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Updated September 28, 2026 · VaultCue Editorial Team

N26 vs Wise

N26 scores 9.1 and Wise 8.8 out of 10. Compare their differences and shared features below.
N26

N26

Higher score in this comparison

9.1/10
Visit
Wise

Wise

8.8/10
See alternatives

What sets them apart

N26 vs Wise
CompareN26N26ReviewVisitVisitWiseWiseReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives
Monthly fee€0£0
Currency conversion fee0%Lower0.24%
Currenciesfrom 3540
Local account detailsIBANIBAN, UK sort code, Us ACHCovers more
Free ATM withdrawals€2£250
Transfer feeFree: no extra charge for Wise-powered international transfers; MoneyBeam domestic transfers freeFrom 0.24%, varies by currency
Licence typeNot confirmedPayment institution

Same on both: Deposit protection (EU DGS up to EUR 100,000).

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 8.8.
  • Founded is lower at Wise: 2011 vs 2013.
  • Wise is licensed in 2 more countries.
  • Wise is available in 14 more countries.
  • Currency conversion fee is lower at N26: 0% vs 0.24%.
  • Local account details: only Wise offers UK sort code, Us ACH.
  • Support channels: only N26 offers Email, Chat, Phone.
  • Audience: only N26 offers Student, Teen.
  • Pricing model: only N26 offers Low FX.
  • Features: only N26 offers Joint account, Digital only.

Our verdict on each

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

Wise

Wise runs as a cash management account rather than a savings product, so it suits expats and travellers who need many currencies and no monthly charge, not people chasing the top rate. It scores 5.2 here, with a variable rate of 3.29% and a monthly fee of £0.

Read the full Wise review

Score breakdown

N26 vs Wise
AreaN26Wise
Cost9.4HigherFees of €0 monthly and 0% to convert sit at position 1 of 500 and 1 of 312.9.1A monthly fee of £0, a conversion fee of 0.24% and an exchange rate markup of 0% keep running costs low.
Offer9.5HigherAimed at expats, travelers and student, holding from 35 currencies, with a joint account, digital-only service and easy-access savings.8.640 currencies, local details for iban, uk sort code and us ach and a variable rate of 3.29% on the balance.
Trust8.58.8Higher

Choosing between them

Pick N26 if cost, offer, and currency conversion fee matter most.

Pick Wise if trust and local account details matter most.

Positions in our rankings

N26 vs Wise
RankingN26Wise
Savings accounts22 of 1420494 of 1420
Money transfer services11 of 1564373 of 1564

Every fact side by side

N26 vs Wise
FactN26Wise
AudienceExpats, Travelers, Student, TeenCovers moreExpats, Travelers
Pricing modelNo monthly fee, Low FXCovers moreNo monthly fee
FeaturesFree ATM, Joint account, Digital onlyCovers moreFree ATM
Legal entityN26 Bank SEWise Europe SA
HeadquartersGermanyBelgium
Founded20132011Lower
Support channelsEmail, Chat, Phone, Help centreCovers moreHelp centre

Savings

N26 vs Wise
FactN26Wise
Headline rate0.3% to 1.5%3.29%Higher
Rate typeVariableVariable
Access terms100% flexible: deposit and withdraw any amount, whenever you wantInstant access to money and gains; transfer up to 100,000 GBP (Personal) daily without delay
Account kindEasy accessCash management

Money transfer

N26 vs Wise
FactN26Wise
Exchange rate markup0%0%
Delivery timeInstant to 1 business dayNot confirmed
Payout methodsBank, CardBank, Card
Fee to send 1,000€0Not confirmed

Where each stands against the rest

N26 vs Wise
FactN26WiseMedian
Currency conversion fee0%below the median0.24%below the median0.5%
Currenciesfrom 35highest quarter40highest quarter5

Median across 536 listed accounts.

Pros and cons

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.

Wise

Pros

  • No recurring charge: the monthly fee is £0, matching the €0 site median while some accounts charge as much as €449.
  • Conversion is cheap: a fee of 0.24% and an exchange rate markup of 0%, against a 0.5% site median conversion fee.
  • Instant access on a floating return: money and gains come out without delay, and the variable rate stands at 3.29%.

Cons

  • Support is self-service: help centre is the only channel listed, so there is no phone line or live chat listed for a stuck transfer.
  • The rate is variable, so the 3.29% headline can fall, and the brand ranks 220 of 473 on headline rate.
  • Moving money is not free: transfer fees are From 0.24%, varies by currency and converting adds 0.24% each time a currency changes.

Who each suits

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.

Wise

Who it suits

  • Expatriates and travellers who hold money in more than one currency: the account is built for expats and travelers and covers 40 currencies.
  • Anyone who wants a place to park cash without a recurring charge, since the monthly fee is £0.
  • People who need money to arrive in local formats, since local account details are offered for iban, uk sort code and us ach.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Plazo ES or AXI Card Tarjeta y Credito, whose headline rates of 24.19% and 21.59% are the ones to look at when the rate on the balance matters more than currency cover.
  • PayPal Colombia, whose headline rate of 3.3% is close to 3.29%, so a saver gives up little on yield and gains nothing on the 40 currency range.

Current offers

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

N26 vs Wise
CountryN26Wise
AustraliaNoYes
BrazilNoYes
BulgariaNoYes
CroatiaNoYes
CyprusNoYes
CzechiaNoYes
HungaryNoYes
LatviaNoYes

8 of 36 countries where either is available.

Questions about each

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.

Wise

What rate does Wise pay on money held in the account?+

The headline rate is 3.29% and it is a variable rate, so the figure can move rather than being set for a term. Interest is credited to the balance and the money plus the gains stay available, which suits someone who wants a return without tying funds away.

Is there a monthly fee for keeping money with Wise?+

The monthly fee is £0, and the account is built on a no monthly fee model, so there is no recurring charge to maintain it. The site median monthly fee is €0 while some accounts charge as much as €449, so this sits at the cheap end of the range.

Other options to compare

N26

Visit

Wise

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