Traditional banks, online banks, neobanks and cooperatives. Compare fees, savings, mortgages and cards.
This comparison puts 12 banks in Germany side by side, among them ING (DiBa), DKB, Comdirect, N26. They belong to different families, online banks, neobanks, branch banks, cooperative banks, and that distinction explains most of the pricing differences: a branch bank charges for the account and the branch network, an online bank rarely charges for the account but sends you to the phone, and a neobank costs almost nothing and almost never lends. The table compares account fees, the debit card, overdraft, savings, mortgages, foreign transaction costs and mobile payment, line by line and without an overall score, because an average hides exactly what matters to you. Dedicated offers are broken out for students, youth, premium and business, because the account that suits a student on no income is rarely the one that suits a business.
Select 2 to 4 banks.
Online Banks
Neobanks
Traditional Banks
Cooperatives
| Criteria | ING (DiBa) Online | N26 Neobank | Sparkasse Cooperative |
|---|---|---|---|
Monthly Fee | Free with €1,000 monthly income or under 28, else €4.90/mo | Standard plan and paid plans | Varies by regional Sparkasse |
Girocard / Debit Card | Visa Debit | Mastercard Debit | Girocard (Sparkassen-Card) |
Minimum Balance | None | None | None |
Overdraft (Dispo) | Overdraft 9.14% (9.39% from 15/10/2026), €500 with no paperwork | Overdraft by eligibility | Overdraft varies by Sparkasse |
Mobile App | Mobile app | Mobile app | Mobile app |
Branches | 100% online | 100% mobile | Branch network |
Instant Transfer (SEPA) | Free | Free (MoneyBeam) | See the bank's price list |
Savings (Tagesgeld) | Extra-Konto: 3.75% for 4 months, then standard rate | Spaces (sub-accounts) | Tagesgeld varies (0.50% at Berliner Sparkasse, DKB comparison of 8/9/2026) |
Mortgage (Baufinanzierung) | Competitive mortgages | Not available | Local mortgages, personal advice |
Investing (Depot) | Depot and ETF savings plans | N26 Crypto, fractional stocks | Deka Funds, S Broker |
Credit Cards | Visa Debit included, optional girocard (€1.49/mo) | Not available | Sparkassen credit card, MC/Visa |
Apple / Google Pay | Apple Pay + Google Pay | Apple Pay + Google Pay | Apple Pay + Google Pay |
Checks | Not available | Not available | On request |
Foreign Fees | 2.20% outside the euro area | See the bank's price list | Varies by Sparkasse |
Welcome Bonus | 3.75% Tagesgeld for 4 months (new customers) | – | Varies by branch |
Students, youth, premium and business.
| Bank | Available | Offer | Price | Card | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ING (DiBa) | Girokonto (moins de 28 ans) | €0/mo | Visa Debit | Free until 28, Visa Debit | |
DKB | DKB Girokonto (moins de 28 ans) | €0/mo | Visa Debit | Free under 28 | |
Comdirect | comdirect Girokonto | From €0/mo | Visa Debit | Basic plan with 1.75% Tagesgeld | |
N26 | N26 Standard | See the bank's price list | MC Debit | Basic 100% mobile account | |
Vivid Money | Vivid (formule gratuite) | See the bank's price list | Visa Debit | No-subscription plan | |
Tomorrow Bank | Tomorrow Now | From €0/mo | Visa Debit | Free under 21 or with €500 monthly income, 1 free withdrawal a month | |
Deutsche Bank | Das Junge Konto | Depends on age | Girocard + Visa | Deutsche Bank youth account | |
Commerzbank | Konto für junge Leute | Depends on age | Girocard + Visa | Commerzbank youth account | |
Sparkasse | Girokonto junge Leute | Depends on age | Girocard | Youth terms vary by Sparkasse | |
Volksbank / Raiffeisenbank | Konto junge Leute | Depends on age | Girocard | Youth terms vary, cooperative network | |
Postbank | Compte jeunes Postbank | €0 up to age 21 | Postbank Card | No base fee up to and including age 21 | |
HypoVereinsbank (UniCredit) | HVB Konto für junge Leute | Depends on age | Girocard + Visa | Youth account, UniCredit network in Europe |
* ING and DKB offer a free Girokonto under 28; Postbank and Tomorrow under 21.
Our recommendations based on your situation.
Free account, no fees, great for starting out.
DKB: free under 28 or with €700 income, Visa Debit, 1% Tagesgeld from the first euro. ING: free under 28 or with €1,000 income, 3.75% Tagesgeld for 4 months.
Best value with comprehensive services.
ING: free with €1,000 monthly income, 3.75% Tagesgeld for 4 months, 9.14% overdraft. Comdirect: €0 plan, 1.75% Tagesgeld, 8.90% overdraft.
Need in-branch advice and mortgage.
Sparkasse: densest branch network, local mortgages, personal advice. Commerzbank: up to €200 bonus, urban network, advice.
Minimize forex fees and withdraw everywhere.
Tomorrow: up to 5 free withdrawals a month depending on plan. Commerzbank PremiumKonto: 25 free withdrawals a year abroad with the PremiumKreditkarte. At ING, payments outside the euro area cost 2.20%.
Affordable and flexible business account.
Vivid Business: Free Start plan at €0, team cards, business cashback up to 10%. N26 Business: mobile account for freelancers.
Premium services and wealth management.
Deutsche Bank: BestKonto with Mastercard Gold and a 6% travel refund, €200 voucher until 31/12/2026. HVB: UniCredit European network, premium advice.
For a free account: DKB (with €700 income) or ING (with €1,000), both free under 28. For branch network: Sparkasse. For a cheaper overdraft: comdirect (8.90%) or ING (9.14%). The right choice depends mainly on how you bank: an online bank suits those who manage everything from a phone, while a branch network remains valuable for depositing cash or arranging a mortgage in person.
Schufa is the German credit agency that assesses your creditworthiness. A good Schufa score is essential for opening accounts, getting loans or a Dispo. Check your score for free once a year at meineschufa.de. You may request one free copy of your data each year, the Datenkopie provided for by the GDPR, to check it and have any errors corrected before applying for credit.
Both are local cooperative banks. Sparkassen are municipality-owned (public), while Volksbanken are private cooperatives. Services and fees are similar. Choose based on your city. In practice each local institution sets its own pricing and lending terms: two neighbouring Sparkassen can charge very different account fees, so comparison has to be done locally.
Girocard (formerly EC-Karte) is Germany's dominant payment system. However, more banks (ING, DKB, N26) now only provide Visa/MC Debit. Girocard is still useful at some traditional merchants. In practice many small shops, bakeries and doctors' surgeries accept only Girocard or cash, so it is worth carrying both means of payment.
Yes, EU deposit insurance protects up to €100,000 per depositor per bank. Sparkassen and Volksbanken additionally have their own institutional protection scheme covering all deposits. The guarantee applies per depositor and per institution, so spreading a large balance across several banks remains the only way to protect savings above that ceiling in full.
The best rates are welcome offers: ING 3.75% for 4 months, Tomorrow 3.1% for 90 days, and Deutsche Bank 3.0% for 12 months on a fixed deposit. Without promotion, comdirect pays 1.75% and DKB 1% from the first euro; according to DKB's comparison of 8 September 2026, Postbank is at 1.00%, Commerzbank at 0.75%, Deutsche Bank at 0.50% and Berliner Sparkasse at 0.50%. After the offer, the return drops back to the standard rate.
Since 2016, the Kontowechselservice (Payment Accounts Act) requires banks to offer a free automatic transfer of all direct debits and standing orders within 10 business days. The new bank handles the transfer of standing orders and direct debits and notifies creditors; if it gets it wrong, it is liable for any resulting charges.
N26, Vivid Money and bunq accept EU non-residents with a passport. Traditional banks usually require a Meldebescheinigung (registration certificate) and ID. Identification is done by video call or through the PostIdent procedure, and a tax address within the European Economic Area is usually required to open the account.
The German banking market is one of the most diverse in Europe. It consists of large private banks (Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank), online direct banks (ING, DKB, Comdirect), neobanks (N26, Vivid Money, Tomorrow) and a unique network of local banks: the publicly owned Sparkassen and the cooperative Volksbanken/Raiffeisenbanken. BaFin (Federal Financial Supervisory Authority) oversees the entire German financial sector.
Germany has one of the highest numbers of banking institutions in Europe. Sparkassen (public savings banks) play a major role in household savings and SME lending. Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank dominate investment banking and large corporate services. Volksbanken/Raiffeisenbanken follow the cooperative model where each customer can become a member. A current account is a legal right: anyone legally residing in the EU can open a Basiskonto at any bank. Direct banks offer free Girokonten subject to a monthly income deposit (€700 at DKB, €1,000 at ING, €900 at Postbank).
Online banks like ING and DKB dominate in value: free accounts subject to income or under 28, overdraft rates around 9%, Depot and ETF savings plans. Note that ING charges 2.20% on payments outside the euro area. Comdirect (Commerzbank subsidiary) offers a €0 plan, 1.75% Tagesgeld and an 8.90% overdraft. Neobanks N26 and Vivid Money attract customers with 100% mobile accounts. Tomorrow stands out as the sustainable bank, with a free plan under 21 or from €500 monthly income.
German mortgages (Baufinanzierung) stand out for long fixed-rate periods (Zinsbindung) of 10, 15 or 20 years – much longer than in France. In August 2026, new loans averaged 3.81% for a 5 to 10-year fixation and 4.04% beyond 10 years (Bundesbank). Sparkassen and Volksbanken are major lenders thanks to their local market knowledge. Bausparen (building savings) remains a typically German product. Tagesgeld pays 0.5% to 1.75% without promotion and up to 3.75% on welcome offers, while ETF savings plans are widely available through online banks and brokers.
To choose the best bank in Germany, first assess whether you need physical branches (Sparkassen, Volksbanken) or if a fully digital account suits you (ING, DKB, N26). Under-28s get free accounts at ING and DKB, under-21s at Postbank and Tomorrow. Families and homeowners will prefer Sparkassen for their dense network and mortgage support. Always check account fees, the overdraft rate (from 8.90% to over 11%), fees outside the euro area and the free ATM network (Cash Group, CashPool, Sparkassen network).
* Rates checked in October 2026 on the banks' websites and price lists; they may vary. Mortgage rates: Bundesbank, August 2026. This comparison is for informational purposes only. Supervised by BaFin. Deposits protected up to €100,000 (Deposit Insurance).