The FYRST Alternative: Banking, Taxes and Bookkeeping in One App
If you’re looking for a FYRST alternative or comparing Kontist and FYRST, you’ve probably already noticed that many business accounts look similar at first glance. The real differences only become apparent in day-to-day use. How much do you have to do yourself? How many additional tools do you need? And how much visibility do you really have into your finances? This comparison will help you put those differences into perspective. With Kontist, you benefit from:
- An up-to-date overview of your available income after taxes
- Invoices, receipts and tax calculations directly in the app
- Fewer additional tools for bookkeeping and financial management
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 FYRST?
While FYRST primarily focuses on the core features of a traditional business account, Kontist integrates additional functions such as automatic tax calculations, invoicing, receipt management and bookkeeping support directly into the app. This means you can rely less on separate tools and maintain a clearer overview of your finances.
Typical reasons why users choose Kontist:
Automatic tax calculations for every transaction
Less reliance on external bookkeeping or add-on tools
Better visibility into your available income after taxes
Less manual categorisation and follow-up work
Banking, taxes and bookkeeping in one app
Kontist vs. FYRST: Direct comparison
The differences between Kontist and FYRST are less about individual features and more about the overall approach of each provider. FYRST focuses on the core functions of a business account and extends areas such as bookkeeping through external partner solutions. Kontist, on the other hand, provides many of these functions directly within the account and app.
This becomes particularly noticeable if you regularly deal with invoices, tax reserves, VAT or bookkeeping tasks. The comparison below shows how Kontist Plus and FYRST Premium stack up against each other.
Banking
Kontist Plus | FYRST Premium | |
|---|---|---|
Mobile apps (iOS & Android) |
|
|
Web app |
|
|
German IBAN |
|
|
Subaccounts | 5 | The first sub-account is free; each additional sub-account costs €6.00 per month |
Free SEPA transfers & direct debits | 100/month | 0/€0.04 per transaction |
Real-time notifications |
|
|
Debit card | Virtual & physical | Physical |
Apple Pay & Google Pay |
|
|
Loans |
|
|
Account statements |
|
|
Biometric authentication |
|
|
Standing orders |
|
|
Bulk transfers |
|
|
Automatic tax calculation |
|
|
Bookkeeping & Taxes
Kontist Plus | FYRST Premium | |
|---|---|---|
Invoicing tool |
|
|
Receipt scanning |
|
|
Submit VAT returns to the tax office |
|
|
AI-powered bookkeeping |
|
|
Add external transactions |
|
|
Fixed asset tracking |
|
|
Integrations with external accounting software |
|
|
Business reports (BWA) |
|
|
Customer service
Kontist Plus | FYRST Premium | |
|---|---|---|
Chat & email |
|
|
Blog & Help centre articles |
|
|
Phone support |
|
|
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. FYRST: Price comparison
Both Kontist and FYRST offer several pricing tiers with different feature sets. At first glance, the prices are relatively similar. However, additional costs may arise with FYRST if you need separate tools for bookkeeping, invoicing or tax management.
Kontist | FYRST |
|---|---|
Free – 0 € | Base – 0 € |
Start – 11 € | Complete – 10 € |
Plus – 25 € | Premium – 25 € |
Who is Kontist the best FYRST alternative for?
Kontist is particularly well suited to self-employed professionals who want to manage their banking, taxes and bookkeeping as simply as possible in one place. Many important functions, such as invoicing, tax estimates and receipt management, are available directly in the app, reducing the need for additional tools. This makes Kontist a strong choice for anyone looking to keep their finances organised and administrative tasks easier to manage.
1. Founders
A simple way to manage banking and taxes without having to set up multiple additional tools from the start.
2. Small business owners (Kleinunternehmer)
A streamlined setup for keeping track of income, expenses and receipts more easily.
3. Self-employed professionals
Helpful for freelancers who want to keep invoices, taxes and finances organised in one place.
4. GmbH/UG/GbR
Digital tools for businesses that want to bring banking and bookkeeping closer together.
Make switching easier with the Kontist account switching service
Not completely happy with your current business account, but keep putting off the switch? You’re not alone. Many self-employed professionals stick with their existing account longer than they would like because switching feels like a lot of work. With the Kontist account switching service, the process becomes much easier to manage. You’ll be guided through each step and can transfer your existing banking setup gradually.
The switching service helps you:
Inform payment partners about your new account details more easily
Transfer existing standing orders with support
Navigate the switching process step by step
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".
