Business accounts comparison Germany: Top 20 business accounts reviewed (2026)

Choosing a business account in Germany means weighing price, features and fit for your legal form. Providers range from traditional branch banks to app-based fintechs and the right option depends on how your business actually operates.

This guide reviews 20 business accounts available in Germany in 2026. For each provider, you’ll find who it suits, what it costs and where limits or extra fees apply. Prices come from provider pages, but they can change at any time.

The providers in this guide operate under a regulated framework aligned with PSD2, the EU payment services directive. German banks and payment institutions are supervised by BaFin, while providers licensed in other EU countries are also overseen by their home regulators.

Key takeaways

• There’s no single best business account. The right choice depends on your legal form, transaction volume and the tools you rely on.
• Digital providers are usually cheaper and faster to open, while traditional banks offer branches, cash services and personal advisers.
• A low or zero base fee doesn’t necessarily mean low total cost.
• Transfers, cards, cash and foreign currency are where bills tend to grow.
• Capital companies such as a GmbH or UG need a business account, while freelancers and sole traders can choose, but still benefit from separating finances.
• Many free plans are limited to freelancers and sole traders, so companies should check eligibility before applying.
• Accounting integrations can save hours every month and often matter more than a small difference in price.
• Estimate a typical month, including every extra fee, before you compare providers.

What to Look for in a Business Account

Several factors can decide whether a business account offers good value for your company:

• Fees and included transactions: check the base fee, the number of free bookings and the price of each extra one.
• Eligible legal forms: some plans exclude certain legal forms, so confirm eligibility first.
• Cards: virtual cards are often included, while physical and team cards usually cost extra.
• Cash services: deposits and withdrawals are often limited, charged or unavailable.
• Foreign currency: compare conversion fees, international transfer costs and card-payment markups.
• Accounting tools: connections to DATEV, Lexware or sevDesk reduce bookkeeping work.
• Support and protection: check support hours, the opening process and how client funds are protected.

Business Accounts at a Glance

The table below summarises the starting price and typical audience of each account covered in this article. More details for every provider follow in the reviews below:

Top 20 Business Accounts in Germany (2026)

Let’s go through some of the top business accounts in Germany. The reviews start with app-based providers, followed by software-linked accounts, direct banks and traditional branch banks:

Finom Business Account

Finom is a fintech company that combines a business account with invoicing, expense tracking and accounting tools. Payment services are provided by Finom Payments B.V., which holds an e-money institution licence from De Nederlandsche Bank.

The Solo plan costs €0 and suits freelancers and sole traders. Paid plans start at €8 per month for the Basic plan and  €19 for the Smart plan. More advanced plans include Core at €38, Pro at €149 and Grow for €339 per month. Finom provides an account with a German IBAN, built-in invoicing and virtual cards with each plan.

Solo allows up to €2,500 in monthly transfers and includes one virtual card per user. Finom connects with accounting software such as DATEV and sevDesk, while scheduled or bulk payments are available according to plan limits.

Qonto Business Account

Qonto is a French fintech with a German branch that bundles payments, cards, invoicing and accounting in one app. It’s a licensed payment institution under the joint supervision of the French ACPR and BaFin.

Starter costs €0 for freelancers and sole traders and includes 5 transactions and one virtual card. The Basic plan starts at €9, Smart at €19 and Essential at €49 per month. Business and Enterprise plans for larger teams cost €109 and €199. All paid plans have a 30-day free trial.

Depending on the plan, each extra transaction costs either €0.20 or €0.15. Paid plans include up to 30 physical cards and 99 sub-accounts. Add-ons such as invoice automation, project tracking and team spending control are available at an additional cost.

Vivid Money

Vivid Money is a fintech offering personal and business accounts, as well as investment features. Their offer includes model portfolios, business travel solutions and institutional cash management.

Plans range from the Free Start plan to paid plans for freelancers and companies, including Pro at €24.9 and Enterprise+ at €319 per month. The Free Start plan includes unlimited German IBANs, free physical and virtual cards, free SEPA instant transfers and guaranteed 0.1% cashback.

Card payments in foreign currencies with the Free Start plan cost 2%. Cash withdrawals are free up to €100 and then also cost 2%.

Revolut Business

Revolut provides digital business accounts that support international payments, multi-currency transactions and corporate cards. It also offers tools to manage expenses and process payments efficiently.

Plans cost €10 (Basic), €35 (Grow) and €125 (Scale) per month, with Enterprise available on request. All offer multi-currency accounts, transfers in over 30 currencies and integrations with accounting software. Higher plans raise the no-fee allowances for transfers and currency exchange.

The Basic plan includes 10 free local transfers and fee-free currency exchange of up to €1,000 per month. It allows unlimited team members, integrations with accounting software and HR platforms, as well as 24/7 customer support.

N26 Business

N26 is a Berlin-based digital bank with a full German banking licence. The company offers current accounts alongside a range of financial services, including savings products, cryptocurrency and ETF investments and various lending options.

The Business Standard account is designed for freelancers and self-employed people operating under their own name. It has no monthly fee and includes a virtual Mastercard, 0.1% cashback and two free ATM withdrawals within the eurozone per month. A physical card costs €10 once and cash deposits cost 1.5%.

N26 Business is made for freelancers and self-employed individuals doing business under their own name, so it’s not suitable for companies like GmbH or UG. Cash deposits are available in partner stores such as REWE, Penny or Rossmann.

bunq Business

bunq is a Dutch bank with a German branch that runs its business accounts entirely through the app. It has accounts available for freelancers, SMEs and larger companies, including international businesses. Its standout feature are the sub-accounts, available with every plan, each with its own IBAN.

Free Business costs €0 but is limited to freelancers. Core costs €7.99, Pro €13.99 and Elite comes at €23.99 per month, with 3, 5 and 25 accounts included. Payments cost €0.13 each beyond the included allowance, while payment requests are charged at €0.27.

You can open accounts in 20 foreign currencies. Tap to Pay is available on both Android and iPhone, charged at 1.5%.

Holvi

Holvi is a Finnish provider that offers only business accounts and company cards. It combines banking with invoicing and bookkeeping tools for solo entrepreneurs and small businesses.

The Flex plan has no monthly fee but charges €0.25 per transaction. Lite costs €9 and Pro €15 per month on monthly billing. SWIFT transfers are charged at €1 and FX conversion comes with a 1% fee. DATEV integration is a €3 monthly add-on.

If your business has low transaction volumes, the Flex plan can be suitable. However, with around 40 transactions per month, Lite becomes more affordable. Cash withdrawals and foreign-currency card payments cost 2.5% with the Flex plan.

Kontist

Kontist offers business accounts for freelancers and small businesses, with automatic tax estimates and tax reserve tools. Its accounts are managed by Solaris, a licensed German bank.

They have three available plans: Free, Start (€11) and Plus (€25). The free plan includes a German IBAN, a Visa debit card, Apple Pay and Google Pay support and up to 5 free SEPA transfers and direct debits per month.

Withdrawals are capped at €1,500 per day and €5,000 per month. Withdrawals and payments in foreign currency carry a 2% fee, while instant top-ups cost 2.9%.

Tide

Tide is a business finance platform with accounts, invoicing, accounting tools and business loans through partners. It mainly targets self-employed people and small businesses but also lists legal forms such as GmbH as eligible.

The free Lite plan includes a German IBAN, a Mastercard debit card and 5 free SEPA transfers per month. Each extra transfer costs €0.20. DATEV integration and a virtual card are included.

Cash withdrawals cost €2 plus any operator fee and foreign-currency payments carry a 1% fee. The plan also includes automatic invoicing, free card payments in the EEA and Switzerland and automatic transaction categorisation.

Accountable

Accountable is mainly a tax and bookkeeping app that also offers a free business account through its partner Swan.io. It covers invoicing, bookkeeping and automated tax savings. The platform caters to freelancers and sole traders seeking an all-in-one solution to manage their financial affairs and administrative paperwork in one place.

There are five plans available, starting with the free one. Paid plans start at €1.86 under the current promotion. The account includes a German IBAN, a free virtual Mastercard and unlimited invoicing. A tax reserve function sets money aside for tax payments. Euro transfers and direct debits are free.

Cash withdrawals cost €1 within SEPA and 2% outside it. Foreign-currency transfers cost €5 plus 0.6–5%, depending on the currency.

Lexware

The Lexware Business Account is an integrated business banking and accounting solution designed for freelancers, self-employed individuals, sole traders and small businesses. It combines everyday banking services with bookkeeping features through the Lexware Office platform, allowing users to manage their business finances in one place.

Two account plans exist: Solo at €9.90 and Plus at €19.90 per month, on top of Lexware Office from €7.90. Both plans include Visa Business debit cards, unlimited free SEPA and instant transfers and €100,000 deposit insurance. A three-month free trial is also available.

One of its main advantages is the automatic synchronisation of incoming and outgoing payments with accounting records, including matching transactions to invoices and receipts. Users can also monitor their income, expenses, outstanding invoices and VAT obligations in real time, while sharing financial information directly with their tax advisors.

FYRST

Fyrst is the business banking brand of Deutsche Bank, aimed at founders, self-employed individuals, freelancers and companies. Along with business accounts, it offers financing, invoicing and bookkeeping tools.

The Founder package is designed for businesses under a year old. It includes a FYRST Complete account, an additional sub-account for reserves and DATEV interface. The monthly fee is waived for the first 365 days, then the standard Complete plan costs €10 per month.

The bundle includes a debit Mastercard and 75 free electronic transactions per month, while each additional transaction costs €0.08. Cash deposits and withdrawals are available at 7,000 locations across the country.

ING Business Account

ING is a German direct bank. When it comes to business banking, its offer includes a business account, investment options and business credit.

The account includes up to five free sub-accounts, a Visa Business Debit card and free transfers between ING accounts. Customers can choose between three tariffs: Tariff S, which is free for up to 50 transactions, Tariff M, costing €4.90 per month, and Tariff L, costing €14.90 per month for higher transaction volumes.

New customers get six months free and founders in their first year can get up to 12 months off. Charges include a €10 fee for replacing a card and a monthly inactivity fee of €4.90 if the account has not been used for 12 months.

DKB

Deutsche Kreditbank (DKB) is a German commercial bank offering a range of financial products to both private and business customers. Their DKB-Business account targets freelancers, self-employed individuals and professions such as doctors, pharmacists, tax advisers and lawyers.

The account costs €15 per month. All paperless payments and digital statements are included, as is a Visa Business credit card if you request it when opening the account. The card comes with free ATM withdrawals in the euro area and in many locations worldwide.

You can connect your account to DATEV at no additional cost. The DKB-Business account can be opened online with the help of Video-Ident.

Postbank

Postbank is part of Deutsche Bank and combines branch service with online banking. Its Business Giro range is aimed at freelancers, small business owners and companies of various legal forms.

Regular prices are €12.90 for Business Giro, €16.90 for Business Giro aktiv and €24.90 for Business Giro aktiv plus per month. The base fee is currently waived under a promotion running until 30 June 2027. Booking fees are €0.28, €0.22 and €0.12 respectively.

All plans include a Postbank Business debit card, while a Mastercard Business credit card is free in the first year and later charged at €30.

Commerzbank

Commerzbank offers three business accounts for founders, freelancers and entrepreneurs. Plans are Classic at €15.90, Premium at €34.90 and Premium Plus at €54.90 per month. New customers can access introductory prices, such as €0 for Classic in the first year and €8.90 for the first 24 months on Premium.

The Classic plan includes a Girocard with Visa functionality, SEPA payment support and access to online banking with electronic account statements. The account operates in euros, while customers can add a foreign currency account for an additional €9.90 per month.

Deutsche Bank

Deutsche Bank is one of Germany’s largest financial institutions, providing a wide range of banking and financial services to private and business customers. Their offer includes three Business accounts: Basic at €14.90, Classic at €24.90 and Premium at €39.90 per month.

The Classic account includes two Deutsche Bank business cards, one of which can be issued as a credit card. Cash withdrawals and deposits cost €4 per transaction, while paperless SEPA transfers are charged at €0.20. Paper-based transfers cost €3.00.

Sparkasse

Sparkassen are regional savings banks with a dense branch network. Business account prices depend on the local institution, so you need to request a quote from your nearest branch.

The Sparkasse Business Account caters to businesses of different sizes, from freelancers and self-employed individuals to established companies. It offers flexible account management through branches, online banking and mobile banking.

Additional features include business credit cards (Visa or Mastercard), electronic account statements, cash management services and overdraft facilities.

Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken

Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken is a network of cooperative banks in Germany. They offer a business account for companies, self-employed individuals and freelancers.

The account supports domestic, SEPA and international payments, with account management available through online banking, the VR Banking App or local branches. Prices for business accounts are available on request and vary between institutions.

GLS Bank

GLS Bank focuses on socially and environmentally responsible banking, particularly by financing sustainable businesses. The GLS Business Account is designed for businesses of all legal forms and sizes, including self-employed individuals and freelancers. Monthly account fees start at €10, with an additional €0.14 charge per transaction.

You can request a GLS BankCard (debit Mastercard) and a GLS BusinessCard (credit card), both made from more sustainable materials, at an additional cost. Customers can manage their finances through online banking and the GLS Banking App.

Traditional Banks vs Digital Providers

The table compares examples drawn from the provider reviews above:

Which Business Account Fits Your Situation?

Here’s what to look out for when choosing a business account:

The features you choose should also depend on how digitally developed your business is. OECD findings indicate that SMEs differ in their levels of digital maturity, with larger and more established businesses generally being further ahead in adopting digital technologies.

How Do You Open a Business Account in Germany?

The documents required to open a business account may vary depending on the bank and your business’s legal form. However, the following documents are generally required:

• Valid identity card or passport
• Evidence of business activity
• Commercial register extract
• Proof of creditworthiness
• Proof of powers of attorney and powers of representation
• Tax information

These requirements may vary depending on the nature and scope of your business activities. It’s therefore important to review each bank’s conditions carefully before making a decision. Understanding the requirements in advance can help you avoid unnecessary delays and complications during the application process.

Fees to Check Before You Open an Account

Before signing up for a business account, check these cost areas in the provider's price list:

• Introductory offers: Confirm what the account costs once the free months end.
• Transaction allowance: Compare the number of free transfers included in each plan, as limits can vary significantly.
• Cards: Check whether virtual, physical and team cards are included and what each adds over a year.
• Cash: Review deposit limits, withdrawal fees and any additional charges imposed by ATM operators.
• Foreign currency: Check the fees for foreign-currency card payments, international transfers and currency conversion.
• Add-ons: Consider whether additional services, such as accounting software integrations and bookkeeping tools, are included or require a separate subscription.

What does Finom offer?

Finom offers accounts for freelancers and growing companies in Germany, with integrated invoicing, expense tracking and multi-user access. The account comes with a dedicated IBAN, physical and virtual cards and international transfers.

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Conclusion

Germany's business account market now covers every budget, from free app-based plans to full-service branch banks. Free and low-cost plans can work for freelancers and low-volume businesses, but check eligibility and limits against your own usage.

The most reliable method is to estimate a typical month, add every extra fee and compare the result with a flat-price plan.

This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial or investment advice.