Overview
Looking to compare Qonto Basic and Anytime Start? Today, we will be comparing these bank accounts, providing you with a complete overview of features available, pricing and fees. 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 Both banks face a challenge of "digitalizing" a very old-fashioned and outdated banking system in the country - hence the constant balance between going "full digital" while still providing the "face-to-face" aspect as well as supporting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.
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.
Qonto Basic
Qonto Basic is aimed at self-employed workers and digital entrepreneurs. As Qonto's entry-level plan, Basic is a solid collection of essentials for managing your activity as a self-employed worker. With rich localization options and business-first focus of Qonto, Basic is a modern and secure way to solve your business banking needs at a very reasonable price point.
Anytime Start
Anytime Start is an entry-level proposition that combines business and personal bank accounts. With a solid array of convenient features you would not find at a traditional bank and an impressive package included in the subscription (for example, two physical bank cards and multiple accounts), Start is a very serious contender in its price range.
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
- Pro: Qonto Basic allows you to upload and save your receipts to match them to your transactions
- Pro: You can automate your finance management by connecting various apps and accounting software
- Pro: Dedicated dashboard makes managing cash flow easy thanks to indicator charts and precise tracking of your in- and outflows
- Con: You can not get additional physical cards while virtual ones cost €2 each
- Con: Only having a single account with no "pockets" or "vaults" makes budgeting harder than it should
- Con: Lack of local payment methods outside of France is limited - make sure your favorites are supported
Anytime Start
- Pro: Emergency customer support by phone available, on top of usual service provided by chat
- Pro: Anytime Start customers can get their questions answered by legal experts by calling a hotline
- Pro: One subscription gives you both personal as well as business accounts (professionals and SMEs)
- Con: Very high fees when paying in non-Euro currencies - 1,80% when using the basic bank card included in Start
- Con: Anytime cards do not yet support neither Google Pay nor Apple Pay
- Con: Capital deposit and assistance in setting up your company are only available in higher-tier subscriptions
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.
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 in the "Pick … if" section above. By signing up via links on our website, you support us in our mission of making finance easy and accessible to everyone.
We advise you to keep in mind that the information on pricing, specific billing details, contract terms and availability of products in various markets is subject to change and can appear different from the one provided in this article. Our goal is to keep the information in this comparison as fresh and factually correct as possible, but we do not claim that it is 100% accurate at all times. As such, we advise you to treat the information provided on this website as indicative and urge you to always check the banks' official websites for actual conditions prior to signing up.
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