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№02 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · Edition №08 · Updated 11 March 2026

Nubank vs Rakuten Bank.

Nubank (N72/100) and Rakuten Bank (R70/100), scored on the same six pillars and compared row-by-row. Every cell is sourced from licence registers and live pricing pages, not opinion. Nubank leads Rakuten Bank 6-1.

Quick verdict Nubank 6–1
Score 10 of 1
Fees 01 of 4
Protection 10 of 2
Reach 20 of 3
UX 20 of 2
Nubank Rakuten Bank
Banks compared 2 banks · 12 dimensions
N Nubank 72/100 R Rakuten Bank 70/100 + Add a third bank
Tally · who wins more rows12 dimensions compared
NNubank
63 tie · 3 loss
RRakuten Bank
13 tie · 8 loss
Winner: Nubank Closest gap: 5rowsEdition №08
N
Nubank №27 · BACEN 72 /100
R
Rakuten Bank №33 · JFSA 70 /100
Score
Composite score Out of 100 72 /100 70 /100
Fees
Monthly fee Cheapest paid tier (€0 if free) €0 Free tier €0 Free tier
FX markup Debit card abroad 4.00% Interbank
Free FX / month EUR equivalent €0 €0
Free ATM Before fee kicks in
Protection
Banking licence Tier Full bank BACEN Full bank JFSA
Deposit guarantee Per depositor €250,000 BR.FGC Safeguarded No DGS
Reach
Markets served Licensed jurisdictions 3 countries 1 country
Crypto Coins available 5 coins No
Stocks & ETFs Self-directed Yes Yes
UX
Trustpilot Customer score 3.1 ★ 2k reviews
App store iOS + Android avg 4.8 ★ iOS 4.9 · And 4.8 4.3 ★ iOS 4.4 · And 4.2
Read review Read review

Pick Nubank if…

Nubank №27

Pick if you bank in Brazil and want the dominant local digital bank with full BACEN supervision.

Pick Rakuten Bank if…

Rakuten Bank №33

Largest Japanese internet-only bank by customer count (~14M+) and the only TSE Prime-listed pure-play net bank (TYO: 5838, IPO 21 April 2023 — the largest Japanese IPO in five years at the time). Originally chartered as eBank in 2001; acquired by Rakuten Group (TYO: 4755) in 2009. Structural moat is the Rakuten Points + Rakuten Card + Rakuten Securities + Rakuten Mobile + Rakuten Ichiba ecosystem — points cross-pollinate across the entire surface area. Full FSA Banking Act licence; statutory DICJ member at the JPY 10,000,000 ceiling.

Best at a glance Axis-by-axis winner — ties skipped.
  • Best for fees Rakuten Bank won 1 of 4
  • Best for protection Nubank won 1 of 2
  • Best for reach Nubank won 2 of 3
  • Best for ux Nubank won 2 of 2
Frequently asked

Nubank vs Rakuten Bank — FAQ

Quick answers to the four questions the search-bar asks most about a head-to-head.

Is Nubank better than Rakuten Bank?

Under our v3 methodology, Nubank leads Rakuten Bank 6–1 across 12 dimensions. Composite scores: Nubank 72/100 vs Rakuten Bank 70/100. Nubank is stronger overall, but the right pick depends on which row matters most to you — fees, protection, reach, or app quality.

Is Nubank or Rakuten Bank cheaper?

Monthly fee — Nubank: €0; Rakuten Bank: €0. Card FX markup — Nubank: 4.00%; Rakuten Bank: Interbank. Rakuten Bank wins more fee rows (1 of 4). See the Fees section of the matrix above for ATM caps and the rest.

Which is safer for deposits, Nubank or Rakuten Bank?

Nubank holds a Full bank licence under BACEN; deposit guarantee per depositor: €250,000. Rakuten Bank holds a Full bank licence under JFSA; deposit guarantee per depositor: Safeguarded. Nubank is the stronger pick on regulatory protection.

Where can I use Nubank and Rakuten Bank?

Nubank operates in 3 countries; Rakuten Bank operates in 1 country. Check each provider's signup page for the live country list — eligibility depends on residency, not just the licence footprint.

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