Qonto Basic vs Anytime Start
Comparison & reviews of business bank accounts of two French neobanks
Review by
Head of Fintech Research
Published: 06.12.22
Updated: 08.03.24
Published: 06.12.22
Updated: 08.03.24
Deciding between Qonto Basic and Anytime Start? In this article, we provide a detailed comparison of these bank accounts, their prices and terms. Firstly, we will provide a quick summary and key information about the two banks, after which you can explore our comparison table listing all the key information on fees and products available for both of the options. At the end of the article, we provide bullet points of key pros and cons of both options and our verdict.
Qonto and Anytime are two of the most successful digital banks originating from France. Both banks face a challenge of "digitalizing" a very old-fashioned and outdated banking system in the country - hence the constant balance between going "full digital" while still providing the "face-to-face" aspect as well as supporting cheques. Both Start and Basic are entry-level plans of their banks, yet both still feature an impressive range of features and generally significantly outperform the "brick and mortar" banks most French and Belgian customers use.
Qonto Basic
Qonto
Qonto is a French neobank for businesses that is equally suited for freelancers, micro-businesses, SMEs and startups. Diverse in its product portfolio and capable of satisfying business needs of any caliber, Qonto now offers a one-month free trial for new users.
150'000+
Paris, FR
General Information
- Deposit ProtectionUp to €100'000
- Customer SupportPhone, chat, email
- CurrenciesEUR
Bank Accounts
- Individuals
- Businesses Starting at €9.0
- Joint
- Convenience & User-friendliness
- Customer Support
- Features Available
- Value for Money
- Overall Rating
Anytime Start
Anytime
Anytime acts as a modernized version of a traditional bank and aims to become a top pick for both professional or personal banking purposes. Great for freelancers who want their funds consolidated, but conveniently divided into business and personal funds.
Undisclosed
Brussels, BE
General Information
- Deposit ProtectionUp to €85'000
- Customer SupportPhone, chat, email
- CurrenciesEUR
Bank Accounts
- Individuals
- Businesses Starting at €9.5
- Joint
- Convenience & User-friendliness
- Customer Support
- Features Available
- Value for Money
- Overall Rating
Bank Accounts for Businesses
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Comparison table
There are quite a few considerations to keep in mind when choosing, so make sure to identify what deal-breakers there are for you personally. In order to assist you in this assessment, we provide a side-by-side breakdown of features and fees between Qonto Basic and Anytime Start in a comparison table below.
Basic | Start | |
|---|---|---|
| Price, per month | € 9.00 | € 9.50 |
| Commitment | Cancel monthly | Cancel monthly |
| Sign-up bonus | 30 days free trial | 30 days free trial |
| Official website | qonto.com | anyti.me |
| Accounts | ||
| IBANs | FR, IT, DE, ES | FR, BE |
| Sub-accounts included | 1 | 2 |
| Shared accounts | ❌ | ❌ |
| Employee accounts | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Mobile Payments | ||
| Apple Pay | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Google Pay | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Samsung Pay | ❌ | ❌ |
| Cards | ||
| Cards available | Mastercard | Mastercard |
| Cards included | 1 | 2 |
| Maestro/VPay | ❌ | ❌ |
| Debit cards | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Credit cards | ❌ | ❌ |
| Virtual cards | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Extra card fee | € 2.00 p/m | € 1.00 p/m |
| Replacement fee | € 10.00 | € 14.90 |
| Free replacements | - | - |
| Metal card | ❌ | ❌ |
| Wooden cards | ❌ | ❌ |
| Payment Methods | ||
| iDeal | ❌ | ❌ |
| SOFORT | ❌ | ❌ |
| Bancontact | ❌ | ❌ |
| Various Fees | ||
| SWIFT (receive) | € 5.00 | € 3.00 |
| Foreign exchange fee | 0.80% | 1.80% |
| Currency fee-free limit | - | - |
| ATM Withdrawals | ||
| Daily limit | € 1000 | € 1000 |
| Free withdrawals, per month | - | - |
| After that, per withdrawal | € 1.00 | € 1.50 |
| Withdrawal fee abroad | € 1.00 | € 1.90 + 1.8% |
| Interest Rate | ||
| Current accounts | ❌ | ❌ |
| Savings accounts | ❌ | ❌ |
| Transaction & Deposit Limits | ||
| Deposit limit | € 60,000 | - |
| Deposit Protection | Up to €100'000 | Up to €85'000 |
| Monthly spend limit | € 20,000 | € 20,000 |
| Other financial products | ||
| Overdraft | ❌ | ❌ |
| Investments in-app | ❌ | ❌ |
| Crypto trading | ❌ | ❌ |
| Cheques | Up to €30,000 | €2 per cheque |
| Cashback | ❌ | ❌ |
| Insurance | ❌ | ❌ |
| Lounge access | ❌ | ❌ |
| Transaction categorization | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Purchase protection | ❌ | €3'000 per year limit |
| Round-up savings | ❌ | ❌ |
| Budgeting features | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Deals & Discounts | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Other benefits | Cash flow dashboard | Legal hotline |
| Learn more | qonto.com | anyti.me |
Anytime & Qonto: Pros & Cons
The detailed breakdown of dozens of terms and complex fee structures can get overwhelming - to avoid that, here are some of the key benefits and disadvantages of both Qonto and Anytime's propositions.
Qonto Basic
Qonto Basic allows you to upload and save your receipts to match them to your transactions- You can automate your finance management by connecting various apps and accounting software
- Dedicated dashboard makes managing cash flow easy thanks to indicator charts and precise tracking of your in- and outflows
You can not get additional physical cards while virtual ones cost €2 each- Only having a single account with no "pockets" or "vaults" makes budgeting harder than it should
- Lack of local payment methods outside of France is limited - make sure your favorites are supported
Anytime Start
- Emergency customer support by phone available, on top of usual service provided by chat
- Anytime Start customers can get their questions answered by legal experts by calling a hotline
- One subscription gives you both personal as well as business accounts (professionals and SMEs)
- Very high fees when paying in non-Euro currencies - 1,80% when using the basic bank card included in Start
- Anytime cards do not yet support neither Google Pay nor Apple Pay
- Capital deposit and assistance in setting up your company are only available in higher-tier subscriptions
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Our Verdict: Qonto Basic or Anytime Start?
After reviewing all the terms, rates and features of both products, our assessment is simple: Qonto Basic currently feels like a more solid proposition for most use cases. Anytime's Start is not only more expensive (including some surprising fees: €2 per rejected direct debit, €0.50 per refused transaction or a €50 "inactivity fee"!), but also feels overly complex and bureaucratized, unlike most other digital banks.
It would not be fair to say that Start does not have advantages (for example, personal bank account included for free), and since both plans offer 30-day trial for free, it makes perfect sense to try both and make a call after getting "hands-on" with each product.
Choose Qonto Basic if...
You believe in digital-first approach to business banking
Your business is under 250 people in size
Qonto website
Pick Anytime Start if...
You are not yet comfortable banking at a digital bank
You like your banking old-school and really want to go to a branch
If you found any of these plans to be a good fit for your specific banking needs, you will find links to their official websites or apps below. By signing up via links on our website, you support us in our mission of making finance easy and accessible to everyone.
⚠️ Please note that the information on pricing, contract terms and availability of products in certain markets is subject to change and can differ from what is stated above. We aim to keep this comparison as accurate and up-to-date as possible, but we advise you to treat the information provided above as indicative and always check banks' official websites for actual terms before signing up. ⚠️
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