# What Are the Best Commercial Banks in Germany? (2026) > German current accounts compared across the three-pillar banking system: DKB, ING, comdirect, Consorsbank, Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank, HypoVereinsbank, 1822direkt and the regional Sparkasse pattern, on fee, fee waiver, ATM network and deposit protection. By Jules de Bruin · URL: https://www.guide-germany.com/finance/commercial-banks Germany runs a three-pillar banking system: the private banks, the public Sparkassen, and the cooperative Volksbanken and Raiffeisenbanken. The pillar decides which scheme pays if the bank fails, and all three protect EUR 100,000 per depositor per bank within seven working days. On price the direct banks win: DKB, ING, comdirect, Consorsbank and 1822direkt all cost EUR 0 a month if you meet a monthly-incoming or age condition, while Commerzbank charges EUR 4.90, HypoVereinsbank EUR 4.90 and Deutsche Bank EUR 6.90 for a branch network you can walk into. Every account here needs the [Anmeldung](/moving/address-registration) first, and all nine are recorded as German-only for app, support and contracts. ## What Are the Best Current Accounts? Nine accounts from the August 2026 catalogue, cheapest first, then the branch banks. **DKB-Cash** and the **ING Girokonto** lead on price: EUR 0 a month, a German IBAN and a Visa Debit, with a girocard for EUR 0.99 a month on top. **comdirect** and **Consorsbank** are the same shape with softer waiver conditions. **Commerzbank**, **Deutsche Bank** and **HypoVereinsbank** charge for what the direct banks do not have, a counter and a person behind it. The **Sparkassen** entry is a pattern rather than a product, and **1822direkt** is the online arm of the Frankfurter Sparkasse, which is how you buy into the Sparkassen ATM network without paying Sparkassen prices. DKB ### DKB-Cash 4.7Free with 700 EUR incoming or under 28 [Open account](https://www.capitalo.de/anbieter/dkb)Monthly feeFreeIBANGerman (DE)Cards includedVisa Debit included; Girocard 0.99 EUR/month; optional Visa credit card 2.49 EUR/monthEnglish supportGerman onlyAnmeldung neededYes, registered German addressOpening time2 daysMore detailsFee waiverFree with Aktivkunde status: EUR 700 monthly incoming OR under 28 years old; otherwise 4.50 EURFree ATM networkWorldwide free ATM withdrawals for Aktivkunden (Visa)Outside that network2.20% without Aktiv status (min. withdrawal 50 EUR)How to identify yourselfVideoIdent, PostIdentTax ID neededSteuer-Identifikationsnummer requiredDeposit protectionEUR 100,000 per depositorSpending abroad0% for Aktivkunden; 2.20% without active statusContractsGerman onlyPrices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Pros - Worldwide free ATM withdrawals when active - **0%** FX fee when active Cons - 4.50 EUR without active status Best for Residents who want a full German account and are fine in German ING ### Girokonto 4.7Free with 1,000 EUR incoming or under 28 [Open account](https://www.biallo.de/girokonto/ratgeber/kostenloses-girokonto/)Monthly feeFreeIBANGerman (DE)Cards includedVisa Debit included; Girocard 0.99 EUR/month optionalEnglish supportGerman onlyAnmeldung neededYes, registered German addressOpening time1 dayMore detailsFee waiverFree with EUR 1,000 monthly incoming (raised from 700 EUR), or for under-28s; otherwise 4.90 EURFree ATM networkFree at ~97% of German ATMs with Visa (min. withdrawal 50 EUR rule applies at some)Outside that networkThird-party operator surcharges possibleHow to identify yourselfVideoIdent, PostIdentTax ID neededSteuer-Identifikationsnummer requiredDeposit protectionEUR 100,000 per depositorContractsGerman onlyPrices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Pros - Free cash at nearly all German ATMs - **0%** FX fee on card payments Cons - 1,000 EUR threshold raised from 700 EUR in 2026 Best for Residents who want a full German account and are fine in German Commerzbank ### Girokonto (Aktiv) 4.7Four alternative free conditions incl. mobile payments [Open account](https://www.biallo.de/girokonto/ratgeber/kostenloses-girokonto/)Monthly feeFreeIBANGerman (DE)Cards includedVisa Debit included; Girocard 1 EUR/monthEnglish supportGerman onlyAnmeldung neededYes, registered German addressOpening time1 dayMore detailsFee waiverFirst 6 months always free; thereafter free with any one of: EUR 700 monthly incoming, 3 Apple Pay/Google Pay payments, 1 trade/securities savings plan, or under 28; otherwise 4.90 EURFree ATM networkCash Group; 3 worldwide withdrawals/month freeOutside that networkNot published beyond 3/monthHow to identify yourselfVideoIdent, PostIdentTax ID neededSteuer-Identifikationsnummer requiredDeposit protectionEUR 100,000 per depositorContractsGerman onlyPrices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Pros - Cash Group plus 3 worldwide withdrawals monthly - Top-rated app (4.7 in tests) Cons - Girocard costs 1 EUR monthly Best for Residents who want a full German account and are fine in German Consorsbank ### Consorsbank! Girokonto 4.7Free with 700 EUR or under 31 [Open account](https://www.finanztip.de/girokonto/consorsbank-girokonto/)Monthly feeFreeIBANGerman (DE)Cards includedVisa Debit free; Visa Gold Light credit card free; Girocard free on request; Visa Gold 9 EUR/month upgradeEnglish supportGerman onlyAnmeldung neededYes, registered German addressOpening time2 daysMore detailsFee waiverFree with EUR 700 monthly incoming (salary, pension, BAföG) OR under 31; otherwise 4.00 EURFree ATM networkFree EEA withdrawals at Visa ATMs from 50 EUR; worldwide per reisetopia testOutside that network1.95 EUR under 50 EUR withdrawalsHow to identify yourselfVideoIdent, PostIdentTax ID neededSteuer-Identifikationsnummer requiredDeposit protectionEUR 100,000 per depositorSpending abroad2.1% on debit card in foreign currency; 0% with the free Visa Gold Light credit cardContractsGerman onlyPrices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Pros - Free real credit card with **0%** FX - Free Girocard optionally Cons - 4.00 EUR below threshold from age 31 Best for Residents who want a full German account and are fine in German Commerzbank ### GiroKonto 3.8Hybrid branch and digital banking [Open account](https://reisetopia.de/girokonto/commerzbank-girokonto/)Monthly feeEUR 4.90IBAN?IBAN A German IBAN starts DE. Some German employers and utilities still refuse foreign IBANs, which is unlawful under EU rules and reportable to BaFin. German (DE)Cards includedGirocard (debit); optional cards extraEnglish supportGerman onlyAnmeldung neededYes, registered German addressOpening time1 dayMore detailsFee waiverFree only with EUR 50,000 assets (deposits/securities) at Commerzbank; since May 2025 there is NO income-based waiver (the old 700 EUR rule was abolished)Free ATM networkCash GroupHow to identify yourselfVideoIdent, PostIdent, branchBranches~400Tax ID neededSteuer-Identifikationsnummer requiredDeposit protectionEUR 100,000 per depositorContractsGerman onlyPrices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Pros - Cash Group ATM network - Strong mobile app Cons - 4.90 EUR fee since May 2025 with 50,000 EUR asset waiver only Best for Residents who want a full German account and are fine in German Deutsche Bank ### AktivKonto 4.3Full-service branch banking nationwide [Open account](https://www.capitalo.de/anbieter/deutsche-bank)Monthly feeEUR 6.90IBAN?IBAN A German IBAN starts DE. Some German employers and utilities still refuse foreign IBANs, which is unlawful under EU rules and reportable to BaFin. German (DE)Cards includedDebit MastercardEnglish supportGerman onlyAnmeldung neededYes, registered German addressOpening time1 dayMore detailsFee waiverNo monthly-incoming waiver for standard adults (2026); youth/student free via Das Junge KontoFree ATM networkCash GroupOutside that networkNot published (see Preisverzeichnis)How to identify yourselfVideoIdent, PostIdent, branchBranches~380 (2024); shrinking to ~280 by end-2026 (DB brand)Tax ID neededSteuer-Identifikationsnummer requiredDeposit protectionEUR 100,000 per depositorContractsGerman onlyPrices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Pros - Cash Group free cash network - Instant transfers supported Cons - 6.90 EUR monthly with no income waiver Best for Residents who want a full German account and are fine in German Sparkasse ### Sparkassen Girokonto (regional pattern) 4.7Densest branch and ATM network in Germany [Open account](https://vivid.money/de-de/blog/sparkasse-geschaeftskonto/)Monthly feen/aIBAN?IBAN A German IBAN starts DE. Some German employers and utilities still refuse foreign IBANs, which is unlawful under EU rules and reportable to BaFin. German (DE)Cards includedSparkassen-Card (Girocard debit) often 12-15 EUR/year; premium models include itEnglish supportGerman onlyAnmeldung neededYes, registered German addressOpening time1 dayMore detailsFee waiverTypically free for pupils/apprentices/students (age cap 25-30 varies); some regions waive with 700-1,200 EUR monthly incoming; never unconditionally free for standard adultsFree ATM networkSparkassen network (~20,000 ATMs)Outside that network4-7 EUR at third-party ATMs typicalHow to identify yourselfVideoIdent, eID, PostIdent, branchBranches~5,500+ branches across 337 institutions (2026; shrinking)Tax ID neededSteuer-Identifikationsnummer requiredContractsGerman onlyPrices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Pros - Named local advisor; decisions locally - Unlimited institutional deposit protection Cons - Metered booking fees can double the headline price Best for Residents who want a full German account and are fine in German HypoVereinsbank ### HVB AktivKonto 3.8Cash Group ATM access [Open account](https://reisetopia.de/girokonto/hypovereinsbank-girokonto/)Monthly feeEUR 4.90IBAN?IBAN A German IBAN starts DE. Some German employers and utilities still refuse foreign IBANs, which is unlawful under EU rules and reportable to BaFin. German (DE)Cards includedGirocard; HVB Mastercard 15 EUR/yr (waived from 3,000 EUR annual card turnover)English supportGerman onlyAnmeldung neededYes, registered German addressOpening time1 dayMore detailsFee waiverNone for adults; Basiskonto variant listed at 2.90 EUR (Finanztip table, May 2026)Free ATM networkCash GroupHow to identify yourselfVideoIdent, PostIdent, branchBranches~300 (concentrated Bavaria/large cities)Tax ID neededSteuer-Identifikationsnummer requiredDeposit protectionEUR 100,000 per depositorContractsGerman onlyPrices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Pros - Branch network in Bavaria and cities - UniCredit group stability Cons - 4.90 EUR monthly fee Best for Residents who want a full German account and are fine in German Frankfurter Sparkasse ### GiroDirekt 4.3Free with 700 EUR or under 30 [Open account](https://www.computerbild.de/artikel/News-Finanzen-Lohnt-sich-das-ING-Girokonto-mit-Depot-fuer-300-Euro-Praemie-00001-41115887.html)Monthly feeFreeIBANGerman (DE)Cards includedVisa Debit; Girocard availableEnglish supportGerman onlyAnmeldung neededYes, registered German addressOpening time2 daysMore detailsFee waiverFree with EUR 700 monthly incoming or under 30; otherwise 4.90 EURFree ATM networkSparkassen network (~20,000 ATMs)How to identify yourselfVideoIdent, PostIdentTax ID neededSteuer-Identifikationsnummer requiredDeposit protectionEUR 100,000 per depositorContractsGerman onlyPrices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Pros - Huge Sparkassen ATM network - Sparkassen institutional protection (unlimited) Cons - 4.90 EUR below threshold from age 30 Best for Residents who want a full German account and are fine in German ## Which Banks Operate in Germany? Germany does not have a handful of national banks the way most European markets do. It has three pillars, and which pillar your bank sits in changes the price, the branch density and the body that repays you if the bank fails. The **private banks** are the first pillar: Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, HypoVereinsbank, and the direct banks DKB, ING, comdirect and Consorsbank, which have no branches at all. Their deposits are covered by the **Entschädigungseinrichtung deutscher Banken (EdB)** up to EUR 100,000 per depositor. The **Sparkassen** are the second pillar, around 337 legally independent public savings banks with a shared brand, roughly 5,500 branches and about 20,000 ATMs between them, and their own recognised protection scheme. The third pillar is the **cooperative Volksbanken and Raiffeisenbanken**, again run as independent local banks, with the BankCard ServiceNetz of around 18,500 ATMs and roughly 6,000 branches, and a recognised scheme of their own. All three protect the same EUR 100,000 per depositor per bank. Two entries in this catalogue are patterns, not products. [**Sparkassen Girokonto**](/finance/open-bank-account) and the equivalent **Volksbank/Raiffeisenbank Girokonto** record what the local institute typically does, because there is no national tariff to quote: each of the roughly 337 Sparkassen publishes its own Preis- und Leistungsverzeichnis, and the 2026 reading of those runs from EUR 2.95 to EUR 12.95 a month depending on the institute and the model, with the Sparkassen-Card often billed separately at EUR 12 to EUR 15 a year. Ask your own Sparkasse for its price list; do not assume the one your colleague pays. ## How Do You Choose a German Bank? Start with the fee waiver, because almost every "free" German account is conditional. DKB waives EUR 4.50 a month with Aktivkunde status, meaning EUR 700 of monthly incoming or an age under 28. ING waives EUR 4.90 at EUR 1,000 of monthly incoming, raised from EUR 700, or under 28. Consorsbank waives EUR 4.00 at EUR 700 or under 31, and 1822direkt at EUR 700 or under 30. comdirect is free for the first six months whatever you do, then free on any one of four triggers: EUR 700 monthly incoming, three Apple Pay or Google Pay payments, one trade or securities savings plan, or an age under 28. Commerzbank is the one to read twice: at EUR 4.90 a month it is free only if you hold EUR 50,000 in deposits or securities there, because the old EUR 700 income rule was abolished in May 2025. Then decide whether you need cash and a counter. The Sparkassen and the cooperative banks exist for that: dense branches, dense ATMs, and staff who will sit with you. Deutsche Bank has around 380 branches under the Deutsche Bank brand and the catalogue records that shrinking to around 280 by the end of 2026; HypoVereinsbank has around 300, concentrated in Bavaria and the large cities. The direct banks answer the same need differently: DKB gives Aktivkunden free withdrawals worldwide on the Visa card and charges 2.20% without that status, ING is free at around 97% of German ATMs on Visa, and Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank, comdirect and HypoVereinsbank all sit inside the Cash Group. Finally, check the card. The card in the box is a [Debitkarte](/finance/debit-vs-credit-cards) at every one of these banks. The **girocard**, the domestic debit scheme that bakeries, doctors' practices and many restaurants accept when they refuse an international card, is a separate line item: EUR 0.99 a month at DKB and ING, EUR 1 at comdirect, free on request at Consorsbank, and the card in the box at Commerzbank and HypoVereinsbank. At a Sparkasse the Sparkassen-Card is often billed at EUR 12 to EUR 15 a year unless you take a premium model, and at a Volksbank the BankCard is usually included or carries a small yearly fee. A [real credit card](/finance/credit-cards) is separate again. DKB sells one for EUR 2.49 a month, Consorsbank includes a free Visa Gold Light, and HypoVereinsbank charges EUR 15 a year for its Mastercard, waived above EUR 3,000 of annual card turnover. ## Compare two providers Already down to two? Each comparison declares a winner on every criterion that decides the purchase. [Revolut vs N26](/finance/revolut-vs-n26)[C24 Bank vs RevolutC24 Bank issues a German DE IBAN and caps out-of-allowance withdrawals at a flat EUR 2, while Revolut issues a Lithuanian LT IBAN but opens in 0 days without a German tax ID and runs fully in English.](/finance/compare/c24-bank-vs-revolut)[N26 vs C24 BankN26 opens in 0 days without a German tax ID and runs the app, contracts and chat in English, where C24 Bank asks for a tax ID and is German-first.](/finance/compare/n26-vs-c24-bank)[DKB vs INGDKB clears its free-account bar at EUR 700 monthly incoming where ING asks for EUR 1,000, and charges EUR 4.50 instead of EUR 4.90 if you miss it.](/finance/compare/dkb-vs-ing)[comdirect vs DKBcomdirect is free for the first 6 months and then waives its fee on any one of four conditions, where DKB waives only on EUR 700 monthly incoming or being under 28.](/finance/compare/comdirect-vs-dkb)[Sparkasse vs N26N26 wins on price, language and speed: EUR 0 a month, English throughout and open in 0 days with no Anmeldung, against a Sparkasse's EUR 2.95 to EUR 12.95, German only and 1 day after registration.](/finance/compare/sparkasse-vs-n26)[Volksbank vs SparkasseThese two branch networks are close.](/finance/compare/volksbank-vs-sparkasse)[Revolut vs WiseRevolut records EUR 100,000 of deposit protection where the Wise account records none, and allows free withdrawals up to EUR 200 or 5 a month against Wise's 2.](/finance/compare/revolut-vs-wise)[GenialCard vs Advanzia Gebührenfrei GoldBoth cards cost EUR 0 a year with 0% foreign transaction fees, so the split is elsewhere.](/finance/compare/genialcard-vs-advanzia-gebuehrenfrei-gold)[TF Bank Mastercard Gold vs GenialCardBoth are EUR 0 a year with 0% foreign transaction fees.](/finance/compare/tf-bank-mastercard-gold-vs-genialcard) ## Related Guides [### Open Bank Account Anmeldung, tax ID, VideoIdent.](/finance/open-bank-account)[### Fintech Apps The accounts that open before the Anmeldung.](/finance/fintech-apps)[### Revolut vs N26 Lithuanian IBAN against German.](/finance/revolut-vs-n26)[### Savings Accounts Tagesgeld and Festgeld rates.](/finance/savings-accounts) ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Which German bank is best for a new arrival? None of them in your first week: every account on this page is recorded as needing a registered German address and a Steuer-Identifikationsnummer, so the Anmeldung comes first. Once that is done, DKB and ING are the cheapest at EUR 0 a month, DKB with EUR 700 monthly incoming or if you are under 28, ING with EUR 1,000 or under 28. All nine are recorded as German-only for app, support and contracts. ### Do all German banks charge a monthly fee? No, but the free ones are conditional. DKB, ING, comdirect, Consorsbank and 1822direkt cost EUR 0 when you meet a monthly-incoming or age condition, and EUR 4.00 to EUR 4.90 when you do not. Commerzbank is the exception: its GiroKonto is EUR 4.90 and since May 2025 there is no income-based waiver at all, only an assets waiver at EUR 50,000 held with the bank. ### Are my deposits safe in a German bank? Yes, up to EUR 100,000 per depositor per bank, paid within seven working days. Which body pays depends on the pillar: the Entschädigungseinrichtung deutscher Banken for the private banks, and the savings-bank and cooperative groups' own recognised schemes for the other two pillars. --- Source: https://www.guide-germany.com/finance/commercial-banks Last updated: n/a Format: LLM-readable Markdown twin (.md) of the canonical HTML page.