Revolut vs N26
Torn between Revolut and N26? The comparison below is built from the same test data we use across the rest of the site.
Revolut issues on Visa · Mastercard and N26 on Mastercard; verification is ID only at Revolut versus ID + proof at N26; only Revolut takes crypto top-ups.
Revolut is the more cost-effective option for everyday spending and travel thanks to its free virtual cards, no monthly fee. N26 still clears the same checkouts in our tests, so match the table to the services you actually pay for.
The short version of the matchup
| Field | Revolut | N26 |
|---|---|---|
| Card network | Visa, Mastercard | Mastercard |
| Card type | Digital Bank / Neobank | Digital Bank / Neobank |
| KYC | ID only | ID + proof |
| Card issuance fee | Free | Free (with N26 account) |
| Monthly fee | Free (Standard); Plus £3.99; Premium £7.99; Metal £14.99; Ultra £55 per mo | Free (standard account) |
| Top-up fee | Not disclosed by issuer | Not disclosed by issuer |
| FX fee | 0.5% | Free EUR transactions within SEPA |
| Crypto funding | Yes | No |
| AI tool support | ChatGPT / Claude / Midjourney | — |
| Risk level | Low-Medium | Medium |
| Our rating | 8.6 | 6.8 |
| User reviews | 80 | 376 |
| Best for | All-rounder · Ad spend | App Store / Play · Free issuance |
A green left edge marks the side that holds the advantage on that row, where the data gives one.
Two cards, one decision
- Tight on fees? Revolut is the cheaper card to hold day to day.
- Revolut shows up in more of our test scenarios, so it is the safer pick when you juggle several subscriptions.
- Revolut has the lighter onboarding; N26 will want more documents from you.
- Revolut can sit on a crypto balance; N26 cannot, so the call depends on how you fund it.
- Revolut edged N26 on our composite rating across fees, risk and merchant tests.
- Revolut carries the lower risk flag in our file, which some users prefer for a primary card.
What sets them apart
Revolut is the cheaper card to hold: free to create and no top-up fee, against about $26 and no top-up fee at N26. N26 earns its keep only if you need the rows where it leads in the table.
Questions people ask
That depends on what you spend on. Revolut scores 8.6/10 against N26's 6.8/10 in our tests, but the two split on fees, KYC and crypto funding. Read the table above, then match it to the checkouts you actually run.
Revolut works out cheaper: no virtual card issuance fee, free account maintenance. N26 adds about $26 per virtual card.
Revolut asks for ID only at signup; N26 asks for ID + proof. If a light sign-up is the priority, the one with the lower KYC label is the faster route.
Both show up in 62 of the same test scenarios, including OnlyFans, Fansly, Patreon. They overlap on a good share of checkouts, so the choice between them matters most on those pages. Where one is accepted and the other is not usually comes down to the billing country and 3-D Secure handling.
Where both show up
Revolut and N26 both landed in our top picks for 62 checkouts. Grouped by category so you can jump straight to the one you actually pay for:
🛍️ Cross-border Shopping 15
🌐 Cloud & VPS 15
🎮 Gaming 15
🧳 Travel & Productivity 10
📺 Streaming & Entertainment 7
Their BIN ranges
Cards issued in 🇬🇧 UK · 🇩🇪 Germany — the country guides group every range we track from there.
What our charge log shows
Every count here is a real charge attempt we placed on that range, renewals included, with the gateway response recorded. Weeks tracked is how long the range has been in the programme: