Mint Formations vs ANNA money : How does a formation specialist compare to a bank?

An honest comparison

Both are authorised Companies House formation agents. Both can register a UK limited company. This page covers what each does well, where each falls short, and which is the better fit depending on your situation.

A note on our perspective: Mint Formations works with ANNA Money as a banking partner. We refer founders to ANNA for business accounts when it suits their needs — alongside Barclays, Lloyds, NatWest, Monzo, Tide, Cashplus, Zempler, Countingup, and others. We have no incentive to talk ANNA down, and every reason to be accurate.

At a glance

What ANNA Money does well

This is a genuine comparison, so it begins with what ANNA does well.

Price

ANNA's entry-level formation starts at £19, making it the lowest advertised formation price in the market. This is possible because ANNA subsidises formation to acquire banking customers - a legitimate business model, but worth understanding.

Speed

ANNA registers companies within one working day. Their process is streamlined and reliable for straightforward applications.

Banking integration

If you want your company formed and a business bank account opened in a single journey, ANNA offers that convenience. Formation and banking are connected, which removes one step from your setup.

App-based tools

ANNA's mobile platform includes invoicing, expense tracking, and receipt capture. For a founder who wants simple digital admin in one app, it is functional.

Same-day formation

ANNA offers same-day incorporation if documents are submitted before 3pm - useful when speed is a priority.

Company types

ANNA registers private limited companies limited by shares. That is the only company type it supports.

If you need any of the following, ANNA cannot help you:

• Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) - used by solicitors, accountants, architects, and professional partnerships
• Company Limited by Guarantee (LBG) - used by non-profits, community groups, and charities
• Limited by Guarantee with charity articles - for organisations applying for charitable status
• Flat management companies - for leaseholders managing residential property
• Bespoke articles of association - for companies with investor requirements or complex share structures

Mint supports all of these. Before choosing a formation agent, confirm that your intended company type is supported.

International founders

ANNA cannot form companies for non-UK residents. Non-UK residents can open an ANNA business bank account, but they cannot use ANNA to register their company. If you are not a UK resident, ANNA is not an option for formation.

Mint has a dedicated international formation service with specialists who handle residency questions, registered address requirements, and ID verification for overseas directors — for founders based anywhere in the world.

Human support

ANNA's support is delivered through in-app chat. There is no phone number for formation queries. There are no named formation specialists assigned to your company.

At Mint, you reach named people — a Customer Services Manager for financial questions, a non-UK Formation Specialist for international setups, a Post-Formation Advisor for ongoing compliance. You call a phone number and a person who knows your company picks up.

Every Mint application is also reviewed by a formation specialist before it is submitted to Companies House. Mistakes are caught before they become problems.

Ongoing services

Every limited company will need some of these services in its lifetime. None of them are available through ANNA.

The accounting question: Auto accountant vs a real accountant

ANNA's top-tier package — Total Support at £399/year plus VAT — includes what they describe as year-end taxes, Corporation Tax, and payroll. It is important to understand what this actually means.

ANNA total support uses auto accountant - an AI-powered software platform. There is no human accountant included. There is no qualified professional reviewing your accounts. There is no one who can call HMRC on your behalf, apply professional judgment to an unusual situation, or take professional responsibility for the accuracy of your filing.

ANNA's own description: "AI-based, HMRC-compliant." Auto Accountant connects to your bank, categorises transactions, and files returns automatically. For very simple businesses with clean, predictable transactions, this may be adequate.

For businesses with employees, VAT complexity, property income, director's loans, international transactions, or anything that doesn't fit a standard template — the difference between AI software and a qualified human accountant is significant.

Mint's accountancy service starts at £79/month. Delivered by qualified accountants with professional certifications and over 15 years of UK business accounting experience. They review your accounts, handle HMRC queries, and take professional responsibility for your filings.

What the reviews actually tell you

ANNA displays a strong Trustpilot rating. These reviews are genuine. But reviewing them reveals an important pattern: the overwhelming majority are written by banking customers commenting on ANNA's app, their debit card, the speed of account opening, and the general experience of the platform as a bank.

They are not reviews of company formation quality, pre-submission accuracy, or what happened when a founder needed help six months after their certificate arrived.

Mint's 1,100+ reviews on Reviews.io — alongside 264+ on Google — are written specifically by founders who went through the formation process and continued working with Mint after their certificate arrived. They describe real formation experiences: applications checked and corrected before filing, questions answered by named specialists, support continuing well after the certificate arrived.

When comparing review scores, it is worth knowing what those reviews are actually about.

Who should choose ANNA / who should choose Mint

One final difference worth naming

Something worth saying clearly: Mint works with ANNA Money as a banking partner. We refer founders to ANNA for business accounts when it is a good fit - alongside Barclays, Lloyds, NatWest, Monzo, Tide, Cashplus, Zempler, Countingup, and others. We have no financial incentive to favour one bank over another.

That is precisely why this comparison is worth reading. We are not against ANNA. We send customers to them. But recommending ANNA as a bank is a different decision from using ANNA to form your company.

ANNA uses company formation as a customer acquisition strategy for their banking business. It explains why the pricing is structured the way it is - and it is relevant context when deciding who you want to register your company.

Mint's business model is built entirely around the long-term success of the companies we form. We have no banking product to sell you. We have no incentive to rush you through a formation and move on. Our measure of success is whether you are still glad you chose us in year three.

Related pages

• Mint vs Tide: Company formation compared
• Mint vs Companies House
• ANNA Money formation review: Full detail
• Compare Mint Formation packages