If you compare Neon with N26, you are probably looking for an online bank with a credit card for traveling and for making payments in EUR.
It is indeed very interesting to consider these neobanks compared to traditional banks such as UBS or Credit Suisse, because they generally offer better exchange rates with very low transaction fees.
Neon is a Swiss neobank that offers a free bank account in CHF with a CH IBAN and provides a Mastercard debit card. The account also allows international transfers in partnership with Wise.
N26 is a German-based mobile bank that offers a range of services including a free bank account in EUR, international money transfers, and a Mastercard debit card. N26 offers different account types with varying features, including premium options that provide additional benefits such as travel insurance, partner discounts, and access to exclusive events.
Although both Neon and N26 offer mobile banking services, there are differences in specific features, fees, and availability across different countries.
Let’s take a closer look at what each neobank offers.
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Neon vs N26 Switzerland – Which neobank to choose
If you do not have time to read this article, here is which neobank to choose according to your use:
| Neon | N26 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 8.4/10 | 7.7/10 |
| Free Swiss bank account | 👍 | |
| To use in Switzerland | 👍 | |
| To travel in Europe | 👍 | |
| To travel abroad | 👍 | |
| To make free SEPA transfers | 👍 | |
| To transfer money abroad | 👍 | 👍 if you hold EUR |
| For Trading | 👍 Crypto |
To find out how each criterion is judged, read on: we review important options for Switzerland (IBAN CH, transfers in CHF, TWINT) and abroad (withdrawals with the card, SEPA transfer fees, transfers in currencies).
Neon vs N26 Switzerland – Coupon Code
By opening an account with Neon you receive a welcome cash gift on your account, which is always appreciated.
Use the promo code NEOTRADE by May 31, 2025 to get up to 100 CHF in Trading Credit 🙌 with Neon Bank. Get the Neon app ➡️On the other hand, with N26 you get zero, zip, nada, zilch!
1 point for Neon
Neon vs N26 Switzerland: The account
Here is a comparison of the features available from Neon and N26:
| Features | Neon | N26 |
|---|---|---|
| Personal IBAN CH | ✅ | ❌ |
| CHF Bank Account | ✅ | ✅ |
| Default currency | CHF | EUR |
| Available currencies | CHF | EUR |
| Debit card | ✅ MasterCard | ✅ MasterCard |
| TWINT | ✅ | ❌ |
| eBill | ✅ | ❌ |
| QR code and BVR payments | ✅ | ❌ |
| Apple Pay & Google Pay | ✅ | ✅ |
| Trading shares | ❌ | ❌ |
| Trading ETF, Themes | ❌ | ❌ |
| Trading Crypto-currencies (Bitcoin,...) | ❌ | ✅ |
Neon therefore has a better offer in a Swiss context: IBAN CH, payments by QR and BVR, eBill, and TWINT.
N26 offers a EUR account with very attractive rates for the EURO zone and foreign exchange transactions.
Keep reading to see the details and examples.
1 point for Neon
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Don't have a Neon Bank account yet? Use our referral code to open your free Neon Bank account!
Use the new promo code NEOTRADE by May 31, 2025 to get up to 100 CHF in Trading Credit 🙌
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Neon vs N26 Switzerland: IBAN CH
As a Swiss neobank, Neon allows you to obtain a free bank account with a personal CH IBAN.
On the other hand, N26 is based in Germany with a German banking license (DE). Your IBAN will therefore start with DE.
1 point for Neon
Neon vs N26 Switzerland: TWINT and eBill
Neon offers eBill and TWINT (UBS TWINT and TWINT Prepaid).
eBill and TWINT are not available with N26, as it is a German neobank without a Swiss license.
1 point for Neon
Neon vs N26 Switzerland: The debit card
At Neon, the debit card is in CHF, while with N26 it is in EUR.
This means that if you travel in the EURO zone with the Neon card, the exchange rate and fees will be applied each time you use it.
At N26, the debit card is in EUR. You will therefore incur charges for all other currencies, including CHF.
The card fees differ between Neon and N26:
| Debit card | Neon | N26 |
|---|---|---|
| Free Debit card | ❌ 20 CHF for delivery | ❌ 10 EUR |
| Free CHF Withdrawals | ❌ CHF 2.50 with Neon free ✅ 2–5 free/month depending on plan ✅ Free with Sonect | ❌ 1.7% fee |
| Free EUR Withdrawals | ❌ 1.5% + 0.35% with Neon free ✅ Reduced or free with paid plans | ✅ 3/mo. in Switzerland and EURO zone |
| Free Withdrawals abroad | ❌ 1.5% + 0.35% with Neon free ✅ Reduced or free with paid plans | ❌ 1.7% fee |
In Switzerland, Neon is more advantageous than N26 for withdrawals: N26 charges a 1.7% fee from the first withdrawal, whereas Neon offers up to 5 free withdrawals per month depending on the plan, plus free withdrawals via Sonect.
For withdrawals in EUR, N26 clearly has the advantage, with 3 free withdrawals per month in Switzerland and the EURO zone.
For foreign withdrawals (outside the EURO zone), it depends on the amount withdrawn.
Example: Withdrawal of 1,000 EUR in 5 instalments during the week
| Multiple withdrawals | Neon | N26 |
|---|---|---|
| (1.50% + 0.35%) | (3 free per month, then 2 EUR each) | |
| 1st withdrawal of 200 EUR | 3.70 EUR | 0.00 EUR |
| 2nd withdrawal of 200 EUR | 3.70 EUR | 0.00 EUR |
| 3rd withdrawal of200 EUR | 3.70 EUR | 0.00 EUR |
| 4th withdrawal of 200 EUR | 3.70 EUR | 2.00 EUR |
| 5th withdrawal of 200 EUR | 3.70 EUR | 2.00 EUR |
| TOTAL | 18.50 EUR | 4.00 EUR |
N26 is therefore cheaper for multiple withdrawals in EUR because Neon is penalized by a 1.85% fee.
Another example: Single withdrawal in GBP
| GBP withdrawal | Neon | N26 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GBP | Eq. CHF | (1.50%+0.35%) | Eq. EUR | (-1.70%) |
| 100 | 115 | 2.13 | 117 | 2.0 |
| 200 | 229 | 4.24 | 234 | 4.0 |
| 300 | 344 | 6.36 | 352 | 6.0 |
| 400 | 458 | 8.47 | 469 | 8.0 |
| 500 | 573 | 10.60 | 586 | 10.0 |
| 600 | 688 | 12.73 | 703 | 12.0 |
| 700 | 802 | 14.84 | 820 | 13.9 |
| 800 | 917 | 16.96 | 938 | 15.9 |
| 900 | 1031 | 19.07 | 1055 | 17.9 |
| 1000 | 1146 | 21.20 | 1172 | 19.9 |
With a 1.85% fee instead of 1.70%, N26 is cheaper than Neon for currencies other than EUR.
1 point for N26
Neon vs N26 Switzerland: Transfer fees
Both Neon and the N26 Standard account are free of monthly fees.
N26 allows you to make SEPA transfers in EUR free of charge, but there are fees for currency exchange:
| Pricing | Neon | N26 |
|---|---|---|
| No monthly fee | ✅ | ✅ |
| Free transfers in CHF in Switzerland | ✅ | ❌ |
| Free SEPA transfers in EUR | ❌ 0.9% | ✅ |
| Free transfers in Switzerland | ✅ en CHF | ✅ in EUR |
| Incoming transfers | ✅ | ✅ |
| Exchange fee in EUR | ❌ 0.9% | ✅ |
| International tranfers fee | ❌ 0.8 à 1.7% | ❌ from 0.43% (WISE) |
At Neon, there is a 0.90% fee on CHF/EUR conversions, so SEPA transfers are not free!
For international transfers, N26 and Neon use the services of WISE, but their fees differ slightly.
Here are the fees for international transfers:
| International transfer | Neon (WISE) | N26 (WISE) |
|---|---|---|
| CHF | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| EUR | 0.9% | 0.00% |
| USD | 0.8 à 1.7% | from 0.43% |
| GBP | 0.8 à 1.7% | from 0.43% |
| AED | 0.8 à 1.7% | from 0.43% |
| AUD | 0.8 à 1.7% | from 0.43% |
| CAD | 0.8 à 1.7% | from 0.43% |
| DKK | 0.8 à 1.7% | from 0.43% |
| HKD | 0.8 à 1.7% | from 0.43% |
| JPY | 0.8 à 1.7% | from 0.43% |
| NOK | 0.8 à 1.7% | from 0.43% |
| SEK | 0.8 à 1.7% | from 0.43% |
| SGD | 0.8 à 1.7% | from 0.43% |
Unlike N26, Neon applies a 0.40% surcharge on WISE’s exchange fees, so Neon is always more expensive than N26 for international payments.
To find out which is cheapest between Neon and N26, you have to compare all the costs:
Example 1: Transfer of 5,000 EUR in Switzerland from your CHF account
As Switzerland is part of the SEPA system, N26 does not charge any transfer fees on EUR payments within Switzerland and the SEPA zone. However, you must first fund your N26 EUR account via WISE.
| 5'000 EUR | Neon | N26 |
|---|---|---|
| Total in CHF | 4,913.40 CHF | 4,913.40 CHF |
| Exchange fee | 23.96 CHF | 24.06 CHF (WISE) |
| Transfer fees | 19.66 CHF | 0.00 CHF |
| TOTAL | 43.62 CHF | 24.06 CHF |
(*) Tests carried out during the week
Neon and N26 use the same service for international transfers (WISE), but N26 is cheaper than Neon for EUR transfers because Neon applies a “convenience fee” of 0.40%.
Example 2: Transfer of 5,000 GBP to the UK
In this example, you transfer GBP from EUR at N26 and from CHF at Neon.
| 5'000 GBP | Neon | N26 |
|---|---|---|
| Value according to interbank rate | 5 734.10 CHF | 5 862.35 EUR |
| Amount sent | 5785.48 CHF | 5,895.63 EUR |
| Exchange fee | 28.45 CHF | 33.28 EUR |
| Transfer fees | 22.93 CHF | 0.00 EUR |
| TOTAL | 51.38 CHF | 33.28 EUR |
| TOTAL in CHF | 51.38 CHF | 32.48 CHF |
N26 (with its partner WISE) is again cheaper than Neon—but only if you already have EUR available in your N26 account.
If converting CHF to EUR is important to you, see our article How to Change Swiss Francs to Euros at the Best Rate.
1 point for N26
Neon vs N26 Switzerland: Trading Fees
Neon now provides the capability to trade stocks and ETFs.
| Trading | Neon | N26 |
|---|---|---|
| Custody fee | ✅ | ❌ 0.01% |
| Trading of Swiss Stocks | 0.50% | 1.50% |
| Trading of Swiss ETF | 0.50% | ❌ Not available |
| Trading of Foreign Stocks | 1.00% | 1.50% |
| Trading of Foreign ETF | 1.00% | ❌ Not available |
| Trading of Themes | ❌ Not available | ❌ Not available |
| Cryptocurrency trading | ❌ Not available | 1.5% for Bitcoin and 2.5% for others |
N26 only offers cryptocurrency trading and applies higher fees than Yuh, for example. You can read our Yuh vs N26 comparison for more details.
If you are looking for a neobank for trading, also see our opinion on Alpian, which offers lower rates than Neon and N26.
0 points each
Conclusion
In conclusion, Neon and N26 are complementary: the Neon account offers features not available with N26 (CH IBAN, eBill, QR invoices, and soon TWINT) and is cheaper than N26 in some situations.
Our recommendation is to open a free account with each neobank and keep both debit cards in your wallet, which will allow you to always benefit from the best conditions and have a backup if necessary.
Neon Promo Code: NEOTRADE
Don't have a Neon Bank account yet? Use our referral code to open your free Neon Bank account!
Use the new promo code NEOTRADE by May 31, 2025 to get up to 100 CHF in Trading Credit 🙌
Get 100 CHF with Neon ➡️
