Mobile banking offers speed, convenience and 24/7 access. Users can pay bills, get overdraft alerts, check their account balances, track expenses, deposit checks, and send money to friends and family — all with the tap of a button.
Many apps are also now compatible with smartwatches.
CNBC Select set out to find what big banks and credit unions are best for mobile banking. Our top picks offer the standard banking app features like bill pay and expense tracking, along with standout perks like the ability to check your credit score and access to virtual assistants. (See our methodology for more information on how we made this list.)
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Best for feature variety
Who's this for? The Capital One® app has a wide range of useful features that make it a top choice.
Standout benefits: Users can see their balances without logging in, add cash to their account at eligible drugstores, lock/unlock their debit cards if needed, access their credit scores through CreditWise and send and receive cash through Zelle®.
The app also provides Capital One credit cardholders access to Eno®, Capital One's virtual financial assistant. With Eno, users can get notified of any unusual transactions and potential fraud. And if you want to get paid up to two days sooner, Capital One allows that with its early paycheck when you set up direct deposit through the app.
- Close to 750 branches and over 2,000 in-network ATMs make it one of the more accessible banks for in-person banking.
- No minimum deposit required to open an account, so you can get started without needing a lump sum upfront.
- Earns 0.10% APY on all balances, so your checking account works a little harder than a typical non-interest account.
- No overdraft fees, and you can set up free savings transfers as a backup after opting in.
- No foreign transaction fees, making it a solid option if you travel internationally.
- Out-of-network ATM fees aren’t reimbursed, so it’s worth sticking to in-network ATMs to avoid extra charges.
Best virtual assistant
Who's this for? The Bank of America app is popular for its user access to Erica®, BoA's virtual financial assistant. Erica can provide users with automated help for things like looking up transactions, paying bills and getting account alerts and insights.
Standout benefits: Users can view their balances without signing in, check their security levels, look up their FICO® Scores, send and receive cash using Zelle® and schedule an in-person appointment with a representative.
- Earn cash back on select deals at restaurants, stores, and more through BankAmeriDeals®, turning everyday spending into savings.
- Keep the Change® rounds up debit card purchases and transfers the difference to your savings account, making it easy to save without thinking about it.
- Four ways to waive the $12 monthly maintenance fee, giving you more flexibility to avoid it than most checking accounts.
- Access to 16,000 Bank of America ATMs nationwide for fee-free cash withdrawals.
- $100 minimum deposit required to open an account.
- $12 monthly maintenance fee applies if you don’t meet the criteria to waive it.
- $10 overdraft fee per item with a maximum of two per day, so it’s worth setting up protections to avoid it.
- No reimbursement for out-of-network ATM fees, so it may be worth planning withdrawals around Bank of America’s network when possible.
How to avoid the monthly fee (when you meet ONE of the requirements during each statement cycle):
- Have at least one qualifying direct deposit of $250 or more to your account
- Maintain a minimum daily balance of $1,500 or more in your account
- Enroll in the Preferred Rewards program (Learn more at bankofamerica.com/preferred-rewards)
Best credit union
Who's this for? For those wanting to bank with a credit union, Alliant Credit Union is easy for anyone to join and its app is user-friendly. Become a member by enrolling as an Alliant Credit Union Foundation digital inclusion advocate, and for a limited time, Alliant Credit Union will pay the required one-time $5 donation on your behalf.
Standout benefits: In addition to the standard banking features, users can preview their account balances just by opening the app, without even logging in. Users can also easily turn this feature off if they prefer.
- Top-rated mobile app
- ATM fee reimbursement up to $20 per month
- 0.25% APY
- No overdraft fees
- Must opt-in to paperless statements and have a recurring monthly electronic deposit to earn APY
Best for credit monitoring
Who's this for? With the *Chase Total Checking®, users can monitor their credit score with Chase Credit Journey® and get free credit monitoring.
Standout benefits: The app allows users to get summaries of their daily spending to budget better, lock/unlock accounts if misplaced cards, schedule meetings with a banker and send and receive money with Zelle®.
- No minimum deposit to open an account
- Access to over 4,700 branches and 15,000+ ATMs nationwide
- Monthly service fee can be waived by meeting direct deposit or minimum balance requirements.
- Overdraft assistance available
- No APY
- $34 overdraft fee
- No reimbursement for out-of-network ATM fees
How to avoid the monthly fee:
- Electronic deposits made into this account totaling $500 or more,
- or a balance at the beginning of each day of $1,500 or more in this account
- or an average beginning day balance of $5,000 or more in any combination of this account and linked qualifying Chase checking, savings and other balances
Information about Chase Total Checking® has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
Best for customer experience
Who's this for? The Wells Fargo app is ideal for those seeking a clean, user-friendly interface with intuitive features.
Standout benefits: The app allows customers to easily check their balances, track account activity, deposit checks, send and receive money using Zelle® and pay bills. Wells Fargo also offers an AI-powered virtual assistant, Fargo™, which can answer account questions in English or Spanish.
- Four different ways to waive the $15 monthly maintenance fee, giving you more flexibility to avoid it than most checking accounts.
- Send and receive money with Zelle® directly from your account.
- Easy-to-use mobile app makes managing your finances straightforward from anywhere.
- $25 minimum deposit to open an account, so getting started doesn’t require a large upfront amount.
- $35 overdraft fee applies, with a maximum of three fees per day, meaning overdraft charges could cost you up to $105 in a single day.
- No APY, so your money won’t earn interest sitting in the account.
- No reimbursement for out-of-network ATM fees, so it may be worth planning withdrawals around Wells Fargo’s 13,000 ATMs when possible.
How to avoid the monthly fee:
- Maintain $500 in combined minimum deposit balances,
- or make qualifying direct deposits totaling $500 or more,
- or be between 17 - 24 years old
- or have a linked Wells Fargo Campus ATM Card or Campus Debit Card (for college students)
Best for traveling abroad
- Top-rated mobile app
- No minimum deposit to open an account
- 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases each month
- Opt-in to free overdraft protection
- No overdraft fees
- No reimbursement for out-of-network ATM fees
Who's this for? The Discover® app has a unique travel notification feature that lets the bank know when a user is traveling so their card use isn't interrupted.
Standout benefits: Other notable perks include the ability to enable a quick view of accounts without logging in, access to FICO Score, the ability to send and receive money with Zelle®, plus the option to freeze/unfreeze accounts.
Best fintech alternative
- Free debit card included, giving you easy access to your Cash App balance for everyday spending.
- Free ATM withdrawals when you receive at least $300 in monthly direct deposits, making it a solid option if you use Cash App as your primary account.
- Invest in individual stocks and buy and sell Bitcoin directly from the app, all in one place.
- Cash App Offers automatically discounts purchases from participating retailers, putting money back in your pocket without any extra effort.
- 3% processing fee applies when paying with a linked credit card, so debit or balance payments are the more cost-effective option.
- Instant cash-outs come with a fee of between 0.5% and 1.75%, so you’ll pay for the convenience of getting your money right away.
- Cash and savings balances are only FDIC-protected if you have a Cash App card or sponsor an active sponsored account, so it’s worth making sure you qualify before relying on it as your primary savings.
Who's this for? As a mobile-first financial services platform, Cash App is great if you're looking for an app that gives you access to traditional banking services and tools for taxes and investing.
Standout benefits: The app is free to download, and users can open an account without a bank account or credit check. There are also no minimum balance requirements after the $1 opening deposit.
Cash App also offers traditional banking features, including a high-yield savings account with a 3.25% APY, requiring a monthly direct deposit of at least $300. It also comes with a VISA-branded debit card. Like a traditional checking account, you can use your account and routing numbers to pay bills online and withdraw money from ATMs with your Cash App Card.
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More on our top mobile banking apps
Capital One
The Capital One app allows users to view their balances, see transactions, track spending, pay bills, set up alerts and purchase notifications, deposit checks, make transfers, automate their savings, activate a credit or debit card, redeem credit card rewards, as well as track their auto loan.
Availability
The Capital One app is available for free on both the App Store and on Google Play.
Security
The app enables Touch ID and Face ID, and users will be alerted to fraudulent activity.
Bank of America
Bank of America's app allows its users to view their account balances and activity, track spending, transfer money, deposit checks, pay bills, set account alerts, activate and replace credit or debit cards, redeem credit card rewards, set up savings goals, as well as trade and manage any Merrill investment accounts all from their phone.
Availability
The Bank of America app is available for free on both the App Store and on Google Play.
Security
The app enables Touch ID and Face ID, and users will be alerted of fraudulent activity.
Alliant Credit Union
With the Alliant Credit Union app, account holders can deposit checks, view account balances, see their banking activity and transaction history, transfer money, pay bills, activate and report lost/stolen credit or debit cards, find nearby ATMs and send secured messages to Alliant's member care center.
Availability
The Alliant Credit Union app is available for free on both the App Store and on Google Play.
Security
The app enables Touch ID and Face ID, and users can choose Alliant's two-factor authentication for more protection.
Chase
With Chase, users can review all their account activity (checking, savings, credit card, home, auto, business), track their spending and transactions, pay bills, transfer money, deposit checks, find nearby branches and ATMs, automate their savings, redeem Chase rewards, as well as manage any J.P. Morgan investment accounts all from their phone.
Availability
The Chase app is available for free on both the App Store and on Google Play.
Security
The app enables Touch ID and Face ID, and users will be alerted of fraudulent activity.
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo packs a long list of useful features into an easy-to-use app, including the ability to view account balances and activity, track spending, transfer money, deposit checks, pay bills, set account alerts, activate and replace credit or debit cards, manage tax documents and more.
Availability
The Wells Fargo app is available for free on both the App Store and on Google Play.
Security
The app enables Touch ID and Face ID, and users will be alerted of fraudulent activity.
Discover
The Discover app allows users to check their account balances (bank, credit card, loans), view account info, make payments, transfer money, pay bills, deposit checks, find ATMs, search transaction activity, receive account alerts, activate new cards or report lost cards, manage and redeem rewards, as well as send messages to customer service.
Availability
The Discover app is available for free on both the App Store and on Google Play.
Security
The app enables Touch ID and Face ID, and users will be alerted of fraudulent activity. Users can also set up a four-digit passcode to log in more easily.
Cash App
Cash App allows users to add money to their balance via direct deposit or by depositing cash at participating retailers. You can also view account balances, transfer money, pay bills, withdraw money from ATMs with the Cash App Card, automate savings, set up real-time transaction alerts, invest in stocks, and trade Bitcoin.
Availability: The app is free to download from both the App Store and Google Play.
Security: The app enables Touch ID and Face ID, and users will be alerted of fraudulent activity.
FAQs
What is mobile banking?
Mobile banking is essentially having access to your bank accounts via a phone. This allows account holders to manage their money from virtually anywhere and at any time. You no longer need to be near a branch location to complete most financial transactions or to get help.
Are banking apps safe?
Banking apps are designed to be safe and secure for users, which is why many of them offer biometric security checks (Touch ID and Face ID) and two-factor authentication. Banking scams have been on the rise over the last few years, however, so it's important to always use with caution.
Which bank is best for online banking?
The best banks for online banking include those that made this list: Alliant Credit Union, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Discover and Wells Fargo.
Read more
Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every mobile banking app review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of banking products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best banks and credit unions for mobile banking.
Our methodology
To determine the best mobile banking apps, CNBC Select looked at apps offered by the largest banks and credit unions. When selecting our top picks, however, we considered the banks with the most customers to make sure that our selections would be found helpful for a wide range of users.
All the mobile banking apps in our list had to offer basic app features such as transparency into users' accounts and spending, the ability to transfer funds, deposit checks and pay bills, etc. The apps had to be easily available and at zero cost. We favored the banks that offered apps with special perks like access to your credit score, virtual financial assistance and payment sending/receiving tools like Zelle®.
We also chose apps that have multiple security features, a sizable number of user reviews and high user ratings. Each app on this list has at least 1,000 reviews in both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android), as well as a rating of over 4 stars (out of 5) on both platforms.
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* Information about Chase Total Checking® has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
