Best imagin alternatives

#1 alternative

Abanca

active

Galician bank with a digital skin. Banco de España, not a startup.

A Coruña · Retail bank-scale · Listed / bank capital

6.9Mixed

Abanca is a bank. Put it next to N26 only to show the difference: Spanish FGD versus a German IBAN. Do not list it as a challenger. If you need salary in Spain, this is the object. If you need weekend FX, it is not.

Best for: People who actually live in Spain and want FGD, not a Lithuanian IBAN.

Licence

Credit institution

Protection

Spanish FGD up to €100,000 per depositor per bank — B100 is the same bank, so do not double-count the cap

Monthly

Account packs — confirm live tariff

#2 alternative

B100

active

Abanca’s digital brand. Same Spanish FGD. Same IBAN. Do not double-count the cap.

4.0

A Coruña · Abanca digital arm · Abanca

7.1Solid

B100 is a commercial brand of Abanca. Abanca’s own FAQ says the IBAN is Abanca’s and FGD follows Abanca. Same pattern as ActivoBank and Millennium BCP: one cap, two skins. If you already have Abanca, this is not a second €100k pot.

Best for: Spain residents who want Abanca FGD with a greener app, and do not already sit at Abanca for the cap.

Licence

Commercial brand of Abanca Corporación Bancaria, S.A.

Protection

Spanish FGD up to €100,000 — same bank as Abanca, so do not double-count the cap

Monthly

Often €0 on core current — confirm live

#3 alternative

N26

active

German bank account with a Mastercard, built as a phone.

4.5

Berlin · 8M+ · ~$1.8B raised

7.8Solid

If you need a German/SEPA current account, N26 is still the reference neobank. Score it as a bank, not as a travel card. Revolut and Wise beat it the moment you leave the euro.

Best for: Euro-zone residents who want a real German bank IBAN in a clean app.

Licence

Credit institution (CRR bank)

Protection

German statutory scheme up to €100,000

Monthly

Free Standard · Smart/You/Metal paid

#4 alternative

Revolut

active

Global money app that finally became a UK bank.

4.7

London · 50M+ · $1.7B raised · ~$45B val.

8.6Strong

The default comparison set for a reason. Treat the UK bank product and the e-money wallet as different legal objects, then Revolut wins most travel and multi-currency briefs. It is not the quietest home for a salary if you want a full-licence high-street feel — that is still Starling or Monzo in the UK.

Best for: People who live in more than one currency and want one app for spend, FX, and extras.

Licence

UK bank (eligible customers)

Protection

FSCS up to £85,000 on UK bank balances; EMI safeguarding on e-money wallets

Monthly

Free · Plus/Premium/Metal/Ultra paid

#5 alternative

Kestrl is a habit layer. Keep a Monzo/Starling/high-street account for the actual deposit. Halal branding does not move FSCS.

Best for: UK Muslims who want a money app that speaks their constraints, with a real bank still underneath.

Licence

App + partner EMI/bank rails

Protection

If a spending account exists, it is partner-EMI or bank — not Kestrl-as-bank

Monthly

Freemium / subscription SKUs — confirm live

#6 alternative

Found

active

US banking for the self-employed: taxes, invoices, and a debit card.

4.8

San Francisco · Self-employed base · Series-era (Allianz x others)

7.3Solid

Found is the freelancer current account. Novo is generic SMB. Relay is multi-entity ops.

Best for: US freelancers who hate QuickBooks more than they hate banks.

Licence

Fintech with partner banks

Protection

FDIC via Piermont Bank and partners

Monthly

Free core