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Capital One
Full-service banking with no monthly fees or overdraft charges
High ratings for its mobile app and customer satisfaction
Over 70,000 fee-free ATMs
Permits fee-free cash deposits at Walgreens or CVS
VS
Wells Fargo
One of the largest branch networks of any U.S. bank
Top-rated and full-featured app
Free notary service in local branches
Our view
If you judge solely on interest rates, Capital One is the overall better option for banking due to its 3.40% APY1 <span>A rate of 3.40% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) applies to all account balances. Advertised rates are variable and effective as of 10/01/25. Rates are subject to change at any time before or after account opening.</span> on the Capital One 360 Performance Savings. But Capital One is also better than Wells Fargo for avoiding banking fees and minimums with its popular 360 Checking account, and it's a stronger option for kids banking and select credit cards. The downside to Capital One is its limited product selection and limited number of branches (it has locations in just nine states).
Wells Fargo makes sense if you want access to more in-person locations and a wider variety of banking services, including home loans, personal loans, and retirement accounts. It also has Clear Access banking, a second-chance bank account that is a good fit if you have a spotty banking history. If you value in-person banking or having all your financial accounts under one roof, Wells Fargo is a solid choice.
If you judge solely on interest rates, Capital One is the overall better option for banking due to its 3.40% APY1 <span>A rate of 3.40% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) applies to all account balances. Advertised rates are variable and effective as of 10/01/25. Rates are subject to change at any time before or after account opening.</span> on the Capital One 360 Performance Savings. But Capital One is also better than Wells Fargo for avoiding banking fees and minimums with its popular 360 Checking account, and it's a stronger option for kids banking and select credit cards. The downside to Capital One is its limited product selection and limited number of branches (it has locations in just nine states).
Wells Fargo makes sense if you want access to more in-person locations and a wider variety of banking services, including home loans, personal loans, and retirement accounts. It also has Clear Access banking, a second-chance bank account that is a good fit if you have a spotty banking history. If you value in-person banking or having all your financial accounts under one roof, Wells Fargo is a solid choice.
How we rate products
We know checking and savings accounts can be critical tools for managing your money. They're one of the financial tools you use the most. That's why the features offered by a bank matter so much and we've taken that into consideration in our evaluations.
We consider the annual percentage yield (APY), account features, minimum opening balance required, fees, customer service, and FDIC insurance. The best banks also offer a variety of account types and the support you need to you make the most of your money.
We intensively research all products and services we review, and our team members personally use a wide array of financial products. Our product rankings and scores are based on objective measurements and product features as well as expert opinions from our editorial team.
You'll notice we didn't include APYs in this table, and that's because they're not worth talking about. Unfortunately, checking accounts from Wells Fargo and Capital One earn little to no interest, though they can still be worth it. It's not uncommon for checking accounts, especially accounts from big banks, to have very poor or 0% APYs. If lack of interest is a problem for you, check out high-interest checking and rewards checking accounts.
4.9
FinanceBuzz writers and editors score products and companies on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment.
Our partners do not influence our ratings.
2025 award winnerBest Overall Checking Account
CapitalOne 360 Checking — Earn a $250 bonus
Earn a $250 bonus with fee-free 360 Checking. No fees, no minimums, no overdraft fees. Terms Apply.2 <p>1. Open a 360 Checking account on or after August 22, 2024, using promotional code CHECKING250. 2. Set up and receive at least 2 Qualifying Direct Deposits each of $500 or more to your 360 Checking account within 75 days of account opening. 3. Capital One will deposit the bonus into your account after the first two requirements listed above are completed. See full offer details and when the bonus will be posted at <a href="https://www.capitalone.com/bank/checking250/affiliate/">https://www.capitalone.com/bank/checking250/affiliate/</a>.</p>
Capital One's 360 Checking is a solid choice if you want an easy-to-use checking account with little to no fees and no minimum account balance or opening deposit requirements. Wells Fargo has more checking accounts to choose from, but they all have minimum opening deposit requirements and come with monthly fees.
Fees can be waived, though, if you meet the requirements, which could include performing certain actions, such as having $500 or more in qualifying direct deposits or a $500 minimum daily balance on the Everyday Checking account. But you don't have to worry about a monthly service fee at all with the Capital One 360 Checking account.
Between Capital One and many other big banks, including Wells Fargo, you're better off going with Capital One for family banking. This is because Capital One stands out from other institutions for offering bank accounts specifically for kids and teens.
Its widely praised MONEY Teen Checking account is available to kids over the age of eight, and it includes kids' debit cards and money management features such as the ability to earn allowance, create savings goals, track spending, make cash deposits, and more. It doesn't offer the level of parental control some kids' banking platforms provide, but it has long been one of the best options on the market for joint banking with a child without paying subscription fees.
On the savings side, Capital One offers Kids Savings Accounts. These earn 2.50% (as of 10/14/25) APY, which isn't too impressive when you consider all high-yield savings accounts, but is competitive across savings accounts for kids (which are, unfortunately, few and far between).
When you should choose Wells Fargo
You want second-chance banking
Though Capital One has the best interest rates and no fees, you might choose Wells Fargo if you need a second-chance bank account.
Years ago, I got into a tough spot and was having trouble opening a checking account. I was sure Wells Fargo would reject my application, too, but instead, I was able to open what is now the Clear Access checking account. Eventually, I was able to convert that to an Everyday Checking account that I still use today.
There's also something to be said for being able to walk into a branch and deposit cash or ask an actual human questions. Both Capital One and Wells Fargo are technically brick-and-mortar banks with in-person locations, but Wells Fargo has a significantly larger footprint.
However, the 360 Checking account strikes a better balance between interest rates and minimal fees. Overall, if you don't care about branch access, or if you live in an area with Capital One locations, I would choose Capital One over Wells Fargo.
4.3
FinanceBuzz writers and editors score products and companies on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment.
Our partners do not influence our ratings.
Enjoy $300 as a new Chase checking customer
When you open a new Chase Total Checking® account with qualifying activities.3 <p>Offer not available to existing Chase checking customers, or those whose accounts have been closed within 90 days or closed with a negative balance within the last 3 years. You can receive only one new checking account opening related bonus every two years from the last coupon enrollment date and only one bonus per account. Coupon is good for one-time use. To receive the bonus: 1) Open a new Chase Total Checking account, which is subject to approval; AND 2) Have your direct deposits totaling $500 or more made to this account within 90 days of coupon enrollment. Your direct deposit needs to be an electronic deposit of your paycheck, pension or government benefits (such as Social Security) from your employer or the government. Person to Person payments (such as Zelle®) are not considered a direct deposit. Micro-deposits do not qualify as a direct deposit for the bonus. Micro-deposits are small deposits, typically less than $1, that are sent to your account to verify it is the correct account. After you have completed all the above requirements, we'll deposit the bonus in your new account within 15 days. To receive this bonus, the enrolled account must not be closed or restricted at the time of payout. Eligibility may be limited based on account ownership. Bonus is considered interest and will be reported on IRS Form 1099-INT (or Form 1042-S, if applicable). Offer availability subject to change. Other Chase checking bonus offers may exist concurrently.</p> FDIC Insured. Offer valid through 1/21/2026.
FinanceBuzz writers and editors score products and companies on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment.
Our partners do not influence our ratings.
Use Cash App As Your All-in-One Financial Services Platform
Bank4 <p>Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Savings provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand.</p><p class="">Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Direct Deposit provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand.</p> without all the fees—save, send, and spend your money the way you want.5 <p class="">Your balance is eligible for FDIC pass-through insurance through our Program Banks Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and/or Sutton Bank, Members FDIC for up to $250,000 per customer when aggregated with all other deposits held in the same legal capacity at each Program Bank above, if certain conditions are met. Cash App is a financial services platform, and not an FDIC-insured bank. Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See <a href="https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement">terms and conditions</a>. </p> Get paid up to 2 days early – up to 2 days earlier than most banks6 <p>Your first deposit may take longer depending on your employer.</p>
FinanceBuzz writers and editors score products and companies on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment.
Our partners do not influence our ratings.
2025 award winnerBest Checking and Savings Combo
SoFi Checking & Savings - Earn Up to $300 When You Set Up Direct Deposit
Limited-Time Offer: Earn a $50 or $300 bonus and up to 4.30% APY on Savings (3.60% APY7 <p>New and existing Checking and Savings members who have not previously enrolled in Direct Deposit with SoFi are eligible to earn a cash bonus of either $50 (with at least $1,000 total Eligible Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period) OR $300 (with at least $5,000 total Eligible Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period). Cash bonus will be based on the total amount of Eligible Direct Deposit. If you have satisfied the Eligible Direct Deposit requirements but have not received a cash bonus in your Checking account, please contact us at 855-456-7634 with the details of your Eligible Direct Deposit. Direct Deposit Promotion begins on 12/7/2023 and will be available through 1/31/2026. Full terms at sofi.com/banking. SoFi Checking and Savings is offered through SoFi Bank, N.A., Member FDIC.</p><p>SoFi members with Eligible Direct Deposit can earn 3.60% 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 3.60% APY for savings (including Vaults). Members without Eligible Direct Deposit 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 11/12/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. Fees may reduce earnings. Additional information can be found at<a href="http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet" >http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet</a>.</p> with +0.70% APY Boost) for 6 Months on new accounts with eligible direct deposit. Terms Apply.8 <p>Earn up to 4.30% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on SoFi Savings with a 0.70% APY Boost (added to the 3.60% APY as of 11/12/25) for up to 6 months. Open a new SoFi Checking and Savings account and pay the $10 SoFi Plus subscription every 30 days OR receive eligible direct deposits OR qualifying deposits of $5,000 every 31 days by 1/31/26. Rates variable, subject to change. Terms apply at <a href="https://www.sofi.com/banking/#2">sofi.com/banking#2</a>. SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.</p> FDIC Insured.9 <p><b style="font-family: Rubik, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif;">SoFi Bank is a member FDIC and does not provide more than $250,000 of FDIC insurance per depositor per legal category of account ownership, as described in the FDIC’s regulations. Any additional FDIC insurance is provided by the SoFi Insured Deposit Program. Deposits may be insured up to $3M through participation in the program. See full terms at <a href="http://sofi.com/banking/fdic/sidpterms">SoFi.com/banking/fdic/sidpterms</a>. See list of participating banks at <a href="http://sofi.com/banking/fdic/participatingbanks">SoFi.com/banking/fdic/participatingbanks</a>.</b></p>
Savings accounts and certificates of deposit (CDs) are designed to park your funds in low-risk, FDIC-insured environments, and both the Capital One and Wells Fargo products accomplish that. But the Capital One accounts simply provide better benefits, including higher APYs and no minimum deposits.
You might want to go with Wells Fargo's savings accounts over Capital One's if you want an account to pair with a Wells Fargo checking account. You can move money easily between the two accounts and get a smidgen more in interest in savings vs. checking.
Overall, you can earn more interest on your savings with the available Capital One savings accounts and CDs. And it's easier to get started because you don't have to put down a minimum amount of money to open an account. In contrast, all the Wells Fargo products have minimum deposit requirements, and the requirements for Wells Fargo CDs could be quite high for some people.
So, unless you have a compelling reason to go with Wells Fargo, Capital One is far and away the better choice for savings and a more accessible choice for CDs, with potentially higher rates depending on the term.
Wells Fargo vs. Capital One credit cards
Both Capital One and Wells Fargo offer useful credit cards that offer a lot of value. But the cards are very different, so it's a bit of an apples-to-oranges comparison. In broad strokes, Capital One has better travel cards, and Wells Fargo has a better balance transfer and flat-rate rewards card.
Wells Fargo credit cards
Wells Fargo credit cards generally don't have annual fees and typically provide cell phone protection. Many of them also provide intro APR offers, which could be helpful if you want to do a balance transfer and avoid interest charges for a certain period of time.
Why you should choose Wells Fargo if you need other financial products
If you're looking to have your financial life with one bank, you'll want to go with Wells Fargo. It provides more banking products and services than Capital One.
Both banks offer credit cards, checking accounts, savings accounts, CDs, and auto loans. But Wells Fargo also provides home loans, personal loans, retirement accounts, full-service financial advisors, brokerage accounts, and corporate and investment banking solutions.
If you use any of these additional services, it could be helpful to have all your banking needs under one roof. Then you can manage your finances from one location rather than having a credit card with one bank, a home loan with another bank, and a retirement account with a third bank — which is a possible scenario with Capital One because it doesn't provide as many financial services.
FAQs
Is Capital One 360 better than Wells Fargo?
Yes, Capital One 360 is arguably better than Wells Fargo for many people. Capital One 360 accounts generally have fewer fees and better interest rates than similar Wells Fargo accounts. Wells Fargo checking and savings accounts typically require a minimum opening deposit and have monthly fees. But Capital One 360 checking and savings accounts have no minimum opening deposit and no monthly fees.
Is Capital One bigger than Wells Fargo?
Wells Fargo is bigger than Capital One in terms of the number of branches and asset size. According to data from the Federal Reserve, Wells Fargo is the fourth-largest commercial bank in the U.S. by asset size, with over $1.8 trillion in domestic assets. Capital One, by comparison, has around $648 billion in domestic assets, which makes it the sixth-largest.
Bottom line
Wells Fargo is better if you prefer in-person banking locations or want a full-service financial institution for all your banking needs. This is because Wells Fargo has loads more in-person branches and provides services you won't find at Capital One, including home loans and brokerage accounts.
But go with Capital One if you want better interest rates. The interest rates on Wells Fargo checking and savings accounts are generally quite low, especially compared with the higher rates on Capital One 360 accounts. And Capital One 360 Checking doesn't have any monthly service fees to worry about.
For our recommended banking options, check out our list of the best banks.
FinanceBuzz writers and editors score products and companies on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment.
Our partners do not influence our ratings.
2025 award winnerBest Checking and Savings Combo
High APY of up to 4.30% on Savings (3.60% APY7 <p>New and existing Checking and Savings members who have not previously enrolled in Direct Deposit with SoFi are eligible to earn a cash bonus of either $50 (with at least $1,000 total Eligible Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period) OR $300 (with at least $5,000 total Eligible Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period). Cash bonus will be based on the total amount of Eligible Direct Deposit. If you have satisfied the Eligible Direct Deposit requirements but have not received a cash bonus in your Checking account, please contact us at 855-456-7634 with the details of your Eligible Direct Deposit. Direct Deposit Promotion begins on 12/7/2023 and will be available through 1/31/2026. Full terms at sofi.com/banking. SoFi Checking and Savings is offered through SoFi Bank, N.A., Member FDIC.</p><p>SoFi members with Eligible Direct Deposit can earn 3.60% 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 3.60% APY for savings (including Vaults). Members without Eligible Direct Deposit 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 11/12/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. Fees may reduce earnings. Additional information can be found at<a href="http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet" >http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet</a>.</p> with +0.70% APY Boost) for 6 Months on new accounts with eligible direct deposit. Terms Apply.8 <p>Earn up to 4.30% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on SoFi Savings with a 0.70% APY Boost (added to the 3.60% APY as of 11/12/25) for up to 6 months. Open a new SoFi Checking and Savings account and pay the $10 SoFi Plus subscription every 30 days OR receive eligible direct deposits OR qualifying deposits of $5,000 every 31 days by 1/31/26. Rates variable, subject to change. Terms apply at <a href="https://www.sofi.com/banking/#2">sofi.com/banking#2</a>. SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.</p>
Paycheck access up to 2 days early with direct deposit10 <p>Early access to direct deposit funds is based on the timing in which we receive notice of impending payment from the Federal Reserve, which is typically up to two days before the scheduled payment date, but may vary.</p>
No monthly maintenance or overdraft fees11 <p>We do not charge any account, service or maintenance fees for SoFi Checking and Savings. We do charge a transaction fee to process each outgoing wire transfer. SoFi does not charge a fee for incoming wire transfers, however the sending bank may charge a fee. Our fee policy is subject to change at any time. See the SoFi Checking & Savings Fee Sheet for details at <a href="http://sofi.com/legal/banking-fees/">sofi.com/legal/banking-fees/</a></p>
Streamlined savings and savings goals with Vaults
Access to a large ATM network12 <p>We’ve partnered with Allpoint to provide you with ATM access at any of the 55,000+ ATMs within the Allpoint network. You will not be charged a fee when using an in-network ATM, however, third-party fees may be incurred when using out-of-network ATMs. SoFi’s ATM policies are subject to change at our discretion at any time.</p>
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