Q2 Leads Javelin Strategy and Research’s 2025 Small Business Digital Banking Vendor Scorecard

Apiture and Candescent emerge as nimble challengers while legacy core providers sharpen small business focus

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Javelin Strategy & Research today released its 2025 Small Business Digital Banking Vendor Scorecard, the industry’s most comprehensive benchmark of small business digital banking platforms. Evaluating leading vendors on more than 350 criteria, the report finds that digital feature gaps are narrowing as vendors face more pressure than ever to integrate smartly and deliver reliably.

Q2 earned the Best-in-Class ranking thanks to an online and mobile platform that emphasizes contextual insights and business owner actionability, banker-facing tools that enable FIs to personalize the digital experience for business clients, and a consistent record of delivering on an ambitious roadmap.

Apiture ranked as a close runner up, with standout offerings in real-time payments UX and cutting-edge AI tools for bankers. Candescent introduced a refreshed mobile-first UX and improved administrative tools. Meanwhile, core providers including FIS, Fiserv, Jack Henry, and CSI sharpened their small business focus with recent acquisitions and major product rollouts.

“The whole industry has upped its game,” said Ian Benton, head of Small Business Banking at Javelin. “No longer is small business digital banking an afterthought to consumer and commercial offerings. We are seeing updated platforms with refreshed payments UX, integrated invoicing tools, fully digital account opening flows, and actionable cash-flow insights—all designed to position a bank at the center of small business customers’ day-to-day operations.”

Key findings from Javelin’s evaluation include:

• Payments take center stage. Vendors are consolidating money movement into unified hubs spanning ACH, wires, real-time payments, Zelle, and even tax payments, shifting toward a “tell us the recipient, we’ll figure out the rails” model.
• Personalization gains traction. Widget-based dashboards, API-first design, third-party marketplaces, and industry-specific payments tools are enabling tailored digital experiences for small business clients.
• Functionality alone is no longer a differentiator. Most vendors now offer a baseline of account management, entitlements, customer service, payments, cash-flow analysis, and AI insights. Leaders stand out by how intelligently these features are integrated into the broader experience.
  

Javelin’s 2025 Small Business Digital Banking Vendor Scorecard provides the industry’s most detailed and strategic benchmark, evaluating platforms’ performance across six functional categories: Account Management, Payments, Reporting & Financial Analysis, Entitlements & Security, Servicing & Communications, and Account Opening & Onboarding. Vendors are also assessed on banker-facing Administration & Portfolio Management tools, as well as their Strategic Vision & Delivery.

About Javelin Strategy & Research  
Javelin Strategy & Research, part of the Escalent Group, helps its clients make informed decisions in a digital financial world. It provides strategic insights to financial institutions including banks, credit unions, brokerages and insurers, as well as payments companies, technology providers, fintechs and government agencies. Javelin’s independent insights result from a rigorous research process that assesses consumers, businesses, providers, and the transactions ecosystem. It conducts in-depth primary research studies to pinpoint dynamic risks and opportunities in digital banking, payments, and fraud & security. Learn more at javelinstrategy.com.

Contact
Allison Bondi
allison.bondi@javelinstrategy.com

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