The only account where the bank is the books
Mercury and Relay bank. QuickBooks and Xero keep books. Holdings does both — so when you get paid, it auto-reconciles. No bank feed, no CSV, no two-day lag. Free to get paid; books that reconcile themselves from $25/mo.
Every other tool is one or the other
You're either a bank that isn't your books, or books that aren't a bank. Holdings is the only one that's both.
The banks
Mercury · Relay · Novo
Great at moving money. But they're not the ledger of record — they categorize and export to QuickBooks or Xero. You still buy and reconcile a separate set of books.
The books
QuickBooks · Xero · Wave
Excellent ledgers. But none of them is a bank — they pull your transactions through a bank feed, which is exactly where the lag, duplicates, and reconciliation cleanup come from.
Holdings
The bank is the books
One account holds the money and keeps the books. Get paid for free; with accounting ($25/mo) the payment reconciles into your P&L, balance sheet, and general ledger in the same system — no feed, no CSV, no two-day lag.
The truth table
Only one column checks every box.
| BanksMercury · Relay · Novo | BooksQuickBooks · Xero · Wave | HoldingsBank + books | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business bank account (FDIC)? | Yes | No — not a bank | Yes — FDIC to $3M |
| Keeps your books (double-entry GL)? | No — syncs out only | Yes | Yes — P&L, balance sheet, GL |
| Money-in auto-reconciles (no bank feed)? | No — exports to a separate ledger | Via bank feed (sync lag) | Yes — same system, same second |
| Free unlimited invoicing? | Basic; some gate logos/recurring | Often paid or capped | Yes — free, unlimited |
| One login / one bill for both? | No — add accounting separately | No — add a bank separately | Yes — one account |
| Price to get banking + books | Bank + QuickBooks on top | Software + a bank on top | $0 banking + $25/mo accounting |
Competitor details from public 2026 pricing and product pages; re-verify before relying on them. ~ = partial or feed-dependent.
Why one system beats two
Get paid free — your books reconcile themselves from $25/mo
Send an invoice for free and get paid. With accounting ($25/mo), that payment auto-reconciles into your P&L, balance sheet, and general ledger — categorized, in the same system, the same second. No bank feed to wait on.
Two products, one account
Everywhere else, banking and books are separate purchases that you stitch together with a sync. Holdings is one login and one bill: free banking and invoicing at $0, full accounting from $25/mo.
No bank feed means no sync lag
QuickBooks and Xero rely on a feed (often Plaid) that updates once or twice a day — the source of duplicates and uncleared-transaction cleanup. When the bank and the ledger are one system, there's nothing to sync.
62 free tools on top
Beyond banking and invoicing, Holdings includes 62 free web tools — tax and expense calculators, an invoice generator, and more — to feed the account that keeps your books.
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Frequently asked questions
What does "the bank is the books" actually mean?
Most businesses run two separate systems: a bank account (Mercury, Relay, Novo) and accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero, Wave). They talk to each other through a bank feed that syncs once or twice a day, which is where lag, duplicates, and uncleared-transaction cleanup come from. Holdings is one system — the account and the ledger live together. With accounting ($25/mo), a paid invoice reconciles into your P&L, balance sheet, and general ledger in the same system, the same second. No feed, no CSV, no sync delay.
Is everything free, or is there a paid tier?
Banking is free: a business checking account at 1.75% APY, FDIC coverage to $3M, debit cards, sub-accounts, plus unlimited invoicing, quotes, and payment links — all $0/mo. Full double-entry accounting (P&L, balance sheet, general ledger, bank reconciliation, recurring invoices, custom branding) is $25/mo with a 30-day free trial. So you get paid for free; your books reconcile themselves from $25/mo.
Can't Mercury or Relay already do my bookkeeping?
Banks like Mercury and Relay can categorize transactions and export or sync to QuickBooks and Xero, but they are not the ledger of record — they don't keep a double-entry general ledger, and their "reconcile" still depends on a feed between two systems. Holdings keeps the actual books, so there's no second system to sync to.
Can't QuickBooks or Xero just connect to my bank?
Yes — through a bank feed (often via Plaid). That feed is exactly the source of the lag, duplicate transactions, and uncleared-item cleanup accountants complain about. QuickBooks and Xero are excellent ledgers, but they aren't a bank, so they can't remove the feed. Holdings can, because the money and the math live in one account.
What would it cost to get both banking and books anywhere else?
Everywhere else you buy two products: a business bank account plus accounting software (for example QuickBooks Simple Start, around $20–38/mo, plus add-ons). Holdings is one login and one bill — free banking and free invoicing at $0, full accounting from $25/mo.
What tools come free with Holdings?
Holdings includes 62 free web tools — invoice generator, expense and tax calculators, and more — alongside free banking and unlimited invoicing. Full in-app accounting reports (P&L, balance sheet, general ledger) are part of the $25/mo plan.
Stop reconciling. Start banking.
Free banking. Free invoicing. 62 free tools. Books that reconcile themselves from $25/mo.
1.75% APY† • Zero fees^ • FDIC insured to $3M*
See Also
Holdings vs Mercury
See how Holdings compares to Mercury — tools, accounting, and banking.
Holdings vs Relay
Compare Holdings and Relay for checking and accounting.
Holdings vs QuickBooks
Built-in accounting vs add-on accounting software.
Holdings vs FreshBooks
Compare Holdings and FreshBooks for invoicing and accounting.