High-Yield Savings Account Comparison

BMO Alto vs. Valley Direct

Compare rates, requirements, and features side-by-side to find the best option for you.

Analysis by Aviel Fahl
Updated January 7, 2026
Comparison of BMO Alto vs Valley Direct savings accounts
Metric

BMO Alto

Savings Account

Jan 7, 2026

Valley Direct

High-Yield Savings Account

Jan 7, 2026
APY3.25%3.40% - 4.00%
Est. Earnings
$5,000+$163
$10,000+$325
$25,000+$813
$5,000+$200
$10,000+$400
$25,000+$1,000
Min Deposit
$0$1,000

Snapshot view. Rates subject to change.

Terms
-Promo rate for new customers. 3.40% APY applies to existing customers.
Features
FDIC InsuredNo Minimums
FDIC InsuredLow MinimumsGreat iOS AppGreat Android AppIn-Person AccessZelle® Supported

Market Reality Check

Both of these banks offer rates below the current top tier. The best rates we track are currently above 4.21% APY.

See Top Rates

Comparison Analysis

Comparing BMO Alto vs. Valley Direct

Updated: Jan 7, 2026

As of BMO Alto offers an APY of 3.25% for its Savings Account, with a minimum balance of $0, compared to Valley Direct's 4.00% APY for its High-Yield Savings Account, with a minimum balance of $0.01.

Valley Direct pays $75 more than BMO Alto on a $10,000 balance after one year. BMO Alto pays $325, while Valley Direct pays $400 - an APY advantage for Valley Direct.

Why BMO Alto?

  • Available to New & Existing Customers

Why Valley Direct?

  • Higher potential APY (4.00% vs 3.25%) on all balances
  • Higher rated iOS app (4.8 vs 0.0)
  • Higher rated Android app (4.6 vs 0.0)
  • Fast transfers via Zelle®

— Key Feature Differences —

Better Returns at $10,000
Valley Direct

Valley Direct's High-Yield Savings Account earns more on smaller deposits (approx. $400 vs $325/yr).

Better Returns at $25,000
Valley Direct

Valley Direct's High-Yield Savings Account pulls ahead with larger amounts (approx. $1000 vs $813/yr).

Best for Simplicity
Valley Direct

Valley Direct's High-Yield Savings Account offers 4.00% APY with no bundling, direct deposit requirement or caps.

Best Mobile App Experience
Valley Direct

Valley Direct offers an iOS app rated 4.8 (vs. 0.0) and Android app rated 4.6 (vs. 0.0)

Shared Benefits

Both offer monthly maintenance-free account options Available Nationwide
The Bottom Line on APY (Interest Only)PROMO DETECTED

Over a 1-year period (factoring in a 12-month promo), Valley Direct's High-Yield Savings Account pays $75 more interest on a $10,000 balance than BMO Alto's Savings Account.

*Valley Direct's calculation includes their 12-month introductory promotional rate and subsequent standard rate.

BMO AltoValley Direct

Executive Summary as of

Valley Direct offers a High-Yield Savings Account with a competitive APY of 4.00%, which is notably higher than BMO Alto's 3.25% APY for its Savings Account. Valley Direct's account is available to new customers and does not require direct deposit, making it a straightforward choice for those looking to maximize their savings. Additionally, existing customers can still access a lower APY of 3.40%. BMO Alto's account, while offering a solid rate, is online-only and does not have any eligibility restrictions. Overall, Valley Direct stands out as the more lucrative option.

The analysis is based on current Banksparency database records

* This content is provided for informational purposes only; always verify details with the provider.

Verify At
BMO Alto

Non-sponsored link to official site

Verify At
Valley Direct

Non-sponsored link to official site

Top Market Contenders

Synchrony Bank
3.65% APY
Capital One
3.40% APY

BMO Alto vs. Valley Direct Savings Calculator

Calculations based on current APY for Savings Account and High-Yield Savings Account
$
$

You earn $75 more with Valley Direct than BMO Alto on a $10,000 initial deposit for 1 year*.

*This calculation assumes that APYs remain unchanged for 1 year, and takes into account known promo rate periods, but does not factor in bonuses. You can see how often these banks have changed their rates in the Compare Savings Rates Over Time section below.

BMO Alto

Savings Account

3.25% APY

Savings Breakdown

  • Interest Earned
    +$325.00(3.1%)
  • Total Contributions
    $0
  • Initial Deposit
    $10,000

Projected Balance

$10,325.00

Effective APY
3.25%

Valley Direct

High-Yield Savings Account

4.00% APY

Promo Rate: 4.00% for 12 months, then 3.40%.

Savings Breakdown

  • Interest Earned
    +$400.00(3.8%)
  • Total Contributions
    $0
  • Initial Deposit
    $10,000

Projected Balance

$10,400.00

Effective APY
4.00%

The Banksparency Savings Calculator provides estimated savings growth based on user input and our latest data.

FeatureBMO AltoValley Direct
APY
3.25%
Verified: 1/7/2026
Stable (90d)
4.00%
Range: 3.40% - 4.00%
Verified: 1/7/2026
↘︎ 0.10%90d Change
Product NameSavings AccountHigh-Yield Savings Account
Minimum Deposit$0$1,000
Min. Balance for APY$0$0.01
Monthly Fee$0$0
Branch AccessNoneYes
Account Type
Online Only
Online & Branches
Direct Deposit Req.NoneNone
Checking BundleNoNo
Mobile Apps
iOS-
Android-
iOS4.8
Android4.6
Zelle® Support
Not Supported
Available
Allows Zelle directly on HYSA.
BBB RatingA+A+
Important Notes-Promo rate for new customers. 3.40% APY applies to existing customers.
Next Steps
Visit Site

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📈 Compare Savings Rates Over Time

Historical Performance

Last 11 Months Analysis
MetricBMO AltoValley Direct
Savings AccountHigh-Yield Savings Account
Current APY
3.25%4.00%
Trend
Stable Stable
Velocity (bps/mo)
-6.6-0.0
Days Since Change
11026
11-Month High
4.10%4.40%
11-Month Low
3.25%3.75%
Adjustments / Mo
0.430.69
Volatility Score
0.0690.043
How to read these metrics(Click to expand)

Trends & Velocity

  • Trend: The general direction of the rate over the analyzed period. Useful for spotting if a bank is currently aggressive or pulling back.
  • Velocity (bps/mo): Speed of change. A high positive number means they raise rates quickly. 10 bps = 0.10%.
  • Adjustments/Mo: "Twitchiness." High frequency means the rate changes constantly; low frequency means it's stable.

Risk & Range

  • High/Low: The absolute ceiling and floor of the rate during the 350-day window.
  • Volatility Score: Lower is better for predictability. It indicates how wildly the rate swings relative to its average.
  • Days Since Change: If this number is high (e.g., >90), the rate is very sticky. If low, it changed recently.

More Comparisons

Compare BMO Alto's APY of 3.25% with other banks
Bank PairCompetitor APYMin Deposit
BMO Alto vs Affirm3.20%$0
BMO Alto vs Ally Bank3.30%$0
BMO Alto vs American Express3.30%$0
BMO Alto vs Axos Bank4.31%$0
BMO Alto vs Bank of America0.01%$100
BMO Alto vs Barclays4.00%$0
BMO Alto vs Bask Bank3.75%$0
BMO Alto vs Betterment3.25%$10
BMO Alto vs Bread Savings4.05%$100
BMO Alto vs BrioDirect3.75%$5,000
BMO Alto vs Capital One3.40%$0
BMO Alto vs Carver Bank4.00%$5,000
BMO Alto vs Charles Schwab Bank0.15%$0
BMO Alto vs Chase Bank0.01%$0
BMO Alto vs Chime3.50%$0
BMO Alto vs CIT Bank3.75%$100
BMO Alto vs Citibank3.30%$0
BMO Alto vs Citizens Access™3.15%$0.01
BMO Alto vs Climate First Bank4.21%$50
BMO Alto vs Colorado Federal Savings Bank4.05%$50,000
BMO Alto vs Discover Bank3.40%$0
BMO Alto vs E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley3.50%$0
BMO Alto vs Elevault3.82%$0
BMO Alto vs EverBank3.90%$0
BMO Alto vs Fitness Bank4.75%$100
BMO Alto vs FNBO Direct3.00%$1
BMO Alto vs Forbright Bank4.00%$0
BMO Alto vs FVCbank3.85%$500
BMO Alto vs GO2bank4.50%$0
BMO Alto vs Ivy Bank4.10%$2,500
BMO Alto vs Jenius Bank4.05%$0
BMO Alto vs LendingClub4.00%$0
BMO Alto vs Marcus by Goldman Sachs3.65%$0
BMO Alto vs MutualOne Bank4.07%$20,000
BMO Alto vs My Banking Direct4.02%$500
BMO Alto vs Neighbors Bank4.30%$0
BMO Alto vs Newtek Bank4.35%$0.01
BMO Alto vs Openbank4.20%$500
BMO Alto vs Peak Bank3.99%$100
BMO Alto vs Pibank4.60%$0
BMO Alto vs PNC3.30%$0
BMO Alto vs Popular Direct3.90%$100
BMO Alto vs Presidential Bank3.75%$5,000
BMO Alto vs Quontic Bank3.50%$100
BMO Alto vs Salem Five Direct3.61%$10
BMO Alto vs Sallie Mae Bank3.90%$0
BMO Alto vs Santander Bank0.01%$25
BMO Alto vs SoFi Bank4.00%$0
BMO Alto vs Synchrony Bank3.65%$0
BMO Alto vs TD Bank2.60%$0
BMO Alto vs TIMBR4.40%$1,000
BMO Alto vs UFB Direct3.46%$5000
BMO Alto vs Upgrade3.05%$0
BMO Alto vs Varo Bank5.00%$0
BMO Alto vs Vio Bank4.09%$100
BMO Alto vs Wealthfront3.90%$0
BMO Alto vs Wells Fargo0.05%$25
BMO Alto vs Zynlo Bank3.85%$10
Compare Valley Direct's APY of 4.00% with other banks
Bank PairCompetitor APYMin Deposit
Valley Direct vs Affirm3.20%$0
Valley Direct vs Ally Bank3.30%$0
Valley Direct vs American Express3.30%$0
Valley Direct vs Axos Bank4.31%$0
Valley Direct vs Bank of America0.01%$100
Valley Direct vs Barclays4.00%$0
Valley Direct vs Bask Bank3.75%$0
Valley Direct vs Betterment3.25%$10
Valley Direct vs Bread Savings4.05%$100
Valley Direct vs BrioDirect3.75%$5,000
Valley Direct vs Capital One3.40%$0
Valley Direct vs Carver Bank4.00%$5,000
Valley Direct vs Charles Schwab Bank0.15%$0
Valley Direct vs Chase Bank0.01%$0
Valley Direct vs Chime3.50%$0
Valley Direct vs CIT Bank3.75%$100
Valley Direct vs Citibank3.30%$0
Valley Direct vs Citizens Access™3.15%$0.01
Valley Direct vs Climate First Bank4.21%$50
Valley Direct vs Colorado Federal Savings Bank4.05%$50,000
Valley Direct vs Discover Bank3.40%$0
Valley Direct vs E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley3.50%$0
Valley Direct vs Elevault3.82%$0
Valley Direct vs EverBank3.90%$0
Valley Direct vs Fitness Bank4.75%$100
Valley Direct vs FNBO Direct3.00%$1
Valley Direct vs Forbright Bank4.00%$0
Valley Direct vs FVCbank3.85%$500
Valley Direct vs GO2bank4.50%$0
Valley Direct vs Ivy Bank4.10%$2,500
Valley Direct vs Jenius Bank4.05%$0
Valley Direct vs LendingClub4.00%$0
Valley Direct vs Marcus by Goldman Sachs3.65%$0
Valley Direct vs MutualOne Bank4.07%$20,000
Valley Direct vs My Banking Direct4.02%$500
Valley Direct vs Neighbors Bank4.30%$0
Valley Direct vs Newtek Bank4.35%$0.01
Valley Direct vs Openbank4.20%$500
Valley Direct vs Peak Bank3.99%$100
Valley Direct vs Pibank4.60%$0
Valley Direct vs PNC3.30%$0
Valley Direct vs Popular Direct3.90%$100
Valley Direct vs Presidential Bank3.75%$5,000
Valley Direct vs Quontic Bank3.50%$100
Valley Direct vs Salem Five Direct3.61%$10
Valley Direct vs Sallie Mae Bank3.90%$0
Valley Direct vs Santander Bank0.01%$25
Valley Direct vs SoFi Bank4.00%$0
Valley Direct vs Synchrony Bank3.65%$0
Valley Direct vs TD Bank2.60%$0
Valley Direct vs TIMBR4.40%$1,000
Valley Direct vs UFB Direct3.46%$5000
Valley Direct vs Upgrade3.05%$0
Valley Direct vs Varo Bank5.00%$0
Valley Direct vs Vio Bank4.09%$100
Valley Direct vs Wealthfront3.90%$0
Valley Direct vs Wells Fargo0.05%$25
Valley Direct vs Zynlo Bank3.85%$10