Lili Review 2026: Business Banking for Freelancers, Fees and Plans

Lili sells a bank account with a bookkeeping app attached, and the free plan is the honest starting point. Most freelancers only need Core for checking and a debit card; the paid plans charge for tax organization and invoicing that cheaper tools also provide. Whether a paid plan pays off depends on whether you would otherwise buy separate bookkeeping software.

Toolradar data: the finance tools ranking on Toolradar, the software directory we run, evaluated 1,111 finance tools as of 15 October 2026, and Lili sits there beside Found and Bluevine. Our business bank account guide ranks the wider field, and the free business checking roundup covers no-fee accounts only.

Methodology: on 17 October 2026 we read Lili's plans page and the Master Fee Schedule in its Sunrise Banks account agreement, plus the pricing pages of Found, Bluevine, Relay and Mercury. The yearly costs are our arithmetic on those published fees. Dupple runs no test lab, so we did not open accounts with any of these providers.

Lili is a financial technology company, not a bank: deposits sit with Sunrise Banks, N.A., Member FDIC, and a sweep network extends FDIC coverage to up to $3 million. Every plan includes business checking with a Visa debit card, ACH, check and wire payments, a savings account, access to partner credit products, integrations with outside business tools, and support seven days a week.

The paid plans stack features on top of that account, starting with Pro, which adds expense and tax management: transactions sorted into tax categories, receipts and notes on expenses, quarterly and annual expense reports, and automatic transfers into a tax savings bucket. Smart adds accounting software with AI categorization, profit and loss and cash flow reports, unlimited invoices with reminders and instant payment, bill scanning and payment, and sync with outside bank and card accounts. Premium adds a dedicated support specialist and a metal debit card.

Two limits matter for freelancers in particular. First, international wires are only available to legal entities such as LLCs, corporations and partnerships, so a sole proprietor cannot send one. Lili also states it is not a tax preparer, so the tax features organize and set aside money, and someone else still files your return.

You apply online with no minimum deposit, and paid plans start with a 30-day free trial. After the trial the plan renews automatically, monthly or yearly. New customers currently see an introductory price for three months on monthly billing: $9 on Pro, $21 on Smart and $33 on Premium.

The annual option comes with strict terms: Lili's fee schedule gives you ten business days from the start of an annual term to request a full refund, then nothing, even if you downgrade. Upgrading mid-term credits the unused time and charges a fresh full annual fee for the new plan, so decide on the tier before you prepay.

Cash goes in through partner retailers, up to $1,000 per cardholder per 24 hours, and the retailer can charge up to $4.95; Lili itself adds no fee. MoneyPass ATMs are free, while other domestic ATMs cost $2.50 plus any owner surcharge. If you need payroll on top, our employer of record guide covers hiring beyond contractors.

Annual billing saves 20% on every paid plan. Pro costs $180 a year paid monthly and $144 paid yearly. Smart costs $420 monthly against $336 yearly, and Premium $660 against $528. With the three-month introductory price, a first year paid monthly comes to $162 on Pro, $378 on Smart and $594 on Premium, so prepaying still wins on Smart and Premium. Prices are from Lili's plans page and the Master Fee Schedule, read on 17 October 2026.

Transaction fees are where a free account costs money. Outgoing domestic wires are $15, incoming international wires cost the same, and outgoing international wires $25 plus a 1% commission built into the exchange rate. Express ACH costs 1.5% with a $0.50 minimum and a $20 maximum. International ATM withdrawals are $5.00, a mailed check $3 and express mail $20. Standard ACH, overdrafts, stop payments, card replacement and dormant accounts cost nothing.

Our scenario: a consultant who sends two domestic wires a month pays $360 a year in wire fees on Core, more than an annual Smart plan. The same consultant parking $20,000 in Lili savings would earn about $450 over a year at the current 2.25% APY if the rate held; the advertised 4.00% would need more than $500,000 on deposit.

Rival prices come from Found, Bluevine, Relay and Mercury, read the same day. Mercury charges $0 for domestic wires on every plan, Found charges the same per-wire fee on its free plan, and Bluevine's free Standard plan pays 1.3% APY on up to $250,000 once you meet a monthly activity goal.

Lili fits a freelancer, gig worker or sole proprietor who wants checking and tax set-asides in one app and rarely sends wires. Core covers the banking for free, and Pro makes sense if the automatic tax bucket replaces a spreadsheet you keep forgetting to update. Smart competes with standalone invoicing and bookkeeping software, so compare it with what you pay for those today.

Skip Lili if you send wires often, if you need international transfers as a sole proprietor, or if you hold a large cash balance and want yield. The Mercury review covers free wires, the Bluevine review covers interest on checking, and the Relay review covers multiple accounts for profit-first budgeting.

Freelancers who mainly want tax tools should also read the Found review, and founders still setting up an entity should start with our guide to paying yourself from an LLC. Subscribe to Finpresso for fee changes on small business accounts.