Banking · Germany

N26 vs Revolut in Germany

Two app-based accounts, different cost rules. Compare the Standard plans by the way you use cards, cash and currencies—then check the account terms that apply to you.

Fabian BeiningFinanz2Go · English finance guide

Sources checked: 26 October 2026

Personal Standard plans · Germany

N26€0 monthly
maintenance fee

Revolut€0 monthly
subscription fee

The useful comparison starts after the headline fee.

Cards · Cash · Currencies · Protection

Start with these three checks.

Identify the exact plan

This comparison covers personal Standard accounts, not premium or business plans.

Model your own usage

Cash frequency, withdrawal amounts and currency timing change the fees.

Check the legal account

For Revolut, identify the entity and IBAN before reading the applicable terms.

N26 or Revolut: what is the main difference?

Both Standard plans have no recurring account subscription fee, but their transaction rules differ. N26’s euro ATM allowance is based on the number of withdrawals. Revolut uses both a withdrawal count and a total amount. Currency conversion follows different pricing rules too.

For a broad comparison with branch and direct banks, start with our German bank-account comparison. This page answers the narrower N26-versus-Revolut question. It is a comparison of published conditions, not a test of the apps or a recommendation that either provider will accept you.

Standard-plan fees at a glance

Checked on 26 October 2026. The Revolut column uses the German-branch Standard conditions effective 15 October 2026. Their German version is binding; the English version is a courtesy translation. Existing accounts outside that branch must check the separate applicable terms. [2]

Item	N26 Standard	Revolut Standard · German branch
Recurring account fee	€0 maintenance fee	€0 subscription fee
Virtual card	Included virtual debit Mastercard	Virtual cards free
First standard physical card	€10	Card free; standard untracked delivery €7.99
Euro ATM allowance	2 withdrawals per calendar month	Up to 5 withdrawals or €200 per rolling month, whichever comes first
After the ATM allowance	€2 per additional euro withdrawal	2% of the withdrawal, minimum €1
Cash deposits	CASH26 partner stores; 1.5% deposit fee	Cash deposits currently unavailable according to the German help page

Sources: N26’s Standard page and withdrawal guidance; Revolut’s Standard fees, ATM and cash-deposit guidance. [1] [2] [3] [4] [12]

ATM-operator charges can be additional. Cash allowances do not waive a separate currency-conversion charge. This table excludes special-edition cards, express delivery, replacement cards, premium plans, credit products and temporary promotions.

Card payments and currency conversion

N26: foreign-currency card payments use Mastercard’s exchange rate. N26 states it adds no own foreign-transaction fee to those card payments. That is different from withdrawing foreign-currency cash: Standard’s non-euro ATM markup is 1.7%. [5]

Revolut: conversion uses Revolut’s variable exchange rate. Standard’s published fair-use limit is €1,000 per month, with a 0.5% fee on excess exchanges. A 1% weekend exchange fee applies during the stated window, Friday 17:00 to Sunday 18:00 Eastern Time. Check the usage counter and reset date in the app. [6]

Compare the final amount. A zero additional fee does not mean two providers use an identical exchange rate. For the same currency and amount, compare the quoted debit, all applicable fees and when the conversion happens. Cash withdrawal and merchant currency conversion can introduce separate costs.

Two cash-use examples

The examples below isolate selected provider ATM fees. Assume a fresh allowance, euro cash, ordinary eligible withdrawals, no operator surcharge and no other transactions during the relevant allowance period.

Illustrative pattern	N26	Revolut
Four withdrawals of €40 (€160 total)	Two beyond the allowance × €2 = €4	Within both the count and amount allowance: €0
Two withdrawals of €200 (€400 total)	Within the two-withdrawal allowance: €0	First uses the €200 allowance; second costs 2% × €200 = €4

The result reverses because one allowance is count-based and the other also has an amount ceiling. These examples are our arithmetic using the published rules, not a full annual cost model or a ranking. [12] [3]

Opening an account: check the documents first

N26’s published requirements include being at least 18, resident in a supported country, owning a compatible smartphone, holding supported identification and completing verification in a supported language. Check the exact nationality-and-document combination in its current application guidance. [7]

Revolut’s German guidance requires adult eligibility and legal residence in a supported country. It asks for contact details, personal information, a government-issued identity document and a selfie. The documents offered in the app control the available verification route; residence evidence or other documents may also be requested. [8] [11]

Neither an English app nor a no-fee plan guarantees acceptance. Use the account-opening guide to prepare your records. Confirm account and contract language, support access and the identity process before making it your only payment account.

Which deposit-protection scheme applies?

N26: N26 states it belongs to the German statutory scheme administered by the Entschädigungseinrichtung deutscher Banken. Eligible deposits are generally protected up to €100,000 per depositor at the bank. [9]

Revolut: its depositor information identifies the Lithuanian Deposit and Investment Insurance scheme. The general limit is €100,000 per depositor for eligible deposits aggregated at Revolut Bank UAB. A German-branch account does not turn this into a separate German €100,000 allowance. [10]

The limit is per depositor and legal bank, not per app pot or currency balance. Check which product holds the money: a bank deposit, a fund investment and crypto are different arrangements. Deposit insurance is not a blanket guarantee against fraud, losses on investments or temporary account restrictions.

Revolut’s terms distinguish German residents with a DE IBAN at its German branch from customers still under the other Revolut Bank UAB terms. Use the legal documents in your own account to establish which conditions apply. [13]

Which differences matter for your use?

If you withdraw cash often

Write down both the number of withdrawals and the total value. Use the allowance period shown for each provider. An account with more included withdrawals can still be more expensive for larger total amounts.

If you need to deposit cash

Check a usable CASH26 location, its limits and the fee before treating N26’s cash-deposit route as practical for you. Revolut’s current German help page does not offer cash deposits. Branch access may therefore deserve a place in your wider comparison.

If you travel or exchange currencies

Model card purchases separately from ATM use and bank transfers. Note the currency, amount and expected conversion time. Check the live quote instead of applying one headline percentage to every transaction.

If this will be your main account

Confirm the payments you need, card acceptance, the support route, access if you lose your phone and how a future move affects the account. Keep a workable transition plan while changing salary or direct-debit instructions.

Common questions

Are N26 and Revolut completely free?

The compared Standard plans have no recurring account subscription fee. Cards, delivery, cash use, conversion and other services can still create costs.

Does a DE IBAN mean German deposit insurance?

No. Check the legal bank and its depositor information. Revolut’s published protection is through the Lithuanian scheme, including the relevant German-branch deposit relationship.

Which one is better for expats?

There is no single answer. Start with eligibility and documents, then compare your actual cash, currency and support requirements. This page does not measure service quality or predict account acceptance.

Are paid plans included?

No. Premium subscriptions can change allowances and benefits. Compare their full subscription cost separately before assuming an upgrade is worthwhile.

Sources and scope

Published conditions checked on 26 October 2026 for adult personal Standard accounts in Germany. No market-wide ranking, app test, customer-service score or acceptance guarantee is provided. The provider links here are untracked source links, not affiliate application links. Fees and eligibility can change; review your applicable contract and in-app quote. See our commercial-transparency page.

See our editorial policy for research and correction principles and About Finanz2Go for the operator behind this guide.