N26
✓ Verified by EU AltsMobile-first digital bank — a German alternative to traditional banks and Monzo.
Overview
N26 is a Berlin, Germany-based European company building banking and fintech software since 2013. Despite its EU base, EU Alts has verified that N26 is independently owned, with its ultimate ownership based in Germany, and hosts customer data with Amazon Web Services (AWS), so it may still fall under the reach of the US CLOUD Act — worth weighing against Stripe on this specific point.
Why European teams pick N26
Teams in Europe still consider N26 for its banking product and Germany presence, operating since 2013, but unlike a fully EU-owned provider, N26 is independently owned, with its ultimate ownership based in Germany, and hosts customer data with Amazon Web Services (AWS) — so it does not fully avoid US CLOUD Act exposure the way some other alternatives to Stripe do.
See more EU banking tools or browse other startups from Germany.
About
N26 is a German mobile bank founded in Berlin in 2013, offering a full current account with IBAN, Mastercard debit card, real-time push notifications, sub-accounts (Spaces), shared accounts, and travel insurance — all managed from a smartphone app. N26 holds a full German banking licence from BaFin, meaning customer deposits up to €100,000 are protected by the German deposit guarantee scheme. It operates across 24 EU and EEA countries. N26 is a popular choice for European nomads, remote workers, and freelancers who need a modern, fee-free bank account that works seamlessly across EU borders. All data is stored and processed in Germany under GDPR.
Details
- Founded
- 2013
- Headquarters
- Berlin, Germany
- Ownership
- Independently owned (Germany)
- Hosting
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- CLOUD Act
- Exposed
- Verified
- 2026-07-31
- Last checked
- 2026-07-31
- Company size
- 200+ employees
Compare with the US product you may be replacing
N26 is listed in a category that our US-product comparison pages cover. See every EU option side by side:
Other EU startups like N26
- Revolut ✓ Verified by EU AltsUnited Kingdom — Global fintech app for banking, currency exchange and payments — a UK alternative to traditional banks.
- Bunq ✓ Verified by EU AltsNetherlands — Sustainable Dutch neobank with powerful automation features — an alternative to Revolut.
- Mangopay ✓ Verified by EU AltsLuxembourg — White-label payment infrastructure for marketplaces and platforms — a Luxembourg alternative to Stripe Connect.
- Payplug ✓ Verified by EU AltsFrance — Simple online and in-person payment solution for French businesses — a French alternative to Stripe.
- Invoicia ✓ Verified by EU AltsNorway — Free, EU-hosted invoicing for sole traders and small businesses: create a PDF invoice in under a minute with no account. Optional free account adds PEPPOL BIS 3.0 XML export and e-mail sending.
- Mollie ✓ Verified by EU AltsNetherlands — Simple payment processing for European businesses — an alternative to Stripe.
Frequently asked questions
What does N26 do?
N26 is mobile-first digital bank — a german alternative to traditional banks and monzo. It is listed under banking and fintech on EU Alts because its core functionality serves teams looking for a European banking tool with EU data residency, typically as a switch away from Stripe.
Is N26 GDPR compliant?
N26 is headquartered in Berlin, Germany and processes user data under the GDPR by default. Customer data processing is supervised by Germany's data protection authority, the Bundesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit (BfDI). However, EU Alts has verified that N26 is independently owned, with its ultimate ownership based in Germany, and hosts customer data with Amazon Web Services (AWS), which means — unlike a fully EU-owned provider — it may still be reachable under the US CLOUD Act, similar to Stripe in that respect.
How do teams switch from Stripe to N26?
Teams evaluating a move from Stripe to N26 should note: N26 is independently owned, with its ultimate ownership based in Germany, and hosts customer data with Amazon Web Services (AWS), so this switch narrows but may not fully close the US CLOUD Act gap. Weigh that against the banking workflow fit before treating it as a complete Schrems II fix.
Where is N26 based?
N26 is headquartered in Berlin, Germany. The company was founded in 2013. Its main website is https://n26.com.