Most people need a checking account to manage their money, but they can become expensive if they’re not careful. The best checking accounts allow you to do your banking without costing money.

The best free checking accounts will help you avoid monthly maintenance fees. Many can also help you avoid overdraft and ATM fees when you withdraw money at an in-network ATM.

If you’re looking for a no-fee checking account, keep reading as we explore some of our favorites.

Best Free Checking Accounts For February 2025

Best For Sign Up Bonus: SoFi Checking and Savings Account

There are a lot of banks that offer generous signup bonuses when you open a new account and complete specific requirements. Unfortunately, many of them come with a lot of fees. This is not the case with the SoFi Checking and Savings Account.

When you sign up for a SoFi Checking and Savings Account, you’ll have the opportunity to earn up to $300. Just follow the steps below.

1. Sign up for a new SoFi checking account before January 31, 2026.
2. Set up $1,000 to $4,999.99 in qualifying direct deposits within 30 days of account opening to earn $50. If you set up total direct deposits of $5,000 or more, you’ll earn a $300 bonus.

SoFi will reward you with more than just a nice welcome bonus. When you have qualifying monthly deposits of at least $5,000, you’ll also receive a 3.80% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings account balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% on checking account balances.

SoFi Checking and Savings Features

• No Account Fees: SoFi charges no fees on its checking and savings accounts. This includes no monthly fees, no overdraft fees, and no account fees. You’ll also have access to 55,000 no-fee ATMs through the Allpoint® Network.
• Additional FDIC Insurance: SoFi offers up to $2 million in FDIC insurance through a network of participating banks.
• Early Paycheck: You can receive your paychecks up to two days early when you set up direct deposit.
• Easy-to-Use Mobile App: With SoFi’s mobile app, you can make mobile deposits, transfer money, pay bills, and more.

Learn more about other SoFi promotions.

Best For Cash Back Rewards: Discover® Cashback Debit Checking

With the Discover® Cashback Debit checking account, you can earn 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in monthly debit card purchases. This is an excellent option for anyone looking for a rewards checking account who wants to avoid unnecessary fees.

The Discover Cashback debit account has no monthly maintenance or overdraft fees. Plus, you can deposit cash into your account using your debit card at any Walmart store.

Discover Cashback Debit Features

• No Monthly Fees: There are no monthly maintenance fees, no overdraft fees, and you’ll have access to more than 60,000 fee-free ATMs.
• Get Paid Early: Set up direct deposit, and you can receive your paycheck up to two days early.
• Deposit Cash at Walmart: You can use your debit card to deposit cash at any Walmart store.
• Send Money With Zelle: Send money to friends and family using Zelle through the Discover app.

Learn more about the current Discover Bank promotions.

Best For No Monthly Fees and Online Tools: Capital One 360 Checking Account

Capital One 360 Checking account is another option if you want to avoid every typical fee that many banks charge. Plus, when you sign up for a new account, you can earn a $250 bonus.

Capital One checking accounts have no monthly maintenance fees, overdraft fees, or foreign transaction fees, making them great for travelers outside the United States.

There is also no minimum deposit to open a new account.

If you want to take advantage of the $250 cash bonus on new accounts, you’ll just want to follow these steps:

1. Sign up for a new Capital One 360 checking account with coupon code CHECKING250.
2. Within 75 days of opening your account, set up and receive at least two direct deposits of at least $500 each.

Capital One 360 Checking Account Features

• No Fees: Your account comes with no fees of any kind. In addition to no overdraft fees and no monthly maintenance fees, you’ll have access to more than 70,000 fee-free ATMs.
• Account Alerts: Stay on top of your free checking account with alerts.
• Early Paycheck: When you sign up for direct deposit, you can receive your paycheck up to two days early.
• In-store Cash Deposit: You can add cash to your 360 checking account at any CVS®, Walgreens®, or Duane Reade by Walgreens® locations.
• Mobile App: The Capital One app will allow you to pay bills and send money to others through Zelle.

Learn more about other Capital One promotions.

Best For Students: Chase College Checking℠

If you’re a college student, the last thing you can afford is to pay fees for a checking account. With the Chase College Checking℠ account, all students ages 17 to 24 will enjoy no monthly service fees. Plus, when you sign up for a new account, you’ll have the chance to earn a $100 bonus.

Here’s what you need to do to receive your Chase welcome bonus.

1. Sign up for a new Chase College checking before April 16, 2025.
2. Complete at least ten qualifying transactions within 60 days of account opening. Qualifying transactions include debit card purchases, Zelle transfers, ACH credits, online bill payments and Chase QuickDeposit.

Chase College Checking Account Features

• No Minimum Deposit to Open: No minimum deposit is required to open your account.
• No fees: If you are between the ages of 17 and 24, your account will have no monthly service fees.
• Keep Track of Your Money on the Chase Mobile App: With the Chase mobile app, you can track where every dollar is spent. You can even set up account alerts to stay informed about certain account activities.
• Send Money With Zelle: You can use Zelle to send money to friends and family through your Chase app.
• Autosave: When you have a Chase College account, you can set up Autosave to automatically move money from your checking to your savings account. This will help you establish good savings habits from an early age.

Learn more about all the Chase Bank promotions.

Best For Second Chance Checking: Chime® Checking Account

You may be interested in a second-chance bank account if you have a spotty banking history. These accounts do not require credit checks to open, and they do not use ChexSystems to assess an applicant’s creditworthiness.

A Chime Checking account has no monthly maintenance fees and comes with fee-free overdraft protection.

Chime Checking Account Features

• No Fees: There are no monthly service fees, overdraft fees, or minimum balance fees with a Chime checking account.
• MyPay: When you set up direct deposit with Chime, you can access up to $500 before payday. 
• SpotMe®: You can overdraft up to $200 without any overdraft fees.
• Get Paid Early: When you have direct deposit set up, you can receive your paycheck up to two days early.
• 50,000+ Fee-Free ATMs: You can access over 50,000 fee-free ATMs at places like Walgreens, CVS, 7-Eleven, and Circle K.
• Cash Deposit: You can deposit cash into your Chime account at any Walgreens location.

Best For High Interest: Axos Rewards Checking Account

Axos Bank doesn’t believe in fees on their rewards checking account. You’ll pay no monthly maintenance fees and no overdraft fees. Plus, $0 is required to open an account.

Where the Axos Rewards checking account shines is with your ability to earn up to 3.30% APY. However, multiple things need to happen to earn the entire interest rate.

• Receive monthly direct deposits totaling $1,500 or more to earn 0.40%.
• Make ten or more monthly transactions using your Axos Visa® Debit Card to earn 0.30%.
• Maintain an average daily balance of $2,500 per month in an Axos Invest Managed Portfolios Account to earn 0.99%.
• Maintain an average daily balance of $2,500 per month in an Axos Invest Self-Directed Trading Account to earn 0.99%.
• You can use your Axos Rewards Checking account to pay your full monthly Axos Bank consumer loan to earn 0.60%. Loans could include mortgage, personal, and auto loans.

Axos Reward Checking Account Features

• No Fees: An Axos Rewards checking account has no fees, including no monthly maintenance fees and overdraft fees.
• ATM Fee Reimbursement: You will be reimbursed for ATM fees whenever you use an ATM in the United States.
• All-in-One Mobile App: You can get your questions answered by Axos’s virtual assistant, Evo. You can also check your transactions or set up alerts to be notified of strange activity.

Learn more about the different Axos Bank promotions.

Best For Credit Unions: Consumers Credit Union Free Rewards Checking Account

If you prefer to do your banking at a credit union instead of a bank, you might want to consider a Consumers Credit Union Free Rewards checking account.

Not only will you receive a checking account without fees, but you’ll have the opportunity to earn up to 5.00% on your checking account balance. The interest rate you receive depends on a few things.

Earn 3.00% APY on balances up to $10,000 when you do the following:

• Sign up and receive eDocuments
• Make at least 12 debit card purchases per month.
• Have direct deposits, mobile check deposits or ACH credits totaling $500 or more each month.

Earn 4.00% APY on balances up to $10,000 when you do the following:

• Everything to earn 3.00% APY, plus:
• Spend $500 or more in CCU Visa Credit Card purchases each month.

Earn 5.00% APY on balances up to $10,000 when you do the following:

• Everything to earn 3.00% APY, plus:
• Spend $1,000 or more in CCU Visa Credit Card purchases each month.

Consumers Credit Union Free Rewards Checking Account Features

• No Monthly Fees: Your Consumers Credit Union checking account has no monthly maintenance fees.
• Early Payday: Receive your paycheck up to two days early when you set up direct deposits.
• Unlimited ATM Reimbursement: You’ll get reimbursed for all ATM fees.

What is a Free Checking Account?

A free checking account is designed to help you manage daily financial transactions without paying monthly maintenance fees. Most of the best no-fee checking accounts also come with no minimum balance requirement and free access to ATMs nationwide.

However, it’s important to know that not all free checking accounts are entirely free from fees. Some are going to have things like overdraft fees or foreign transaction fees. Some of the accounts listed above are free of these fees, though.

Key Features to Look Out For When Opening a Checking Account

When looking for a free checking account, you should keep several key features in mind when comparing accounts.

No Maintenance Fees: If you’re not planning to keep a significant balance in your checking account, you must bank somewhere that doesn’t have these account maintenance fees.

No Minimum Balance Requirement: Having an account without a minimum balance requirement creates more flexibility.

Extensive ATM Network: It’s important to always to have access to your money. Your bank should have access to an extensive network of ATMs so you can withdraw money when you’re away from home.

Online or Mobile Banking Services: Most banks or credit unions give you online access to your account, and many are now offering customers a mobile app. These allow you to monitor your transactions, use mobile check deposit, or pay bills no matter where you’re at.

Overdraft Protection: Overdrafting your checking account can happen. A checking account offering overdraft protection can help you avoid these unnecessary fees.

Easy Money Transfer Options: It’s important that your checking account gives you the ability to transfer money to other people. This could be through their internal system or through third-party integrations like Zelle.

Additional Perks: Finally, check to see what other perks the checking account offers. It could be cash back, a welcome bonus, or a high APY.

How to Open a Checking Account

To open a checking account,, you can start the process online or visit a branch location if you have one nearby. Typically, you must provide your legal name, address, Social Security Number, or an ITIN number. You’ll also be required to provide a valid government-issued ID. The final step will be to make your initial deposit if required.

Pros and Cons of a Free Checking Account

Pros

• Cost-Effective: Since most free checking accounts have no monthly maintenance fees, you’ll be able to keep more of your money.
• ATM Access: Most free checking accounts come with free ATM access at thousands of ATMs nationwide.
• Added Perks: Some free checking accounts offer perks like cash back on purchases, an APY on your checking balance, or free checks.
• Convenience: Many free checking accounts will give you online and mobile access to monitor your account on the go.

Cons

• Potential Fees: While free checking accounts will come without monthly maintenance fees, some have other fees. These include overdraft fees and out-of-network ATM fees.
• Fewer Perks: Some free checking accounts offer generous perks like cash back; however, many lack some of the the perks that checking accounts with monthly fees offer.
• Minimum Requirements: Some checking accounts will require you to keep a minimum balance in your account or they have direct deposit requirements for the account to remain free.

Which Free Checking Account is Most Trustworthy?

When picking out the best free checking account, make sure you also consider the bank as a whole and not just the account. It’s important to work with a bank that treats its customers well and provides good service. Below is a chart highlighting the Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating for each company on our list. The rating goes from F to A+.