Qonto vs Shine vs traditional bank: which business account in 2026?

Quick answer. Qonto and Shine are neobanks for professionals, legally payment institutions, whereas a traditional bank is a credit institution. Qonto starts at EUR 9 excl. VAT/month and Shine offers a free plan; both handle online capital deposit for EUR 69 excl. VAT. A traditional bank costs more and opens an account more slowly, but offers credit, cash handling and the deposit guarantee up to EUR 100,000. The right choice depends on your need: financing and cash (bank), or speed, management tools and controlled cost (neobank).

Since the rise of fintech, the small-business owner no longer faces a binary choice. Three families coexist in 2026:

1. Professional neobanks: Qonto (licensed since 2018) and Shine, highly digital, cost-controlled.
2. Traditional banks: branch network, dedicated advisor, lending.
3. Hybrid solutions: middle-ground players combining branches and online services.

The market is maturing: in July 2025, Qonto filed for a banking licence (credit institution) with the ACPR, a step that could broaden its offering. Shine, for its part, belongs to the Société Générale group (the company was acquired in 2020) and relies on the payment provider Treezor.

The point is not to follow fashion, but to understand the real legal and operational differences before choosing between Qonto, Shine and a classic bank.

Before comparing fees, grasp the legal status distinction, because it determines what each provider can do.

Payment institution (neobank)#

Qonto and Shine are payment institutions approved by the ACPR (the French Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority, backed by the Banque de France).

• Permitted functions: issuing and receiving SEPA transfers, payment cards, invoice management.
• Legal limit: no classic lending or regulated savings accounts.
• Fund protection: your funds are segregated with a partner credit institution, under the Payment Services Directive (PSD2) and Article L522-17 of the Monetary and Financial Code. They are not covered by the FGDR deposit guarantee (EUR 100,000 per depositor), which is reserved for credit institutions. Segregation still protects your funds if the platform fails: they are not mixed with its assets.

Credit institution (traditional bank)#

A bank licensed as a credit institution holds a full licence: payments, lending, savings and the deposit guarantee.

• Physical network: branches and a dedicated advisor.
• Financing: credit lines, authorized overdraft, business loans.
• Deposit guarantee: EUR 100,000 per depositor via the Deposit Guarantee Fund (FGDR).

What it means#

If your need is credit, overdraft or savings, only a traditional bank fully answers (pending Qonto's possible banking licence). If your need centers on agile payments and pre-accounting, a neobank is enough and costs less.

Qonto is a payment institution approved by the ACPR since September 2018, the first of its kind dedicated to professionals in France; a banking licence application has been pending since July 2025.

• Pricing: three plans from EUR 9 excl. VAT/month on annual billing. The Basic plan (EUR 9 excl. VAT/month) includes a French IBAN, a physical and virtual Mastercard One, 30 SEPA transfers per month and invoice management.
• Online capital deposit: deposit certificate issued within 12 business hours for EUR 69 excl. VAT.
• Strengths: native accounting integrations (including Pennylane), pre-accounting dashboard, fast SEPA transfers, opening in minutes.
• Limits: no classic lending (pending any banking licence), no direct cash deposit.
• Best for: startups, SMEs without immediate credit needs, freelancers, e-commerce.

Shine is a professional neobank backed by Treezor, a payment service provider approved by the ACPR since 2016 and a subsidiary of Société Générale. Shine itself is part of the Société Générale group.

• Pricing: four plans — Free (EUR 0 excl. VAT/month), Start, Plus and Business — by needs (invoicing, integrations, users).
• Capital deposit: fully online, for EUR 69 excl. VAT.
• Strengths: a highly competitive free plan to start, cash deposit possible via partner points, backing by a major banking group, accounting integrations.
• Limits: no classic lending (payment-institution status), a narrower service range than a full bank.
• Best for: sole traders and small businesses starting out, drawn to the free plan.

A traditional bank (BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Crédit Agricole, LCL, Caisse d'Épargne, etc.) is a credit institution.

• Strengths: credit and overdraft, cash and cheque deposits at branches, professional savings accounts, the FGDR guarantee, an advisor and support.
• Limits: generally higher fees (account maintenance, transfers, cheques), slower opening (many documents), no native accounting integration.
• Best for: companies needing credit, sectors handling cash or cheques (retail, construction), established structures.

Many of our clients create an SARL, EURL, SAS or SASU and wonder where to deposit cash contributions. The framework is precise.

Releasing capital at incorporation#

• SARL / EURL: release at least 20% of cash contributions at incorporation (art. L223-7 of the Commercial Code).
• SAS / SASU: release at least 50% of cash contributions at incorporation.
• The balance is released within five years of incorporation, at the director's decision.

Funds are paid into a blocked account in the name of the "company being formed", and the depositary issues a deposit certificate, required for incorporation. The director has eight days after receiving contributions to deposit them.

Three possible channels#

1. Traditional bank: often free, but a few days' delay.
2. Neobank (Qonto or Shine): EUR 69 excl. VAT, fast certificate (12 hours to a few days), fully online.
3. Notary: around EUR 100, useful for complex setups or in-kind contributions.

Funds are released upon presentation of the Kbis extract. If you plan credit right after creation, a traditional bank eases the relationship; for a simple, fast creation, online deposit is efficient.

• Regular cash deposits: a traditional bank or Shine (partner points) are needed; Qonto has no direct cash deposit.
• Credit or overdraft needs: favor a traditional bank; neobanks do not allow it while they remain payment institutions.
• Guarantee-heavy sectors (construction, import-export): a bank's range (sureties, letters of credit) remains necessary.
• Digital management and accounting integration: Qonto stands out with its connectors; paired with a tool like Pennylane, it streamlines pre-accounting.

1. Do not confuse a neobank with a bank#

A neobank cannot grant credit or overdraft while it is a payment institution. If that is your need, a traditional bank remains essential. Qonto's targeted banking licence was not confirmed by mid-2026: check its status on the ACPR's REGAFI register before deciding.

2. Fund safety: segregation and FGDR#

Funds at Qonto and Shine are segregated (PSD2), so protected if the platform fails, but not covered by the FGDR guarantee of EUR 100,000. For high balances, a traditional bank's FGDR coverage adds extra security.

3. Dependence on integrations#

If you pair a neobank with accounting software, you depend on integration quality (API). Test the full chain before switching, relying if needed on our guide to changing your business account.

4. Costs to watch#

Beyond the subscription, fees may add up: extra card or non-SEPA transfers at neobanks, advanced features reserved for higher plans, or variable commissions (cheques, payment stops, incidents) at a traditional bank. Compare the real cost over a full year of use.

Recently, the founder of a SaaS startup asked us to arbitrate, when creating his SASU, between Qonto and a traditional bank. His need: agile payments, real-time cash management via a dashboard, and no immediate credit (his seed round was closed).

The annual cost gap clearly favored the neobank, and native integration with his accounting tool saved valuable time over manual entry. We chose Qonto, while keeping in mind that a relationship with a traditional bank would become relevant the day a credit need arose (growth financing, seasonal overdraft). As a chartered accountant and statutory auditor, we often advise this hybrid setup: a neobank for operations, a maintained banking relationship for future financing.

Hayot Expertise advice. First ask: will you need credit or overdraft in the next twenty-four months? If not, a neobank (Qonto or Shine) offers better cost-efficiency. If yes, open a traditional bank account instead. If uncertain or growing fast, a Qonto account combined with a maintained banking relationship is a sound compromise. For a sole trader, Shine's free plan is highly competitive. In all cases, validate the integration with your accounting software and anticipate the capital deposit from creation.