Personal accounts in Germany

✓ Pros

• ✓Nationwide branch network with personal advice
• ✓Up to 200 euros new-customer bonus available
• ✓Free Girocard with Visa functionality
• ✓Free cash withdrawals at many supermarkets too
• ✓Modern app with multibanking and biometric login

✕ Cons

• ✕4.90 euro account fee unless you hold 50,000 euros in assets with the bank
• ✕Welcome bonus requires several months of account activity
• ✕3.90 euros per paper-based transfer or cheque
• ✕No information on foreign ATM fees

✓ Pros

• ✓€200 new-customer bonus when all conditions are met
• ✓Branch, phone, online and app all available in parallel
• ✓Account-switching service handles the bank change
• ✓Optional credit card alongside the debit card

✕ Cons

• ✕Bonus only achievable after roughly seven months with continuous €700 monthly income
• ✕Debit interest on overdraft, at around 11.95% p.a., comparatively high
• ✕€47.40 annual fee with no apparent waiver condition
• ✕No information on card fees in the product data

✓ Pros

• ✓Unlimited free online transactions
• ✓Credit card fixed into the account package
• ✓Account-switching service available
• ✓Deposit protection at the statutory EU level, up to EUR 100,000

✕ Cons

• ✕EUR 22.50 annual fee with no visible exemption condition
• ✕No welcome bonus
• ✕No branches available
• ✕Deposit protection runs via the Spanish, not the German, system

✓ Pros

• ✓Free account management
• ✓Credit card included as standard
• ✓Full access via online, phone, and app
• ✓Automated account-switching service included

✕ Cons

• ✕€100 bonus requires marketing consent and at least five €25+ transactions within three months
• ✕The stated bonus application deadline had already passed at the time of this review
• ✕Tolerated overdraft at 13.4% p.a. is comparatively expensive
• ✕Target group doesn't explicitly include freelancers or the self-employed

✓ Pros

• ✓Free for 12 months under the current opening promotion
• ✓150 euro new-customer bonus
• ✓Visa credit card included in the account
• ✓Instant-access savings account with 1.75% interest included
• ✓5 free worldwide cash withdrawals per month

✕ Cons

• ✕2.90 euro monthly fee once the promotional period ends
• ✕No travel insurance package (only included in Girokonto Plus)
• ✕Girocard only available as an optional 1 euro/month add-on
• ✕Exact bonus conditions not detailed on the product page

✓ Pros

• ✓Permanently free account management
• ✓€150 welcome bonus with salary or pension inflow
• ✓Credit card and debit card included
• ✓Account-switching service available
• ✓App and phone banking available

✕ Cons

• ✕Bonus requires non-revocable marketing consent
• ✕At least two months with €700 inflow required
• ✕No branch

✓ Pros

• ✓€100 sign-up bonus for new customers, up to €200 with referral bonus
• ✓Account maintenance free for the first 3 months
• ✓Permanently free maintenance with €50,000+ in assets
• ✓Free cash withdrawals at Commerzbank, Cash Group and many retail partners
• ✓Feature-rich app with spending analysis, account alerts and chat

✕ Cons

• ✕Account costs €4.90/month without €50,000 in assets
• ✕Bonus requires 3 months of active use with minimum bookings
• ✕Consent to marketing communications required for the full bonus
• ✕Optional credit card comes with an extra fee

✓ Pros

• ✓Branch bank with ties to the international UniCredit network
• ✓Access to an established German banking institution

✕ Cons

• ✕No reliable information available on the amount of the account maintenance fee
• ✕No data available on bonus, card fees or ATM terms
• ✕Terms must be confirmed directly with the bank before making a decision

✓ Pros

• ✓Free with 1,000 euros in incoming payments or for anyone under 28
• ✓200 euro new-customer bonus, combinable with a deposit promotion
• ✓Free VISA debit card included
• ✓Free withdrawals at 97% of German ATMs
• ✓An additional 50 euros per successful referral

✕ Cons

• ✕A fee applies without a minimum incoming payment or age exemption (Future variant: 1 euro/month)
• ✕Girocard only available as an optional 1.49 euro/month add-on
• ✕No information on foreign ATM fees
• ✕Bonus requires an app login and consent to marketing tips

✓ Pros

• ✓Credit card and bank card included in the account package
• ✓EUR 50 welcome credit for new customers per the affiliate page
• ✓Cash withdrawals possible at many ATMs across Germany per provider information

✕ Cons

• ✕Deposit protection via a private banking-association scheme rather than the statutory EUR 100,000 limit
• ✕No separate app banking listed
• ✕Both cards are mandatory, no choice available
• ✕Exact bonus conditions not publicly available

✓ Pros

• ✓Permanently free account management
• ✓€25 starting credit with no minimum inflow required
• ✓Fee-free online transactions
• ✓Account-switching service available

✕ Cons

• ✕Bonus tied to a short application deadline (by 8 September 2026)
• ✕No credit card, debit card only
• ✕No branch

✓ Pros

• ✓Free from as little as EUR 600 in monthly salary payments
• ✓Fee-free cash withdrawals worldwide via the Gratis-Cash network
• ✓Fee-free cashback at store checkouts up to EUR 200
• ✓Digital household book with automatic categorisation in the app
• ✓Full access via branch, phone, online and app

✕ Cons

• ✕EUR 3.95 monthly account fee without EUR 600 in salary payments
• ✕No new-customer bonus listed on the current offer page
• ✕High interest rate on unarranged overdrafts (16.73% per year)
• ✕Charges may apply at other banks' domestic ATMs depending on card type

✓ Pros

• ✓Free account management with salary inflow from €600/month
• ✓Visa debit card included free of charge, credit card optional
• ✓Free worldwide cash withdrawals with Gratis-Cash
• ✓Branch, phone, online banking, and app combined
• ✓Account-switching service available

✕ Cons

• ✕€3.95/month fee without sufficient inflow
• ✕No account-opening bonus
• ✕Domestic third-party ATMs may charge a fee

✓ Pros

• ✓Credit card (Mastercard or Visa Standard) free in the first year
• ✓Free cash withdrawals at around 20,000 Sparkasse ATMs
• ✓App with a financial planner for automatic expense categorisation
• ✓Contactless payment via Apple Pay

✕ Cons

• ✕EUR 2.90 monthly account fee with no waiver option
• ✕Credit card fee of EUR 36 or EUR 84 a year from the second year onward
• ✕EUR 0.45 fee at other domestic ATMs
• ✕No information available on ATM fees abroad

✓ Pros

• ✓Very low, uniform overdraft rate of 7.39% p.a.
• ✓Effectively uncapped deposit protection via BVR institutional protection
• ✓Full access via online, phone, branch and app banking
• ✓Broad target audience including students, apprentices and retirees
• ✓Switching service available

✕ Cons

• ✕Fixed account maintenance fee of €4.15/month with no visible waiver
• ✕No sign-up bonus listed
• ✕No information available on card and ATM fees
• ✕No details documented on app features

✓ Pros

• ✓Free account maintenance with regular salary or pension income
• ✓0% interest on a tolerated overdraft
• ✓Free cash withdrawals at around 2,800 CashPool and Sparda ATMs
• ✓Comprehensive deposit protection via BVR Institutssicherung with no cap

✕ Cons

• ✕€5 per month without regular salary or pension income
• ✕No new-customer bonus
• ✕13.99% p.a. on an arranged overdraft
• ✕Physical girocard (€15/year) and credit card (€30/year) optional and chargeable

✓ Pros

• ✓Fee-free card payments worldwide
• ✓Up to 5 free cash withdrawals per month
• ✓Up to 6 flexible sub-accounts with their own IBAN
• ✓Shared accounts available
• ✓Full statutory deposit protection up to €100,000

✕ Cons

• ✕App-only bank with no phone or branch service
• ✕€8.90/month with no visible way to waive the fee
• ✕No sign-up bonus
• ✕No listed rate for tolerated (unarranged) overdraft

✓ Pros

• ✓Free account management under achievable conditions (under 21 or ≥€500 monthly incoming payments)
• ✓Free Visa debit card plus free virtual card
• ✓Currently 3.1% starter interest for 90 days on the savings sub-account
• ✓Two sub-accounts and real-time notifications in the app

✕ Cons

• ✕No online banking or phone support, app only
• ✕2% foreign-currency fee outside the eurozone
• ✕Only one free cash withdrawal per month
• ✕Worldwide fee-free payments only included in tiers above Now

✓ Pros

• ✓Free Visa debit card plus virtual card included
• ✓Unlimited free domestic cash withdrawals
• ✓Statutory German deposit protection up to EUR 100,000
• ✓Account-switching service available
• ✓Enhanced travel and leisure insurance plus unlimited sub-accounts on the Plus tier

✕ Cons

• ✕At EUR 17.90/month, one of the pricier accounts in the comparison
• ✕2% foreign-currency fee for payments outside the eurozone
• ✕Not explicitly aimed at freelancers/self-employed
• ✕9.75% debit interest rate on the authorised overdraft

✓ Pros

• ✓Free account management under 30 or with 500 euros in income
• ✓120 euro switching bonus for new customers
• ✓Free debit and credit card
• ✓Free cash withdrawals abroad from 50 euros at Mastercard-logo ATMs

✕ Cons

• ✕3.90 euro fee without sufficient incoming payments
• ✕Bonus tied to tight deadlines and at least 3 payment partners to switch
• ✕Foreign ATM operators may still charge their own fees