Wise vs N26
short answerBoth are traditional neobanks. Wise is the larger platform (~19M users) and is built for travel & digital nomads; N26 holds its own banking license. Compare custody, license, FX markup and fees field by field below.
Wise: Mid-market-rate FX; 16M+ customers.
N26: 8M+ customers; crypto via partner in some markets.
Side by side
| Wise | N26 | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | traditional | traditional |
| Audience | travel & digital nomads | general |
| HQ | London, UK | Berlin, DE |
| Founded | 2011 | 2013 |
| Custody | Custodial | Custodial |
| Regulation | E-money institution | Licensed bank |
| License detail | E-money/payment licenses globally | German banking license |
| Card | Visa/MC · Debit | MC · Debit |
| Cashback | — | — |
| Yield | Interest on balances (region) | ~2-4% (region) |
| FX markup | Mid-market rate + conversion fee, typically ~0.33–1.5%; free if you hold the currency (2026-04) | 0% N26 markup on card payments; Mastercard rate passed through (Standard plan) (2026-07) |
| Services | fiat pay-in (bank rails), fiat pay-out (bank rails), own IBAN / account no., multi-currency hold, virtual cards | crypto on-ramp, crypto off-ramp, fiat pay-in (bank rails), fiat pay-out (bank rails), own IBAN / account no., virtual cards |
| Stablecoins | No | No |
| KYC | Yes | Yes |
| Regions | Europe, North America, Asia, Oceania, Latin America, Africa, MENA | Europe |
| Reported users | 19M customers (FY26) | — |
Figures compiled from public sources, for comparison only — not financial advice. "Up to" rates change constantly; always confirm with the issuer. Spotted an error? Suggest a fix.