Software Comparison

AIB Business vs Fire Business Account - Irish business-banking Software Compared

Choosing between AIB Business and Fire Business Account is one of the most common decisions Irish businesses face when evaluating business-banking software. This comparison breaks down everything an Irish SME needs to know, from Revenue integration and GDPR data residency to pricing and ease of use.

View AIB Business View Fire Business Account

Last checked: 08 Jun 2026 data estimated for at least one vendor - confirm with the vendor Methodology

Quick Verdict

AIB Business vs Fire Business Account - Feature Comparison

Feature	AIB Business	Fire Business Account
Monthly Pricing	From EUR 4 per month flat (quarterly fee schedule applies; transaction and maintenance fees apply on top)	EUR 10 per month flat plus EUR 0.29 per SEPA or domestic transfer; no free entry tier
Regulatory Status	Licensed credit institution, authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland (reference C21174)	Payment Institution, authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland (reference C58301); separate UK FCA-authorised EMI for GBP accounts
Deposit Protection	Irish Deposit Guarantee Scheme covers up to EUR 100,000 per eligible depositor	Client funds safeguarded under Payment Institution rules; not covered by the Irish Deposit Guarantee Scheme
Irish Bank Feeds	Native direct feeds to Xero, Sage, QuickBooks, and BrightBooks	No native first-party bank feeds; reconciliation via OFX or CSV export, the Fire Payments API, or partner connectors
Currency Accounts	EUR accounts with Irish IBANs; FX conversion available but at higher cost than fintech alternatives	Dual EUR (Irish IBAN) and GBP (UK sort code and account number) accounts under one login; UK Faster Payments and Bacs on the sterling side
Payments API	No published developer API; bulk payments via pain.001/pain.008 file upload through Internet Business Banking	Documented Fire Payments API plus Open Banking PISP and AISP APIs for programmatic payouts, batched runs, and webhook-driven reconciliation
Lending and Credit	Overdrafts, term loans, and merchant acquiring available as part of the full banking relationship	No overdrafts, term lending, merchant acquiring, cash deposits, or cheque handling
Irish Support and SEPA	Irish-based customer support; SEPA Credit Transfer and SEPA Direct Debit (pain.001 and pain.008 bulk file upload supported)	Irish-based customer support during Irish business hours; SEPA Credit Transfer and SEPA Direct Debit on EUR accounts

Irish Compliance and Pricing Matrix

A side-by-side data comparison of pricing and Irish regulatory compliance for AIB Business and Fire Business Account. Values are derived from each vendor's published data and verified weekly.

Requirement	AIB Business	Fire Business Account
Pricing
Starting price	From €4/month	From €10/month
Pricing model	Monthly flat rate	Monthly flat rate
EUR pricing guaranteed	✓	✓
Free trial	✗	✗
Irish Compliance
Revenue (ROS) integration	✗	✗
PAYE Modernisation	✗	✗
Irish bank feeds	✓	✗
Bank compatibility	SEPA Credit Transfer, SEPA Direct Debit, Pain.001, Pain.008	SEPA Credit Transfer, SEPA Direct Debit
SEPA direct debit	✓	✓
Irish IBAN support	✓	✓
VAT handling	✗	✗
EU data residency (GDPR)	EU only	EU only
Irish support	✓	✓
Revenue-approved	✗	✗
CBI regulated	✓	✓

Irish Compliance Comparison

For Irish businesses, compliance with Revenue, GDPR, and local banking standards is non-negotiable. Here is how AIB Business and Fire Business Account compare on the requirements that matter most to Irish SMEs.

Revenue Integration

Neither AIB Business nor Fire Business Account offers native Revenue Online Service integration. Irish businesses in business-banking may not need this feature directly, but should ensure their accounting software handles Revenue compliance separately.

Irish Bank Feeds

AIB Business supports SEPA Credit Transfer, SEPA Direct Debit, Pain.001, Pain.008. Fire Business Account supports SEPA Credit Transfer, SEPA Direct Debit. AIB Business has broader Irish bank compatibility, which matters if you bank with Pain.001 or Pain.008 - you will get automatic bank feeds or SEPA payment file support that Fire Business Account cannot offer.

GDPR Data Residency

Both AIB Business and Fire Business Account store data in EU data centres, providing strong GDPR compliance out of the box. Irish businesses can use either platform without worrying about cross-border data transfers to the US or other non-EU jurisdictions.

SEPA and IBAN Support

Both AIB Business and Fire Business Account support SEPA Direct Debit and Irish IBAN format. This means you can process euro payments, set up direct debits, and handle bank transfers in the standard European format without any manual workarounds.

VAT Handling

Neither AIB Business nor Fire Business Account handles Irish VAT directly. This is expected for business-banking tools - your accounting software should manage VAT compliance.

Pricing Comparison

All prices below are in euro. Pricing can change - we verify vendor pricing weekly, but always confirm on the vendor's website before purchasing.

AIB Business

€4 /mo

Pricing model: Flat rate
Free trial: No
EUR pricing guaranteed: Yes

View AIB Business pricing →

Fire Business Account

€10 /mo

Pricing model: Flat rate
Free trial: No
EUR pricing guaranteed: Yes

View Fire Business Account pricing →

At entry level, AIB Business is the more affordable option. However, total cost of ownership depends on the number of users, add-ons, and features your business requires. Always calculate the full annual cost for your team size before committing.

Who Should Choose AIB Business

AIB Business is the better fit if your business matches one or more of these profiles:

✓ Budget-conscious businesses - AIB Business from €4/month
✓ Businesses banking with SEPA Credit Transfer, SEPA Direct Debit, Pain.001, Pain.008 who want reliable bank feed or payment file support
✓ Those who prioritise user satisfaction - AIB Business has a higher editorial rating (4.1/5)

Who Should Choose Fire Business Account

Fire Business Account is the better fit if your business matches one or more of these profiles:

✓ Those who value: irish-founded and dublin-headquartered, with a central bank of ireland payment institution authorisation since 2010
✓ Those who value: issues genuine irish (ie) ibans from the irish entity, not belgian or german ibans
✓ Those who value: dual euro and sterling accounts under one login, with uk faster payments and bacs on the gbp side

Our Verdict

The critical Irish-specific distinction is deposit protection: AIB operates as a licensed credit institution covered by the Irish Deposit Guarantee Scheme, while Fire is a Payment Institution that safeguards rather than insures client funds, so cash-heavy or high-balance businesses still need a primary Irish bank account. AIB also has native direct bank feeds into Xero, Sage, QuickBooks, and BrightBooks, whereas Fire reconciles via OFX or CSV export and its API, which adds friction for businesses whose accounting workflow depends on live feed connectivity.

Ultimately, the best choice depends on your specific business needs, team size, and priorities. We recommend taking advantage of free trials from both vendors before making your final decision. If you are working with an Irish accountant or payroll bureau, ask which platform they prefer - their familiarity with the software can save you significant time and hassle during setup and ongoing support.

Not sure which is right for you?

Our AI-powered recommendation engine analyses your business size, sector, and priorities to suggest the best software stack for your Irish business - in under 60 seconds.

Try Our Free Recommendation Tool →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is AIB Business or Fire Business Account better for Irish SMEs?

AIB Business wins for Irish SMEs that need the full traditional banking stack: overdrafts, term lending, merchant acquiring, cash deposits, branch access, and deposit protection under the Irish Deposit Guarantee Scheme up to EUR 100,000. Both vendors are regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and issue genuine Irish IBANs, both support SEPA Credit Transfer and SEPA Direct Debit, and neither offers Revenue integration, PAYE Modernisation connectivity, or VAT handling. Fire Business Account wins for tech-enabled Irish SMEs that pay suppliers programmatically, run parallel EUR and GBP operations, or need a documented Payments API for finance automation, with the dual Irish IBAN and UK Faster Payments setup doing meaningful work for businesses invoicing across both jurisdictions. The critical Irish-specific distinction is deposit protection: AIB operates as a licensed credit institution covered by the Irish Deposit Guarantee Scheme, while Fire is a Payment Institution that safeguards rather than insures client funds, so cash-heavy or high-balance businesses still need a primary Irish bank account. AIB also has native direct bank feeds into Xero, Sage, QuickBooks, and BrightBooks, whereas Fire reconciles via OFX or CSV export and its API, which adds friction for businesses whose accounting workflow depends on live feed connectivity.

Which is cheaper, AIB Business or Fire Business Account?

AIB Business starts at From €4/month, while Fire Business Account starts at From €10/month. AIB Business is the more affordable option at entry level, though total cost depends on the number of users and features you need.

Does AIB Business or Fire Business Account have better Irish bank feeds?

AIB Business supports SEPA Credit Transfer, SEPA Direct Debit, Pain.001, Pain.008. Fire Business Account supports SEPA Credit Transfer, SEPA Direct Debit. AIB Business has broader Irish bank support.

Which has better GDPR compliance, AIB Business or Fire Business Account?

AIB Business stores data in EU data centres (GDPR-friendly). Fire Business Account stores data in EU data centres (GDPR-friendly). Both offer EU data centre options, though configuration may be required.

Can I switch from AIB Business to Fire Business Account?

Yes, migrating between AIB Business and Fire Business Account is possible. Most business-banking platforms allow you to export your data in CSV or standard formats. We recommend working with your accountant or IT provider to plan the migration, ideally at the start of a new financial year or payroll period to minimise disruption.

Not sure which one fits?

Share your email and we'll send tailored guidance based on this comparison.