 20p per bank transfer.
Best for founders who want the broadest ecosystem and plan to grow a team, Tide edges it if you want more integrations and a slightly more mature platform.
ANNA
Proactive tax reminders built for first-timers.
- Type
- E-money
- Free company formation
- Yes
- Monthly fee
- Free plan available
- FX / multi-currency
- Basic
- Tax pot and reminder tools genuinely help avoid a nasty Corporation Tax/VAT surprise
- Very approachable for someone with no accounting background
- E-money institution, not FSCS-protected.
- Fees kick in after the free tier.
- Smaller ecosystem of integrations compared to larger rivals.
Best for a first-time founder most worried about staying on top of tax, ANNA edges it if tax discipline is your biggest worry as a new founder.
The honest verdict
Genuinely close. Pick ANNA if you're brand new and want the tax nudges; pick Tide if you want the broader ecosystem and plan to scale a team.
FAQs
Do both Tide and ANNA form my company for free?
Yes, both cover the Companies House filing fee when you open an account with them.
Which has better invoicing?
Both have solid built-in invoicing with automated chasing, this shouldn't be the deciding factor between them.
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