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Kontist review

Updated September 28, 2026 · VaultCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

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.

Our verdict

Kontist is a free to hold German account aimed at freelancers and small businesses paid in euros, and deposits sit in the EU guarantee scheme: EU DGS up to EUR 100,000. The trade off is a charge on every SEPA transfer past the plan allowance, on an account built for freelancer and business.

Key facts

Best for
Euro freelancers and small businesses that want a free German IBAN account and convert money only now and then.
Monthly fee
€0↗
Deposit protection
EU DGS up to EUR 100,000↗
Currency conversion fee
2%↗
Local account details
IBAN↗
Free ATM withdrawals
€2↗
Transfer fee
0.25 EUR per additional SEPA transaction beyond the plan allowance (Free includes 5 per month)↗
Legal entity
Shine Germany GmbH↗
Headquarters
Germany↗
Support channels
Email, Chat, Phone, Help-centre↗
Audience
Freelancers, Business
Pricing model
No monthly fee
Features
No credit check
Official website
kontist.com

Facts checked September 26, 2026, 3 sources

Apps and profiles

Get the app
App StoreGoogle Play
Elsewhere
Wikidata

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Deposits are covered by the EU deposit guarantee scheme, EU DGS up to EUR 100,000, so a business balance has a stated safety net.
  • The account runs without a credit check, no credit check, so opening it does not involve a credit review.
  • Support runs on email, chat and phone, so phone and chat sit alongside email and a help centre.

Cons

  • Every additional SEPA transaction past the plan allowance is charged, so a payment heavy freelancer pays more as volume grows.
  • The currency conversion fee of 2% is above the 0.5% median and ranks 214 of 312, so frequent conversion is where the account costs most.
  • Local details cover iban alone, so the account is built around a single market rather than wider payment rails.
Kontist

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Scored 9.1 / 10 by VaultCue.

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Who it suits

  • Freelancers billing in euros who want a business account opened without a credit check, since Kontist runs no credit check.
  • Small businesses and sole traders who need a euro account with a monthly fee of €0 and a German IBAN.
  • Anyone who wants the balance inside the EU deposit guarantee scheme, EU DGS up to EUR 100,000, with support on email, chat and phone.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Not for readers who judge on the monthly fee alone: PayPal Colombia also lists a monthly fee of $0, so the choice there comes down to what the account gives you, such as local details covering iban.
  • Not for high volume SEPA users, because each additional transaction past the plan allowance is charged.
  • Not for anyone who wants a banking licence relationship of their own: the accounts sit with partner bank Solaris SE under BaFin and European Central Bank supervision.

How Kontist compares

Where Kontist is available

Available
Germany
Licence in Germany
BaFin and European Central Bank (banking licence held by partner bank Solaris SE, which holds the accounts; Kontist itself states it has no own banking licence), checked September 26, 2026

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to hold a Kontist account?+

The monthly fee is €0, so holding the account is free. The costs that do apply are currency conversion at 2% and a charge on each additional SEPA transfer beyond the plan allowance, where the Free plan includes a limited number of those transactions every month.

Is my money protected at Kontist?+

Deposits sit under the EU deposit guarantee scheme, EU DGS up to EUR 100,000. The accounts themselves are held by partner bank Solaris SE rather than by Kontist, and the arrangement is supervised by BaFin and the European Central Bank.

Is Kontist a bank?+

Kontist states that it holds no banking licence of its own. The banking licence is held by partner bank Solaris SE, which holds the accounts, under supervision by BaFin and the European Central Bank. The company behind the service is Shine Germany GmbH, based in Germany.

How much does currency conversion cost?+

Conversion is priced at 2%, which is above the 0.5% median for the brands ranked on it. Kontist sits at position 214 of 312, so the rate is better than several alternatives but not among the cheapest conversions available.

What do SEPA transfers cost?+

Each additional SEPA transaction beyond the plan allowance is charged, and the Free plan includes a limited number of them every month. Budget for that if you send a high volume of invoices, since the rest of the account still runs on a monthly fee of €0.

Who is Kontist built for?+

Kontist is written for freelancers and businesses, as freelancer and business shows, and the account also runs without a credit check, no credit check. That suits people opening a German business account who would rather not have their credit file reviewed.

How do I get help from Kontist?+

Support runs on email, chat and phone, so email, chat, phone and a help centre are all listed for the account. That mix helps anyone with a business payment question, since it does not depend on a single channel being open when it matters.

What payment details does the account come with?+

The account comes with local details covering iban, which is what clients in the euro area need for incoming invoices. It is a European setup, so anyone paid mainly through other rails should check the details before relying on the account for payroll or supplier payments.

Sources

  • kontist.com checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Deposit protection, Features, Pricing model, Support channels, Licences

    “Open a free business account easily without SCHUFA”

  • kontist.com/imprint checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Headquarters, Legal entity

    “Shine Germany GmbH, Boxhagener Strasse 77-78, 10245 Berlin, Deutschland”

  • kontist.com/pricing checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Free ATM withdrawals, Audience, Currency conversion fee, Local account details, Monthly fee, Transfer fee

    “Free monthly withdrawals in EUR: 2 (Kontist Free), 4 (Start/Plus); additional withdrawals and withdrawals in the Free plan charged 2 EUR plus tax”

Compiled from 3 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Not confirmed yet: Licence type, Currencies.

Kontist

Kontist

Euro freelancers and small businesses that want a free German IBAN account and convert money only now and then.

9.1/10Visit