Top accounts for freelancers compared

About Top accounts for freelancers compared

Freelancers pick accounts that must work when money arrives in a currency and leaves in another, so this ranking weighs what the account costs, what the offer adds, and how far the provider can be trusted with client money. Across 130 brands aimed at freelancers, the main trade-off is easy to trace. The median monthly fee here is €0, so price alone rarely separates the members. What decides it is what comes with that price: local bank details that let a client pay without a conversion, an FX margin below the freelancer median of 1%, and a clear statement about deposit protection. Plazo ES holds a fee of €0 and still lists phone support, while the Qonto plans ask for €19 and €9. Digital-only services are common, covering 63.3% of the brands, which suits invoicing done from a laptop and leaves cash handling to someone else. The trade-off a freelancer actually weighs is a plan that keeps monthly costs predictable against a plan that cuts the cost of every currency swap.

How we picked

Every member is scored on the same axes, weighted for the way freelancers actually bank. Cost carries 35% of the score, the offer around the account carries 25%, and trust carries 40%. Cost covers the monthly fee, the cash withdrawal allowance and the charge applied when money moves. Offer covers local bank details, currencies, features and how a freelancer gets help. Trust covers licence type and any protection scheme the provider names in its own terms. Data comes from each provider's pages: pricing sheets, support centres, terms and conditions, product pages and legal notices. Licence types and legal entities are read from the European Banking Authority payment institution register. Where a provider lists several plans, the fee shown is the entry level for that plan, and the plan name is kept in the copy so you can match it to your own tier. Partner accounts are listed first, in the order given, and the remaining accounts follow on score. Every account in this ranking names freelancers as a target audience, which is the filter separating this list from a general current account roundup. Within that set, the deciding factor tends to be whichever a freelancer feels most directly: getting paid locally and paying out in another currency without losing a slice of every payment.

Our top picks

1. 2. Qonto

   Qonto sits in the middle of this ranking as a paid plan combining wide currency reach with full support. The monthly fee is €19, the account is digital only under digital only, and from 30 currencies sit well above the freelancer median of 5. It is licensed as payment institution, deposits are covered as EU DGS up to EUR 100,000, and support runs on chat, phone and email. On the Basic plan, SEPA transfers come with a monthly allowance and a small per transaction charge after it. The member below, the Qonto Portugal Business Account, carries the same licence, currency count, support and transfer structure at a lower €9, so a freelancer who wants that plan at the cheaper price takes the Portugal entry instead.

   • Headline rate: 1.5%
   • Rate type: Variable
   • Minimum deposit: €0

   Pros

   • Minimum deposit of €0, so the account opens without tying up money
   • Support runs on chat, phone and email
   • Currency conversion of 0.8% to 1.8% suits frequent international invoicing
   • A local IBAN is provided

   Cons

   • The monthly fee of €19 makes it expensive for anyone holding a small balance
   • The account is digital only, so there is no branch to visit
   • The 1.5% rate is only paid while the transaction condition is met

2. 3. Qonto Portugal Business Account

   The Qonto Portugal Business Account appears in this ranking as the cheaper route into a plan that already scores well. Its monthly fee is €9, against €19 for the entry above, while the rest of the offer matches: from 30 currencies, a digital only account under digital only, payment institution licensing, deposits covered as EU DGS up to EUR 100,000 and support on chat, phone and email. The Basic plan structure carries the same included SEPA allowance, with a small per transaction charge beyond it, so a freelancer sending a high volume of euro payments can still keep costs predictable. Accountable, the member below, charges €0 and offers free transfers in Europe, which suits a freelancer who rarely converts currency.

   • Monthly fee: €9
   • Licence type: Payment institution
   • Deposit protection: EU DGS up to EUR 100,000

   Pros

   • The account covers from 30 currencies, well above the 5 seen across the site.
   • Deposits sit under EU DGS up to EUR 100,000, so the working balance stays inside the EU guarantee.
   • Support runs on chat, phone and email, including a phone line for urgent payment problems.
   • A local iban fits Portuguese suppliers, payroll and tax payments.

   Cons

   • The €9 monthly fee is the cost rivals skip, with XTB at €0 and AXI Card at €0.
   • Currency conversion costs of 0.8% to 1.8% apply to any payment made outside the euro zone.
   • The account is digital only, so there is no branch counter and no paper trail outside the app.
   • On the Basic plan each transfer beyond the included bundle of SEPA transfers is charged a flat rate.

3. 5. Finom ES: best for Finom ES

   Spanish site of Finom, an online payments and business account solution for autonomos and small businesses.

   • Monthly fee: €0
   • Currency conversion fee: 0.5%
   • Currencies: 17

   Pros

   • Spanish IBAN with online opening within a day for business use
   • Multiple physical and virtual debit cards with one-click controls for teams
   • Built-in invoicing with payment links and reminders that help you get paid
   • Support from real people every day plus round-the-clock help centre

   Cons

   • Business-only focus leaves little for people wanting personal accounts
   • Online and mobile management without in-person branches for daily tasks

4. 6. Finom FR: best for Finom FR

   French site of Finom, an online payments and business account solution for freelancers and small businesses.

   • Monthly fee: €0
   • Currency conversion fee: 0.5%
   • Currencies: 17

   Pros

   • French IBAN with fully online opening for freelancers
   • Invoicing with payment links and smart late reminders
   • Employee cards and receipt capture for team spending
   • Over fifty accounting integrations for tax preparation

   Cons

   • Business only range without personal everyday accounts
   • French IBAN structure centred on one home market

What to look for

The monthly fee you actually pay

Most freelancer accounts in this ranking cost nothing to hold, with a median of €0 and a top of €19. Read the plan name alongside the fee, because entry pricing and upper tiers differ.

The cost of changing currency

The freelancer median FX fee is 1%, ranging from 0% to 6%. For anyone billing abroad this line often matters more than the monthly fee.

Getting paid without a conversion

An IBAN is the common thread, published by 78.6% of these brands, so clients can pay in your own currency. US ACH details appear on 28.6% and UK sort codes on 11.4%.

How your money is protected

Licences split this group, with 50% and 50% represented, and 0% holding none. Where a provider names a protection scheme, read the cover limit before you hold client money there.

Support you can reach in a hurry

Help centres appear on 87.5% of these accounts and email on 76.6%. A phone line is the one that matters when a client payment fails, and chat is available on 52.3%.

Whether the account works away from a screen

Digital-only banking covers 63.3% of the group and free ATM withdrawals 38%. If you meet clients in person, weigh that against how you mostly invoice.

Frequently asked questions

Top accounts for freelancers compared by country

• Australia
• Brazil
• Canada
• China
• France
• Germany
• India
• Ireland
• Italy
• Japan
• Philippines
• Singapore
• Spain
• United Kingdom
• United States

The data behind this ranking

All data and the CSV