Which neobank to choose between Shine and N26 Business?
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Temps de lecture : 4 minutes
Looking for a neobank to open your business account? Are you hesitating between Shine and N26 Business? Both banks have their advantages, but also a number of disadvantages. That's why it's important to compare their rates, features and customer service before making your choice. Here's our full comparison with a more comprehensive alternative to the 2 solutions.
Sommaire
- Our opinion on Shine vs N26 Business in brief
- Introducing Shine
- Shine's main features
- Shine rates and offers
- Introducing N26 Business
- The main features of N26 Business
- N26 Business rates and offers
- Feature comparison between N26 Business and Shine
- Price comparison
- Customer support and user reviews
- The advantages and disadvantages of both solutions
- Which solution to choose?
- Conclusion
- What's the alternative to Shine and N26 Business?
Our opinion on Shine vs N26 Business in brief
Shine and N26 Shine is more suitable if you're looking for a high-performance billing tool. N26, on the other hand, offers real advantages for workers who travel a lot and are looking for a free account.
If, on the other hand, you're looking for a neobank that better supports the financial needs of very small businesses, Hero is the perfect choice.
N26 | Shine | |
---|---|---|
Recipes | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ |
Customer service | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Features | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Solution | 💰Price💰 | ✅Avantages✅ | ❌Disadvantages❌ |
---|---|---|---|
Shine | From 7.90 euros per month to 29 euros per month | Ease of use + 100% online account + Responsive, available customer support + Practical, advanced billing tools Practical, advanced billing tools + Cash deposit + Attractive rates Attractive rates tailored to the needs of different self-employed and corporate profiles + Transparent pricing with no hidden charges Transparent pricing with no hidden charges | No banking products such as overdrafts or checkbooks + No SWIFT transfers possible SWIFT transfers not possible + Customer support only available by email Customer support available by email only |
N26 | Free offer and paying account from 6 euros | A free offer + Free withdrawals and payments outside the euro zone + 0.1% cashback + Accounting management features | No authorized overdraft No cash deposits |
Introducing Shine
Shine was founded in 2017 and quickly gained notoriety. They quickly reached 100,000 customers.
Shine's history and mission
Shine was born from the Nicolas Reboud meets Raphaël Simon One was a company director, the other a freelancer. administrative difficulties in their respective businesses. In fact, the formalities associated with accounting and legal formalities seemed time-consuming and detrimental to their productivity.
That's how they came up with the idea of creating a a tool designed to ease the burden on self-employed The aim? Free up time to focus on their core business. Shine was born.
Initially, the services offered were aimed exclusively at self-employed workers and freelancers. Gradually, however, the neobank broadened its offer to cater for companies of all sizes.
Shine's main features
Here are the main features of Shine :
A 100% online pro account. To create your account, you don't need to go anywhere. It's all done online. Simply upload the supporting documents required by the platform, and in just a few clicks your pro account is created.
Likewise, all your banking transactions are carried out directly via the Shine application. You can monitor your account in real time.
Cash deposits. All you have to do is go to the tobacconists approved by the platform to make your deposit.
Features dedicated to accounting management scan receipts, manage expense reports, automate exports, set reminders times
Functions for invoicing and quotations. The tool offers ready-to-use invoices and quotes. All you have to do is personalize them before sending them to your customers.
Integration with accounting tools like Sellsy or QuickBooks
Capital deposit online.
Shine rates and offers
Shine offers a pricing system to suit all needs and budgets:
Shine Basic offer
Available at 7.90 euros per month, this is Shine's entry-level offer.
Here are the services included:
A Mastercard Basic bank card
30 free transfers and direct debits per month
A billing tool
The Shine Plus offer
The Shine Plus offer is available at €14.90 per month.
Here are the services included:
60 free transfers and direct debits per month
A main account and a sub-account
A monthly cash deposit limit of 500 euros
20 virtual cards
2 cheque deposits per month
Legal assistance
The Shine offer Pro
Available for 29 euros a month, this is the most comprehensive offer from the Shine neobank.
Here are the services we offer:
One main account and 4 sub-accounts
60 free transfers and direct debits
Free cash deposits of up to 500 euros
20 virtual cards
Free cheque deposits per month
Insurance and legal assistance
Une carte Mastercard Business World Debit
Introducing N26 Business
N26 is a neobank of German origin . Here's everything you need to know about your pro account.
N26 history and mission
N26 was created in 2013 by Valentin Stalf and Maximilian Tayenthal, then launched on the market in 2015. It now boasts almost 7 million users including 2 million in France.
The neobank has no physical branch. Account creation and management are therefore entirely online. It takes just 8 minutes to create your pro account. completely free of charge and no minimum deposit is required to open an account.
For your everyday transactions, you use the N26 mobile application.
The main features of N26 Business
Here are the main features of N26:
Mastercard bank card
Free foreign currency withdrawals and payments
Customer service available 24/7 in French
Various insurances and warranties
Accounting management functions
Deposit, data and transaction security.
N26 Business rates and offers
Here are the pro account offers available at N26:
The 26 Standard offer
Free of charge, it offers the following features
Standard bank card
3 free withdrawals per month. A commission of 2 euros is charged above this threshold.
1.7% commission on foreign currency withdrawals
No physical card
The N26 Smart offer
Available at 4.90 euros per month This offer includes the features of the N23 Standard offer. However, it entitles you to a physical N26 World Mastercard and 5 free withdrawals.
The N26 You offer
It costs 9.90 euros per month . However, with the N26 You offer, foreign currency withdrawals are free and you are entitled to a personalized N26 World Mastercard. You are also entitled to insurance services.
The N26 Metal offer
The Premium offer from N26 available at 16.90 euros per month . It includes all the benefits of N26 You, plus premium customer support and the advantages of the Mastercard World Elite card.
It also entitles you to 8 free withdrawals per month.
Feature comparison between N26 Business and Shine
Here's a comparison of N26 and Shine from the point of view of the features offered by each.
Account management
As these are online banks, account management is carried out entirely via the application, so the quality of the user experience depends largely on ease of use and ergonomics of both applications. However, both have positive comments on this point on review sites.
Shine, however, seems to be slightly more interesting because of more advanced accounting and billing functionalities.
Additional services
N26 offers a comprehensive insurance package designed to protect users abroad:
Coverage of up to 500 euros for flight delays
Luggage insurance up to 500 euros
Trip cancellation/change insurance
Medical coverage
Shine also offers :
Legal assistance
Computer breakage or theft insurance
Accident coverage and mobile screen insurance
Ease of use and user interface
Shine users are almost unanimously convinced that the ease of use of its application . Indeed, this is one of its strong points, alongside the quality of its customer support.
N26 is not to be outdone, as it also offers an application with a modern, ergonomic interface.
Price comparison
After a comparison based on features, let's move on to a comparison based on price.
Shine subscriptions
The Shine offer is available from 7.90 euros. The neobank offers no free account. What's more, this entry-level package offers limited functionality, suitable only for the self-employed whose banking needs are equally limited.
N26 Business subscriptions
N26 has the advantage of offering a free account. It is therefore obvious that it offers limited functionality.
Value for money
Both neobanks seem to offer good value for money given their range and affordable rates.
Customer support and user reviews
Since these are online banks, the quality of customer support is of paramount importance. a guarantee of a minimum of human interaction . This is why customer support is a criterion to be taken seriously before choosing a neobank. .
The quality of Shine's customer support
The quality of its customer support is, without doubt one of Shine's greatest strengths. In fact, they won the Customer Support of the Year award for 2024.
The quality of N26 Business customer support
N26 customer support can be reached at by phone, email, livechat and social networks.
User feedback
Shine users highlight the quality of customer support, the attractive rates and the ergonomics of the application . It's fair to say that, on the whole, neobank users seem to be won over by the quality of service on offer.
For its part, N26 also appears to be satisfactory for its users. . Customer feedback is generally positive. In particular, they highlight simple account management, attractive rates and accessible customer service.
The advantages and disadvantages of both solutions
Here is a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of the two digital banks:
The benefits of Shine
Shine offers a number of advantages, including :
An ergonomic, modern and easy-to-use interface
Excellent value for money
Integration with the most common accounting tools
Cash deposits. This feature is a real plus for Shine, as few digital banks offer it.
Unlimited SEPA transfers
SWIFT transfers via Wise
Shine's drawbacks
Shine also has a number of drawbacks:
The impossibility of making SWIFT transfers
Customer support only available by email
These offers are unsuitable for companies or freelancers with foreign customers, as all transactions carried out outside the SEPA zone are subject to a fee.
No deferred debit
Un IBAN allemand
The benefits of N26 Business
Here are the main advantages of N26:
Attractive costs
A free offer
An instant transaction system. You receive real-time notifications of all transactions made on your account.
Transaction security. Online transactions inevitably raise the question of security. N26 offers enhanced security for its users' personal data and transactions. In fact, the neobank has been placed under the supervision of a German regulator.
In addition, the solution applies a validation system to control online transactions in real time.
In addition, deposited funds are guaranteed up to 100,000 euros by the German Fund for the Protection and Guarantee of Deposited Funds.
Free withdrawals and payments outside the euro zone. This makes N26 ideal for professionals with customers abroad. What's more, the German digital bank also offers a range of assistance and insurance services designed to protect its users when traveling abroad.
Cashback of 0.1%. As soon as you make a payment with your bank card, 0.1% of the amount spent is transferred to your current account.
A welcome offer of 30 euros on account opening.
Features to facilitate accounting management (real-time balance updates, sub-account creation, expense categorization, etc.).
Disadvantages of N26 Business
N26 also has a number of disadvantages:
Possibilité account opening limited to countries where the bank operates
No overdraft authorized
Un maximum of 8 withdrawals free per month, depending on the offer taken out. Beyond the authorized threshold, a commission of 2 euros per withdrawal is charged by the digital bank.
No cash deposit
Which solution to choose?
Given everything we've seen about the two digital banks, we can distinguish which is more suitable for freelancers and which for businesses.
For freelancers and self-employed workers
Shine has been specifically designed to meet to the needs of freelancers and independent workers. What's more, its affordable rates make it a real winner. adapted to the budgets of self-employed workers.
However, if you frequently travel outside the euro zone, N26 Business will be more appropriate. Transactions are free of charge with the German digital bank. What's more, N26's free account can be a godsend for freelancers.
For VSEs and SMEs
Although originally created to meet the specific needs of freelancers and self-employed workers, Shine has adapted its offer to meet the needs of small and medium-sized businesses. . Its advanced billing and These accounting features are a real plus in its favor.
Conclusion
N26 and Shine are two neobanks with interesting comparative advantages, but neither offers a financing or overdraft solution for businesses. And yet, such features are vital for small businesses with cash-flow problems. .
What's the alternative to Shine and N26 Business?
logo-hero
Hero was originally a payment service provider launched in 2021 . Its main raison d'être was to make factoring more accessible to small businesses . Hero's services are particularly aimed at B2B SMEs.
As a reminder, factoring is a mechanism a financial arrangement whereby companies assign their unpaid invoices to a factor, who then pays them. Such a mechanism enables companies to protect themselves against non-payment and strengthen their cash position.
Hero's offer is :
A free pro account with physical and digital bank cards and a deferred payment option
An online payment solution at unbeatable prices
Flexible, no-obligation financing solutions (BNPL in B2B, accelerated payment on marketplaces (Amazon...), receivables and debt financing)
In a nutshell Shine and N26 are two neobanks that offer real advantages to freelancers and businesses alike, but have some major shortcomings, notably in that they don't offer overdraft or business financing solutions. If you're looking for a neobank that's committed to protecting the cash flow of small and medium-sized businesses, Hero is the way to go.