Relay vs Cora.
Relay (R71/100) and Cora (C51/100), scored on the same six pillars and compared row-by-row. Every cell is sourced from licence registers and live pricing pages, not opinion. Relay leads Cora 5-0.
| C Cora №71 · BACEN 51 /100 | R Relay №31 · FDIC 71 /100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | ||
| Composite score Out of 100 | 51 /100 | 71 /100 |
| Fees | ||
| Monthly fee Cheapest paid tier (€0 if free) | €0 Free tier | €0 Free tier |
| FX markup Debit card abroad | 1.50% | Interbank |
| Free FX / month EUR equivalent | €0 | €0 |
| Free ATM Before fee kicks in | — | — |
| Protection | ||
| Banking licence Tier | Payment inst. BACEN | Partner-bank FDIC |
| Deposit guarantee Per depositor | Safeguarded BR.FGC | $250,000 US.FDIC |
| Reach | ||
| Markets served Licensed jurisdictions | 1 country | 1 country |
| Crypto Coins available | No | No |
| Stocks & ETFs Self-directed | No | No |
| UX | ||
| Trustpilot Customer score | — | — |
| App store iOS + Android avg | 4.5 ★ iOS 4.6 · And 4.5 | 4.7 ★ iOS 4.8 · And 4.6 |
| Read review → | Read review → | |
Pick Cora if…
Brazilian SMB neobank with the strongest working-capital credit-line product among BACEN payment institutions. Cora Crédito underwrites loans on bank-statement signal — same model as Mercado Crédito but without the marketplace-flow dependency. Free Conta PJ keeps customer-acquisition friction low; credit-line draws generate the revenue. Backed by ~$230M from Tiger Global, Greenoaks Capital, others. ~300K BR business accounts.
Pick Relay if…
The Profit-First-aligned multi-checking neobank — 20 real checking accounts (not virtual envelopes) and 50 debit cards under one login, with granular multi-user roles. Where Mercury / Bluevine / Novo all give you one operating account plus virtual sub-pockets, Relay gives you 20 separately-FDIC-mapped checking accounts that auto-transfer between each other on percentage- or amount-based rules. That is the structural fit for Mike Michalowicz's Profit First method (Income / Profit / Owner's Pay / Tax / OpEx envelopes), and Relay has been the official Profit First banking platform since 2023. Sponsor bank is Thread Bank (TN-chartered) with a $3M sweep — Thread's May 2024 FDIC consent order was terminated December 2025 with no customer-funds incident at Relay.
- Best for fees Relay won 1 of 4
- Best for protection Relay won 2 of 2
- Best for reach Tied
- Best for ux Relay won 1 of 2
Relay vs Cora — FAQ
Quick answers to the four questions the search-bar asks most about a head-to-head.
Is Cora better than Relay?
Under our v3 methodology, Relay leads Cora 5–0 across 12 dimensions. Composite scores: Cora 51/100 vs Relay 71/100. Relay is stronger overall, but the right pick depends on which row matters most to you — fees, protection, reach, or app quality.
Is Cora or Relay cheaper?
Monthly fee — Cora: €0; Relay: €0. Card FX markup — Cora: 1.50%; Relay: Interbank. Relay wins more fee rows (1 of 4). See the Fees section of the matrix above for ATM caps and the rest.
Which is safer for deposits, Cora or Relay?
Cora holds a Payment inst. licence under BACEN; deposit guarantee per depositor: Safeguarded. Relay holds a Partner-bank licence under FDIC; deposit guarantee per depositor: $250,000. Relay is the stronger pick on regulatory protection.
Where can I use Cora and Relay?
Cora operates in 1 country; Relay operates in 1 country. Check each provider's signup page for the live country list — eligibility depends on residency, not just the licence footprint.
Want a 3- or 4-way comparison?
The dynamic compare picker handles up to four banks. Add this pair plus one or two more and we'll resolve every row.