Short answer: rates change often, so there isn’t a single permanent “best” bank. As of recent public comparisons (mid–late 2025), the Sri Lankan banks and finance companies that commonly appear near the top for savings / high-yield savings-type products are:

• Siyapatha Finance (Sampath Bank group) — typically offers higher retail savings yields and special progressive savings plans. (siyapatha.lk)
• DFCC Bank — competitive for term deposits and higher-tier savings balances in published comparisons. (Deposit.lk)
• NDB / Seylan / HNB — these commercial banks frequently offer competitive savings and especially fixed‑deposit rates (promotions vary by tenor). (Deposit.lk)
• Commercial Bank of Ceylon — commonly competitive in published comparison lists for both savings and FDs. (Deposit.lk)
• Specialist finance companies / smaller licensed finance firms (e.g., Siyapatha) — they sometimes pay higher rates than the large state banks for certain products. (siyapatha.lk)

What matters and how to pick

• Product type: “ordinary” savings accounts usually pay much less than special/priority savings, progressive savers, or time deposits (FDs). Compare the exact product (not just the bank). (Deposit.lk)
• Balance tiers and eligibility: higher rates often require minimum balances or are promotional (new customers, online-only, senior/children accounts). (siyapatha.lk)
• Frequency of interest crediting and effective annual yield (AER) — check whether advertised rates are nominal or effective. (siyapatha.lk)
• Safety & fees: consider bank creditworthiness, deposit insurance/coverage, and account fees that reduce net return. (Deposit.lk)

If you want an immediate, up‑to‑date shortlist I can pull live published rates and give:

• Top 3 current savings-account offers in Sri Lanka (with exact rates, minimums and links to source pages), and
• Top 3 fixed‑deposit / special deposit offers (with tenors and effective yields).

Tell me if you want me to fetch live rates now — I’ll report the current top offers and cite the bank pages or recent comparisons.