FirsthandMoney

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts of 2026

Fact-checked by Firsthand Editorial Team
Last updated:

Quick answer

Our top pick is Ally Bank Online Savings, which pairs no monthly maintenance fee and no minimum to open with a well-regarded app and 24/7 US-based phone support (as of 2026-07-12). Every account on this list is FDIC-insured up to $250,000 per depositor, per ownership category, and each APY is variable, meaning it can rise or fall at any time, so treat any rate as accurate only as of 2026-07-12 and confirm it on the bank's official page before opening. Rankings follow a published, weighted methodology (Fees 25%, Value & Returns 25%, Transparency 20%, Security & Trust 15%, Support 15%); affiliate compensation never influences placement or scores. Because bank rate pages update rates dynamically, we describe current APYs qualitatively and link the official rate page rather than repeat a number that may already be stale. The best account depends on your needs, whether you want branch access, a checking bundle, or simply the lowest friction for parking cash.

A high-yield savings account (HYSA) is a deposit account, usually offered by an online-focused bank, that pays a higher variable interest rate than a typical brick-and-mortar savings account while keeping your money liquid. Every account on this list is held at an FDIC-insured bank, so deposits are protected up to $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, per ownership category. APYs are variable and can change at any time before or after you open; the rates referenced here are described qualitatively and are current only as of 2026-07-12, so confirm the number on each bank's official rate page before opening. We score each account on five weighted criteria: Fees 25%, Value & Returns 25%, Transparency 20%, Security & Trust 15%, and Support 15%. The tone is neutral and evidence-first; affiliate compensation never affects ranking or scores.

How we scored: every product below was rated 0–10 on five weighted criteria — Fees (25%), Value & Returns (25%), Transparency (20%), Security & Trust (15%), and Support (15%). Advertiser compensation never affects scores or rank order; rates and fees are cited to each provider's official disclosures with an as-of date. Read our full methodology.

2026 rankings at a glance

#ProductRatingBest forPriceActions
1Ally Bank Online Savings Account9.4/10Savers who want a polished app, goal tools, and responsive support without any branch visitsNo monthly maintenance fee; $0 minimum to open or earn APY (as of 2026-07-12)
2Marcus by Goldman Sachs Online Savings Account9.1/10Savers who want a simple, no-fee, savings-only account from a large institutionNo monthly fee; $0 minimum to open (as of 2026-07-12)
3Capital One 360 Performance Savings Account8.2/10Savers who want a competitive online rate plus optional branch and Cafe accessNo monthly service charge; no minimum balance to open or maintain (as of 2026-07-12)
4American Express High Yield Savings AccountNot an affiliate — no commission earned8.0/10Existing American Express customers who want a simple, no-fee savings accountNo monthly fee; $0 minimum to open or earn APY (as of 2026-07-12)
5Discover Online Savings AccountNot an affiliate — no commission earned7.7/10Existing Discover customers tracking the transition into Capital One's banking platformNo monthly maintenance fee; $0 minimum to open (as of 2026-07-12) — now part of Capital One, N.A.
1.

Ally Bank Online Savings Account

9.4/10

Ally Bank Online Savings is our overall pick: no monthly fee, no minimum, strong digital tools, and 24/7 support, all at an FDIC-insured bank (as of 2026-07-12). The APY is variable, so confirm the current rate on Ally's official page.

  • No monthly maintenance fee and no minimum balance to open or earn interest, per Ally's official disclosures (as of 2026-07-12)
  • APY is variable and set by Ally; it can drop after you open if benchmark rates fall

Read full review →

2.

Marcus by Goldman Sachs Online Savings Account

9.1/10

Marcus by Goldman Sachs offers a no-fee, no-minimum online savings account with same-day transfers up to $100,000 and a competitive variable APY, held at FDIC-insured Goldman Sachs Bank USA (as of 2026-07-12). It is savings-only, with no ATM or checking.

  • No monthly fees and no minimum deposit to open, per Marcus's official page (as of 2026-07-12)
  • APY is variable and can be lowered at any time after you open

Read full review →

3.

Capital One 360 Performance Savings Account

8.2/10

Capital One 360 Performance Savings pairs a no-fee, no-minimum online account with rare physical branch and Cafe access, at FDIC-insured Capital One, N.A. (as of 2026-07-12). The APY is variable; watch that you open 360 Performance Savings, not the older legacy 360 Savings product.

  • No monthly cycle service charge and no minimum balance to open or maintain, per Capital One's official disclosures (as of 2026-07-12)
  • APY is variable, effective 7/10/2026 per Capital One, and can change at any time

Read full review →

4.

American Express High Yield Savings Account

8.0/10

American Express High Yield Savings is a no-fee, no-minimum savings-only account from American Express National Bank, an FDIC-insured institution (as of 2026-07-12). Interest compounds daily; the APY is variable and there is no ATM or checking access.

  • No fee to open and no minimum balance to open, avoid a fee, or earn the APY, per Amex's official page (as of 2026-07-12)
  • APY is variable and can change at any time without notice before or after opening, per Amex

Read full review →

5.

Discover Online Savings Account

7.7/10

Discover Online Savings has a strong no-fee, no-minimum history, but Discover merged into Capital One on May 18, 2025, and the Discover Bank charter is now inactive. Deposits are FDIC-insured via Capital One, N.A.; the product is in transition, so confirm current terms directly.

  • Long-standing reputation for no monthly maintenance fee and no minimum balance on the Online Savings Account (as of 2026-07-12)
  • Discover merged into Capital One on May 18, 2025; the Discover Bank charter (FDIC Cert #5649) is now inactive, so the product is in a brand and platform transition

Read full review →

Frequently asked questions

Are these high-yield savings accounts FDIC-insured?

Yes. Each account is held at an FDIC-insured bank: Ally Bank (FDIC Cert #57803), Goldman Sachs Bank USA/Marcus (Cert #33124), American Express National Bank (Cert #27471), and Capital One, N.A. (Cert #4297). Standard FDIC coverage is $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, per ownership category. You can verify any bank's status on FDIC BankFind at banks.data.fdic.gov.

Why don't you list an exact APY for each account?

HYSA APYs are variable and the banks publish them dynamically on their rate pages, so a number can change the day after we cite it. To avoid stating a figure that may already be stale (a real risk with financial content), we describe rates qualitatively and link each bank's official rate page, for example Ally's rates page and Capital One's disclosures, where you can confirm the current APY as of the day you open.

What happened to Discover Bank?

Discover merged into Capital One on May 18, 2025, and the Discover Bank charter (FDIC Cert #5649) is now inactive per FDIC records. Discover-branded deposits are FDIC-insured through Capital One, N.A. (Cert #4297), and the discover.com online-banking page states the two are now one company under Capital One, N.A. We rank the Discover product last because it is in a brand and platform transition.

How do we rank these accounts?

We use a fixed, published methodology weighting Fees (25%), Value & Returns (25%), Transparency (20%), Security & Trust (15%), and Support (15%). Facts about fees, minimums, and FDIC status are drawn only from each bank's official disclosures and FDIC BankFind, never from aggregators. Affiliate relationships do not affect scores or order.

Get evidence-based money picks in your inbox — no hype.

Join The Firsthand Money Brief for a weekly, research-first read.

We never sell your email. Unsubscribe anytime. See our privacy policy.