Mercury vs Rho (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Mercury grades higher than Rho: 3.0 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Mercury grades higher on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Mercury
Business banking with cards, expenses, bill pay and invoicing
Which one is for you
Pick Mercury if
- Fits if you run a startup and want cards, bill pay and invoicing on a $0 account
- Works for companies that send USD payments and sync to QuickBooks or Xero
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Android, as only web and iPhone are listed
- Pricey if you want ACH debit invoicing at $0 or a relationship manager, which sit on Pro at $299 a month
- Watch out: Mercury isn't an FDIC-insured bank, as banking comes from Choice Financial Group and Column N.A.
- Watch out: non-USD international wires carry a 1% exchange fee and non-USD card transactions 3%
- Watch out: Books is $35 a month and Payroll $100 plus $50 a person, both waived only until 31 December 2026
Pick Rho if
- Fits if you already bank with Rho and want to approve and file on your iPhone
- Works for founders who handle receipts from their phone
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you use Android, as only an iPhone listing is on record
- Pricey if you can't see a price, as none could be read
- Watch out: Rho says it is not a bank, and banking and cards come from Webster Bank, N.A., Member FDIC
- Too light for full expense policies, as the listing shows card, receipt and approval screens only
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAMercuryVery good | 1.6GPARhoWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BThe Mercury plan is $0, with Plus at $29.90 a month and Pro at $299 on yearly billing. The core is free, so the paid plans are optional. | CNo price could be read, as rho.co blocked automated requests. Middle by default against the category's $7.50, $12 and $20. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe $0 plan has no monthly fee or minimum balance, with cards, expense management, invoicing and bill pay. A 30-day free trial of Plus is offered. | FNo free plan and no trial on record, so nothing to try before paying. |
| Features | BCompany cards, expense management, bill pay and payments, invoicing and accounting integrations on the free plan. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core work. | CCard management, receipts, reimbursement requests, payment approvals and balances. It is an account companion more than a full expense system. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You open a business bank account, which takes setup and verification. | C4.6 on the App Store, but from only 53 ratings, which is under the 300 we need for a rating to count. You also need an account. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb and iPhone, with QuickBooks, Xero and NetSuite. No Android or desktop app listed. | CiPhone only on record, with no web or Android listing confirmed. One family of devices. |
| Best for | online business banking for startups | managing a Rho business card and bank account on iPhone |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Mercury and Rho. How we grade
Where they differ
- Mercury also covers invoicing, bookkeeping and payroll.
At a glance
| Mercury | Rho | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $29.90 per month, billed annually | Not published |
| Free plan | The Mercury plan is $0 a month with checking and savings, cards, expense management, invoicing and bill pay. | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial of Mercury Plus | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Mercury | Under Technologies, Inc. (Rho Technologies) |
| Price read from | mercury.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Mercury
- Mercury is not an FDIC-insured bank; banking is provided through Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., Members FDIC.
- Non-USD international wires carry a 1% currency exchange fee, and non-USD card transactions carry 3%.
- Mercury Books is $35 a month and Mercury Payroll is $100 a month plus $50 per person paid, both waived until Dec 31, 2026.
- Treasury, which pays up to 4.21% yield, is available only with a $250K Mercury balance, and Stripe fees apply to credit card invoice payments.
Rho
- No prices could be read: rho.co answered automated requests with a security check, so pricing is unverified.
- The App Store listing is for iPhone only; other platforms were not confirmed from a page we could read.
- Rho says it is not a bank; banking services and cards come from Webster Bank, N.A., Member FDIC.
Key features
Mercury
- Company cards
- Virtual and physical debit and credit cards, with custom spend limits, merchant-locked cards and duplicate subscription detection. Corporate credit cards earn 1.5% cashback.
- Expense management
- Employee cards with limits, automatic receipt matching for card transactions, custom categories and reimbursements, including mileage.
- Bill pay and payments
- Free domestic ACH, wires, real-time payments and checks in USD, plus payment by ACH debit or wire drawdown.
- Invoicing
- Unlimited invoices that accept card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, wire and ACH, with recurring invoices on paid plans.
- Accounting integrations
- Syncs with accounting tools such as QuickBooks, Xero and NetSuite.
Rho
- Card management
- The app lets users monitor, lock and create Rho cards, and add cards to a mobile wallet.
- Receipts and expense details
- Employees file receipts and expense details from the app, and a recent update lets them split one transaction into parts and categorize each.
- Reimbursement requests
- Staff can request reimbursement for mileage and out-of-pocket spend from the app.
- Payment approvals
- Approvers can approve or reject payments from the app.
- Balances and check deposit
- The app shows banking balances and supports depositing checks.
Plans
Mercury
Mercury$0
No monthly fees or minimum balance. Includes company cards, expense management, bill pay, invoicing and free USD ACH, wires and real-time payments.
Mercury Plus$29.90
per month, billed annually
Adds recurring invoices, ACH debit invoicing at $1 per transaction, unlimited 1099 filings, priority support and 6 months of free Xero.
Mercury Pro$299
per month, billed annually
Adds a relationship manager, ACH debit invoicing at $0 per transaction and NetSuite categorizations on top of what Plus has.
Rho
Pricing could not be confirmed. See rho.co.
Ways to pay less
Mercury
- Annual discount
15% off with annual billing
The pricing page toggle reads Annual Pricing (15% off), and was on by default when read. The monthly-billed price is not shown.
Rho
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Mercury or Rho?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Mercury starts at $29.90 per month, billed annually, and Rho has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Mercury or Rho?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Mercury has a free plan. Rho does not.
Which platforms do Mercury and Rho run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Mercury lists a web app. Both list an iOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.