Bunq vs Revolut 2026: Which Works Better in the Netherlands?

Quick answer: bunq suits you if you want a Dutch bank with a standard NL IBAN and the Dutch deposit guarantee. Revolut suits you if you travel often and want a second account with multi-currency and in-app investing features.

bunq says you can start without a BSN and provide it within 90 days; for Revolut, check its onboarding requirements.

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Why This Comparison Is Different From Most Expat Finance Articles

Most expat finance comparisons focus on international transfers: Wise vs Revolut, or which app saves you money sending euros to your home country. That matters, but it misses the bigger picture if you’re planning to live in the Netherlands for any real length of time.

Living here means dealing with Dutch payroll, the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax authority), Dutch energy companies, health insurance direct debits, and Dutch landlords. A Dutch organisation may not refuse a euro IBAN from another EU/EEA country, but an NL IBAN from a Dutch bank avoids that discussion altogether.

Bunq: A Dutch Bank

bunq was founded in March 2012 by Ali Niknam and received its banking licence in September 2014 (bunq.com/about, checked 4 October 2026); bunq says its licence is issued by De Nederlandsche Bank. That last part matters: bunq is a Dutch bank, supervised by the Dutch central bank.

bunq states that its standard IBAN is Dutch (NL) because its banking licence is issued by DNB.

Plans and pricing (checked 4 October 2026): bunq replaced the old “Easy Bank / Easy Money / Easy Green” names. The current personal line-up, per bunq Help: What plans are available, is:

• bunq Free — €0.00/month. Per the bunq Free plan page: “up to 3 dedicated Money Pockets. Each comes with a unique IBAN”, and foreign-currency spending at bunq’s rate up to €1,000 per year, after which “a fee of 3% of each further transaction amount applies”.
• bunq Core — €3.99/month. The bunq Core page lists “5 Pockets with unique IBAN”, “1 Digital Card and 1 Physical Card”, and spending abroad “with a 0.5% markup on the latest rate”.
• bunq Pro — €9.99/month. The bunq Pro page lists “Up to 25 money Pockets with IBANs”, “25 Digital Debit or Credit Cards and 3 Physical Cards” and “5 free foreign currency transfers each month”.
• bunq Elite — €18.99/month. The bunq Elite page lists up to 25 money Pockets with their own IBAN, “up to 10 free foreign currency transfers a month” and worldwide travel insurance.
• bunq Pack — €28.99/month. bunq Help says it includes 4 x bunq Pro Personal, or 3 x bunq Pro Personal and 1 x bunq Pro Business.

Business plans run alongside these: bunq Free €0.00, Core €7.99, Pro €13.99 and Elite €23.99 per month (same source).

Revolut: Global Neobank With Dutch Reach

Revolut’s banking services in the Netherlands are provided by the Dutch branch of Revolut Bank UAB, which Revolut says is authorised by the Bank of Lithuania and the ECB (revolut.com, checked 4 October 2026).

Revolut Bank UAB (Lithuania) is the Revolut entity on iDEAL’s list of issuers. Revolut has launched a Dutch branch and says that customers resident in the Netherlands will now have their accounts migrated to this branch and receive a Dutch IBAN (Revolut Help, checked 29 September 2026).

Revolut offers several plans, including a no-monthly-fee Standard tier and paid tiers with different allowances and benefits. Prices, withdrawal allowances, exchange limits, insurance and investment features change regularly and can depend on eligibility, so compare the current in-app plan terms rather than relying on a static list.

The NL IBAN Question — Why It Actually Matters

Bunq: NL IBAN issued by a Dutch bank supervised by DNB.

Revolut: Revolut has launched a Dutch branch and says that customers resident in the Netherlands will now have their accounts migrated to this branch and receive a Dutch IBAN (Revolut Help, checked 29 September 2026); the banking entity on iDEAL’s list of issuers is Revolut Bank UAB (Lithuania).

For ordinary SEPA transfers and direct debits, an eligible EU IBAN should not be rejected solely because of its member-state prefix; that is IBAN discrimination. Always use the primary account details shown in the app and check the receiving organisation’s instructions. A mortgage provider or landlord can still ask for other evidence of income or identity, but that is separate from the validity of the IBAN.

For a broader view of all neobank options here, see our N26 vs Bunq vs Revolut comparison. If you have already decided on bunq and just want the mechanics, read how to open a bunq account as an expat.

Deposit Insurance: Dutch vs Lithuanian Scheme

Bunq states on its security page that deposits are protected up to €100,000. As a Dutch bank it falls under the Dutch deposit guarantee scheme; the DNB deposit guarantee scheme page says it covers balances “from 1 cent up to €100,000 per person, per bank” and explains how it works.

Revolut Bank UAB is a Lithuanian bank, and its Dutch branch is part of that bank, so deposits fall under the Lithuanian scheme rather than the Dutch one. Both schemes follow the same EU rules with the same €100,000 limit; check Revolut’s own deposit-protection page for the details that apply to your account.

The limit applies per person, per bank, so if you hold more than €100,000, spreading it across banks keeps more of it covered.

Pricing Side-by-Side

bunq figures checked 4 October 2026 against bunq Help: What plans are available. Revolut prices: revolut.com, Netherlands, checked 4 October 2026; Revolut changes its plans regularly, so check the current terms in the app.

What each mid-tier plan actually gives you:

bunq Pro (€9.99/month), as bunq describes it:

• “Up to 25 money Pockets with IBANs”
• “25 Digital Debit or Credit Cards and 3 Physical Cards”
• “5 free foreign currency transfers each month”
• “3.01%* annual interest, paid weekly” on savings

Source: bunq Pro plan page, checked 4 October 2026. bunq marks the interest rate with an asterisk; it is variable, so check the live figure before you count on it.

Revolut Premium (€10.99/month): Revolut’s plan page sets out the allowances for exchange, ATM withdrawals, insurance and subscriptions. These change regularly, so read the current list in the app before you compare.

The price difference at mid-tier is €1.00/month. What you are really choosing is features: Dutch banking integration (bunq) versus Revolut’s travel and multi-currency features.

What Makes Bunq Special for Dutch Life

For Dutch freelancers and ZZP workers, Bunq also offers business accounts under the same app. You can keep your personal and business finances separate in one app. If you’re running a ZZP business and want to keep BTW (VAT) reserves separate from your operational cash, money Pockets with their own IBAN can do that. We cover the ZZP setup process in detail in our ZZP registration guide.

bunq also links card spending to tree planting: “For every €1000 spent with your bunq Card, we plant a tree” (bunq sustainability page, checked 4 October 2026).

bunq offers Joint Accounts that you can share with up to nine other co-owners, each using their own bunq app, which makes bunq practical for couples setting up a household in the Netherlands. Check which features your chosen plan includes on the plan page before you subscribe.

Where Revolut Wins

Investing. Revolut offers stocks and ETFs directly in the app; check which plan gives which allowances: Revolut’s plan page lists a monthly number of commission-free trades that depends on the plan (revolut.com, checked 4 October 2026). Read our DEGIRO review for expats if you want to compare with a separate broker.

If you want a separate brokerage account alongside whichever bank you choose, DEGIRO is one of the brokers to compare. Investing involves risk of loss.

Currency exchange. Check Revolut’s own terms for its exchange rates and any weekend fees. For dedicated international transfers, compare Wise, which converts at the mid-market rate with a stated fee; the Wise vs Revolut article compares the two.

Opening an Account Without a BSN

bunq says on its expat page that you can start banking without a BSN and “provide it within 90 days”; if you miss that deadline, bunq Help says “your account will be temporarily limited” until bunq receives your Tax Identification Number (checked 4 October 2026). For Revolut, check its own onboarding requirements.

Receiving Your Dutch Salary

For salary, a Dutch employer may not refuse a euro IBAN from another EU/EEA country (SEPA Regulation, De Nederlandsche Bank). Bunq’s standard NL IBAN avoids the discussion altogether.

For traditional bank comparisons once you’re more settled, see our ING vs Rabobank expats comparison.

Sustainability

Bunq states: “For every €1000 spent with your bunq Card, we plant a tree” (bunq sustainability page, checked 4 October 2026). For Revolut, check its app for any climate-related features and what they cost.

Investing: What Each Bank Actually Offers

Neither Bunq nor Revolut is a substitute for a dedicated broker, but both offer in-app investing.

Revolut: stocks, ETFs and crypto are available in the app, with the number of commission-free trades depending on your plan. Revolut changes these allowances often, so read the current in-app terms rather than a figure in an article.

bunq: bunq Stocks is not available to everyone. According to bunq Help: Who can use bunq Stocks? (checked 4 October 2026), you must live in one of 11 listed countries, including the Netherlands, and hold a nationality that its trading partner Ginmon accepts; bunq says it currently “can’t provide stock trading services to nationals of the United States”. bunq also offers crypto, with buy, sell and swap fees that depend on the plan (bunq Free 1.99%, Core 0.99%, Pro 0.49%, Elite 0.25%).

Whichever bank you use, compare its instrument list and fees with those of a dedicated broker before you build a larger portfolio.

A dedicated broker such as DEGIRO is the alternative to in-app trading at a bank. Transaction and handling fees apply per trade, and currency, connectivity or external product and spread costs may apply. Read the full breakdown in our DEGIRO review. Investing involves risk of loss. This is not investment advice.

Who Should Choose Bunq

New arrival, need salary account immediately. Open Bunq: accounts opened in the Netherlands get an NL IBAN, and you can add your BSN within 90 days of signup.

ZZP freelancer or self-employed. bunq’s business accounts and money Pockets with their own IBAN let you separate BTW reserves, operational cash and personal income. Our ZZP registration guide covers the full setup.

Long-term Netherlands resident who wants a Dutch bank. bunq is a Dutch bank supervised by DNB, and its standard IBAN is Dutch.

Couples setting up a Dutch household. Joint Accounts with up to nine co-owners, and money Pockets for household budgets, each with its own IBAN.

Who Should Choose Revolut

Frequent traveller. Revolut’s paid plans add travel-related allowances; compare the insurance and ATM terms of each plan in the app.

Budget-conscious new arrival. The Standard (free) plan works as a starter account. No commitment, no monthly fee.

Casual investing interest. Revolut offers stocks, ETFs and crypto in the app without a separate brokerage account; check the instrument list and fees first.

Expat passing through the Netherlands temporarily. If you’re here for a short period and mainly want an account you can keep using after you leave, Revolut may suit you.

The Editorial Recommendation

Use bunq for your Dutch life: salary, direct debits, Dutch spending. If you travel regularly, Revolut can sit alongside it as a second account for spending abroad; compare its exchange terms with bunq’s plan terms first.

Ready to open an account?

Open a bunq account in the app

Try Revolut for free — no monthly fee on Standard

If you’re a new arrival and your salary date is coming up fast, open bunq first. You can add Revolut later when you know which travel or investment features you want.

For the full picture of expat banking in the Netherlands — including traditional banks, credit cards, and building a complete Dutch financial setup — see our guide to the best banking options for expats in the Netherlands and our cost of living comparison between Amsterdam and Rotterdam to understand what your banking setup actually needs to support.

bunq plan names and prices checked 4 October 2026 against bunq Help: What plans are available. Prices and plans change — verify current pricing directly with bunq and Revolut before signing up.