N26 vs bunq
N26 (Berlin) and bunq (Amsterdam) are both EU-licensed banks sold through an app. N26 sells four plans from free to €16.90 a month and a 24-market footprint; bunq sells four plans from free to €18.99 and adds split-and-request tools built around bunq.me. Which one fits comes down to market coverage versus social payments.
Choose N26 if
you want the wider market list (24 markets), a plan ladder with ATM allowances, and stocks and ETFs from €1 through a securities partner.
Read the N26 reviewChoose bunq if
you want a Dutch-supervised bank with bunq.me payment requests, in-app splitting, and transfers by phone number or email without an IBAN.
Read the bunq reviewN26 and bunq side by side
| N26 | bunq | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | N26 SE (bank entity N26 Bank SE) | bunq B.V., Dutch Chamber of Commerce 54992060 |
| Headquarters | Berlin, Germany | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Jurisdiction | EU (Germany) | EU (Netherlands) |
| Where the data sits | Germany | Netherlands (company); privacy statement says the majority of operational data is stored on AWS with servers in Frankfurt |
| Pricing | Standard €0, Smart €4.90, Go €9.90, Metal €16.90 a month (checked 28 October 2026) | Free plan plus paid personal tiers, up to €18.99 a month (checked 28 October 2026) |
| Entry-level list price (vendor site, checked 13 November 2026) | Standard €0, Smart €4.90, Go €9.90, Metal €16.90 a month | Free €0.00, Core €3.99, Pro €9.99, Elite €18.99 a month (homepage) |
| Free tier or trial | Demo on request | Demo on request |
| Certifications and checks | Not stated in our data | Bank with an EU banking licence; deposits covered by the Deposit Guarantee Scheme up to €100,000 |
| Source code | Closed source | Closed source |
| Usually replaces | Chime, Robinhood banking features, Cash App | Chime, Mercury, Chase for Business |
| Position in our Neobanks and Digital Banks guide | #2 of 9 | Listed, not ranked |
Both are listed in our European Neobanks and Digital Banks guide. The table is built from the same directory data as those entries, except the list price, which is quoted from each vendor's own pricing page (see Sources below); how we check it is described in the editorial process.
Where N26 and bunq differ
Across the five points below, N26 has the edge on 3 points, bunq on 1 point and one is a tie. A count like that is a summary, not a verdict: the point that matters to you may be the one the other product wins.
Supervisor and deposit cover
N26 says it holds a German banking licence from BaFin and that funds are covered up to €100,000 by the German Deposit Protection Scheme. bunq says it is a bank under De Nederlandsche Bank supervision, with deposits covered by the Deposit Guarantee Scheme up to €100,000. Both are EU banks with the same stated cover amount, so neither wins this round.
No clear winner on this point.
Plan ladder and what each tier adds
N26 lists Standard at €0, Smart €4.90, Go €9.90 and Metal €16.90 a month, with free euro ATM withdrawals rising from 2 to 3, 5 and 8 a month and insurance and travel benefits on higher tiers. bunq lists Free, Core €3.99, Pro €9.99 and Elite €18.99, but its homepage figures we recorded give less detail on what each tier unlocks. N26's ladder is easier to read.
Edge: N26
Sending and splitting money with friends
bunq's features page describes splitting a payment in the app, payment requests through bunq.me by link, QR code or contact, bunq.to transfers by phone number or email, and an AutoAccept list for trusted contacts. It states no fee for splitting or requesting. N26's pages we read describe joint accounts and youth cards, not a split or request feature.
Edge: bunq
Investing inside the app
N26 offers stocks and ETFs from €1 through N26 Bank SE with Upvest Securities GmbH handling execution and custody, at €0.90 per trade with 3 free trades a month on Go and 10 on Metal, plus a Flexible Cash Fund labelled as not a deposit. The bunq pages we recorded do not describe an investing product, so N26 wins on documented breadth.
Edge: N26
Markets and country pricing
N26 lists 24 markets on its site but warns that pricing differs by country, so figures need checking for your home market. bunq's pages we read present plan prices in euros without a market list, and the data location is not stated beyond the privacy statement naming AWS servers in Frankfurt. N26 documents its footprint more clearly.
Edge: N26
When neither N26 nor bunq fits
If neither fits: Tomorrow is a German current account built on Solaris as the bank, and Nickel is a French account opened at tobacconists. Both are on the same neobank category page.
N26 vs bunq: questions
Both say so on their own pages. N26 names N26 Bank SE with a BaFin licence; bunq names bunq B.V. with De Nederlandsche Bank as supervisor. Each states deposit cover up to €100,000.
Both do. N26 Standard is €0 and bunq Free is €0.00, with paid tiers above them at €4.90 to €16.90 and €3.99 to €18.99 a month respectively.
bunq's features page describes splitting a payment and requesting money by link, QR code or contact. The N26 pages we read do not describe that feature.
The privacy statement says most operational data is stored on AWS with servers in Frankfurt. N26 pages we read give Germany as data location in our review.
Sources
Facts, prices and plan details on this page were checked on the vendors' own websites on . Prices and plans change; the vendor's current page is authoritative.
- N26 website: N26 plans, licence and deposit protection statements (checked 13 November 2026)
- bunq website: bunq plans, imprint and features (checked 13 November 2026)