Shine vs Tide Comparison
Compare Shine vs Tide features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
Shine
6.1/10
French online business account for freelancers and small companies, with Mastercard cards, built-in invoicing, receipt capture and accounting exports.
Tide
6.4/10
Tide is a UK app-based business current account for sole traders and small firms, with optional built-in invoicing, accounting, VAT filing and payroll.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.1/10 | 6.4/10 |
| Scalability | 4/10 | 4/10 |
| Analytics | 4/10 | 5/10 |
| Compliance | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Integration | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Security | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Support | 7/10 | 4/10 |
| Cost | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Customization | 4/10 | 4/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | Contact for pricing | £12/mo Smart |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Free Free | Free Lite |
| Features | ||
| Payroll | ||
| Accountant Access | ||
| Bank Reconciliation | ||
| Corporate Cards | ||
| Expense Management | ||
| Invoicing | ||
| Online Payments | ||
| Financial Reporting | Not listed | |
| Tax Compliance | Not listed | |
Shine vs Tide cost by team size
| Team size | Shine | Tide |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeFree | FreeLite |
| 5 users | FreeFree | FreeLite |
| 10 users | FreeFree | FreeLite |
| 25 users | FreeFree | FreeLite |
| 50 users | FreeFree | FreeLite |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Shine
- Higher Support score (7/10 vs 4/10)
Why choose Tide
- Higher Analytics score (5/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Compliance score (7/10 vs 6/10)
- Better fit for startups (8/10 vs 6/10)
- Includes Payroll, which Shine lacks
Pros & Cons
Shine
Pros
- A real free plan that includes unlimited quotes and invoices with automatic reminders
- Cash deposits through tobacconists, which few online business accounts offer
- Strong Trustpilot ratings of about 4.6 to 4.7 out of 5 across thousands of reviews, and an in-house support team based in France
- Paid plans have a 30-day trial and no commitment
Cons
- As a payment institution it offers no overdraft, loans or interest-bearing account
- Higher fees than some rivals on non-euro card payments and international transfers
- No phone support on the Free plan, and reviewers report accounts blocked without warning
- Garnishment processing fees of 10 percent, capped at 100 EUR, criticised as poorly signposted
Tide
Pros
- A free Lite plan includes a sort code account, card, payment links and Tap to Pay with no monthly fee.
- MTD VAT returns can be filed to HMRC directly from the app.
- Every plan syncs with major UK accounting packages, including Xero, QuickBooks, Sage and FreeAgent.
- Deposits are FSCS-protected through ClearBank, up to £120,000.
- Limited companies can be registered cheaply during sign-up.
Cons
- Reviewers frequently report accounts frozen or paused without explanation.
- Support responses can take days, according to user reviews.
- There are no overdrafts or business credit cards.
- Plans cap the number of team cards and users, at most 5 users on Max.
- The accounting tools lack a full general ledger and multi-entity features.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Tide scores higher on our Finance Software criteria: 6.4/10 against 6.1/10 for Shine. The largest gap is in Support: 7/10 for Shine and 4/10 for Tide.
Yes, both Shine and Tide have a free plan.
Tide is the better fit for startups: we rate it 8/10 for them, against 6/10 for Shine.
Tide has Payroll, which Shine lacks.
