N26 Review 2026
A slick mobile bank with a real banking licence and €100,000 protection — great for everyday use and light savings, weaker on support and top rates.
Overview
N26 Bank AG, based in Berlin, is a mobile-first neobank — and, importantly, a fully licensed bank (not just an e-money firm), operating across the EU/EEA under its German licence.
Is your money safe?
Yes — because N26 holds a German banking licence, customer deposits (including N26 Instant Savings balances) are covered by the German Deposit Guarantee Scheme up to €100,000, for N26 customers across the EU.
Worth noting: N26 was fined €9.2m by BaFin in 2024 for late suspicious-activity reporting, and a BaFin growth cap was lifted in June 2024 after it invested heavily in compliance.
Products & rates
An app-based account with IBAN, debit Mastercard, sub-accounts ("Spaces"), and N26 Instant Savings — flexible, with no lock-up, interest paid monthly at plan-dependent rates as listed.
There's also an in-app cash fund and stock/ETF and crypto trading. What you won't find is a traditional fixed-term deposit ladder.
Fees
Tiered plans: a free Standard tier plus paid Smart, Go and Metal tiers with more perks and free ATM withdrawals. Non-euro ATM withdrawals carry a fee on the free tiers; foreign-currency card payments are generally free. Watch the monthly free-ATM caps.
✓ Pros
- •Fully licensed bank with €100,000 DGS cover
- •Excellent app and onboarding
- •Flexible savings with interest paid monthly
- •Strong Trustpilot (~4.2/5 from ~42,000 reviews)
× Cons
- •Chat/email-only support — no phone hotline
- •Recurring complaints about sudden account freezes tied to compliance
- •Not a top-of-market rate leader
- •Some features behind paid tiers
Who it's for
Digitally native EU users wanting a modern, low-fee everyday account with easy flexible savings — not those needing branches, phone support or the highest fixed-term rates.
Bottom line
One of the best everyday neobanks, and genuinely a bank — just keep large, rate-sensitive savings elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
Yes — it holds a German banking licence, so deposits are protected up to €100,000 by the German scheme.
Related
Editorial review by Banks.eu. Ratings reflect our own assessment of safety, product range, pricing and service. Interest rates are as listed on banks.eu or by the provider and can change at any time — always confirm current terms before opening an account.
