How We Review and Rank Neobanks — Our Methodology
Our Independence Commitment
EuroNeobanks is an independent comparison site. We earn commissions through affiliate links (clearly marked ↗), but affiliate relationships do not influence our rankings, scores, or editorial coverage. Banks are ranked solely by our scoring criteria below. We disclose all affiliate relationships at the top of every page.
Account Testing
Where possible, our team opens and tests accounts personally. We test: account opening speed, card delivery time, customer support response quality, app UX, and transfer reliability. Where we have not tested an account directly, we note this in the review and rely on documented public sources (Trustpilot, app store reviews, regulatory filings).
Scoring Criteria
Each neobank is scored across four weighted categories:
| Category | Weight | What We Assess |
|---|---|---|
| 🛡️ Regulatory Safety | 30% | Licence type (full bank vs. EMI vs. payment institution), deposit protection scheme membership, active regulatory actions (sanctions, restrictions), supervisory authority |
| 💸 Pricing & Value | 25% | Free tier availability, monthly fee vs. feature set, FX/transfer fee transparency, ATM fee policy, hidden charges |
| ⚙️ Features | 25% | Core banking features, multi-currency support, investing capabilities, savings tools, business features, app quality |
| 👥 User Trust | 20% | Trustpilot score (weighted by review volume), app store ratings (iOS + Android), customer support quality, complaint handling |
Regulatory Tier Classification
We classify every neobank into one of three regulatory tiers:
- 🟢 Full Banking Licence: Holds an EU or EEA banking licence regulated by an ECB-supervised national authority. Customer deposits are protected up to €100,000 under the EU Deposit Guarantee Scheme (Directive 2014/49/EU).
- 🟡 E-Money Institution (EMI): Authorised to issue electronic money and payment services. Customer funds must be safeguarded (ring-fenced) but are not covered by deposit guarantee schemes.
- ⚪ Payment Institution: Authorised for payment initiation and account information services. Basic safeguarding requirements apply; no deposit guarantee.
Data Sources
- Official bank websites and terms & conditions
- National competent authority registers (BaFin, DNB, Finanstilsynet, Bank of Lithuania)
- ECB supervised institutions list
- Trustpilot (scores and review counts as of March 2026)
- Apple App Store and Google Play Store ratings (as of March 2026)
- Public regulatory filings and press releases
Update Frequency
All reviews and rankings are updated quarterly (January, April, July, October). Breaking regulatory changes (sanctions, licence updates, major product changes) are updated within 7 days of announcement. Every page shows a "Last Updated" date. If you spot an error, please report it here.
Affiliate Relationships
We participate in affiliate programmes for Revolut, Wise, N26, bunq, and Qonto. All affiliate links are marked with ↗ and the label "affiliate link". Affiliate income helps fund the site's independent research. It does not affect rankings. A bank without an affiliate programme can still rank #1 — and a bank we earn commissions from can rank last, if its score warrants it.