Your cookie choices

We use necessary cookies to make this site work. With your permission, analytics cookies help us understand usage and marketing cookies support advertising.

You can reject non-essential cookies and still use the site. Change your choices anytime in Cookie settings.

Cookie settingsCookie policy

Updated September 28, 2026 · VaultCue Editorial Team

Airwallex vs N26

Airwallex scores 8.6 and N26 9.1 out of 10. Compare their differences and shared features below.
Airwallex

Airwallex

8.6/10
Visit
N26

N26

Higher score in this comparison

9.1/10
Visit

What sets them apart

Airwallex vs N26
CompareAirwallexAirwallexReviewVisitVisitN26N26ReviewVisitVisit
Headline rate2.18% to 3.83%Higher0.3% to 1.5%
Deposit protectionFSCS up to GBP 85,000EU DGS up to EUR 100,000
Access termsAirwallex Yield: no lock-up, no minimum balance, daily returns, funds settle to and from Yield balances within 2 business days100% flexible: deposit and withdraw any amount, whenever you want
Monthly feeHK$2,499€0
Minimum depositHK$0Not confirmed

Same on both: Rate type (Variable), Account kind (Easy access).

We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings. Partners with a live offer in your country come first, then every other brand by score.

Key differences

  • N26 scores higher overall: 9.1 vs 8.6.
  • Founded is lower at N26: 2013 vs 2015.
  • Airwallex is licensed in 4 more countries.
  • Airwallex is available in 48 more countries.
  • Headline rate is higher at Airwallex: 2.18% to 3.83% vs 0.3% to 1.5%.
  • Support channels: only N26 offers Chat, Phone.

Our verdict on each

Airwallex

Airwallex Yield suits businesses that want idle operating cash to earn a variable rate without tying it up. The Hong Kong account charges a monthly fee of HKD 2,499 on top of a 2.18% to 3.83% rate, and the account is easy access, so the balance stays reachable.

Read the full Airwallex review

N26

N26 suits people who want banking costs to stay flat and who move money across currencies often: the monthly fee is €0 and the currency conversion fee is 0%. It is aimed at expats, travelers, students and teens, and savings sit alongside the everyday account.

Read the full N26 review

Score breakdown

Airwallex vs N26
AreaAirwallexN26
Cost8.8A monthly fee of HKD 2,499 sits above the €449 highest fee in the comparison, offset by a HKD 0 minimum.9.4HigherFees of €0 monthly and 0% to convert sit at position 1 of 500 and 1 of 312.
Offer8.59.5HigherAimed at expats, travelers and student, holding from 35 currencies, with a joint account, digital-only service and easy-access savings.
Trust8.58.5

Choosing between them

Pick Airwallex if headline rate matter most.

Pick N26 if cost matter most.

Ranges side by side

Airwallex vs N26
FactAirwallexN26
Headline rate2.18% to 3.83%0.3% to 1.5%

How they place

Airwallex vs N26
RankingAirwallexN26
Savings accounts3 of 142022 of 1420
Money transfer services1 of 156411 of 1564

A third option

Finom has headline rate at 5%, against 2.18% to 3.83% for Airwallex and 0.3% to 1.5% for N26.

Finom review

Every fact side by side

Airwallex vs N26
FactAirwallexN26
Pricing modelNot confirmedNo monthly fee, Low FX
Legal entityAirwallex Capital Hong Kong LimitedN26 Bank SE
HeadquartersSingaporeGermany
Founded20152013Lower
Support channelsEmail, Help centreEmail, Chat, Phone, Help centreCovers more

Money transfer

Airwallex vs N26
FactAirwallexN26
Transfer feeExplore plan: $0 domestic (US/Canada) local transfer, $1-$7 per international local transfer, $15 SWIFT (SHA), $25 SWIFT (OUR)Free: no extra charge for Wise-powered international transfers; MoneyBeam domestic transfers free
Exchange rate markup0.5% to 1%0%Lower
Delivery timeAs little as 1 business day; 90%+ of transfers arrive same dayInstant to 1 business day
Payout methodsBankBank, CardCovers more
Currenciesfrom 20from 35
Fee to send 1,000$1€0

Everyday accounts

Airwallex vs N26
FactAirwallexN26
Currency conversion feeNot confirmed0%
AudienceBusinessExpats, Travelers, Student, Teen
FeaturesNot confirmedFree ATM, Joint account, Digital only
Local account detailsNot confirmedIBAN
Free ATM withdrawalsNot confirmed€2

Where each stands against the rest

Airwallex vs N26
FactAirwallexN26Median
Headline rate2.18% to 3.83%above the median0.3% to 1.5%lowest quarter3.25
Minimum depositHK$0at the medianNot confirmedHK$0

Median across 658 listed accounts.

Pros and cons

Airwallex

Pros

  • Airwallex Yield has no lock-up and no minimum balance, with returns added daily and a short settlement window on and off the balance
  • A variable rate of 2.18% to 3.83% with a minimum deposit of HKD 0
  • Exchange rate margins of 0.5% to 1% sit under the 2.08% upper quartile for money services here

Cons

  • A monthly fee of HKD 2,499 sits well above the €449 highest fee among the business accounts compared
  • Support runs on email and help centre only
  • The rate is variable, so the return can move rather than being locked in for a term

N26

Pros

  • Deposits are protected through EU DGS up to EUR 100,000, with N26 Bank SE supervised by BaFin in Germany.
  • The savings pot is easy access and fully flexible, so deposits and withdrawals happen in any amount, whenever you want.
  • Support is broad for an app-based bank, running on email, chat and phone.

Cons

  • The savings rate is variable and sits at 0.3% to 1.5%, below the 3% median across savings accounts on the site.
  • Local payment details run on iban, so UK sort codes and US ACH numbers are not part of the standard setup.

Who each suits

Airwallex

Who it suits

  • Businesses that keep spare cash in a easy access account and want a return without a lock-up
  • Companies paying and collecting across borders, with from 20 currencies supported and margins of 0.5% to 1%

Who should look elsewhere

  • Not for anyone after a card balance rate: AXI Card Tarjeta y Credito lists 21.59% and Plazo ES lists 24.19%, far above the 2.18% to 3.83% on business cash here
  • Not for a consumer wallet: PayPal Colombia lists 3.3%, while this account is built for business customers with a HKD 2,499 monthly fee

N26

Who it suits

  • Expats, travelers, students and teens who want spending and savings in the same app, with from 35 currencies to hold.
  • Readers who move money across borders, since transfers arrive in Instant to 1 business day and pay out to a bank account or a card.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Pixpay FR, because its monthly fee of €3.99 suits readers who will put regular use through the account rather than those who want a fee-free everyday account.
  • bunq Spain Bank Account, because a currency conversion fee of 3% suits readers banking mainly in euros and converting rarely.

Current offers

Airwallex

Current offer

  • Bonus

    Limited offer - business rewards with Airwallex AI: Up to HK$68,888

    Hong Kong site offer banner linking to the 2026 Airwallex AI rewards campaign page

    Source, checked September 26, 2026

N26

Current offer

  • Bonus

    1% travel cashback: 1% cashback for up to 12 months on qualifying Mastercard transactions outside the EEA, Switzerland and the UK

    N26 Go and Metal customers only; enrolment required via in-app message, email or push notification; up to 12 months

    Source, checked September 26, 2026

Country by country

Airwallex vs N26
CountryAirwallexN26
AustraliaYesNo
BrazilYesNo
BulgariaYesNo
CanadaYesNo
Cayman IslandsYesNo
ChinaYesNo
Costa RicaYesNo
CroatiaYesNo

8 of 69 countries where either is available.

Questions about each

Airwallex

What rate does the balance earn?+

Airwallex Yield pays a variable rate, currently 2.18% to 3.83%. The account kind is easy access, so the money is not tied to a term. Returns are added daily, and funds settle to and from Yield balances over a short settlement window.

Is there a minimum deposit or a lock-up?+

There is no lock-up and no minimum balance, and the stated minimum deposit is HKD 0. That makes the balance easy to try with a small sum and easy to top up or draw on. Cash moves to and from Yield balances across a short settlement window rather than on a fixed term.

N26

What does N26 cost to keep open each month?+

The everyday account is free to run: the monthly fee is €0, and N26 sits at position 1 of 500 brands on that column. Spending, savings and support all sit in the same app, so holding the account costs nothing to maintain.

How much does it cost to convert or send money abroad?+

Foreign currency conversion costs 0%, and the exchange rate margin is 0%. The transfer fee is free: no extra charge is added to Wise-powered international transfers, and MoneyBeam domestic transfers are free. That keeps the cost of moving money abroad close to nothing.

Other options to compare

Other matchups

Airwallex

Visit

N26

Visit