Ally Bank vs Santander Bank
High-Yield Savings Accounts Comparison
Last Updated: September 5, 2025
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Summary of Ally Bank vs. Santander Bank
As of September 5, 2025 Ally Bank offers an APY of 3.50% for its Savings Account, with a minimum balance of $0, compared to Santander Bank's 0.03% APY for its Santander Savings account, with a minimum balance of $0.
Ally Bank yields $347 more than Santander Bank on a $10,000 balance after one year. Ally Bank pays $350, while Santander Bank pays $3 - an APY advantage for Ally Bank.
Ally Bank
Strengths
- Ally Bank offers a competitive APY of 3.50%, unchanged from 30 days ago.
- Ally Bank has no maintenance fees, providing cost-effective savings.
- Ally Bank has an A+ BBB rating, indicating strong trustworthiness.
Potential Drawbacks
- Ally Bank has no physical branches, limiting in-person banking options.
Santander Bank
Strengths
- Santander Bank has a higher App Store rating of 4.8 compared to Ally Bank's 4.7.
- Santander Bank provides branch access primarily in the Northeast and Miami.
Potential Drawbacks
- Santander Bank's APY is significantly lower at 0.03%, unchanged from 30 days ago.
- Santander Bank charges a $1 maintenance fee, which can erode savings.
- Santander Bank has an A- BBB rating and is not accredited.
Summary: Ally Bank's high-yield savings account offers a much higher APY of 3.50% with no fees, while Santander Bank's account has a minimal APY of 0.03% and a $1 maintenance fee. Additionally, Ally Bank has a superior A+ BBB rating, compared to Santander's A- rating and lack of accreditation. However, Santander provides physical branches, which may appeal to customers preferring in-person service.
Compare Ally Bank's vs Santander Bank's Savings Accounts
| Ally Bank | Santander Bank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Savings Account | vs | Santander Savings |
| APY | 3.50% (as of 9/5/2025) | 0.03% (as of 9/5/2025) | |
| Bundled Account | No | No | |
| FDIC-insured | Yes | Yes | |
| Online Only | Yes | No | |
| Compound Frequency | Daily | Daily | |
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 | |
| Minimum Balance for APY | $0 | $0 | |
| Maintenance Fee | $0 | $1 | |
| Direct Deposit Required | No | No | |
| App Store Rating | 4.7/5 | 4.8/5 | |
| Google Play Rating | 4.4/5 | 4.3/5 | |
| BBB Rating | A+ | A- |
Comparative Historical APY Insights (Last 7 Months)
| Ally Bank | Santander Bank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Savings Account | vs | Santander Savings |
| Latest APY | 3.50 % | 0.03 % | |
| Trend | Sideways | Sideways | |
| Slope (bps/mo) | -4.1 | 0.0 | |
| Rate Changes / Mo | 0.41 | 0.00 | |
| Days Since Last Change | 79 | 220 | |
| High (-7 m) | 3.80 % | 0.03 % | |
| Low (-7 m) | 3.50 % | 0.03 % | |
| Draw-down from High | -7.9 % | 0.0 % | |
| Volatility (CV) | 0.026 | 0.000 |
APY Insights Glossary
- Latest APY
- Most recent advertised annual-percentage yield.
- Trend
- Direction over the last 7 months (regression slope).
- Slope (bps/mo)
- Average monthly change; 10 bps = 0.10 pp.
- Rate Changes / Mo
- Typical number of APY moves per month.
- Days Since Last Change
- Recency of the latest APY adjustment.
- High (-7 m)
- Highest APY in the last 220 days.
- Low (-7 m)
- Lowest APY in the last 220 days.
- Draw-down from High
- How far today sits below the 7-month peak.
- Volatility (CV)
- Coefficient of variation = stdev ÷ mean.
Why Track Savings-Account APYs?
- See how quickly a bank reacts to Fed moves or competition.
- Gauge “twitchiness” - frequent moves can annoy savers.
- Spot if you're buying near a peak (draw-down) or riding a rise.
- Slope (bps/mo) shows speed of change.
- Volatility (CV) scales jumps by average level.
Calculate Savings Growth for Ally Bank vs Santander Bank
All calculations are based on APY.
Ally Bank
APY: 3.50%
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $2,114.1 (10.51%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (64.63%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (24.86%)
Your total balance
$20,114.10
Effective APY: 3.50% (based on your deposit and contributions)
Total balance: $20,114.1
Earnings: $2,114.1
Bank OverviewSantander Bank
APY: 0.03%
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $17.2 (0.10%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (72.15%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (27.75%)
Your total balance
$18,017.20
Effective APY: 0.03% (based on your deposit and contributions)
Total balance: $18,017.2
Earnings: $17.2
Bank OverviewWith a $5,000 initial deposit and $13,000 in total contributions over 5 years, Ally Bank's total earnings would be $2,096.9 higher than Santander Bank's total earnings.
The Banksparency Savings Calculator provides estimated savings growth based on user input and our latest data.
More Comparisons
Compare Ally Bank's APY of 3.50% with other banks
| Bank Pair | Competitor APY | Min Deposit |
|---|---|---|
| Ally Bank vs American Express | 3.50% | $0 |
| Ally Bank vs Axos Bank | 4.46% | $0 |
| Ally Bank vs Bank of America | 0.01% | $100 |
| Ally Bank vs Barclays | 4.10% | $0 |
| Ally Bank vs BrioDirect | 4.30% | $5,000 |
| Ally Bank vs Capital One | 3.50% | $0 |
| Ally Bank vs Chase Bank | 0.01% | $0 |
| Ally Bank vs Chime | 3.75% | $0 |
| Ally Bank vs CIT Bank | 4.00% | $100 |
| Ally Bank vs Discover Bank | 3.50% | $0 |
| Ally Bank vs Elevault | 4.60% | $0 |
| Ally Bank vs EverBank | 4.30% | $0 |
| Ally Bank vs Fitness Bank | 4.75% | $100 |
| Ally Bank vs FVCbank | 4.35% | $500 |
| Ally Bank vs GO2bank | 4.50% | $0 |
| Ally Bank vs Marcus by Goldman Sachs | 3.65% | $0 |
| Ally Bank vs Neighbors Bank | 4.60% | $0 |
| Ally Bank vs Newtek Bank | 4.35% | $0 |
| Ally Bank vs Peak Bank | 4.35% | $100 |
| Ally Bank vs Pibank | 4.60% | $0 |
| Ally Bank vs Presidential Bank | 4.50% | $5,000 |
| Ally Bank vs SoFi Bank | 3.80% | $0 |
| Ally Bank vs Synchrony Bank | 3.80% | $0 |
| Ally Bank vs TIMBR | 4.40% | $1,000 |
| Ally Bank vs UFB Direct | 4.21% | $5000 |
| Ally Bank vs Varo Bank | 5.00% | $0 |
| Ally Bank vs Wells Fargo | 2.51% | $25 |
| Ally Bank vs Zynlo Bank | 4.35% | $10 |