Banking · Self-Employed & Solo Banking
Found Review
Business banking for the self-employed, with tax estimates and bookkeeping built in
Quick verdict
Found is best for Solo and 1099 trades operators (handymen, solo cleaners, single-operator contractors) who want checking, tax estimates, bookkeeping and contractor 1099s in one app. Built for one person's finances, with no payroll listed; not a bank (Lead Bank, Member FDIC provides banking); low cash and check deposit limits; interest only on paid plans; no credit products listed.
Fees & APY
Free plan with no monthly fee; Found Plus is $35/mo or $315/yr and Found Pro is $80/mo or $720/yr, adding interest on balances, extra bookkeeping tools and support perks. Found is a financial technology company, not a bank; banking services are provided by Lead Bank, Member FDIC.
- Monthly fee
- $0 on the free plan; Plus $35/mo or $315/yr; Pro $80/mo or $720/yr
- APY / yield
- None on the free plan; Found Plus pays 1.50% APY on balances up to $20,000 and Found Pro pays 2.50% APY on all balances with no cap (variable rates, per Found's pricing page). Pro also adds 1% cash back on card purchases
Affiliate disclosure: The link to Found on this page goes to its own site and is not an affiliate link.
About Found
Found is a business banking app for self-employed people and one-person businesses, which fits a solo handyman, cleaner or single-operator contractor with 1099 income. Found says it is a financial technology company, not a bank: banking services are provided by Lead Bank, Member FDIC, and Found states that funds are FDIC-insured up to $250,000 per depositor for each account ownership category. The company, legally Indie Technologies, Inc., says it was founded in 2019 and that over 750,000 small business owners have chosen Found.
The main idea is tax handling next to the checking account. Found says it estimates your quarterly taxes and sets money aside when you get paid. Every plan includes expense categorization, receipt scanning, real-time tax estimates, up to 20 Pockets (sub-accounts), team cards with spending controls, unlimited invoicing, and contractor management with W-9 collection and 1099 e-filing. Found says contractor payments are unlimited with no per-contractor fees.
Per Found's pricing page and fee schedule, the free plan has no monthly fee and earns no interest. Found Plus ($35/mo or $315/yr) adds 1.50% APY on balances up to $20,000, transaction importing, unlimited auto-categorization rules and priority phone support. Found Pro ($80/mo or $720/yr) pays 2.50% APY on all balances, 1% cash back on card purchases, and adds a dedicated account manager, free paper checks and $10 outgoing wires instead of $15. The fee schedule lists no overdraft or minimum balance fees, and a $10 fee on accounts dormant for 12 consecutive months.
Cash is possible but limited. Found says you can deposit cash at over 79,000 retail locations, with one free cash deposit a month and $2.00 for each one after that, up to $2,000 per rolling 7 days and $4,000 per rolling 30 days. Mobile check deposits are capped at $3,000 per week for most users, with funds typically available after 4 business days.
The trade-off: Found is built around one person's finances and taxes. Its pricing page lists no payroll, loans or line of credit, and the cash and check deposit limits are low for a trade that takes a lot of cash or large checks, so a growing shop will likely need a second account.
How it works
You open a Found account in the app or online; the free plan has no monthly fee. As payments come in, Found estimates your self-employment taxes and sets money aside, and you can split money across up to 20 Pockets. Expenses are categorized for write-offs, receipts can be scanned, invoices are unlimited, and you can pay contractors, collect W-9s and e-file 1099s from the same app. You fund the account by bank transfer, direct deposit, mobile check deposit (up to $3,000 per week for most users) or cash at retail locations (one free cash deposit a month, then $2.00 each). Upgrading to Plus or Pro adds interest on balances and extra bookkeeping and support features; outgoing wires cost $15, or $10 on Pro.
Pros & cons
What works
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Tax estimates and set-aside
Found says it estimates your quarterly taxes and sets money aside when you get paid, so a 1099 operator has tax money separated before quarterly deadlines.
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Banking, bookkeeping and invoicing in one app
Every plan includes expense categorization, receipt scanning, real-time tax estimates and unlimited invoicing next to the checking account, so a solo operator may not need a separate bookkeeping tool.
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Free plan with no monthly fee
The base plan costs $0, and Found's fee schedule lists no overdraft or minimum balance fees. Plus and Pro are optional upgrades with a 30-day free trial.
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Contractor payments and 1099s
Found says contractor payments are unlimited with no per-contractor fees, and every plan includes W-9 collection and 1099 e-filing, handy for a solo who pays helpers now and then.
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Interest on paid plans
Found Plus pays 1.50% APY on balances up to $20,000 and Found Pro pays 2.50% APY with no cap (variable rates), so tax reserves can earn interest if the plan fee makes sense for your balance.
What doesn't
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Built around one person's finances
Found is aimed at the self-employed. It offers team cards, but its pricing page lists no payroll, so a shop with employees will need other tools.
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Not a bank
Found is a financial technology company; banking services are provided by Lead Bank, Member FDIC. Found states that FDIC insurance covers up to $250,000 per depositor per ownership category and only covers the failure of an insured bank.
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Low cash and check deposit limits
Retail cash deposits are capped at $2,000 per rolling 7 days and $4,000 per rolling 30 days and cost $2.00 each after the first free one each month; mobile check deposits are capped at $3,000 per week for most users.
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Interest costs a monthly fee
The free plan earns no APY. Interest starts on Plus ($35/mo, on balances up to $20,000), and the uncapped 2.50% rate needs Pro ($80/mo).
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No credit products listed
Found's pricing page lists no line of credit or loans, so contractors who want working capital next to their bank account need a separate lender.
Features & integrations
Key features
Integrations
Frequently asked
Who is Found best for?
Solo and self-employed trades operators, such as a one-person handyman, cleaner or single-operator contractor, who have 1099 income and want banking that estimates and sets aside quarterly taxes, with bookkeeping, invoicing and contractor 1099s in the same app. Its pricing page lists no payroll or credit products, so it is not built for a growing shop with employees.
How much does Found cost?
The free plan has no monthly fee and includes checking, tax estimates, bookkeeping, invoicing and contractor management. Found Plus is $35/mo or $315/yr and Found Pro is $80/mo or $720/yr; they add interest on balances and extra bookkeeping and support features. Other fees on Found's fee schedule include $15 outgoing wires ($10 on Pro), $1 per outgoing paper check (free on Pro) and a $10 dormancy fee after 12 months of inactivity.
Is Found a real bank?
No. Found says it is a financial technology company, not a bank; banking services are provided by Lead Bank, Member FDIC. Found states that funds are FDIC-insured up to $250,000 per depositor for each account ownership category, and that FDIC insurance only covers the failure of an FDIC-insured bank.
Can I deposit cash with Found?
Yes, with limits. Found says account holders can deposit cash at over 79,000 retail locations. The first cash deposit each month is free and each one after that costs $2.00; deposits must be at least $5 and are capped at $2,000 per rolling 7 days and $4,000 per rolling 30 days. A trade that banks a lot of cash will likely need a second account.
Does Found pay interest?
Only on paid plans. Per Found's pricing page, Found Plus pays 1.50% APY on balances up to $20,000 and Found Pro pays 2.50% APY on all balances with no cap; the free plan earns no interest. Found says the APY is variable and subject to change.
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