Found vs Mercury: which business account suits your size?
Found is built for self-employed owners and small LLCs, with tax estimates and bookkeeping in the account. Mercury is built for startups that send wires and hire. The overlap is smaller than the search suggests.
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"Found vs Mercury" shows up in autocomplete next to "Found vs Bluevine", and the people asking are usually small LLC owners. The two accounts serve different stages of a business. Figures below were read on each pricing page on 4 November 2026.
Side by side
| Found | Mercury | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Paid plans | Plus $35, Pro $80 a month | Plus $29.90, Pro $299 a month |
| Outgoing domestic wire | $15 ($10 on Pro) | $0 |
| ACH | Unlimited, no fee listed | $0 |
| Cash deposits | $2 each | Not offered |
| Built-in tax tools | Tax estimates, 1099 tools, quarterly payments on Plus | Bookkeeping add-on |
| Interest | 1.50% APY up to $20,000 on Plus; 2.50% on Pro | Treasury yield with a $250K balance |
| Partner bank | Lead Bank | Choice Financial Group, Column N.A. |
Found fits the one-person business
Found's free plan sorts expenses, estimates tax and sends 1099s. For a consultant or shop owner who files a Schedule C, that saves hours of bookkeeping. The trade-off is wires at $15 each and few startup features such as credit or treasury.
Mercury fits the team that moves money
Mercury's free wires, multiple accounts and cards for staff suit a company that pays vendors and contractors every week. Its tax help is thinner, and it does not take cash.
Neither is built for currency
Both are US-dollar accounts. If your LLC sells to clients in Europe or pays freelancers in Latin America, every payment is a converted wire or a card fee.
Paying into the United States: the local rail
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Local rail | ACH for batch payments; RTP and FedNow for instant transfers |
| Run by | Nacha for ACH; The Clearing House for RTP; the Federal Reserve for FedNow |
| Settlement | Same-day ACH within the business day, standard ACH the next; RTP and FedNow in seconds, 24/7, where both banks take part |
Source: Nacha: Same Day ACH. Checked when this guide was last updated; the scheme's own page has the current figures.
Where Rivet fits
Rivet is a multi-currency account for registered companies, including US LLCs owned from abroad. Starter is free with USD details for ACH and wires. Growth adds EUR and GBP details, local payouts to 120+ countries and FX from 0.50%, shown before you confirm. Rivet is not a bank; regulated partner institutions hold the funds. If your LLC pays contractors abroad, read how to pay international contractors.
Questions people ask
Is Found or Mercury better for an LLC?
A single-owner LLC that wants taxes and bookkeeping handled in one app often prefers Found. An LLC that sends wires, hires and plans to raise money tends to fit Mercury.
Does Found support international payments?
Found's pricing page does not list international wires. Check in the app before you rely on it to pay anyone abroad.
Who is Found's partner bank?
Found says banking is provided by Lead Bank, Member FDIC. Found itself is a fintech company, not a bank.
Can I deposit cash with Found?
Yes. Found lists $2 per cash deposit. Mercury does not take cash deposits.
Sources
Alexia compares the accounts, cards and payment tools companies weigh before they switch, and writes Rivet's market guides for founders in a specific country. Prices in Alexia's comparisons come from each provider's own pricing page on the date given in the article, rules come from the regulator or tax authority that sets them, and every source is listed at the end.
More from Alexia M. →This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and fees change; check the sources above and the provider’s current terms before you act on them.
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