Best savings accounts Australia

We analysed the rates and conditions on 150+ accounts to bring you the 6 best savings accounts for April 2026.

Finder's best savings accounts for April 2026

Finder Score Maximum interest rate Base interest rate Max rate type & duration Monthly max rate conditions

Best bonus savings account rate

ING logo
Finder score
9.4
Finder score
9.4
Maximum Variable Rate p.a.
5.25%
Standard Variable Rate p.a.
0.01%
Intro/Ongoing
Ongoing rate
(conditions apply)
Deposit $1,000
5 transactions
Grow your balance
Balances up to $100,000
View details
Compare product selection

Why we like it

Earn an ongoing bonus rate you deposit $1000 into a personal ING account (excluding Orange One and Living Super), make 5 eligible transactions and grow your nominated Savings Maximiser balance (excluding interest) each month. The total bonus interest rate is available on balances up to $100,000 on one Savings Maximiser account.

Cons

  • More monthly conditions to meet to earn the bonus rate than other accounts
  • Bonus interest rate only applies up to balances of $100,000

Best intro rate savings account

Ubank logo
Finder score
9.3
Finder score
9.3
Maximum Variable Rate p.a.
5.60%
Standard Variable Rate p.a.
0.00%
Intro/Ongoing
4 month intro rate
Balance $0 to $1,000,000
Have a Spend account
Grow balance by $1 or more (excl. interest)
View details
Compare product selection

Why we like it

This account has a really strong welcome bonus rate of 5.6% p.a. for the first 4 months (for new customers). After the welcome period ends, it has an ongoing bonus rate of 4.6% p.a. on balances up to $1 million (this is a higher balance limit than a lot of other accounts). All you need to do is hold a Ubank Spend account, and grow your Save balance by at least $1 (excluding interest) each month to earn bonus interest.

Pros

  • Intro bonus rate is among highest in market
  • No monthly deposit condition to meet
  • Interest is offered on large balances

Cons

  • Must grow your balance each month to earn bonus interest
  • Ongoing bonus rate is lower than others in market

Best no conditions savings account

Macquarie Bank logo
Finder score
9.8
Finder score
9.8
Maximum Variable Rate p.a.
5.10%
Standard Variable Rate p.a.
4.75%
Intro/Ongoing
4 month intro rate
Welcome rate applies to balances up to $250,000
Ongoing rate applies to balances up to $2 million


Go to siteView details
Compare product selection

Why we like it

This account won best no conditions savings account in the 2026 Finder Awards. You'll get 5.1% for the first 4 month on balances up to $250,000, and then 4.75% p.a. ongoing after the intro period ends with no conditions to meet. This is a really great rate considering the average rate for a savings account with no conditions to meet is less than 2.30% p.a. Unlike most savings accounts, you don't have to deposit a set amount each month, you don't have to grow your balance or make a set number of purchases and you aren't restricted from making withdrawals at all. Plus, you'll earn the ongoing interest rate on balances up to $2 million, which is much higher than many competing accounts.

Pros

  • No conditions to meet to earn interest
  • High welcome variable rate
  • Earn interest on large balances up to $2 million
  • No account-keeping or transaction fees

Cons

  • Requires a Macquarie Transaction Account
  • Ongoing rate is a bit lower than others in the market

Best savings account for large balances

Suncorp Bank logo
Finder score
9
Finder score
9
Maximum Variable Rate p.a.
4.80%
Standard Variable Rate p.a.
0.05%
Intro/Ongoing
Ongoing rate
(conditions apply)
Grow balance by $200 each month (excl. interest)
Only 1 withdrawal
No balance limit on earning interest
View details
Compare product selection

Why we like it

You can earn a solid ongoing rate on your entire balance - there is no balance limit for earning the bonus interest. This makes the account ideal if you've got a large amount of cash. To earn the bonus rate you need to grow your balance by $200 each month (excl. interest), which is lower than many other accounts, and make no more than 1 withdrawal per month.

Cons

  • Standard interest rate of just 0.05% if account conditions are not met

Best Big Four bank savings account

Westpac logo
Finder score
9.2
Finder score
9.2
Maximum Variable Rate p.a.
5.50%
Standard Variable Rate p.a.
0.10%
Intro/Ongoing
Ongoing rate
(conditions apply)
Make a deposit
Grow your balance
20 debit card purchases
Balances up to $30,000
Go to siteView details
Compare product selection

Why we like it

This account's Finder Score is higher than any other savings account offered by one of the Big Four banks. It's also a higher score than 95% of savings accounts in our database. If you’re between 18-34, you can earn an ongoing bonus rate each month you grow your balance and make 20+ eligible debit card purchases. This means you can make withdrawals throughout the month, just as long as your balance finishes higher at the end of the month than it was at the start. The bonus rate is available on balances up to $30,000. While this is lower than other accounts, the age range of 18-34 means it's tailored to customers starting out on their savings journey.

Pros

  • High maximum bonus rate

Cons

  • Top bonus rate only available on balances under $30,000.
  • Must make 20 transactions per month to earn top bonus rate.

Best kids savings account

Great Southern Bank logo
Finder score
9.7
Finder score
9.7
Maximum Variable Rate p.a.
5.25%
Standard Variable Rate p.a.
5.25%
Intro/Ongoing
Ongoing rate
(conditions apply)
Balance up to $5,000
Aged up to 17
View details
Compare product selection

Why we like it

This high-scoring account has a consistently high ongoing variable rate. There are no conditions to meet to earn the full interest rate, making it ideal for young savers.

Pros

  • Access to funds without losing interest, encouraging saving while offering flexibility.

Cons

  • One account per eligible child, limiting flexibility for those with multiple savings goals.
  • Children under 10 cannot transact on the account without a parent or guardian as a signatory.
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How we choose our top savings account picks

Each month we assess 150+ savings accounts in our databse and assign each a Finder Score out of 10. Our data-driven Finder Score ranks savings accounts based on rates, fees, account conditions and restrictions. Put simply, the savings accounts with the highest Finder Scores allow you to earn the most amount of interest on your money, for the least amount of effort.

Once we get the accounts with the highest scores (8+), we then look at these to select the account that we feel best suits each of the different savings account categories featured above.

In sereral categories the account was chosen as it was a winner in the latest Finder Awards.

How to pick the best savings account

These are the 4 main things to look for when you're choosing a savings account:

1. A high interest rate

The higher the rate, the more interest you can earn. The best savings rates at the moment all start with a 5.

Check if the high interest rate on offer is an ongoing rate available each month, or if it's an intro rate only on offer for a few months. If it's the latter, set yourself a reminder to consider switching accounts after the intro period is over when the rate drops down to the lower, standard rate.

2. Conditions you can easily meet

Most of the best savings rates will require you to deposit a set amount each month (anywhere from $20-$2000) and perhaps also limit withdrawals or make a number of purchases.

Make sure you can comfortably meet the monthly conditions before opening the account. If you can't, you'll only earn the variable base rate which is often very low.

Want a no-hoops savings account?

Compare more savings accounts that have no conditions.

3. Balance limits that suit your savings

Some savings accounts only offer the maximum interest rate on smaller balances up to $10,000, while others are up to $5 million. Depending on the size of your savings balance, make sure that the account you choose pays interest on your entire balance (or at least most of it).

4. A low-fee, linked transaction account

If you're planning to open a transaction account along with your savings account with the same bank (a lot of these are opened as a pair automatically), don't forget to check out the fees and charges for that account too. Because savings accounts don't charge fees, but some transaction accounts do.

Alison Banney's headshot
Our expert says: The highest savings rate isn't always best

"Of course the interest rate is important when choosing a savings account, but I always tell people that the account conditions are just as - if not more - important. There's no point choosing the account with the highest rate if you're going to be pushed to your limit meeting the deposit conditions each month.

Savings account rates change quite frequently - what's best one month might not be best the next. So you're better off choosing a good account with conditions you can easily meet and other features that suit you. Because if you opt for the account with the highest rate but then you can't meet the conditions, you'll likely earn no interest at all.

You still want to make sure you have an account with one of the best rates in the market as this will make a huge difference to the amount of interest you can earn - it just doesn't have the be the absolute highest rate available."

Alison Banney's headshot
Editorial Manager, Money

The best savings rate vs an average savings rate

How much difference does the interest rate on your savings account make, really? It's actually more than you might think!

Let's assume you have a savings balance of $40,000 and you're able to deposit $1,000 per month. Here's how much interest you'll earn over 1, 3 and 5 years if your savings account has a below-average rate (2.00% p.a.), an above-average rate (3.50% p.a.) or a market-leading rate (5.50% p.a.).

Bonus interest rateInterest after 1 yearInterest after 3 yearsInterest after 5 years
2.00% p.a.$9383,603$7,356
3.5% p.a.$1,653$6,432$13,295
5.50% p.a.$2,620$10,380$21,825

As you can see, you could earn quite a lot more money by simply switching to one of the best savings account rates in the market.

3:20

FAQs on best savings accounts

Sources

Richard Whitten's headshot
Serina Bird's headshot
To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Richard Whitten and reviewed by Serina Bird, a member of Finder's Editorial Review Board.
Alison Banney's headshot
Written by

Editorial Manager, Money

Alison is an editor at Finder and a personal finance journalist with over 10 years of experience, having contributed to major financial institutions and publications such as Westpac, Money Magazine, and Yahoo Finance. She is frequently quoted in media outlets like SmartCompany and SBS, offering expert insights on superannuation and money management. Alison holds a Bachelor of Communications in Public Relations and Journalism from the University of Newcastle, and has earned three ASIC RG146 certifications in superannuation, securities and managed investments and general financial advice, ensuring her expertise is fully aligned with ASIC standards. See full bio

Alison's expertise
Alison has written 668 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Superannuation
  • Savings accounts, bank accounts and term deposits
  • Budgeting and money-saving hacks
  • Managing the cost of living

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77 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    BernardOctober 30, 2021

    What about compound interest for 10,000 where is the best place to invest , what Bank
    Thanks,
    Bernard

      Alison Banney's headshotFinder
      AlisonNovember 3, 2021Finder

      Hi Bernard,

      When it comes to choosing the best bank, it would depend on the factors that are most important to you and your current circumstances. There’s no one account that is considered best.

      Most savings accounts come with compound interest. Look for an account with a high interest rate, but make sure to check the account conditions you need to meet to get that high rate.

      Thanks,
      Alison

    Default Gravatar
    SarahAugust 6, 2019

    Hi guys, when was this page last updated? I feel like these rates are changing on a daily basis.

    Thanks,
    Erin

      Default Gravatar
      NikkiAugust 7, 2019

      Hi Sarah,

      Thanks for getting in touch! This page was updated last August 7th, 2019. Hope this was helpful. Don’t hesitate to message us back if you have more questions.

      Best,
      Nikki

    Default Gravatar
    KylieApril 25, 2019

    What would be the best bank to invest around $400,000? A high interest rate savings account or a term deposit?

      Default GravatarFinder
      MaiApril 26, 2019Finder

      Hi Kylie,

      Thank you for reaching out.

      In most cases, term deposits will give you the highest interest rate than a savings account. Generally, a high-interest savings account requires some conditions before you are able to receive a high-interest rate such as required monthly deposit, no withdraw, etc.

      But regardless, it will depend on you how you wish to deposit your money. I suggest that you use the estimate calculator on this page to have an idea of what savings account can give you the highest interest and if you are good with the terms set. Alternatively, you can also check our term deposit page to check on the term deposit interest rates. You can use the term deposit calculator to know your estimated interest rates.

      Hope you find this useful.

      Kind Regards,
      Mai

    Default Gravatar
    BenJanuary 15, 2019

    Can I invest $1,000,000.00 over 12 months with 3.1% interest giving a straight $31,000.00 return?

    Thanks.

      Default GravatarFinder
      JeniJanuary 20, 2019Finder

      Hi Ben,

      Thank you for getting in touch with Finder.

      This maximum variable rate of 3.10% from HSBC is an introductory rate for 4 months only and for balances below $1,000,000. If you are planning to invest your $1,000,000 for 12 months, you may consider putting the funds into a 12-month term deposit account. You can use our table to help you find the account that suits you. When you are ready, press the “Go to site” button to apply. Please make sure that you’ve read the relevant T&Cs or PDS of the account to help consider whether the product is right for you.

      Please note that the government guarantee covers deposits up to $250,000 only.

      I hope this helps.

      Thank you and have a wonderful day!

      Cheers,
      Jeni

    Default Gravatar
    JohnDecember 6, 2018

    Thanks for your website – very informative!! I notice that there is one question
    you haven’t covered anywhere that I can see ie. Is there a penalty for closing
    an account after the ‘bonus’ period of 3 or 4 months on a Savings account has
    finished? This area seems to be kept very quiet!!

      Default GravatarFinder
      MayDecember 12, 2018Finder

      Hi John,

      Thanks for your inquiry.

      For on-call accounts (or high savings accounts), usually, it doesn’t charge you anything when you close them (anytime) even after you’ve earned the ‘bonus’ interest rate, say after the 4-month period. This information is typically mentioned in the terms and conditions of the account, so best to check it out.

      Hope this helps.

      Cheers,
      May

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