N26 vs ila Bank.
N26 (N85/100) 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. N26 leads ila Bank 9-0.
| i ila Bank №74 · ila Bank is the digital retail brand of Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait 50 /100 | N N26 №03 · BaFin 85 /100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | ||
| Composite score Out of 100 | 51 /100 | 85 /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 BaFin |
| Deposit guarantee Per depositor | Safeguarded BH.DCS | €100,000 EU.DGS.DE |
| Reach | ||
| Markets served Licensed jurisdictions | 1 country | 24 countries |
| Crypto Coins available | No | 400 coins |
| Stocks & ETFs Self-directed | No | Yes |
| UX | ||
| Trustpilot Customer score | — | 4.1 ★ 130k reviews |
| App store iOS + Android avg | 4.2 ★ iOS 4.3 · And 4.1 | 4.6 ★ iOS 4.8 · And 4.4 |
| 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 N26 if…
Pick if you want a German credit institution and a DE IBAN that every European employer recognises without question.
- Best for fees N26 won 1 of 4
- Best for protection N26 won 2 of 2
- Best for reach N26 won 3 of 3
- Best for ux N26 won 2 of 2
N26 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 N26?
Under our v3 methodology, N26 leads ila Bank 9–0 across 12 dimensions. Composite scores: ila Bank 50/100 vs N26 85/100. N26 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 N26 cheaper?
Monthly fee — ila Bank: €0; N26: €0. Card FX markup — ila Bank: 1.50%; N26: Interbank. N26 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 N26?
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. N26 holds a Full bank licence under BaFin; deposit guarantee per depositor: €100,000. N26 is the stronger pick on regulatory protection.
Where can I use ila Bank and N26?
ila Bank operates in 1 country; N26 operates in 24 countries. 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?
The dynamic compare picker handles up to four banks. Add this pair plus one or two more and we'll resolve every row.