The key points at a glance:
- Why an alternative? Qonto is built around accounting, DATEV and team management. For a growing business, though, it lacks cashback without tight caps, real investing in stocks and ETFs, and several currencies inside the same account.
- The best alternatives in 2026: Vivid, N26 Business, Finom, bunq, Revolut Business and FYRST. Depending on whether cashback, international payments or a proper bank service matters most to you.
- Vivid is our pick. A business account that brings together cashback with no monthly limit on all purchases, investing and sub-accounts with their own IBAN in a single app.
Qonto runs smoothly for you, and yet something is missing? Maybe the capped cashback bothers you, maybe you finally want to invest your reserves in stocks and ETFs instead of letting them sit idle on the account, or maybe you simply need more than just euros. You are not alone. Qonto is a solid payment institution with a clear focus on accounting and team management, but the bigger your needs get, and the more invoices, cards and currencies pile up, the more often you hit the same limits. This comparison is for anyone looking for a business account, whether you are founding a company, freelancing or running a growing team.
What this is about is quickly said: business accounts, not personal accounts. You get a sober overview of six serious Qonto alternatives for 2026, with account fees, cashback conditions and investment options side by side, and at the end a clear recommendation on which account fits which need. No marketing fluff. Just numbers you can check yourself.
What does Qonto offer?
Qonto's offering
First the facts on Qonto, sober and without gloss. Qonto is a payment institution with a German IBAN on every plan, built around accounting, receipt management and team roles with permissions; a DATEV integration is available from the Smart plan. Pricing starts with the Starter plan at 0 € and just five transfers a month, then come Basic at €9, Smart at €19 and Premium at €39. You pay with a One Card Mastercard, and sub-accounts come in only from Smart. That is the basic setup for plain accounting, but not more.
Qonto's limits for business
As tidy as Qonto is on accounting, some things stay behind in everyday use. Cashback only comes through the paid Plus or X card, and it is tightly capped: 0.4% brings up to €180 a year, 0.8% up to €360, and that is the ceiling. A real stock or ETF portfolio is missing entirely, all you get on board is a money-market fund. The account itself runs in euros only, holding a balance in several currencies is not possible, and because the free Starter covers just five transfers, the jump to a paid plan comes quickly as your transaction volume rises. So the more your business grows, the more the gaps grow with it. This is exactly where the alternatives step in.
In short: Qonto covers accounting, DATEV and team tools. For business, though, it lacks cashback without tight caps, real investing and several currencies in the account. That is where the alternatives step in.
Qonto alternatives at a glance
Looking for a Qonto alternative? Here are the main competitors in a direct comparison, with Qonto as a reference in the last row. Starting prices, cashback, investing and accounting at a glance (as of 2026, please check with the provider).
| Provider | from €/month | Cashback | Investing | Sub-accounts | Multi-currency | DATEV export | For whom |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vivid | 0 € | no limit (All purchases) | Stocks/ETF/funds | own IBAN | 22 currencies | yes | Freelancer–GmbH |
| N26 Business | 0 € | 0.1% (Standard) | Stocks/ETF | Spaces | limited | – | Sole trader/freelancer |
| Finom | from 0 € | up to 3% (capped) | – | – | limited | Export | Freelancer/SME |
| bunq Business | from 0 € (solo) | – | – | own IBAN | yes | Export | SME |
| Revolut Business | from 10 € | – | Money-market fund | yes | 25+ currencies | – | int. payments |
| FYRST | 0 € (BASE) | – | External depot | – | EUR | yes | Bank + cash |
| Qonto | 0 € (Starter) | 0.4–0.8% (card) | Money-market fund | from Smart | EUR-only | DATEV | SME/accounting |
What matters in a Qonto alternative
Before you switch, it pays to take an honest look at the points that really affect you day to day and show up on the statement at the end of the month: cashback, investing, accounting and the question of which currencies your account is actually at home in. That is what we go through now.
Cashback compared
Add up what runs through the company card each month. That is exactly what Qonto pays cashback on, though only with the paid Plus or X card and capped at €180 or €360 a year, while N26 adds a meagre 0.1% on the Standard plan and Finom advertises up to 3% that is likewise tied to a monthly ceiling. With Vivid you get cashback with no monthly limit on the all purchases category. Anyone who runs a lot through the company card sees this difference on the balance quite concretely at year end.
Investing from the account
Reserves for tax prepayments and buffers sit around on many business accounts without earning a single cent. Qonto offers only a money-market fund for that, a real securities portfolio is missing, and Revolut handles it similarly, while N26 does allow stocks and ETFs, though separate from the actual business account. Vivid goes further here: you invest directly from the account in stocks, ETFs and funds, and use an interest-bearing balance alongside. That puts your reserves to work instead of just parking them.
Several currencies and international payments
If you have customers or suppliers abroad, the currency question decides your costs. Qonto's account runs in euros only and holding a balance in several currencies is not possible there, and Revolut does work at the interbank rate but adds a 0.5 to 1% surcharge on weekends. With Vivid you open accounts in 22 currencies and see the exchange rate before every international transfer. One note for honesty: these currency accounts belong to the paid plans, the Free Start plan stays in euros.
Accounting and DATEV integration
Accounting is where Qonto puts its focus: the DATEV integration is available from the Smart plan, with receipts and role permissions in one place, and anyone focused on accounting alone gets by with it. Vivid matches Qonto on the DATEV interface and brings invoicing tools straight into the account, so you write quotes and invoices from the same app, whereas Revolut relies on accounting software like Xero or QuickBooks instead of a direct DATEV connection. So the question is less whether DATEV works, and more what else sits in the same account.
Security and regulation
Your money belongs in an account you trust, and that is where you make no compromises. All of them are regulated anyway: N26, bunq and FYRST as banks, Revolut on a Lithuanian banking licence, Qonto as a payment institution, Vivid as an e-money institution. Because Qonto and Vivid are both not classic banks, the statutory deposit guarantee up to €100,000 applies to neither, but with Vivid your money is held separately from company funds through what is called safeguarding. In practice, the plain question matters most anyway: is the provider reachable, and does your money arrive on time?
Plans and fees in view
The monthly base price is only half the story. Look also at the transaction allowance, meaning how many transfers are included, what additional cards cost, and whether fees apply for cash deposits and withdrawals or an express payment, because a seemingly cheap account for €0 can end up pricier than a paid one once many single items add up. With Qonto the free Starter covers only five transfers, for more you need Basic from €9. Vivid starts with a Free Start plan at €0 a month, with no monthly account fee. Anyone who needs more cards or extras chooses a higher plan.
Vivid as a Qonto alternative
Qonto is built around accounting, others around international payments. What hardly any provider brings together in one account is the mix of cashback, investing and sub-accounts. And this is exactly where Vivid comes in.
Vivid plans and pricing
Vivid gives you a business account with a Free Start plan at €0 a month, with no fee for the account. Anyone who wants more cards, currency accounts or extras moves up to a higher plan. You reach customer service directly in the app. You open the account online via video or selfie ident, with no appointment at a branch.
Vivid's advantages over Qonto
Vivid bundles exactly the points where Qonto has to pass:
It all sits in one app: account, cards, investing and cashback, instead of three tools side by side. Cashback with no limit on all purchases adds up to real money over the year on ongoing spending. The investing puts reserves to work. And the sub-accounts with their own IBAN sort your finances so you are no longer searching at the end of the quarter.
Who is Vivid for?
Vivid fits as a business account for freelancers and the self-employed, small businesses and GmbHs and UGs alike. Anyone who works internationally and does not want to give up cashback or investing is also in the right place. Because the plans scale up from the free Free Start plan, the account grows with you, from the first invoice to a bigger team.
Opening an account with Vivid
Opening the account runs online in a few steps. You provide details about the company, identify yourself via video or selfie ident, and activate the account. Switching from another provider is straightforward, you move existing payments over step by step. As a founder you are ready to go just as quickly as when switching. You find all the details on the page about the Vivid business account.
Bottom line: Vivid brings together account, cashback, investing and several currencies in one app, a strong choice as a Qonto alternative for business.
More Qonto alternatives
N26 Business
N26 is a German bank, and you notice it in the tidy app with a German IBAN. The Standard plan costs €0 a month, plus there is 0.1% cashback. For solo self-employed people who like it plain and German, that is a good base. The catch shows up later. The free N26 Business is only for sole traders and freelancers. GmbHs and UGs need N26's separate, size-limited company account. N26 does offer stocks and ETFs, but what is missing is the bundling in one app with broad investing, cashback and sub-accounts.
Finom
Finom is aimed at freelancers and small firms and combines invoicing with cashback. Quotes, invoices and incoming payments run together in one tool, which noticeably cuts the paperwork. Cashback of up to 3% sounds strong, but it is capped. The limit shows in the rest. The ecosystem is smaller than at the big players. Investing in securities is missing, and several currencies are only modestly supported. Anyone who writes a lot and juggles little does well here.
bunq Business
bunq is a Dutch bank with many sub-accounts, a strong app focus and several currencies. The free plan at €0 is only for sole traders and freelancers, other businesses pay from €7.99 a month. Anyone who likes to run many pots and savings goals in parallel is flexible with it. Only: bunq relies on savings interest instead of a cashback model like Vivid, and it does not offer investing in securities from the business account. Strong as a home for savings goals, less so as an all-in-one.
Revolut Business
Revolut Business is cut out for teams that work internationally: over 25 currencies at the interbank rate, virtual and physical cards, plus solid tools for expense management. Revolut is regulated through a Lithuanian banking licence with a branch in Germany supervised by BaFin. There is no longer a free plan, Revolut has scrapped its former free entry tier, and Basic starts at around €10 a month. At weekends a 0.5 to 1% surcharge is added to the rate. A standard cashback is missing. Accounting runs through Xero or QuickBooks, not a direct DATEV interface.
FYRST
FYRST is an offering from Deutsche Bank and therefore a real bank with a German IBAN. The BASE plan costs €0 a month for natural persons, COMPLETE is €10. Its biggest plus is cash: you can deposit and withdraw at over 7,000 ATMs and in Postbank branches, and there is DATEV and overnight savings on top. Anyone who still handles cash day to day, or wants a classic bank behind them, is well placed here. What is missing is cashback, a held multi-currency balance and a portfolio inside the account, since securities run only externally through the linked maxblue world.
Choosing the right Qonto alternative
Which alternative fits simply comes down to your needs. If you want cashback and investing in one account, the path leads to Vivid. If accounting comes first, Vivid brings the DATEV integration and invoicing tools straight into the account. N26 Business is a good choice if a German IBAN from a bank matters to you. For pure international payments Revolut is worth it, for invoicing fans Finom. Anyone who runs many pots in parallel or needs cash finds the right model at bunq or FYRST. A rule of thumb helps with the maths: do not count only the base price, but add cards, cash and international payments on top. Only that total shows what an account really costs you over the year.
Conclusion: which Qonto alternative fits?
The best Qonto alternative depends on your focus. Anyone looking for cashback without tight caps, real investing and several currencies in one account, without giving up DATEV, finds the fitting all-in-one alternative in Vivid. N26 Business, Finom, bunq, Revolut and FYRST each cover single needs depending on the focus. In the end your profile decides: solo self-employed people, growing teams and corporations set different priorities. The table and the criteria above help you make the right choice quickly.
A business account with cashback and investing in one app
Open your Vivid business account entirely online and bring together what stays separate at Qonto: cashback with no monthly limit on all purchases, investing in stocks and ETFs, and sub-accounts with their own IBAN.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What is the best Qonto alternative?
It depends on what you need. For a business account with cashback, investing and sub-accounts in one app, Vivid is a strong choice. For accounting, Finom with its invoicing is handy, and anyone who wants cash and a classic bank looks at FYRST.
Is there a Qonto alternative with more cashback?
Yes. Vivid pays cashback with no monthly limit on the all purchases category. Qonto's cashback only runs through the Plus or X card and is capped at €180 to €360 a year.
Which Qonto alternative offers stocks and ETFs?
With Vivid you invest directly from the business account in stocks, ETFs and funds. Qonto only offers a money-market fund for that and no portfolio of its own.
Is there a free Qonto alternative?
Yes. Vivid starts with the Free Start plan at €0 a month, and N26 Business and Finom also have free plans. But watch out for extra costs for cards, cash and international payments, since they vary from provider to provider.
Which Qonto alternative has several currencies?
Vivid offers a multi-currency account with 22 currencies on the paid plans, Revolut over 25 currencies. Qonto's account runs in euros and holds no further currencies.
Is Vivid safer than Qonto?
Both are regulated. Vivid is an e-money institution, Qonto a payment institution, and neither is a classic bank. The statutory deposit guarantee up to €100,000 therefore applies to neither. With Vivid your money is held separately, which is called safeguarding.
Does the Qonto alternative have a DATEV integration?
Yes. You find the DATEV interface with Vivid, with FYRST and with Qonto itself. With Vivid, invoicing tools are part of the account anyway, so you write invoices from the same app.
As of July 2026. The information on Vivid, N26, Finom, bunq, Revolut, FYRST and Qonto was compiled to the best of our knowledge on the basis of the official provider websites and can change at any time, in particular prices, plans and conditions. No claim is made to completeness or accuracy. Please check the current conditions directly with the respective provider. Vivid, N26, Finom, bunq, Revolut, FYRST and Qonto are trademarks of their respective companies; there is no business relationship between Vivid and these providers. Investment and interest products are provided by Vivid Money B.V. Investments carry risks; the value of an investment can rise or fall, and past performance is not an indicator of future returns.
