Best High-Yield Savings Accounts in 2026
Marcus, Ally Bank, Chase UK, Revolut, Atom Bank and Wise Assets — real rates, real deposit protection limits, full reviews, and a quiz to help you find the right account for where you live and what you need.
Most high-street current accounts still pay close to nothing on cash sitting in them. High-yield savings accounts from online banks and fintech platforms pay meaningfully more — often 3-4.5% or more — while keeping your money just as safe, provided the account sits within a formal deposit protection scheme. The six accounts below cover the UK, the US, and global markets, and were chosen for a mix of strong rates, credible regulation, and genuinely different use cases: easy access, fixed-term, tax-free, and multi-currency.
The differences that actually matter are rarely just the headline rate. Whether an account is instant access or locks your money away, how much of your balance is protected if the provider fails, and whether a top rate is a permanent feature or a 12-month new-customer promotion all change which account is the right one for a given situation — and the reviews below are built around exactly those distinctions.
All six accounts below sit within a formal protection scheme. In the UK, the FSCS limit rose to £120,000 per person, per institution for firms that fail after 30 November 2025 — up from the long-standing £85,000. In the US, the FDIC covers up to $250,000 per depositor, per bank. Wise Assets is the one exception worth flagging: it's an investment product, not a deposit account, and sits under the separate FSCS investment-protection limit of £85,000.
Best High-Yield Savings Accounts in 2026
All six accounts below sit within a recognised deposit or investor protection scheme. The key differences are rate stability (permanent vs. 12-month promo), whether the account is instant access or fixed-term, and which countries and currencies are supported.
Rates shown are correct as of September 2026 and are variable unless noted — always verify directly with the provider before opening an account. *Chase UK's 4.50% AER is a 12-month new-customer boost on top of a 2.25% AER base rate; it reverts to 2.25% AER after year one. ¹Wise Assets is an investment product, not a deposit account, so it falls under the FSCS's separate £85,000 investment-protection limit rather than the £120,000 deposit limit.
High-Yield Savings Account Calculator
Use our free high-yield savings account calculator below to see exactly what any of the six accounts above would actually pay you. Enter your starting balance, add a monthly contribution if you're saving regularly, and compare the result against a typical 0.5% high-street account — no sign-up, and it updates instantly as you change any figure.
See What Your Money Could Actually Earn
Pick one of the six accounts above (or enter a custom rate), add your balance, and see the real difference against a typical 0.5% bank account.
Illustrative only — assumes monthly compounding at a fixed rate for the whole term, which understates real-world variable and promotional-rate accounts, and ignores tax. Actual returns will vary; check the provider directly before opening an account.
How to use this calculator
Select one of the six accounts reviewed above — or choose "Custom rate…" if you're comparing an account we haven't covered — then enter your starting balance and any monthly top-up. Pick a 1, 3 or 5-year time frame to see how compounding changes the outcome over different horizons, and switch the £/$ toggle to match your currency. The "Extra vs. 0.5% Typical Account" figure is the part worth paying attention to: it's the real cost, in your own numbers, of leaving money in a low-rate account instead of a high-yield one.
Full Reviews
Marcus by Goldman Sachs runs savings and fixed-term products in both the UK and US, with no fees and no minimum balance beyond £1 or $0 to open. In the UK: 3.75% AER on easy access, 4.01% AER on a Cash ISA, and 4.30% AER on a 1-year fixed saver — all held with Goldman Sachs International Bank and covered by the FSCS's current £120,000 limit (shared across Marcus and Saga Savings balances combined, since both sit on the same banking licence). In the US, the Online Savings Account pays 3.50% APY, FDIC insured to $250,000. Marcus ranked first among online banks in JD Power's 2026 US Direct Banking Satisfaction Study specifically in the high-yield savings category, ahead of Ally and Chime.
- Strong, genuinely competitive products in both the UK and US
- No fees, no meaningful minimum balance
- UK: 4.01% AER Cash ISA — one of only two ISAs in this comparison
- £120,000 FSCS (UK) · $250,000 FDIC (US)
- #1 in JD Power 2026 high-yield savings satisfaction
- UK: web-only, no mobile app
- UK: no ISA transfers in
- No current account or debit card in either market
- UK £120K FSCS limit is shared across Marcus + Saga Savings, not per-brand
The strongest all-round pick in this comparison for savers in either market. UK savers get a competitive easy-access account, a genuinely good Cash ISA, and a 1-year fixed saver; US savers get a top-tier, JD Power-recognised savings account. The main thing to know: the £120,000 UK protection limit is shared with Saga Savings, so it isn't extra headroom if you also bank with Saga.
Best forUK & US savers who want one trusted, no-fee provider, plus anyone wanting a straightforward Cash ISA.
Ally Bank is one of the most established online-only banks in the US — no fees, no minimums, FDIC insured to $250,000, and a complete banking ecosystem covering savings, checking, CDs, Money Market and IRAs. The Online Savings Account currently pays 3.10% APY, the same rate regardless of balance, which is solid but not market-leading — some online banks currently advertise yields above 4%. What sets Ally apart is the whole package: Savings Buckets for goal-based saving, Surprise Savings automation, 75,000+ fee-free ATMs, and a Money Market account with a debit card and cheque-writing. Ally placed second behind Marcus in JD Power's 2026 high-yield savings satisfaction rankings.
- No minimum deposit or monthly fee
- FDIC insured up to $250,000
- Savings Buckets & Surprise Savings automation
- 75,000+ fee-free ATMs & Money Market with debit card
- Full banking ecosystem: savings, checking, CDs, IRAs
- 3.10% APY isn't market-leading — some online banks exceed 4%
- US only, no physical branches
- No cash deposits into savings accounts
- 10 withdrawal limit per statement cycle
The benchmark US online bank — not the very highest rate available, but the most complete, consistent, no-fee package, and JD Power's #2-ranked high-yield savings provider in 2026. Best for savers who want one trusted platform for everything rather than chasing the top rate across several providers.
Best forUS savers wanting an emergency fund, goal-based saving tools, and full online banking in one place.
Chase UK is JPMorgan's digital bank for UK consumers, and its Saver with Boosted Rate offers 4.50% AER variable — a 2.25% AER base plus a 2.25% AER new-customer boost for the first 12 months. It's currently open to customers who join Chase from 29 December 2025 and open the boosted saver within their first 31 days. The account is instant access with no fees, no minimum deposit, and FSCS protection up to £120,000. The catches: you need a Chase current account to open one, and the rate drops to the 2.25% AER standard variable rate once the 12-month boost ends. The Chase app also runs a round-up savings feature and 2% cashback on debit card spending through the current account.
- 4.50% AER boosted rate for the first 12 months
- JPMorgan brand — established name behind it
- No fees, no minimum deposit
- FSCS protected up to £120,000
- 2% cashback on debit card spending (current account)
- Requires opening a Chase current account first
- Rate drops to 2.25% AER after 12 months
- Boosted rate is for new Chase customers only, with a tight 31-day window
- App only — no web access
- UK only
Excellent for the first 12 months, particularly if you're also happy to move your current account to Chase for the cashback. Set a reminder for month 10 — the rate drops sharply once the boost ends, and by then it's worth comparing against whatever's leading the table again.
Best forUK savers open to switching current accounts, and anyone comfortable actively managing where their savings sit year to year.
Revolut Savings is the most globally accessible option here, available across 40+ countries in the US, UK, Europe, Australia and beyond, and the only platform on this page letting you earn interest in multiple currencies at once. Revolut Bank UK Ltd completed its exit from mobilisation and received a full UK banking licence in March 2026, so UK savings vaults are now FSCS protected up to £120,000 (some vault balances sit with banking partners such as ClearBank, each carrying their own £120,000 cover). Standard UK vault rates currently run 2.90–4.00% AER depending on subscription tier; a limited-time 5.00% AER promotion on the first £25,000 ran for new customers joining between June and August 2026 and remains active for those who enrolled, through early December 2026. In the US, the High-Yield Account pays up to 4.00% APY (plan-dependent) on the first $10,000, with a lower rate on a Standard Savings account above that, FDIC insured to $250,000.
- Available in 40+ countries globally
- Multi-currency interest (GBP, USD, EUR and more)
- Full UK banking licence since March 2026
- £120,000 FSCS (UK) · $250,000 FDIC (US)
- Integrated with the full Revolut app
- Best rates require a paid subscription plan
- EU rates are lower, tracking ECB policy
- New-customer promo windows come and go — check what's live before assuming a rate
- Not a traditional bank in every market it operates in
The best option for readers who move between currencies or countries. Now that the UK banking licence is fully in place, the FSCS objection UK savers used to raise about Revolut is largely gone. If you already use Revolut day to day, turning on savings takes seconds.
Best forGlobal users, expats, and anyone holding balances in more than one currency.
Atom Bank is a UK app-only bank with the broadest fixed-rate savings range in this comparison — six terms from 6 months to 5 years, currently paying 4.55% AER (6-9 months) up to 5.20% AER on the 5-year term, with the 1-year fixed at 4.90% AER. Alongside the fixed savers, Atom offers an Easy Access Cash ISA at 4.00% AER, a plain Instant Saver at 2.50% AER, and an Instant Saver Reward that pays 4.85% AER in any month you don't withdraw, dropping to 3.25% AER in a month you do. All accounts are FSCS protected up to £120,000. The fixed savers require a £50 minimum per term and lock your money in — no withdrawals until maturity.
- Fixed rates from 6 months to 5 years, up to 5.20% AER
- Easy Access Cash ISA at 4.00% AER — tax-free, no lock-in
- Instant Saver Reward pays 4.85% AER when you don't withdraw
- FSCS protected up to £120,000
- Award-winning app, fast account opening
- No withdrawals during fixed terms
- No ISA transfers in
- App only — no web access
- Plain Instant Saver rate (2.50%) trails Marcus's easy access
The strongest UK option for locking in a fixed rate across multiple time horizons, and the Instant Saver Reward is a clever middle ground if you want to stay flexible but are disciplined about not dipping in. The Cash ISA is also genuinely competitive, not just a token product.
Best forFixed-rate savers, Cash ISA shoppers, and anyone who wants to lock in today's rate rather than ride a variable one.
Wise Assets is an investment product, not a savings account — it invests your idle Wise balance into BlackRock-managed money market funds holding short-term, government-backed instruments, generating daily returns that track central bank rates. Current net rates (after fund fees): GBP 3.29%, USD 3.61%, EUR 2.25%, as of late September 2026. Available in 150+ countries, it's the most globally accessible interest-earning option in this comparison. Because it's an investment fund rather than a deposit, it sits under the FSCS's separate investor-protection limit of £85,000, not the £120,000 deposit limit that applies to the other five accounts here. For existing Wise users with idle GBP, USD or EUR balances, turning on Assets takes under a minute.
- Available in 150+ countries — the widest reach here by far
- GBP 3.29% · USD 3.61% · EUR 2.25% net daily returns
- Fully liquid — spend and send anytime, no lock-in
- BlackRock-managed, government-backed money market funds
- Seconds to enable for existing Wise users
- Investment product, not deposit-insured — falls under the lower £85,000 FSCS investment limit
- EUR rate trails GBP and USD, tracking ECB policy
- Tax treatment differs from ordinary bank interest
- Not worth opening a Wise account solely for this
The most globally accessible returns product on this page, and a genuinely useful default for existing Wise users sitting on idle GBP, USD or EUR. It isn't a substitute for a dedicated, deposit-protected savings account — but for money already parked in Wise, turning on Assets is close to a no-brainer.
Best forInternational users, freelancers, and multi-currency holders who already bank with Wise.
The AAS Take
Unlike the P2P and investing pages on this site, every account here sits within a real protection scheme — the question is rarely "is my money safe," it's "which account fits how I actually use my money." The FSCS limit rising to £120,000 in December 2025 quietly made every UK account on this page meaningfully safer than it was a year ago, and it's worth checking whether your existing bank has caught up.
Don't just chase the top headline rate. A 12-month boosted rate like Chase UK's is genuinely worth having if you'll actually switch again in a year; a permanent, unglamorous rate like Marcus's or Ally's is worth more if you know you won't. If part of your balance won't be touched for a year or more, splitting it into a fixed-rate account (Atom Bank) captures a meaningfully higher rate than any easy-access option here — and if you're a UK taxpayer earning interest above your Personal Savings Allowance, a Cash ISA from Marcus or Atom shelters that interest from tax entirely.
What Are Savings Accounts?
A savings account is a deposit account held with a bank or building society that pays interest on your balance while keeping your money accessible — either instantly, or after a fixed term you agree to upfront. Unlike investing, the amount you put in doesn't fluctuate in value: what changes is only the interest rate applied to it, and in a protected account, your capital itself isn't at risk from market movements.
"High-yield" simply means the rate is meaningfully above what a typical high-street current account or legacy savings account pays — often several times higher. Online-only banks and fintech platforms can afford to pay more because they carry lower overhead than banks with branch networks, and many pass a share of that savings on as a better rate. The trade-off, where there is one, is usually convenience (no branches, app-only in some cases) rather than safety, provided the account sits within a recognised protection scheme like the FSCS or FDIC.
Benefits & Risks of High-Yield Savings Accounts
High-yield savings accounts are about as low-risk as interest-bearing products get, but "low-risk" isn't "no considerations at all." Here's what actually matters on both sides.
Benefit: meaningfully more interest, with your capital protected
The core benefit is straightforward — earning 3-5% instead of near-zero on cash you're not investing, while your principal stays protected up to the relevant scheme limit (£120,000 FSCS in the UK, $250,000 FDIC in the US) rather than being exposed to market movements the way a stock or fund is.
Benefit: liquidity, if you choose an instant-access account
Easy-access accounts like Marcus, Ally, Chase UK's saver, and Revolut's vaults let you withdraw whenever you need to, which makes them the right home for an emergency fund or short-term savings goal — money a fixed-term account or an investment account would lock away or expose to market timing risk.
Risk: inflation can still erode real returns
Even at 4% or 5%, a savings rate can trail inflation in a given year, meaning your money's real purchasing power can still fall even as the account balance rises. Savings accounts protect nominal capital, not purchasing power — that's a trade-off worth accepting for short-term money, but it's a reason not to leave long-term savings sitting in cash indefinitely.
Risk: protection has a limit, and it isn't unlimited or automatic across brands
FSCS and FDIC protection is real, but it's capped, and it applies per authorised institution — not per brand. Marcus and Saga Savings, for instance, share one FSCS licence and one £120,000 limit between them. If you're holding a large balance, check which banking licence an account actually sits under before assuming your full balance is covered.
Risk: promotional rates are temporary, and easy to miss the expiry of
Several of the strongest headline rates in this comparison — Chase UK's 4.50% AER, Revolut's past 5.00% AER offer — are time-limited new-customer promotions that revert to a much lower standard rate. Set a reminder before you open one, so a good first-year decision doesn't quietly turn into a mediocre one in year two.
How to Choose the Best High-Yield Savings Account
There's no single best account — the right one depends on where you live, whether you need instant access, and how much you're holding. These are the factors worth checking in roughly the order they should matter.
Where you're based, and which currency you're saving in
Start here — it narrows the field immediately. UK savers can access Marcus, Chase UK, Atom Bank and Revolut; US savers get Marcus and Ally; and savers elsewhere are generally best served by Revolut or Wise Assets, which both work across dozens to well over a hundred countries.
Whether you need instant access or can lock funds away
If there's any chance you'll need the money within the term, an easy-access account is the only sensible choice, whatever the fixed-rate headline says. If you're confident you won't touch a portion of your savings for 12 months or more, a fixed-term account like Atom Bank's typically pays a meaningfully higher rate for accepting that constraint.
Deposit protection — and which institution actually holds your money
Check that the account sits within a formal scheme (FSCS in the UK, FDIC in the US, or the equivalent EU deposit guarantee scheme), and check which authorised institution the protection limit applies to — some brands share one licence and one limit, so a large balance split across "different" providers on the same licence isn't actually diversified.
Whether the rate is permanent or a new-customer promotion
A 4.5% boosted rate that reverts to 2.25% after a year is a different product from a 3.75% rate that stays roughly where it is. Both can be the right choice — the boosted rate rewards people willing to switch accounts annually, the stable rate rewards people who'd rather set it and forget it — but know which one you're picking before you open it.
Tax treatment, if you're a UK taxpayer
UK savers earning interest above their Personal Savings Allowance (£1,000 for basic-rate taxpayers, £500 for higher-rate, £0 for additional-rate) pay tax on the excess. A Cash ISA shelters up to £20,000 per tax year from that tax entirely, which can be worth more than a slightly higher headline rate on a taxable account once you do the maths.
Fees and minimums
Most accounts in this comparison charge nothing to hold a balance, with minimums ranging from £0 to £50. The main fee to watch for is a withdrawal or transfer fee on certain account types, and any annual management fee on an investment product like Wise Assets, which reduces the net rate you actually earn.
Frequently Asked Questions
On high-yield savings accounts, deposit protection, and which account fits which situation.
A high-yield savings account is a savings account that pays a meaningfully higher interest rate than a traditional high-street bank account. Where an old-fashioned branch bank might pay 0.1-0.5%, a high-yield account from an online bank or fintech platform typically pays 3-4.5% or more. The higher rates are possible because online banks carry lower overhead than banks with physical branch networks, and pass some of that saving on to customers as better rates. Your money is just as safe as it would be at a traditional bank, provided the account sits within a formal deposit protection scheme — every account we review here does.
Yes, up to the scheme limit. In the UK, the FSCS protects up to £120,000 per eligible person, per authorised institution — a limit that rose from £85,000 for firms failing after 30 November 2025. Marcus, Chase UK, Atom Bank and Revolut (UK, via Revolut Bank UK Ltd's full banking licence) all sit under this scheme. In the US, the FDIC covers up to $250,000 per depositor, per bank — Ally and Marcus's US accounts both qualify. Wise Assets is the exception: it's an investment fund, not a deposit account, so it falls under the FSCS's separate investment-protection limit of £85,000 instead. One nuance worth knowing: the protection limit applies per banking licence, not per brand — Marcus and Saga Savings, for example, share one £120,000 limit between them.
AER (Annual Equivalent Rate) and APY (Annual Percentage Yield) are essentially the same calculation expressed under different regional conventions — AER is the standard term used in the UK and EU, APY is the US equivalent. Both express the effective annual interest rate including compounding, so when comparing a UK account to a US account, you can treat AER and APY as directly comparable figures.
A Cash ISA is a UK savings account where you pay no tax on the interest earned, up to £20,000 deposited per tax year. If you're a UK taxpayer earning interest above your Personal Savings Allowance (£1,000 for basic-rate taxpayers, £500 for higher-rate, and £0 for additional-rate taxpayers), a Cash ISA is the most straightforward way to shelter savings interest from tax. Marcus (4.01% AER) and Atom Bank (4.00% AER) both offer easy-access Cash ISAs in this comparison, and for anyone already using their full Personal Savings Allowance, the tax-free wrapper is often worth more than chasing a slightly higher rate on a taxable account.
It depends on whether you might need the money. Instant access accounts let you withdraw at any time — essential for an emergency fund. Fixed-rate accounts lock your money away for an agreed term but pay a meaningfully higher rate in exchange, as Atom Bank's range (4.55-5.20% AER, 6 months to 5 years) shows against Marcus's 3.75% AER easy access. A sensible split is keeping 3-6 months of expenses in an instant-access account, then moving any surplus you're confident you won't need into a fixed-rate account for the higher return.
Revolut Savings and Wise Assets are the most accessible options for savers outside the UK and US. Revolut is available in 40+ countries with savings vaults in GBP, USD and EUR, though its best rates require a paid subscription tier. Wise Assets is available in 150+ countries and pays daily returns on GBP, USD or EUR balances through BlackRock-managed money market funds. Rates in both cases are generally a little lower than the best dedicated UK or US savings accounts, but well above leaving money in an ordinary current account — particularly useful if you already hold GBP or USD balances internationally.