Qonto
Best account for growing companies
from €9/month
- Sole proprietor to GmbH — all entity types
- Sub-accounts, team cards, roles
- DATEV export for tax advisors
- 30 transactions free, SEPA instant free
Business Account Comparison: The Best Accounts for Freelancers
9 business accounts in test — focused on fees, bookkeeping integration, and the features freelancers and founders actually need. Updated: May 2026 · 9 providers tested · Read time: 8 min
Our Top 3 Picks
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Vivid Freelance
Cashback & unlimited cards, €0
€0/month
- Unlimited transactions, €0 fee
- Up to 6% cashback on selected brands
- Unlimited physical + virtual cards
- SEPA instant included
Tide
Cheapest business account for small firms
€0/month
- SEPA transfers currently free
- Invoicing directly in the app
- Mastercard debit + virtual cards
- Fast account opening via app
Winners by category
A different account fits depending on your entity type, cash needs, and bookkeeping workflow.
Finom Solo
€0 per month, German IBAN, invoicing + DATEV export — everything freelancers need to start.
Open Finom →Qonto
Scales from solo to GmbH with 50 employees. Sub-accounts, team roles, DATEV export.
Open Qonto →Kontist
Real-time tax calculation, VAT return filing, lexoffice integration.
Open Kontist →FYRST
Real Deutsche Bank / Postbank branch network — €3 per €5,000 cash deposit. For tradespeople and hospitality.
Open FYRST →N26 Business
€0 per month, unlimited digital transactions, 0.1% cashback. Account opened in 10 minutes.
Open N26 Business →How we tested
Three criteria decide the order in the comparison — and we re-check them every month.
Updated: May 2026 · 9 providers tested · Read time: 8 min
Real-world fees
We model a typical freelancer setup (20 transactions, 1 card, SEPA instant) and look at what's actually left over.
Bookkeeping integration
Open banking, DATEV export, automatic matching — we test how much manual work is left at month-end.
Account features
Sub-accounts, team roles, cash, e-invoicing, international transfers — we score what goes beyond a plain IBAN.
All 9 Business Accounts Compared
Updated: May 2026 · 9 providers tested · Read time: 8 min
Scroll right for all columns →
| Provider | Price / Month | Free Transactions | Bookkeeping | Cards | Cash | Entity Types | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
QontoAllrounder Growing companies | from €9 | 30 free (then €0.40) | DATEV export, sub-accounts, receipts | 1 phys. + virtual | Sole, partnership, UG, GmbH | Open → | |
VividFree Cashback & multi-card | €0 | unlimited | Export possible | unlimited phys. + virtual | Sole, partnership, UG, GmbH | Open → | |
TideSME Pick Cheapest SME account | €0 | SEPA currently free | Invoicing in app | Debit + virtual | limited | Sole, small firms | Open → |
Finom Solo Budget-conscious starters | €0 | Included contingent | Invoicing, DATEV export | virtual + physical | Sole, partnership, UG, GmbH | Open → | |
N26 Business Solo freelancer | €0 | unlimited digital | Export possible | 1 virtual (phys. €10) | CASH26 (1.5%) | Self-employed only | Open → |
Kontist Tax automation | €0 – €25 | depends on plan | Real-time tax, VAT filing, lexoffice (Duo) | Debit card | Freelancer, sole proprietor | Open → | |
Holvi Invoicing + banking | €0 – €15 | up to 500 (from Lite) | Invoices, e-invoicing (ZUGFeRD) | digital cards | Sole, small companies | Open → | |
FYRST Cash & branch network | €0 | 50 free (then €0.19) | Export, no tool | Giro + debit | €3 / €5,000 | Sole, GmbH/UG | Open → |
Commerzbank Full-service & loans | from €12.90 | package-dependent | DATEV interface | Giro + credit card | Branch network | All | Open → |
All business accounts in detail
QontoAllrounder
From freelancer to GmbH — one account that grows with you
Qonto scales from solo to teams with 50 employees. 30 transactions included, sub-accounts for projects or tax reserves, role-based team access, and clean DATEV export — the first choice if you work with a tax advisor or your business is growing.
Open Qonto →- Monthly fee
- from €9 (often discounted)
- Entity types
- Sole, partnership, UG, GmbH, etc.
- Cards
- 1 phys. + virtual
- Cash deposits
- No
- SEPA instant
- Unlimited free
- Bookkeeping
- DATEV export, receipts, sub-accounts
- Norman integration
- Yes, open banking
Vivid FreelanceFree
Cashback king with unlimited cards
Vivid is strong on extras: up to 6% cashback on selected brands, unlimited physical and virtual cards — useful if you need separate cards for clients or projects. Supports sole proprietors, partnerships, UG, and GmbH. No cash, no integrated bookkeeping.
Open Vivid →- Monthly fee
- €0
- Entity types
- Sole, partnership, UG, GmbH
- Cards
- Unlimited phys. + virtual
- Cash deposits
- No
- SEPA instant
- Yes
- Bookkeeping
- Export possible
- Norman integration
- —
TideSME Pick
Affordable start as a British fintech
Tide positions itself as Germany's cheapest business account. The basic account is free, SEPA transfers currently as well. Invoicing is integrated in the app. The limitation: as a newer provider it's not as established as the competition.
Open Tide →- Monthly fee
- €0
- Entity types
- Sole, small firms
- Cards
- Debit + virtual
- Cash deposits
- Limited
- SEPA instant
- Depends on plan
- Bookkeeping
- Invoicing in app
- Norman integration
- —
Finom Solo
The best start with no monthly costs
Finom Solo costs €0 and still delivers: German IBAN, one physical and virtual card, invoicing directly in the account, and DATEV export for your tax advisor. If you need more cards or sub-accounts, upgrade to Basic (€10.99) or Smart (€27.99).
Open Finom →- Monthly fee
- €0
- Entity types
- Sole, partnership, UG, GmbH
- Cards
- virtual + physical
- Cash deposits
- No
- SEPA instant
- Depends on plan
- Bookkeeping
- Invoices, DATEV export
- Norman integration
- CSV import
N26 Business Standard
The fastest free account for solo freelancers
N26 Business offers unlimited digital transactions, 0.1% cashback on card payments, and account opening in under 10 minutes. Cash access through CASH26 (1.5% fee). Limitation: only for sole proprietors and freelancers — no GmbH, UG, or partnerships.
Open N26 Business →- Monthly fee
- €0
- Entity types
- Self-employed only
- Cards
- 1 virtual (physical €10)
- Cash deposits
- CASH26 (1.5%)
- SEPA instant
- Yes
- Bookkeeping
- Export possible
- Norman integration
- Yes, open banking
Kontist
Business account with integrated tax calculation
Kontist is built for self-employed people who want control over their taxes — without a separate bookkeeping tool. With every incoming payment, you see how much to set aside for VAT and income tax. The Duo plan (€12/month) includes lexoffice — receipt capture, invoices, and bookkeeping run automatically.
Open Kontist →- Monthly fee
- €0 – €25
- Entity types
- Freelancer, sole proprietor
- Cards
- Debit card
- Cash deposits
- No
- SEPA instant
- Yes
- Bookkeeping
- Real-time tax, VAT filing, lexoffice
- Norman integration
- —
Holvi
Banking + invoicing in one
Holvi combines business banking with integrated invoicing and expense management. E-invoices in ZUGFeRD and XRechnung formats can be created directly in Holvi — relevant since the 2025 e-invoicing requirement. The Lite plan (€9/month, €4.50 with annual subscription) offers sub-accounts and 500 transactions.
Open Holvi →- Monthly fee
- €0 – €15
- Entity types
- Sole, small companies
- Cards
- Digital cards
- Cash deposits
- No
- SEPA instant
- Yes
- Bookkeeping
- Invoices, e-invoicing
- Norman integration
- —
FYRST Base
The cash option with branch network
FYRST belongs to Deutsche Bank / Postbank and offers what no fintech can: real cash deposits through a branch network. 50 transactions per month included, each additional one costs €0.19. For freelancers and entrepreneurs with cash needs — tradespeople, hospitality, retail — one of the few practical options.
Open FYRST →- Monthly fee
- €0
- Entity types
- Sole, GmbH/UG
- Cards
- Giro + debit
- Cash deposits
- Yes (€3 / €5,000)
- SEPA instant
- €0.40 per transfer
- Bookkeeping
- Export, no integrated tool
- Norman integration
- —
Commerzbank Business
Full-service, loans, and personal advice
Commerzbank is the right choice if you need loans, personal advice, or a classic full-service business account. The nationwide branch network, lending options, and personal contacts make it attractive for companies with complex financing needs. The trade-off: by far the highest fees in this comparison.
Open Commerzbank Business →- Monthly fee
- from €12.90
- Entity types
- All
- Cards
- Giro + credit card
- Cash deposits
- Yes (branch network)
- SEPA instant
- Yes
- Bookkeeping
- DATEV interface
- Norman integration
- —
Connect your business account + bookkeeping
The best account doesn't help if you type transactions into Excel by hand. Connect your account to Norman and automate the rest — receipts, income-surplus statement, and VAT return included.
Test Norman for free →