Which neobank to choose between Shine, Qonto and N26?

Our opinion on Shine vs Qonto vs N26 Business in brief

Shine, Qonto and N26 are three tried-and-tested solutions. Judging by their ratings on the various platforms dedicated to this purpose, their respective users appear to be satisfied with functionality s offered, despite certain shortcomings.

Hero does, however, offer a number of additional features that make up for their shortcomings.

Introducing Shine

Shine is a neobank launched in 2018 by Nicolas Reboud and Raphaël Simon.Originally, it was a French payment solution. Then, things began to change when the brand was acquired in 2020 by Société Générale.

Shine now has all the hallmarks of a bank, with a range of services including neobank to be precise. In other words, its services are available via a mobile application.

Its target market? Mainly self-employed workers, but also VSEs and SMEs .

Shine's main features

Here are the main features of Shine :

A comprehensive but simplified billing tool

Shine includes a billing tool that allows you to :

• Create e-invoicing-compliant quotations and invoices

• Send them to your customers

• Receive notifications when an invoice is viewed or paid

• View invoice and collection history

• Set up automatic reminders for late payments

• Cash your customer invoices via SumUp

Expense management

Shine you also lets you manage your business expenses from a single interface. The solution supports a variety of payment methods:

• Physical maps

• Virtual and/or ephemeral cards

What's more, you can modify the parameters from the interface:

• Setting or modifying ceilings

• Lock/unlock

• Activate/deactivate contactless payment

• Pay online

For optimal follow-up, you are notified in real time of all expenses incurred.

You can also make transfers, set up recurring transfers, pay for your purchases via Apple Pay or Google Pay.

Bank loan products

Shine you provides access to loans The loan application procedure is simplified and 100% online. Funds are released within 72 hours.

Insurance and protection

Shine also offers professional insurance products to protect equipment, employees and revenues.

Shine also includes legal assistance.

Accounting functions

Shine simplifies accounting management through a number of features:

• Upload and archive your payment receipts

• Send your accounting documents to your accountant and give him/her access to the tool

• Integration with your accounting tools

Shine rates and offers

Shine offers 3 price plans:

Shine Basic

Available at 7.90 euros per month, this offer includes :

• A French IBAN

• A Mastercadr Basic bank card

• Virtual maps

• A free billing tool

• 30 transfers per month

• 40,000 euros in monthly payment limits

Shine Plus

With a subscription fee of 14.90 euros per month, this offer includes :

• A payment ceiling of 60,000 euros per month

• A monthly withdrawal limit of 2,500 euros

• 500 euros maximum cash deposits per month

• Une carte Mastercard Business world débit

• 20 virtual cards

• 60 transfers per month

Shine Pro

This is the most comprehensive offer for businesses. Available at 29 euros per month, it includes :

• 100 transfers per month

• 3,000 euros in cash deposits

• A range of insurance products: computer breakage and theft insurance and legal assistance

• Priority 24/7 access to customer support and callbacks

Introducing Qonto

Founded in 2016, Qonto is one of the very first neobanks. Co-founders Alexandre Prot and Steve Anavi designed it specifically for meet the needs of the self-employed and small businesses.

As proof of its dazzling success, in February 2021 the neobank will be included in the Next40 index of the most promising French Tech companies.

Qonto offers are now available for the self-employed and small businesses, as well as for SARLs and SASs with larger capital.

Qonto's main features

Here are Qonto's main features:

Simplified accounting management

Qonto allows you to scan :

• Your paper receipts

• Archive your receipts

• Import your supplier invoices

• Etc.

In short, you can centralize accounting management from Qonto.

Qonto rates and offers

Qonto offers two types of package, one for freelancers and the other for companies.

It's the corporate offer that interests us here.

The Qonto offer for businesses comes in 3 packages:

Qonto Essential

It is available at 29 euros per month. It includes 2 physical cards, 4 accounts, 3 cheque cashings and 100 SEPA transfers.

• Qonto Business is a 99-euro-per-month package . It includes 500 SEPA transfers, 1 cheque cashing and 5 accounts.

• Qonto Entreprise available at 249 euros per month . It offers an unlimited number of accounts, 1,000 SEPA transfers and 1 physical card.

Qonto does not offer a Freemium package. However, each package is available as a 30-day, no-obligation trial.

A MasterCard bank card

Every Qonto package lets you have at least one bank card.

An intuitive tool

Easy to handle, Qonto's application allows you to :

• Manage your account

• Consulter vos soles

• Making payments

• Making transfers

• Etc.

Responsive customer service

Qonto customer support is available by phone and chat.

Introducing N26

N26 is a Berlin-based neobank. It was launched in Germany in 2013 by Valentin Stalf and Maximilian Tayenthal . It has around 8 million customers across Europe, including 2 million in France. N26 has been present in France since the end of 2016.

This makes it one of the most popular neobanks on the continent. It has an application that allows you to manage your account remotely.

N26's main features

Here are the main features of the German neobank:

Mastercard bank card

As soon as you open an account with N26, you get a free e-card.

You also get a physical N26 MasterCard, for €10.

Accounting management functions

N26 allows you to :

• Categorize and control your expenses and those of your employees

• Check your balance in real time

• Etc.

Free foreign currency withdrawals and payments

This is N26's main strength. Withdrawals and payments in foreign currencies are free of charge.

Insurance

N26 offers a range of insurance and protection against :

• Cancellation or modification of stay

• Medical emergencies

• Flight delays

• Digital camera theft

Responsive customer support

N26 customer support is available via the app's livechat.

N26 rates and offers

N26 offers 4 packages:

N26 Business Standard

This is N26's free offer. It is aimed at micro-entrepreneurs and includes a virtual card. The physical card costs 10 euros a month;

She allows you to perform routine operations . This offer is ideal for testing the neobank's functionalities.

Other features include

• 3 free withdrawals per month. Additional withdrawals are charged at 2 euros

• 1.7% commission on foreign currencies

N26 Business Smart

Available at €4.90 per month, this package includes :

• 5 free withdrawals

• Customer service by phone

• A physical Mastercard N26 World

N26 Business You

Available for 9.90 euros a month, it includes Allianz insurance and free cash withdrawals abroad. It gives access to all the features of the Business Smart offer, plus :

• Free foreign currency withdrawals

• A physical You Mastercard

• Insurance services

N26 Business Metal

This is N26's most comprehensive offer at €16.90 per month. It offers :

• Premium customer support

• Une carte Mastercard World Elite

• 8 free withdrawals per month

Feature comparison

Here's a comparison of the three neobanks based on the features they offer:

Account management

For neobanks, account management is exclusively via an application.

Shine demonstrates a comparative advantage over its competitors. Shine stands out for its advanced billing and accounting features.

Additional services

The three banks offer complementary insurance and accounting management services.

Ease of use and user interface

When it comes to neobanks, the quality of the application and the user experience plays a key role. fundamental role .

Judging by user reviews and ratings on rating platforms, Shine seems to win out over the other two solutions.

Price comparison

Pricing is an important factor in comparing our 3 tools.

Shine subscriptions

Shine subscriptions are available from 7.90 euros per month .

Qonto subscriptions

Qonto subscriptions are chers compared to the other players in our comparison. They are available at From 29 euros per month .

N26 subscriptions

N26 is the only one in our comparison to offer a free account. Apart from that, its pay-as-you-go offers are also the most competitive, starting at just 4.90 euros a month.

Value for money

In terms of value for money, it's N26 wins the duel . In fact, despite its affordable rates, the neobank makes its customers very happy.

Customer support and reviews

Customer reviews are almost the most important tool for comparing solutions

Quality of Shine customer support

The quality of its customer support is one of Shine's key assets. Voted Customer Service of the Year 2024, it is appreciated for its responsiveness.

Quality of Qonto customer support

The quality of customer support is one of the advantages highlighted by Qonto users. The latter is praised for its responsiveness. It is accessible by phone and chat.

Quality of N26 customer support

N26's customer support is only accessible via its bookchat, which can be an inconvenience for some customers.

User feedback

Shine benefits an excellent rating on customer review platforms. It scores 4.6/5 on Google store; 4.6/5 on Trustpilot and 4.8/5 on Apple store. In general, the French neobank receives positive reviews.

User reviews highlight the quality of its customer service and the ease of use of its application.

For its part, Qonto a rating of 4.75 on Trustpilot. Its users are particularly impressed by the responsiveness of its customer support, the features of its bank card and the user-friendliness of its application.

Overall, reviews of N26 are also fairly positive. The German neobank received a score of 4.8/5 on Apple Pay and 3.2 /5 on Google Pay. Our users particularly appreciate our attractive rates and accessible customer service.

Advantages and disadvantages

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of each solution:

The benefits of Shine

Here are the main highlights of Shine:

• Attractive rates tailored to different needs and structure sizes

• Advanced accounting and billing functions

• Integration with accounting tools

• Responsive customer support

Shine's drawbacks

Shine also has the following disadvantages:

• No checkbook

• Foreign transaction fees

• Customer support available by email only

The benefits of Qonto

Here are the main advantages of the Qonto pro account:

• Easy account opening . This is an advantage that Qonto shares with the other two neobanks in our comparison. Indeed, the very essence of a neobank is that you can open an account with just a few clicks from your computer or smartphone.

  All you have to do is upload the various documents required, and that's it - you don't have to go to an agency.

• An ergonomic, easy-to-use interface. The Qonto application offers a smooth, pleasant user experience.

• International transfers . Unlike Shine, Qonto accepts SWIFT transfers. So if you have a clientele on the other side of the Atlantic, this is a significant advantage.

• Responsive customer service available 24/7

• Integration with over 80 billing, accounting, cash management and messaging tools

Qonto's drawbacks

Qonto also has a number of drawbacks:

• The absence of traditional banking services such as overdrafts and chequebooks

• No cash deposits or collections

• Lack of financing (unlike Shine and Hero)

• Relatively high costs

The advantages of N26

Here are the main advantages of N26:

• An ergonomic, secure application featuring 3D Secure authentication

• A free offer

• No income requirement

• Free foreign currency payments

• A French IBAN

The disadvantages of N26

N26 also has its drawbacks:

• The absence of banking products such as cheque payments, cash deposits or overdrafts

• Customer support accessible only via the application's bookchat

Which solution should you choose between Shine, N26 and Qonto?

For maximum efficiency, it's best to choose according to your business sector, your needs and your structure.

For freelancers and self-employed workers

If you're a self-employed person who travels a lot or often exchanges internationally, Shine and N26 seem to be of interest.

For VSEs and SMEs

Qonto is popular with VSEs and SMEs who have a greater need for banking products it's best to opt for Qonto.

What's the alternative to Shine, Qonto and N26?

logo-hero

If you're looking for a solution that combines banking products and financing solutions, look no further because Hero ticks all the boxes.

Founded in 2021, Hero offers:

• 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 short, neobanks Shine, Qonto and N26 Each offers its own advantages, but also has its own drawbacks. A newcomer, Hero is positioned as a real alternative, with innovative functionalities aimed particularly at SMEs and VSEs.