Kakao Bank vs ila Bank.
Kakao Bank (K78/100) and ila Bank (i50/100), scored on the same six pillars and compared row-by-row. Every cell is sourced from licence registers and live pricing pages, not opinion. Kakao Bank leads ila Bank 6-0.
| i ila Bank №74 · ila Bank is the digital retail brand of Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait 50 /100 | K Kakao Bank №10 · KDIC 78 /100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | ||
| Composite score Out of 100 | 51 /100 | 78 /100 |
| Fees | ||
| Monthly fee Cheapest paid tier (€0 if free) | €0 Free tier | €0 Free tier |
| FX markup Debit card abroad | 1.50% | Interbank |
| Free FX / month EUR equivalent | €0 | €0 |
| Free ATM Before fee kicks in | — | — |
| Protection | ||
| Banking licence Tier | Payment inst. | Full bank KDIC |
| Deposit guarantee Per depositor | Safeguarded BH.DCS | €50,000,000 KR.KDIC |
| Reach | ||
| Markets served Licensed jurisdictions | 1 country | 1 country |
| Crypto Coins available | No | No |
| Stocks & ETFs Self-directed | No | Yes |
| UX | ||
| Trustpilot Customer score | — | — |
| App store iOS + Android avg | 4.2 ★ iOS 4.3 · And 4.1 | 4.5 ★ iOS 4.6 · And 4.5 |
| Read review → | Read review → | |
Pick ila Bank if…
Digital retail brand of Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK B.S.C., Bahrain Bourse: BBK) — one of the GCC's oldest commercial banks (founded 1971). Launched November 2019 as Bahrain's first fully-digital retail bank. CBB Conventional Retail Bank licence sits at the BBK parent; ila is a brand inside that charter, not a separately licensed entity. Bahrain DPS cover BHD 20,000 per depositor flows via the parent licence under CBB Rulebook Volume 6. Conventional banking; for Sharia products from the same group, see KFH Bahrain (separately licensed Islamic bank).
Pick Kakao Bank if…
Largest Korean digital bank by user count (~24M). Public on KOSPI since 2021. Deep integration with KakaoTalk messenger — distribution moat. Mini Stock fractional investing is a strong consumer-investing entry point.
- Best for fees Kakao Bank won 1 of 4
- Best for protection Kakao Bank won 2 of 2
- Best for reach Kakao Bank won 1 of 3
- Best for ux Kakao Bank won 1 of 2
Kakao Bank vs ila Bank — FAQ
Quick answers to the four questions the search-bar asks most about a head-to-head.
Is ila Bank better than Kakao Bank?
Under our v3 methodology, Kakao Bank leads ila Bank 6–0 across 12 dimensions. Composite scores: ila Bank 50/100 vs Kakao Bank 78/100. Kakao Bank is stronger overall, but the right pick depends on which row matters most to you — fees, protection, reach, or app quality.
Is ila Bank or Kakao Bank cheaper?
Monthly fee — ila Bank: €0; Kakao Bank: €0. Card FX markup — ila Bank: 1.50%; Kakao Bank: Interbank. Kakao 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, ila Bank or Kakao Bank?
ila Bank holds a Payment inst. licence under ila Bank is the digital retail brand of Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK B.S.C.) — CBB Conventional Retail Bank licence held at the BBK parent. CBB Rulebook Volume 6 Deposit Protection Scheme cover up to BHD 20,000 per depositor per institution; ila and BBK aggregate against one ceiling because they are the same legal entity. Verify the current DPS ceiling on cbb.gov.bh.; deposit guarantee per depositor: Safeguarded. Kakao Bank holds a Full bank licence under KDIC; deposit guarantee per depositor: €50,000,000. Kakao Bank is the stronger pick on regulatory protection.
Where can I use ila Bank and Kakao Bank?
ila Bank operates in 1 country; Kakao 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.
Want a 3- or 4-way comparison?
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