Kontist as a bunq alternative: Built for self-employed professionals in Germany
bunq and Kontist take different approaches. While bunq focuses on maximum flexibility through a large number of subaccounts and automations, Kontist was built specifically for self-employed professionals in Germany and supports you with tax planning, bookkeeping and financial organisation. With Kontist, you'll benefit from features such as:
- Always knowing how much of your money is actually available after taxes
- Automatic tax reserve calculations
- Centralised invoice and receipt management
- Export important data for your tax advisor and bookkeeping
Users love the Kontist app
4.5
on the Google Play Store
4.7
on the App Store
Users love the Kontist app
Is Kontist a good alternative to bunq?
For many self-employed professionals, bunq is a great choice if they want maximum flexibility for their business account. Its large number of subaccounts, automations and custom settings make it easy to organise payment flows, separate reserves and manage different types of expenses.
In day-to-day business, however, other questions are often more important: How much money should be set aside for taxes? Where are the most important receipts? How can invoices be created and managed? What information is needed for bookkeeping? And how can administrative work be kept to a minimum? This is where Kontist comes in.
Kontist could be the better choice if you want to:
spend less time on administrative tasks
gain a better understanding of your tax obligations
create and manage invoices while keeping your receipts and banking in one place
minimise the number of additional tools you need
use a solution specifically designed for self-employed professionals in Germany
Kontist vs. bunq: Direct comparison
Both Kontist and bunq offer modern digital business accounts. While bunq stands out for its flexibility and highly customisable account management, Kontist helps self-employed professionals stay on top of their taxes, simplify bookkeeping and maintain a clear overview of their finances.
The comparison below shows how Kontist Plus and bunq Pro Business compare across the features that matter most.
Banking
Kontist Plus | bunq Pro Business | |
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Mobile apps (iOS & Android) |
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Web app |
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German IBAN |
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Subaccounts | 5 | Bis zu 25 |
Free SEPA transfers & direct debits | 100/month | Unlimited |
Real-time notifications |
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Debit card | Virtual & physical | Virtual & physical |
Apple Pay & Google Pay |
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Loans |
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Account statements |
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Biometric authentication |
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Standing orders |
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Bulk transfers |
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Automatic tax calculation |
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Bookkeeping & Taxes
Kontist Plus | bunq Pro Business | |
|---|---|---|
Invoicing tool |
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Receipt scanning |
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Submit VAT returns to the tax office |
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AI-powered bookkeeping |
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Add external transactions |
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Fixed asset tracking |
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Integrations with external accounting software |
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Business reports (BWA) |
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Customer service
Kontist Plus | bunq Pro Business | |
|---|---|---|
Chat & email |
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Blog & Help centre articles |
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Phone support |
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Automatic tax estimation with Kontist
With real-time tax estimation, you'll always know how much of your money is actually available after taxes. Kontist automatically calculates your income tax and VAT based on incoming payments and sets the estimated amount aside as a tax reserve. The settings can be customised to match your individual tax situation.
Automatic tax calculation: Income tax and VAT are recalculated automatically after every incoming payment.
Build tax reserves: The estimated tax amount is automatically set aside in a separate subaccount.
Fully customisable: Tax rates, VAT settings and tax prepayment intervals can all be adjusted to suit your individual circumstances.
More highlights from Kontist
Many of Kontist's features are designed to help self-employed professionals organise their finances more efficiently and manage important administrative tasks directly within their business account.
Quotes & Invoices
Create and manage quotes and invoices directly in the app without needing additional software.
Automatic Categorisation
Income and expenses are categorised automatically, with the categorisation becoming increasingly accurate over time.
Google Pay & Apple Pay
Pay contactlessly with your Kontist Visa card while keeping full control of your finances directly in the app.
Easy Account Switching Service
Switching to Kontist is completely online and guides you through the process step by step.
Notes & Receipt Scanning
Attach receipts directly to transactions and export everything together whenever you need it.
Kontist vs. bunq: Pricing comparison
Both Kontist and bunq offer different plans for different needs. For this comparison, we're looking at Kontist Plus and bunq Pro Business, as both plans are aimed at self-employed professionals who actively use their business account for day-to-day work.
When comparing prices, however, it's worth looking beyond the monthly account fee. For self-employed professionals in particular, features for tax planning, bookkeeping and financial organisation can make a significant difference.
Kontist | bunq |
|---|---|
Free – 0 € | Free Business – 0 € |
Start – 11 € | Core Business – 7,99 € |
Plus – 25 € | Pro Business – 13,99 € |
Elite Business – 23,99 € |
Who is Kontist the best bunq alternative for?
Kontist is designed for self-employed professionals and freelancers who want to manage their business finances as simply as possible in one place. Instead of switching between different tools, you can stay on top of your taxes, manage receipts and connect your bookkeeping directly to your business account. This saves time and reduces administrative work in your day-to-day business.
By contrast, bunq is particularly well suited to people who want to customise their business account. With its large number of subaccounts, automations and additional configuration options, the platform offers a high degree of flexibility for account management.
Kontist may be particularly appealing for the following groups:
1. Founders
If you're starting your own business, you often have to win clients, send invoices and keep track of your taxes all at the same time. Kontist helps you organise these tasks in one place from day one.
2. Small business owners (Kleinunternehmer)
If you want to minimise the number of additional tools you use, you'll benefit from a solution that combines banking, tax planning and bookkeeping.
3. Self-employed professionals
Automatic tax calculations, centralised receipt management and integrated bookkeeping features reduce administrative work and free up more time for your actual business.
4. GmbH/UG/GbR
Businesses can also benefit from Kontist's banking, bookkeeping and financial management features. Smaller businesses in particular benefit from a straightforward solution for managing their day-to-day finances.
Make the switch easy with the Kontist account switching service
Thinking about switching from bunq to Kontist but keep putting it off? Many self-employed professionals stay with their existing account longer than they intended because switching initially seems complicated.
With the Kontist Account Switching Service, the process becomes much easier. You'll be guided through every step and receive support in transferring your existing banking setup.
The switching service helps you with:
notifying your payment partners of your new bank account
transferring your existing standing orders
organising the switching process
10,000s of freelancers trust in Kontist.
"I feel very well taken care of and can wholeheartedly recommend Kontist."
"The best thing about Kontist is that I can see immediately after each transaction how much is left for me and how much goes to the tax office. This saves me from nasty surprises when I file my tax return".
