The best online banks in Europe have a few things in common: security, trust, and low fees. We use these three parameters to rank which online banks in Europe are the best when opening an account. But what exactly is an online bank?
Banking has changed a lot in recent years. Nowadays, an online bank is a practical solution to making payments, receiving money, and managing finances. Not only that, but online banks are gaining a lot of popularity. In 2020, online banks worldwide had more than 2.5 billion active users.
The practicality of online banking makes these establishments a popular choice for anyone that looks to manage finances online. So which are the best six online banks in Europe?
The Top 6 Best Online Banks in Europe
We picked up six banks we believe to be the best based on our research. These banks aren’t ranked in any particular order. What’s important is that the six picks on this list come with high user trust, low fees, and top-notch security. So let’s get into it.
- Wise (Formerly Transferwise)
- Revolut
- N26
- Curve
- Nuri
- Monzo
Wise
One of the biggest problems in traditional banking is making international payments in foreign currencies. For obvious reasons, traditional banks keep foreign currencies unusable in your account and force you to exchange.
Online banks, like Wise, eliminate this problem by allowing you to open multi-currency bank accounts. And the best part about the service is that it’s available in Europe and more than 140 countries. With Wise, you can easily set up USD, GBP, EUR, and accounts in other currencies.
Users receive bank details for each currency. For example, if you open a EUR account, Wise provides a SWIFT and IBAN, sort code, account number, etc. To view the details of each account, you will need to go into the specific currency account. There’s even the option to copy the information.
The great thing about Wise is that you can make international payments with ease. Opening an account is free, and Wise is transparent about the fee structure. With that said, the fees are some of the lowest in the industry. You can open accounts in more than 50 currencies. They even have a debit card you can use in any establishment that accepts Visa/Mastercard. For ATM withdrawals, it’s free so long as you’re not withdrawing over 200 EUR per month.
We covered Wise in our Best 5 Payoneer Alternatives for Freelancers and Businesses guide.
Revolut
Revolut is one of the top digital banks in Europe for several reasons. The online bank grew its customer base from 1.5 million to 10 million in the past two years. The online bank is best known for its relatively low fees. Not only that, Revolut offers traditional banking services such as loans, currency exchange, international payments, and more.
In recent times, Revolut has allowed cryptocurrency trading. With Revolut, you can open multiple currency accounts and order a multi-currency spending card. There’s even the option to use a virtual debit card for online shopping. With every new currency account you open, Revolut gives you IBAN/SWIFT, account number, etc. It’s truly one of the best digital banks in Europe.
Setting up an account is also free. You can create accounts in more than 150 currencies and even receive cashback. When using the Revolut spending or debit cards, you receive cashback on travel insurance, FX trading, and general spending.
Considering that, Revolut has managed to cement itself as one of the most popular European online banks.
N26
N26 is one of the most established and largest European banks. Although N26 is a licensed traditional bank, it offers clients a wide range of financial services, making it one of the top digital banks in Europe. Moreover, with more than 5 million active users, N26 offers something that few other banks do – an insured EUR bank account.
You can ensure up to $100,000 and receive a debit card to spend in stores or make online purchases. EUR withdrawals are free, and N26 is transparent with its fees and costs. With that said, N26 has some of the lowest costs in the industry and allows individuals and freelancers the option to select from three plans. The free plan is perfect for everyone that wants to give N26 a try.
The free plan gives you unlimited deposits, access to a virtual Mastercard debit card, and options to make free SEPA transfers. You can even connect the card with online payment platforms like Google Pay and Apple Pay. All this makes N26 one of the best online banks in Europe.
Curve
Curve markets itself as an “all-in-one-place ” for all things finance-related. With Curve, you can use their free debit Mastercard to make in-store and online purchases. Not only that, but you can also connect other accounts and manage them.
Multi-account management is what separates Curve from the rest of the top online banks in Europe. Curve comes with a mobile app, as with every other online bank on this list, where you can manage the different accounts. Curve also offers cashback rewards for spending money on Uber. As of late, Curve incorporated its cashback rewards with popular streaming services Netflix and Spotify.
Creating an account is free, and managing finances has never been easier with Curve. Considering all that, Curve deserves to appear on our best online banks in Europe list.
Nuri
We’ve added Nuri to this list as it is one of the best online banks in Europe for cryptocurrency purchases. Nuri, formerly Bitwala, is a neobank for all things cryptocurrency-related. For everyone wanting a seamless solution to manage finances and crypto investments, Nuri is the online bank for Europeans to go with.
With Nuri, you can trade cryptocurrencies and even earn an annual interest rate for holding Bitcoin and Ethereum. The European online bank is looking to expand more into cryptocurrencies and hopes to incorporate other popular altcoins besides Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Nuri also offers other services, such as saving and investing outside cryptocurrencies. The online bank is available in over 70 countries and most European countries. While you can exchange EUR with other currencies such as GBP and USD, Nuri only offers EUR accounts.
That said, Nuri is an excellent digital bank for Europeans to try if other options are unavailable.
Monzo
An online bank in Europe that offers customers a wide range of features, Mozno is best known as an online bank that offers a full banking service. The list of services Monzo offers includes creating bank accounts, multi-account management (like Curve), debit cards, saving features, and more.
It is one of the best online banks in Europe, as it has the trust of more than four million account holders. Monzo even allows users to earn an interest rate on savings. A particularly useful feature is the savings dividing feature that allows you to put money into different pots for different reasons.
If, for example, your goal is to buy a car, you can set up a pot specifically to save money for that goal. To put it short, Mozno makes saving money fun and convenient, and that’s one unique reason why it is an excellent online bank for the European market.
Conclusion
That concludes our list of the top six online banks in Europe. We hope this guide has convinced you to try online banking, and the list of options provides a convenient guide on which online bank to go with. With many more online financial services opening their doors in Europe, the best way to know which European online bank to go with is to do your due diligence.
Even if these six online banks are the best in Europe based on our parameters, some of them might not be available in your country.
FAQs
- What is the best online bank in Europe?
There is no best online bank in Europe. However, based on user trust, security, and fee transparency, we believe the best online banks in Europe are Wise, Revolut, N26, Curve, Nuri, and Monzo.
- What are the best online banks in Europe I should open an account with?
You should open an account with a digital bank that meets your needs for online banking. Wise, Revolut, N26, Curve, Nuri, and Monzo are some of the banks we recommend you give a try.