Head-to-Head
Wells Fargo Business Checking
National branch + cash deposits; three-tier fee ladder; Navigate is interest-bearing mid-tier among big banks
VS
Lili Business Account
Startup/SMB digital checking with $0 Core fee, team access, Green Dot cash, savings APY, and IntraFi sweep to $3M
Monthly Fee
Initiate $15/mo; Navigate $25/mo; Optimize $75/mo (up to 5 linked accounts, +$30 each additional)
Core $0. Pro $15/mo or $144/yr. Smart $35/mo or $336/yr. Premium $55/mo or $528/yr. Subscription fees, not balance-waivable.
Checking APY
Initiate: none. Navigate: location-variable APY (not published nationally — ZIP rate sheet required). Optimize: earnings credit rate, not APY.
None — non-interest-bearing on all tiers
Rating
7.7/10
8.4/10
Costs & Fees
| Metric | Wells Fargo Business Checking | Lili Business Account |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly maintenance | Initiate $15/mo; Navigate $25/mo; Optimize $75/mo (up to 5 linked accounts, +$30 each additional) | Core $0. Pro $15/mo or $144/yr. Smart $35/mo or $336/yr. Premium $55/mo or $528/yr. Subscription fees, not balance-waivable. |
| Fee waiver | Initiate: $2,000 min daily OR $5,000 avg combined deposits OR Premier/Private Bank consumer. Navigate: $10,000 min daily OR $15,000 combined OR Premier/Private Bank. Optimize: earnings allowance offsets fees (not balance-waived). First 64 days monthly fee waived on new accounts. | No balance waiver on paid plans. Occasional new-applicant discounts not in fee table. |
| Transaction fees | Initiate: 100 free transactions/fee period then $0.50 each. Navigate: 250 free then $0.50. Optimize: 250 per billing relationship then $0.50. Debit card purchases excluded from count; ACH debits, wires, Bill Pay, checks count. | Unlimited electronic items on published schedule. Priced extras: Express ACH, outgoing wires, Mail-a-Check, OON/international ATMs, plan subscription. |
| Overdraft/NSF | $35 OD paid item (max 4/day); $0 NSF/return; no fee on items ≤$10 or if overdrawn ≤$10 EOD. $0 Overdraft Protection transfer from linked business savings/credit. | Overdraft fee $0. Returned item (EFT) $0. Deposited-check returned $0. BalanceUp (Pro+ only) is discretionary courtesy pay $0–$200, not guaranteed coverage. |
| ATM fees | WF ATM $0. Non-WF U.S. ATM $3 + surcharge; intl $5 + surcharge. Navigate: first 2 domestic non-WF withdrawals free/period. | MoneyPass in-network $0 Lili fee. OON domestic $2.50 + surcharge. International ATM $5 + surcharge. Intl balance inquiry $2.50. No rebate. |
| Wire/ACH | Incoming domestic + intl: $0 (non-analyzed tiers per 8/8/2026 addenda). Outgoing domestic: digital $30, branch $40. Navigate: first 2 outgoing domestic free/period. Optimize: 5 Vantage wires free then $15. Outgoing intl USD $30 digital / $40 branch. | Incoming domestic wire $0. Outgoing domestic $15. Incoming intl $15 + correspondent FX. Outgoing intl $25 + 1% commission on USD principal + correspondent markup. Standard ACH $0. Express ACH 1.5%, min $0.50, max $20. |
Interest & Yields
| Metric | Wells Fargo Business Checking | Lili Business Account |
|---|---|---|
| Checking APY | Initiate: none. Navigate: location-variable APY (not published nationally — ZIP rate sheet required). Optimize: earnings credit rate, not APY. | None — non-interest-bearing on all tiers |
| Savings APY | Business Market Rate Savings and Business Platinum Savings are separate products (Platinum $15/mo fee waivable if linked to Navigate/Optimize) | 2.25% APY on portion up to $500,000; 4.00% on portion $500,000.01–$1,000,000; 0.00% above $1,000,000. Blended by tranche. All plans including Core. |
| FDIC coverage | Standard FDIC $250,000 per depositor, per ownership category at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. | Standard FDIC $250,000 at Sunrise Banks, N.A. per depositor per ownership category |
Features & Access
| Metric | Wells Fargo Business Checking | Lili Business Account |
|---|---|---|
| Branch/ATM network | ~4,000+ branches; ~11,000+ Wells Fargo ATMs. Not in all 50 states (no branches in HI, IN, KY, LA, ME, MA, MI, MO, NH, OH, OK, RI, VT, WV among others). | No branches. MoneyPass 38,000–40,000+ ATMs for cash withdrawal only. No ATM cash deposit. |
| Mobile app | iOS ~4.8–4.9/5 (~11M ratings); Android ~4.7/5 (~2.9M reviews) — consumer app | CreditDonkey Jul 2026: ~4.6 iOS / ~4.1 Android — re-check live stores |
| Virtual cards | Debit controls + alerts; full virtual-card program not disclosed | Digital debit yes; dedicated virtual-card/spend-control suite not disclosed |
| Opening deposit | $25 | $0 |
| Eligibility | Sole prop, partnership, LLC, corp, nonprofit, association, trust (trusts/gov/public cos/tribes must apply in person). Every signer must provide SSN. | Sole prop (incl. DBA), LLC, GP, LLP, S-Corp, C-Corp, 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Not B-Corps, non-501(c)(3) tax-exempts, trusts. International: no sole props. |
Pros & Cons
Wells Fargo Business Checking
Pros
- Three coherent tiers with official Quick Views and July 28, 2026 fee schedule
- Navigate: $20,000 free cash, 250 items, free incoming wires, 2 free outgoing domestic wires, interest-bearing
- Incoming wires $0 on all non-analyzed tiers after August 8, 2026 addenda
- Relatively tight OD policy — $0 NSF, $10 de minimis, 4-fee daily cap, $0 protection transfers
- Dense branch/ATM network (~4,000 / ~11,000) where Wells is present; $25 open
Cons
- Initiate fee rose to $15 with $2,000 waiver floor (March 1, 2026) — old cheap-entry story gone
- 100-transaction cap on Initiate easy to breach — ACH/wires/Bill Pay count, $0.50 overage
- Optimize has zero free cash and $2.50 teller/mail deposit fee — poor for retail cash
- Navigate APY and Optimize ECR not published nationally — cannot score yield without ZIP sheet
- SSN required for every signer; virtual addresses rejected; FDIC $250k only with no sweep
Lili Business Account
Pros
- Core $0 with no min balance and $0 NSF/OD fee (Appendix A, Jul 2, 2025)
- Savings APY 2.25%/4.00% by tranche through $1M on all plans (rate sheet Jan 13, 2026)
- IntraFi sweep advertised to $3M via Sunrise + program banks
- Team/accountant roles and up to five businesses per login without per-seat fees
- Incoming domestic wires $0; debit card foreign-transaction fee $0; intl founder path (passport + EIN)
Cons
- Checking earns 0%; 4.00% applies only to $500k–$1M savings slice
- Cash deposits via Green Dot (retailer fee up to $4.95) capped at $5,000/month per cardholder
- Outgoing wires $15 domestic / $25 + 1% international; Express ACH 1.5%
- Invoicing and bill management require Smart ($35) or Premium ($55)
- No branches, no ATM cash deposit, no published RTP/FedNow or treasury API
Verdict
Wells Fargo Business Checking
Wells Fargo's Initiate ($15), Navigate ($25), and Optimize ($75) checking line offers a clear three-rung ladder at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Navigate is the standout for $20k free cash, 250 items, free incoming wires, 2 free outgoing domestic wires, and location-variable interest. Initiate's March 2026 price hike ($10→$15, waiver $500→$2k) and 100-transaction cap make it tight for ACH-heavy businesses. Optimize is analyzed treasury via Vantage — not for cash. Incoming wires are $0 on non-analyzed tiers. Use when branch access and WF ecosystem matter; not for yield, offshore founders, or unlimited digital items.
Lili Business Account
Lili Business Checking is a four-tier digital SMB package from Lili App Inc. with deposits at Sunrise Banks, N.A., wires via Column, cash via Green Dot, and IntraFi sweep to $3M. Core $0; Pro $15, Smart $35, Premium $55 sell software not cheaper banking. Checking 0% APY; linked savings pays 2.25% to $500k and 4.00% $500k–$1M (Jan 13, 2026). ACH and MoneyPass ATM free; outgoing wires $15/$25+1%; Express ACH 1.5%. Team roles on all plans. Strong for digital SMBs and intl founders with U.S. entity; weak for cash-heavy ops and multi-currency treasury.