Revolut vs N26 vs Wise vs bunq for European Students
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 03, 2026 • Student Life, Study in Europe, Money & Budgeting
Wise and N26 are free to run and easiest to verify with only a passport. Revolut adds strong multi-currency tools with paid tiers on top of a free plan. bunq runs on a paid subscription only, with no free tier.
💶 Wise: no monthly fee, 7 GBP one-time card fee, 250 GBP free ATM withdrawals a month
💶 N26: free Standard plan, 2 free euro ATM withdrawals a month
📩 Revolut: free Standard plan plus paid Plus, Premium, and Metal tiers
🏠 bunq: subscription-only, no permanently free plan
Quick comparison
| Provider | Type | Monthly fee | Free ATM withdrawals | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wise | Electronic money institution | None (7 GBP one-time card fee) | 250 GBP a month, then 2.69 percent | Multi-currency spending and transfers |
| N26 | Licensed bank | Free Standard plan | 2 withdrawals a month in euros | Simple everyday euro banking |
| Revolut | Licensed bank / EMI | Free Standard plan, paid tiers add features | Varies by plan, check current app terms | Frequent currency exchange and budgeting tools |
| bunq | Licensed bank | Subscription only, no free tier | Varies by plan, check bunq's current pricing | Shared accounts and sustainability features |
Sources: Wise pricing , N26 pricing .
Fees compared
Wise charges nothing to hold the account and nothing per month, only a one-time 7 GBP fee for the physical card, plus a 2.69 percent charge on ATM withdrawals once you pass 250 GBP in a month (Wise pricing ). N26's Standard plan costs nothing and covers everyday spending with 2 free ATM withdrawals in euros a month, after which a 1.7 percent fee applies outside the eurozone (N26 pricing ).
Revolut's free Standard plan sits alongside paid Plus, Premium, and Metal tiers that raise withdrawal limits and add perks like insurance. bunq does not offer a free tier at all, so every user pays a monthly subscription regardless of how little they use the account. Check both providers' current pricing pages before you commit, since plan structures and prices shift more often than the fixed-fee providers above.
IBAN country
The country code on your IBAN depends on which licensed entity processes your application, and this can vary by your nationality, residency, and even which version of the app you sign up through. Wise commonly issues IBANs from Belgium, N26 from Germany, Revolut from Lithuania, and bunq from the Netherlands, though all four providers have adjusted this in different markets over time. An IBAN from a different country than where you study rarely causes problems for standard transfers within the EU, since SEPA payments move between any EU IBAN regardless of country code. It can occasionally trip up a landlord or employer unfamiliar with foreign IBANs, so ask before you rely on it for rent or payroll.
Opening an account before you move
Wise and N26 both let you sign up remotely with a passport scan and a short identity check, without needing to already live in your destination country. Revolut also supports remote signup for most nationalities. bunq requires the standard in-app identity verification as well, though as a Dutch-licensed bank it leans toward users already connected to the Netherlands or nearby markets. Confirm eligibility for your specific nationality in each app before you count on any of the four as your only account.
Which one fits which student
Choose Wise if you move money between currencies often, since its exchange rates and multi-currency holding are built for that.
Choose N26 if you want one free, simple euro account with no subscription decisions to make.
Choose Revolut if you want budgeting tools, spare-change savings features, and are comfortable comparing paid tiers to find the right fit.
Choose bunq if you value its shared-account and sustainability features enough to pay a subscription from day one.
Many students end up running two accounts: one free provider for daily spending and one for a specific feature like better exchange rates. Since none of these four charge account closure fees, you can also test one for a semester and switch if it does not fit.