Qonto vs Starling Business
For spending abroad FX markup matters, and Starling Business does better (0.4% vs 2%). In short: Qonto if your usage matches its strength, Starling Business otherwise — the numbers above beat any slogan.
| Qonto | Starling Business | |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | A | A |
| Rating | ★ 4.5 | ★ 4.5 |
| Estimated net annual cost | €0 | €0 |
| Account fee | Free | Free |
| IBAN | dedicato · FR, DE, IT, ES | dedicato · GB |
| Multi-currency | No (single currency) | Yes · 3 currencies |
| Outbound transfers to third-party IBANs | Yes | Yes |
| Utility direct billing | Yes | Yes |
| SEPA direct debit (SDD) | Yes | Yes |
| On-chain crypto withdrawal | No | No |
| SEPA transfer | Free | Free |
| Interest on balance | 2% | 0% |
| ATM withdrawal | not declared | not declared |
| Fund custody | Custodial (platform holds funds) | Custodial (platform holds funds) |
| KYC | Full | Full |
| Supported countries | EEA · 6+ countries | UK · 1+ countries |
| Regulator | ACPR | PRA, FCA |
| Segment | B2B | B2B |
| Deposit guarantee | — | FSCS £85,000 (UK) |
| OAM Italy registration | — | No |
| Regions | EU/EEA | UK |
| Licences & safety | Payment Institution | Full Banking License |
Frequently asked questions
Qonto vs Starling Business: which is better?
For spending abroad FX markup matters, and Starling Business does better (0.4% vs 2%). In short: Qonto if your usage matches its strength, Starling Business otherwise — the numbers above beat any slogan.
Which is cheaper, Qonto or Starling Business?
On the standard spending profile Qonto has the lowest net annual cost: €0 versus €0 for Starling Business.
Is Qonto custodial or self-custody?
Qonto is custodial: funds are held by the platform, while Starling Business is custodial.
Which is better for spending abroad?
For foreign-currency spending Starling Business wins, with the lowest FX markup: 0.4%.