Kontist as an N26 alternative: More than just a business account
N26 and Kontist are both designed for self-employed professionals, but they focus on different priorities. While N26 concentrates on simple digital banking, Kontist was built specifically for self-employed professionals in Germany and also supports you with taxes, bookkeeping and financial organisation. Many tasks that would otherwise require separate tools can be managed directly within your Kontist business account. With Kontist, you'll benefit from features such as:
- Automatic real-time tax calculation
- Invoice and receipt management directly within your account
- Export options for your tax advisor and bookkeeping
- Less manual work for administrative tasks
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 N26?
If you're mainly looking for a straightforward digital business account to manage your payments, N26 offers many suitable features. Many self-employed professionals, however, are looking for more than just banking. They want to plan their taxes more effectively, manage receipts in one place and automate as many recurring tasks as possible.
Kontist could be the better choice if you want to:
always know how much of your income is actually available
organise your tax reserves more easily
manage invoices and receipts in one place
simplify collaboration with your tax advisor
use a solution specifically designed for self-employed professionals in Germany
Kontist vs. N26: Direct comparison
At first glance, both providers offer many similar features. Mobile banking, card payments and digital account management come as standard with both solutions.
The biggest differences often become apparent in day-to-day work. While N26 focuses on modern digital banking, Kontist also helps you manage tax planning, bookkeeping and financial organisation.
The comparison below shows how Kontist Plus and N26 Business Go compare across the features that matter most.
Banking
Kontist Plus | N26 Business Go | |
|---|---|---|
Mobile apps (iOS & Android) |
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Web app |
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German IBAN |
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Subaccounts | 5 | Up to 10 Spaces |
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 | N26 Business Go | |
|---|---|---|
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 |
| Partial |
Business reports (BWA) |
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Customer service
Kontist Plus | N26 Business Go | |
|---|---|---|
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.
Kontist offers integrated bookkeeping
With Kontist's integrated bookkeeping, you can manage your banking and bookkeeping in one place. Intelligent transaction suggestions, automatic tax reserves, and integrated invoice and receipt management reduce manual work and make it easier to stay on top of your finances.
Intelligent transaction suggestions for every transaction
Invoice and receipt management directly within your business account
Practical export options for your tax advisor and bookkeeping
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. N26: Pricing comparison
Both Kontist and N26 offer different plans for different needs. For this comparison, we're looking at Kontist Plus and N26 Business Go, as both plans are aimed at self-employed professionals who want more than just the basic banking features.
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 collaboration with a tax advisor can be just as important.
Kontist | N26 |
|---|---|
Free – 0 € | Business Standard – 0 € |
Start – 11 € | Business Smart – 4,90 € |
Plus – 25 € | Business Go – 9,90 € |
Business Metal – 16,90 € |
Who is Kontist the best N26 alternative for?
N26 stands out as a modern digital business account with an intuitive user experience and straightforward day-to-day banking. Kontist goes one step further by also supporting self-employed professionals with taxes, bookkeeping and financial organisation.
Kontist may be particularly beneficial 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 N26 to Kontist but keep putting it off? You're not alone. Many self-employed professionals stay with their existing account longer than they intended because switching initially sounds like a lot of work.
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:
notify your payment partners about your new account
transfer your existing standing orders
follow a step-by-step guided 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".
