My bank charges me too much
Switch to a bank that doesn't charge you.
A typical EU current account costs €60-120/year in fees you don't see — monthly maintenance, paper statements, FX markup. A modern app with the same EU deposit guarantee costs €0. The switch takes 10 minutes.
Top picks for you
Each pick shows what you get, what you'd save, and the catch — so you can decide without reading the small print.
1. · BEST FREE EU ACCOUNT
N26 Standard
What it gives you
- €0/month, no minimum balance
- German banking licence — €100,000 deposit protection
- Free EUR transfers (SEPA), Apple/Google Pay built in
- Money received instantly from other N26 users
The catch
Free ATM withdrawals limited to 3/month in EUR (then €2 each). Foreign-currency withdrawals always cost 1.7%. Not available in every EU country — covered in DE, FR, ES, IT, AT, NL.
2. · BEST FOR TRAVEL + EVERYDAY
Revolut Standard
What it gives you
- €0/month, opens in 5 minutes via app
- EU + UK + ~30 country coverage
- Free €200/month ATM withdrawals worldwide
- Built-in FX, savings, crypto if you want them
The catch
Operates as a Lithuanian e-money licence — deposit protection up to €100k via that route, slightly different from a German banking licence (functionally the same in 99% of cases).
3. · BEST IF YOU CARE ABOUT ETHICS
bunq Easy Bank
What it gives you
- Dutch banking licence, €100k deposit guarantee
- Sub-accounts (split rent, savings, joint pots)
- Plants a tree for every €100 you spend on card
- Free in NL, low-fee tier elsewhere in EU
The catch
Free tier (Easy Bank) is genuinely free; the more useful tiers (Easy Money, Pro) cost €2.99-€19.99/mo. Below that, you're using a fairly basic account vs N26's standard tier.
Why these
All three are full banks (or operate under an equivalent EU licence) — your money is protected the same way as it is at a high-street bank. Each one wins on a different axis: N26 for the most-similar-to-a-traditional-account experience, Revolut for international users, bunq for sub-account control and ethics. There are 8 more banking options in the catalogue if you have a specific country or feature need.