SoFi® vs. Capital One: Which Bank Is Right for You?
Review
Updated
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Bottom line: Ultimately, SoFi® might be a better fit for you if you can bank solely online; if you need branch access (and live near one), consider Capital One.
Capital One's been around since 1994, and it's best known for its credit cards (which were intended to be more user-friendly than other cards on the market at the time). It's only been offering consumer banking services since the mid-2000s, and also provides auto loans and business banking.
SoFi® was founded in 2011 by Stanford business students and has since grown by leaps and bounds. It's a bit light on bank account options at this time, but it also offers loans of all kinds, investment accounts, insurance, and credit cards.
| Offer |
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|---|---|---|
| Account |
SoFi Checking and Savings
On SoFi's Secure Website. |
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| Rating |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
| APY | up to 3.80% Rate info SoFi members who enroll in SoFi Plus with Eligible Direct Deposit or by paying the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee every 30 days or SoFi members with $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits during the 30-Day Evaluation Period can earn 3.80% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Eligible Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. Members without either SoFi Plus or Qualifying Deposits, during the 30-Day Evaluation Period will earn 1.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 1/24/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. If you have satisfied Eligible Direct Deposit requirements for our highest APY but do not see 3.80% APY on your APY Details page the day after your Eligible Direct Deposit arrives, please contact us at 855-456-7634. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet. See the SoFi Plus Terms and Conditions at https://www.sofi.com/terms-of-use/#plus. | 3.60% Rate info See Capital One website for most up-to-date rates. Advertised Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is variable and accurate as of April 8, 2025. Rates are subject to change at any time before or after account opening. |
| Min. to earn APY | $0 | $0 |
| Next Steps |
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At SoFi®, you can't have a savings account without a checking account (although they are separate accounts). I'll discuss the checking account below, SoFi®'s savings account has a top APY -- if you can meet the direct deposit requirement for one of your SoFi® bank accounts or deposit $5,000 or more every 30 days. Thankfully, the account comes without fees.³
Capital One can do great things for your savings. Its Capital One 360 Performance Savings comes with a solid APY right in line with some of the best high-yield savings accounts on the market. Plus, it has no fees.
| Offer |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Account |
SoFi Checking and Savings
On SoFi's Secure Website. |
|
| Rating |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
| APY | 0.50% Rate info SoFi members who enroll in SoFi Plus with Eligible Direct Deposit or by paying the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee every 30 days or SoFi members with $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits during the 30-Day Evaluation Period can earn 3.80% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Eligible Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. Members without either SoFi Plus or Qualifying Deposits, during the 30-Day Evaluation Period will earn 1.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 1/24/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. If you have satisfied Eligible Direct Deposit requirements for our highest APY but do not see 3.80% APY on your APY Details page the day after your Eligible Direct Deposit arrives, please contact us at 855-456-7634. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet. See the SoFi Plus Terms and Conditions at https://www.sofi.com/terms-of-use/#plus. | 0.10% |
| Min. to earn APY | $0 | $0 |
| Next Steps |
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The SoFi Checking and Savings accounts (member FDIC)⁴ go hand in hand. The checking side of the equation will pay you a very nice APY (for a checking account), provided you meet the requirements discussed above.
You also have access to overdraft protection⁷ with that direct deposit set-up, and might even be able to get your paychecks up to two days early⁶ (depending on your employer).
Capital One has a few choices for personal checking accounts. The Capital One 360 Checking account won't charge you a monthly maintenance fee. Plus, it earns an APY, which is less common for checking accounts.
The Capital One MONEY Teen Checking Account is a nice option for a young person. It also has no fees and includes the means to check up on your teen's banking activities.
At this time, SoFi® doesn't offer certificates of deposit (CDs) -- but stay tuned, as this growing financial institution could in the future.
Capital One CDs are a good choice due to their solid APYs on all terms offered (a range of options from three months to five years). And unlike many CD issuers, you won't need a minimum deposit to open an account.
APY = Annual Percentage Yield
Backed by Capital One's well-known brand, the Capital One 360 CDs offer competitive rates across many common terms, though they're stronger in durations of a year or longer. There's no minimum deposit, so savers can benefit even if they don't have a large sum to deposit. Check Capital One's website for the most up-to-date rates.
| 6 Mo. APY | 9 Mo. APY | 1 Yr. APY | 1.5 Yr. APY | 2 Yr. APY | 30 Mo. APY | 3 Yr. APY | 4 Yr. APY | 5 Yr. APY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.80% | 3.80% | 4.00% | 3.70% | 3.50% | 3.50% | 3.50% | 3.50% | 3.50% |
Ideally, you're earning interest on your banked cash, and thankfully, both SoFi® and Capital One give you the chance to earn a notable APY (annual percentage yield) on various accounts.
As of this writing, SoFi® has the higher APY for a savings account -- but you have to fulfill the direct deposit or balance requirement to qualify for it (and if you can't, the resulting APY is quite low for an online bank).
Capital One, on the other hand, requires no direct deposit or minimum balance to earn its savings account APY, which is still competitive.
Both SoFi® and Capital One have interest-bearing checking accounts, too, and the rate for SoFi® is higher than for Capital One (assuming you can meet the requirements). If you want a CD, you'll have to turn to Capital One, where you'll find fairly competitive APYs across all available terms.
Make sure you're getting the best account for you by comparing savings rates and promotions. Here are some of our favorite high-yield savings accounts to consider.
| Account | APY | Promotion | Next Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
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Open Account for SoFi Checking and Savings
On SoFi's Secure Website.
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
up to 3.80%
Rate info
SoFi members who enroll in SoFi Plus with Eligible Direct Deposit or by paying the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee every 30 days or SoFi members with $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits during the 30-Day Evaluation Period can earn 3.80% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Eligible Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. Members without either SoFi Plus or Qualifying Deposits, during the 30-Day Evaluation Period will earn 1.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 1/24/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. If you have satisfied Eligible Direct Deposit requirements for our highest APY but do not see 3.80% APY on your APY Details page the day after your Eligible Direct Deposit arrives, please contact us at 855-456-7634. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet. See the SoFi Plus Terms and Conditions at https://www.sofi.com/terms-of-use/#plus.
Min. to earn: $0
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New customers can earn up to a $300 bonus with qualifying direct deposits!
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Open Account for SoFi Checking and Savings
On SoFi's Secure Website. |
Open Account for Western Alliance Bank High-Yield Savings Premier
On Western Alliance Bank's Secure Website.
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
4.30%
Rate info
The annual percentage yield (APY) is accurate as of May 2, 2025 and subject to change at the Bank’s discretion. Refer to product’s website for latest APY rate. Minimum deposit required to open an account is $500 and a minimum balance of $0.01 is required to earn the advertised APY.
Min. to earn: $500 to open, $0.01 for max APY
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N/A
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Open Account for Western Alliance Bank High-Yield Savings Premier
On Western Alliance Bank's Secure Website. |
Open Account for Barclays Tiered Savings
On Barclays' Secure Website.
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
4.00%
Rate info
Balances less than $250,000 earn 4.00%, and balances greater than $250,000 earn 4.20%.
Min. to earn: $0
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N/A
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Open Account for Barclays Tiered Savings
On Barclays' Secure Website. |
You can reach a SoFi® representative between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. PT Monday to Thursday and 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. You can also access a 24/7 chat function on SoFi®'s website.
You have the option for in-person customer service if you need help with a Capital One account and live in an area that has a branch or Capital One Cafe location. You can also call Capital One and reach someone from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET seven days a week.
| Capital One | SoFi® | |
|---|---|---|
| Customer service availability | Phone | Phone, chat, X |
| Physical branch locations | Yes | None |
SoFi® offers a lot of financial products alongside checking and savings accounts, and it's no surprise that the SoFi® mobile app packs in so many features. You can see your account balances, of course, but you can also take advantage of budgeting tools, bill tracking, and credit score monitoring. The SoFi® app has a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars on the App Store and 4.0 out of 5 for Google Play.
Capital One also has an excellent app with useful features like bill pay and access to a credit-monitoring service. Users are overall pleased with their experience based on app ratings -- 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store and 4.6 out of 5 on Google Play.
| Capital One | SoFi® | |
|---|---|---|
| App Store rating | 4.9 | 4.8 |
| Google Play rating | 4.5 | 3.8 |
Ultimately the choice is yours. No matter which bank you decide to go with, you'll have access to high APYs on banked cash, excellent customer service, and powerful technology.
If in-person banking is something you enjoy, and you happen to live in an area with a Capital One branch, that could be right for you. But if you're ready to embrace fully online banking and enjoy the many perks of SoFi® membership, give this bank a closer look.
On SoFi's Secure Website.
Member FDIC.
SoFi Checking and Savings
On SoFi's Secure Website.
On SoFi's Secure Website.
For those who plan to set up direct deposit with their new account, we think SoFi Checking and Savings (Member FDIC) is hard to beat. Not only does this savings account offer a strong APY, but the linked checking account earns an above-average rate, too -- which is a rare perk. Plus, there's the opportunity for a bonus of up to $300 and a long list of extra account features. Frankly, it's the kind of combo that could make it worthwhile to switch banking relationships.
You can earn the maximum APY either by making direct deposits into checking or savings, or by depositing $5,000 or more every 30 days. Learn more.
2025 Award Winner
Capital One 360 Performance Savings
Capital One 360 Performance Savings checks all the boxes we look for in a high-yield savings account. It even offers branch locations and Capital One Cafes where customers can seek in-person support (if you live near one). This makes it a great fit when you want to reap the rewards of online banking but aren't quite ready to cut ties with brick-and-mortar banks.
Our methodology for scoring banks and credit unions revolves around evaluating key aspects such as annual percentage yield (APY), brand reputation, fees and minimum requirements, and additional perks.
These criteria are weighted differently across various account types, ensuring a comprehensive assessment that reflects the competitive landscape and economic conditions.
We strictly feature products that offer federal insurance and high customer satisfaction, keeping our recommendations unbiased by advertiser influence. This robust evaluation process helps us generate balanced, reliable best-of lists that guide consumers to top financial products.
Learn more about how Motley Fool Money rates bank accounts.
SoFi® could be right for the person who wants a streamlined online bank option and is interested in taking advantage of SoFi®'s relationship benefits. You'll be in line for discounted rates on loans and member rewards alongside your SoFi Checking and Savings accounts.
Capital One might be the perfect option for the person who likes banking online but might occasionally want to seek out in-person help at a Capital One Cafe or branch location. And if you want a solid APY on a CD account, definitely consider Capital One.
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Motley Fool Money is 100% owned and operated by The Motley Fool. Our knowledgeable team of personal finance editors and analysts are employed by The Motley Fool and held to the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page. APYs are subject to change at any time without notice.
