Sofi Bank vs. Varo Money
High-Yield Savings Account Comparison
By Aviel Fahl|Last Updated: November 2, 2025
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Summary of SoFi Bank vs. Varo Bank
Key Metrics at a Glance
| Feature | SoFi Bank | Varo Bank |
|---|---|---|
| Top Savings APY | 4.50% SoFi Savings | 5.00% High-Yield Savings Account |
| Minimum to Open | $0 | $0 |
| Minimum Balance for Top APY | $0 | $0.01 |
| Note | Limited offer: you can earn a 0.70% APY boost for 6 months, making the total APY 4.50%. This requires either a direct deposit of regular income, or a $10/month subscription. See terms at SoFi Bank. The savings account comes bundled with a checking account. | Earn 5.00% APY on up to $5,000 and 2.50% APY on the rest. Direct deposit required. |
SoFi Bank
Strengths
- SoFi Bank offers a competitive APY of 4.50%, with a potential boost for qualifying deposits.
- SoFi Bank has no maintenance fees or minimum balance requirements.
- SoFi Bank has an App Store rating of 4.8.
Potential Drawbacks
- SoFi Bank requires direct deposit or qualifying deposits for higher APY.
- SoFi Bank has no physical branches.
Varo Bank
Strengths
- Varo Bank offers a higher APY of 5.00% on up to $5,000.
- Varo Bank has a Google Play rating of 4.6.
- Varo Bank is BBB Accredited with an A- rating.
Potential Drawbacks
- Varo Bank requires a minimum direct deposit of $1,000/month for the highest APY.
- Varo Bank has no physical branches.
→ As of November 2, 2025 SoFi Bank offers an APY of 4.50% for its SoFi Savings account, with a minimum balance of $0, compared to Varo Bank's 5.00% APY for its High-Yield Savings Account, with a minimum balance of $0.01.
→ SoFi Bank yields $75 more than Varo Bank on a $10,000 balance after one year. SoFi Bank pays $450, while Varo Bank pays $375 (with an effective APY of 3.75%) - an APY advantage for SoFi Bank.
Calculate Savings Growth for SoFi Bank vs Varo Bank
SoFi Bank - SoFi Savings
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $2,760.1 (13.30%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (62.62%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (24.08%)
Your total balance
$20,760.10
Total balance: $20,760.1
Earnings: $2,760.1
Bank OverviewVaro Bank - High-Yield Savings Account
ℹ️You earn 5.00% on the first $5,000 and 2.50% on the rest.
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $2,211.4 (10.94%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (64.32%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (24.74%)
Your total balance
$20,211.40
Total balance: $20,211.4
Earnings: $2,211.4
Bank OverviewWith a $5,000 initial deposit and $13,000 in total contributions over 5 years, SoFi Bank's total earnings would be $548.7 higher than Varo Bank's total earnings.
The Banksparency Savings Calculator provides estimated savings growth based on user input and our latest data.
Compare SoFi Bank's vs Varo Bank's Savings Accounts
| SoFi Bank | Varo Bank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | SoFi Savings | vs | High-Yield Savings Account |
| APY | 4.50% (as of 11/2/2025) | 2.50% - 5.00% (as of 11/2/2025) | |
| Bundled Account | Yes | No | |
| FDIC-insured | Yes | Yes | |
| Online Only | Yes | Yes | |
| Compound Frequency | Daily | Daily | |
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| Minimum Balance for APY | $0 | $0.01 | |
| Maintenance Fee | $0 | $0 | |
| Direct Deposit Required | No. Without direct deposit or "Qualifying Deposits" the APY will be significantly lower | Yes. Min. $1,000/month | |
| Note | Limited offer: you can earn a 0.70% APY boost for 6 months, making the total APY 4.50%. This requires either a direct deposit of regular income, or a $10/month subscription. See terms at SoFi Bank. The savings account comes bundled with a checking account. | Earn 5.00% APY on up to $5,000 and 2.50% APY on the rest. Direct deposit required. | |
| App Store Rating | 4.8/5 | 4.9/5 | |
| Google Play Rating | 4.1/5 | 4.6/5 | |
| BBB Rating | A+ | A- |
Comparative Historical APY Insights (Last 9 Months)
| SoFi Bank | Varo Bank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | SoFi Savings | vs | High-Yield Savings Account |
| Latest APY | 4.50 % | 5.00 % | |
| Trend | Rising | Sideways | |
| Slope (bps/mo) | 6.9 | 0.0 | |
| Rate Changes / Mo | 0.21 | 0.00 | |
| Days Since Last Change | 52 | 284 | |
| High (-9 m) | 4.50 % | 5.00 % | |
| Low (-9 m) | 3.80 % | 5.00 % | |
| Draw-down from High | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | |
| Volatility (CV) | 0.071 | 0.000 |
APY Insights Glossary
- Latest APY
- Most recent advertised annual-percentage yield.
- Trend
- Direction over the last 9 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 (-9 m)
- Highest APY in the last 284 days.
- Low (-9 m)
- Lowest APY in the last 284 days.
- Draw-down from High
- How far today sits below the 9-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.