Liv. vs ila Bank.
Liv. (L59/100) 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. Liv. leads ila Bank 3-0.
| i ila Bank №74 · ila Bank is the digital retail brand of Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait 50 /100 | L Liv. №53 · CBUAE 59 /100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | ||
| Composite score Out of 100 | 51 /100 | 59 /100 |
| Fees | ||
| Monthly fee Cheapest paid tier (€0 if free) | €0 Free tier | €0 Free tier |
| FX markup Debit card abroad | 1.50% | 1.50% |
| Free FX / month EUR equivalent | €0 | €0 |
| Free ATM Before fee kicks in | — | — |
| Protection | ||
| Banking licence Tier | Payment inst. | E-money inst. CBUAE |
| Deposit guarantee Per depositor | Safeguarded BH.DCS | Safeguarded AE.DPS |
| Reach | ||
| Markets served Licensed jurisdictions | 1 country | 1 country |
| Crypto Coins available | No | No |
| Stocks & ETFs Self-directed | No | No |
| UX | ||
| Trustpilot Customer score | — | — |
| App store iOS + Android avg | 4.2 ★ iOS 4.3 · And 4.1 | 4.3 ★ iOS 4.4 · And 4.2 |
| 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 Liv. if…
First UAE digital-only bank — Emirates NBD subsidiary launched 2017. Targets millennials with free account + lifestyle features. Direct AE DPS cover via parent's CBUAE charter — structurally cleaner than partner-bank competitors.
- Best for fees Tied
- Best for protection Liv. won 1 of 2
- Best for reach Tied
- Best for ux Liv. won 1 of 2
Liv. 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 Liv.?
Under our v3 methodology, Liv. leads ila Bank 3–0 across 12 dimensions. Composite scores: ila Bank 50/100 vs Liv. 59/100. Liv. 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 Liv. cheaper?
Monthly fee — ila Bank: €0; Liv.: €0. Card FX markup — ila Bank: 1.50%; Liv.: 1.50%. Tied across fee rows. See the Fees section of the matrix above for ATM caps and the rest.
Which is safer for deposits, ila Bank or Liv.?
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. Liv. holds a E-money inst. licence under CBUAE; deposit guarantee per depositor: Safeguarded. Liv. is the stronger pick on regulatory protection.
Where can I use ila Bank and Liv.?
ila Bank operates in 1 country; Liv. 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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