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Alternatives

Best Qonto alternatives

Qonto scores 7.7. These are live products NeoBankDB would open next — each with a full review, not a leftover affiliate tile.

7.7Solid

4.6 user score on Qonto · compare licences below

QontoWiseAirwallexStarling BankRevolut
Editorial score7.78.68.38.18.6
HQParisLondonSingaporeLondonLondon
MonthlyPaid plans from a small monthlyFree personal Account often free Personal free Free
ProtectionClient funds are safeguarded. Qonto SA is a paymSafeguarded e-money at Wise Payments Limited — nSafeguarded / stored-value — not a retail bank dFSCS up to £120,000 per depositor per bank (StarEligible deposits at Revolut Bank UK Ltd: FSCS u
Cardmastercardmastercardvisamastercardvisa
Users500k businesses16M+150k businesses4M+50M+

Full alternatives

#1 alternative

Wise

active

The mid-market FX rail everyone else is measured against.

4.7

London · 16M+ · Public (WISE)

8.6Strong

The control for cross-border. Pair with a licensed local bank for salary protection. Never describe Wise personal as a UK bank account.

Best for: Anyone who receives or sends money across borders for a living.

Why it beats Qonto

  • Honest FX — the number others hide
  • Local details that make you look domestic
  • Business platform that scales past the card

Watch-outs

  • Not a bank in the UK — no FSCS on the EMI wallet
  • Account reviews can freeze funds mid-invoice
  • ATM and spend caps on the free plan
Licence
EMI (personal)
Protection
Safeguarded e-money at Wise Payments Limited — not FSCS. Wise’s own help: they do not lend customer balances; safeguarding is not a deposit-guarantee scheme. Local account details may sit at partner banks (US: Community Federal Savings Bank in some states).
Monthly
Free personal · Wise Business subscription optional
Full Wise reviewWise alternativesVisit Wise

#2 alternative

Airwallex

active

Global business accounts from a Singapore-born payments company.

4.5

Singapore · 150k businesses · ~$800M raised

8.3Strong

Default APAC business account in this register. Mercury wins US start-ups; Airwallex wins multi-entity trade.

Best for: Exporters, marketplaces, and Aussie/Asian scale-ups paying suppliers in many currencies.

Why it beats Qonto

  • Corridor coverage that Wise Business still fights
  • Expense cards on the same ledger
  • Australia and Asia density

Watch-outs

  • Not a deposit-taking bank
  • Onboarding is a proper KYB process
  • Pricing gets real at volume — read the file
Licence
Payments / EMI-class licences by market
Protection
Safeguarded / stored-value — not a retail bank deposit scheme
Monthly
Account often free · FX and scale pricing on the corridor
Full Airwallex reviewAirwallex alternativesVisit Airwallex

#3 alternative

Starling Bank

active

The grown-up UK challenger: bank first, app second.

4.7

London · 4M+ · ~$1.1B raised

8.1Strong

If the question is ‘will this still be here in ten years,’ Starling scores at the top of the UK set. Monzo is more fun; Starling is more bank.

Best for: UK individuals and SMEs who want a real bank, not a wallet.

Why it beats Qonto

  • Conservatively run UK bank
  • Excellent business account
  • Fee-free personal FX spend is still a headline feature

Watch-outs

  • UK-only onboarding
  • App is calmer, less playful than Monzo
  • Fewer ‘lifestyle’ extras
Licence
UK bank
Protection
FSCS up to £120,000 per depositor per bank (Starling FSCS information sheet). Joint accounts: £120,000 per holder.
Monthly
Personal free · Business from £0–£7+
Full Starling Bank reviewStarling Bank alternativesVisit Starling Bank

#4 alternative

Revolut

active

Digital bank and e-money app. Licence depends on the entity.

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.

Why it beats Qonto

  • Best-in-class FX for travellers on paid plans
  • Product depth: bank, broker, crypto, cards, kids
  • UK bank licence closes the old EMI objection for eligible users

Watch-outs

  • Support quality does not match the feature list
  • Weekend FX and fair-usage ATM rules catch Standard users
  • Crypto and stock sleeves are not the bank
Licence
UK bank (eligible customers)
Protection
Eligible deposits at Revolut Bank UK Ltd: FSCS up to £120,000 per person (scheme cap from 1 Dec 2025; Revolut FSCS sheet). Revolut Ltd e-money is safeguarded, not FSCS (UK personal terms, 11 Dec 2025). New customers from 11 March 2026 may still be onboarded onto an EMI account with Revolut Ltd.
Monthly
Free · Plus/Premium/Metal/Ultra paid
Full Revolut reviewRevolut alternativesVisit Revolut

#5 alternative

RazorpayX

active

Razorpay’s business-banking layer. Current account at partner banks. Payouts API. Not a bank.

Bengaluru · Startup payouts · Razorpay

7.2Solid

RazorpayX is the payouts machine Indian startups already have. The deposit is at a scheduled bank. File it on Business next to Open and Airwallex (different legal object: Airwallex is not an RBI current account). Do not headline it as a neobank.

Best for: Indian firms that already collect on Razorpay and want the money to leave through the same dashboard.

Why it beats Qonto

  • Payouts machine Indian startups already have
  • Current account at a named scheduled bank
  • PA licence is a separate, named object

Watch-outs

  • Not a bank
  • Partner bank is product-dependent
  • Airwallex is a different legal object — do not flatten them
Licence
Fintech overlay — current account at scheduled banks
Protection
DICGC follows the partner bank on the statement.
Monthly
Confirm live X plan
Full RazorpayX reviewRazorpayX alternativesVisit RazorpayX

#6 alternative

Open

active

Business payments for Indian companies. The current account sits at a partner bank, not at Open.

Bengaluru · SME connected finance · Private

7.1Solid

Open is the dashboard a lot of Indian companies use to pay vendors, run payroll, and see balances in one place. The current account is at a scheduled bank — Open’s own site names ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, Axis Bank, Yes Bank and others. Open is the software. Compare it with RazorpayX, not with Jupiter.

Best for: Indian private limited companies and LLPs that want one dashboard on a named bank current account.

Why it beats Qonto

  • The current account is at a named Indian bank, not in an Open vault
  • One dashboard for payouts, payroll and linked bank balances
  • Zwitch is labelled as an API, not as the place cash sits

Watch-outs

  • The partner bank can differ by product — always read the statement
  • If Open the app stops, you still need the bank’s own app. Fi already taught this on the consumer side
  • This is not a foreign-currency account
Licence
Fintech overlay / partner current account
Protection
If the current account is at a scheduled bank, DICGC can cover eligible deposits up to ₹5 lakh per depositor per bank at that bank. Open itself is not insured. Read the bank name on your statement.
Monthly
Plans sit on the live Open site. There is no single free plan we can print here.
Full Open reviewOpen alternativesVisit Open

Questions

01

Why look beyond Qonto?

Qonto is scored 7.7. Weaknesses on this file: Not FGDR; FX depth. Alternatives above are scored independently, not paid placements.

02

Are these Qonto alternatives available in the same countries?

Coverage is per product. Open the country page and the individual review — a UK bank licence does not travel, and an EMI is not FSCS.

03

How do I compare them side by side?

Use Compare on any card, up to four products, then open compare.

Back to the Qonto review