Bluevine, Relay, or Slash: Which Business Checking Account is Better for Startups and Small Businesses?
If you're looking for a digital alternative to traditional banking, Bluevine and Relay are two of the names that come up often. Both are financial technology companies that take a modern approach to banking, offering fully online checking accounts, financing, and payment solutions. For many small businesses, either one could replace a legacy bank account and simplify day-to-day money management—but there are some drawbacks to both that are worthy of taking into consideration.
Where they differ is in the details. Bluevine offers two features that stand out in its lineup: interest-bearing checking accounts and built-in lending options. Relay, on the other hand, gives you access to more checking accounts on its free plan and slightly greater flexibility around card issuance. Both platforms can support the core banking needs of most businesses, but the specifics around pricing, limits, and add-ons vary enough that a side-by-side comparison is well worth it to figure out which platform is right for your business.
There's also another question worth considering: whether either platform really stands up to other competitors. In this guide, we’ll show you how Slash matches the core functionality of both Bluevine and Relay with virtual sub-accounts, cards, and useful integrations.¹ But, Slash goes further: unlimited accounts and cards on every plan, corporate charge cards with up to 2% cashback, short-term financing options, multi-entity management, native stablecoin support, and more.⁴, ⁵
What is Bluevine?
Bluevine is a financial technology company that offers business banking, lending, and expense management services through its online platform. Bluevine is not a bank; banking services are provided by Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC.
What sets Bluevine apart from many fintech checking platforms is its built-in lending. Businesses can apply for a line of credit up to $250,000 directly from the Bluevine dashboard, and term loans up to $500,000 are available through partner lenders. If your business needs working capital alongside everyday banking, Bluevine allows you to manage both in one place rather than maintaining separate relationships.
Other notable features of Bluevine include:
- Interest-bearing checking: Bluevine’s business checking earns 1.3% APY on the free Standard plan and up to 3.0% APY on higher-tier paid plans.
- Sub-accounts: You can open virtual sub-accounts to segment cash flow. While this feature is now common among competitors, Bluevine caps the number of accounts you can create: five on Standard, ten on Plus, and twenty on Premier. Deposits are FDIC insured up to $3 million through the IntraFi Insured Cash Sweep network.
- Bill pay and invoicing: Built-in invoicing with payment links, tap-to-pay via Stripe, automated reminders, and accounts payable tools.
- Money movement: ACH transfers, mailed checks, and domestic and international wire transfers. Incoming domestic wires are free. Outgoing wire fees vary by plan, with discounts available on Plus and Premier.
Bluevine covers core business banking needs, but it lacks some of the more advanced features offered by newer competitors. For example, platforms like Slash offer native cryptocurrency support, which can provide faster and lower-cost transfers than traditional ACH or wire payments, particularly for international transactions. Bluevine also does not offer a proprietary debit card rewards program, instead relying on Mastercard’s Easy Savings program. By comparison, Slash offers up to 2% cash back on business spending, along with up to $1 million in partner perks and software discounts.
What is Relay?
Relay Financial is another online business banking platform built around financial organization and account segmentation. Banking services are provided by Thread Bank, Member FDIC.
The core concept around Relay's banking services is straightforward: it allows you to create multiple checking accounts to allocate funds by purpose. You might separate payroll, taxes, operating expenses, and reserves into different accounts to create clearer structure around your company’s cash flow. In addition to its multi-account framework, Relay offers physical and virtual cards, accounts payable and receivable tools, and expense management features.
Other notable features of Relay include:
- Invoicing: Create custom-branded invoices with embedded payment links and automated email reminders to keep track of receivables.
- Savings accounts: Earn 0.91% APY on the Starter plan and up to 2.68% APY with the Scale plan ($120/month).
- Integrations: QuickBooks, Xero, Gusto, Plaid, Expensify, and more.
- FDIC coverage: Up to $3 million through Thread Bank’s sweep program.
Compared to competitors, Relay is limited in several areas. Its 1.5% cash back offering is competitive but lower than other corporate card programs, such as the up to 2% available with the Slash Visa Platinum Card. Its savings APY also trails behind many of the higher-yield treasury options offered elsewhere. Relay does not offer built-in lending like Bluevine or Slash, nor does it provide the broader payment rails and crypto-enabled infrastructure available through Slash, either
What are the differences between Bluevine, Relay, and Slash?
Account structure & financial organization
- Bluevine: Up to 5 sub-accounts on the Standard plan (up to 10 on Plus and up to 20 on Premier) for $0/month on Standard (higher tiers can cost $30-$95/month). 
- Relay: Create 20 sub accounts on the free Starter plan, and up to 50 on the paid Scale plan. 
- Slash: Connect your different entities to the dashboard and create unlimited sub accounts or virtual accounts to segment funds and cash flow on the free plan, with unlimited virtual cards for each account. 
Cash flow and credit support
- Bluevine: Offers three financing options: a working capital line of credit, term loans up to $500K, and SBA loans up to $350K.
- Slash: Provides a tailored working capital line of credit up to $500K through lending partner Slope. Draw funds as needed and choose flexible repayment terms of 30, 60, or 90 days.
- Relay: Does not offer lending or financing options.
Team access & spending controls
- Bluevine: Role-based permissions with varying access levels for employees, accountants, clerks (can manage bills and payments), and authorized users (with broad platform access).
- Relay: Seven different access levels for your team, ranging from read-only to bill payer to manager. 
- Slash: Granular user roles and permissions with smart spend controls. Set who can view, approve, or execute actions, create dynamic spending limits, multi-step payment approvals, and comprehensive authorization controls. 
Integrations & workflow tools
- Slash: Integrates with QuickBooks Online, Plaid, Yodlee, Xero, and Sage Intacct. The Slash API enables you to automate your Slash account using programmatic access to create cards, set limits, trigger transfers, and reconcile payouts. 
- Bluevine: Integrates with QuickBooks, Wave, Expensify, and Xero. 
- Relay: Integrates with QuickBooks Online, Xero, Gusto, Plaid, and Yodlee. 
Fees & requirements
- Slash: The free Standard plan includes full platform access, unlimited cards, and unlimited virtual accounts. The $25/month Pro plan adds unlimited fee-free transfers and elevated rewards of up to 2% cash back. Businesses can apply with just an EIN, and the Global USD Account is available for foreign businesses without U.S. incorporation or a U.S. bank account.³
- Bluevine: The free Standard plan limits users to 5 sub-accounts and basic payment features. The $95/month Premier plan includes higher yield on checking balances, access to the top APY tier, and expanded check and invoicing capabilities
- Relay: The free Starter plan includes basic features with limited APY and standard banking functionality. The $90/month Scale plan unlocks the highest APY tier, up to 1.5% cash back on the Relay Credit Card, same-day ACH, cash flow insights, and automated invoicing reminders.
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Practical considerations before you decide
Each of these platforms approaches business banking from a different angle. The right choice depends less on headline APY or cashback percentages and more on how your business moves money, manages liquidity, and supports growth. Here’s where each option will likely fit the best:
Best use cases for Bluevine
Businesses that need built-in lending options
Bluevine stands out for companies that expect to rely on external financing. With access to a line of credit, term loans up to $500,000, and SBA loan options, Bluevine integrates working capital directly into the banking experience. If your business frequently bridges gaps in cash flow or plans to scale using debt financing, having lending and banking in one dashboard can simplify operations.
Bluevine can also make sense for businesses that prioritize a traditional checking experience with interest earnings and don’t require more advanced treasury or global payment infrastructure.
Best use cases for Relay
Businesses wanting account segmentation
Relay’s core strength is organizational structure. If your main priority is separating payroll, taxes, operating expenses, and reserves into clearly labeled buckets, Relay’s multi-account setup may provide the structure you need.
However, Relay is more limited in lending, payment flexibility, and yield compared to alternatives. It may be most suitable for smaller teams that want basic financial organization without requiring advanced treasury tools, global payment rails, or higher-yield cash management.
Best use cases for Slash
Businesses operating globally
Slash can simplify how companies move money across borders or work with international contractors and vendors. You can send global ACH and international wire transfers to 180+ countries in over 135 different currencies; plus, you can utilize the fast, low-cost transfer capabilities of the blockchain with native access to USDC and USDT.
Teams that want strong, simple rewards on all spending
Slash offers a high flat-rate rewards structure of up to 2% cash back, making it well suited for businesses with diverse spending categories. Instead of optimizing across rotating or limited bonus categories, companies can earn consistently across software, advertising, travel, and operating expenses.
Companies that want full financial infrastructure without paying for add-ons
Slash includes unlimited subaccounts, invoicing tools, unlimited virtual cards, and real-time cash flow visibility on its free plan. Businesses that want granular financial segmentation and spend controls without upgrading to higher-priced tiers can benefit from this structure.
Businesses that need fast money movement
With free access to same-day ACH, real-time payments through RTP and FedNow, and blockchain-based stablecoin transfers, Slash can help you move money fast. For companies managing tight cash cycles, contractor payouts, or time-sensitive vendor payments, faster rails can improve your operational flexibility and vendor relationships.
Streamline your business’s financial workflows with Slash
Slash is designed for businesses that care about how money actually moves, not just where it sits.
Slash matches both Relay and Bluevine across the board: configurable virtual accounts, role-based permissions and approval workflows, accessible financing options, and expense management features. The difference is that Slash provides access to these capabilities on its free plan, while both Bluevine and Relay place limits or paywalls around comparable functionality.
In addition, Slash offers capabilities that competitors simply do not match: native cryptocurrency support, over $1 million in discounts and perks for third-party software, industry-leading flat-rate cash back, USD banking access for unincorporated foreign founders, and more.
Here’s what you get when you sign up for a Slash account:
- Slash Visa® Platinum Card: Earn up to 2% cash back on business expenses, set customizable spending controls and limits, and issue unlimited virtual cards for team members, vendor payments, and subscriptions.
- Accounting integrations: Automatically sync transaction data with QuickBooks for simplified reconciliation and reporting. Use Plaid to connect additional financial tools or import data from Xero to enhance your accounting workflow.
- Diverse payment methods: Support global ACH settlement, wire transfers to more than 180 countries, and real-time payment rails like RTP and FedNow. Pro users pay no additional per-transaction fees.
- Separate virtual accounts: Create unlimited sub-accounts to silo cash by project, department, or client, with real-time visibility across all balances.
- Working Capital Financing: Access short-term financing with flexible 30-, 60-, or 90-day repayment terms to bridge cash flow gaps when needed.
- High-yield treasury accounts: Earn up to 3.84% annualized yield on idle funds through money market investments from BlackRock and Morgan Stanley, all managed directly within your Slash account.⁶
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Frequently asked questions
Can I combine Bluevine and Relay for different business needs?
There’s nothing preventing a business from maintaining accounts with both platforms if their features serve different purposes. You may encounter some added operational complexity, since balances, reporting, and reconciliations will be in separate systems.
Are there referral programs or perks for inviting additional business users or teams?
While there usually aren’t perks for inviting additional users to your account, Slash’s affiliate rewards program lets you earn rewards for your team by referring other businesses in your network. When a referred business starts using Slash, you can earn rewards based on their spend, crypto volume, subscriptions, and more.
