Our top 5 recommendations: The best business accounts for self-employed people in Germany

Small businesses and freelancers in Germany face particular challenges when it comes to financial management. A business account tailored to their needs helps them organize their income and expenses and ensure they meet their tax obligations.

The selection is vast, and not every provider is suitable for every business model. Our experts at Recht 24/7 therefore created this clear guide with our top 5 recommendations to help you make your decision.

Kontist

Kontist is a business account designed specifically for freelancers who want to get started quickly and easily. It takes care of daily financial tasks and provides a transparent cash flow overview so that users can concentrate on their client work. Suitable for freelancers, founders, and young GmbH, UG, and GbR companies, Kontist offers invoicing, document management, and accounting functions with automatic tax estimates. A Visa debit card is included in every model.

Features included with Kontist:

• Business account with German IBAN
• Physical and virtual Visa debit cards
• 5 to 30 free SEPA transfers and direct debits
• invoicing tool
• document scanner
• Business insights
• Interface to accounting software
• overdraft facility
• sales tax calculation
• Submission of advance sales tax returns to the tax office
• Free withdrawals in the eurozone
• Manually adding external transactions
• Business analysis (BWA)
• Exports in DATEV format, MT940 DATEV, and CSV
• account switching service

Kontist's free model already covers all the essential invoicing requirements for freelancers and small businesses—with no monthly fees. This makes it an easy way to get started for anyone just starting out. As the business grows, the paid models remain affordable and allow additional features to be unlocked without a significant financial commitment.

Qonto

Qonto is a European fintech company that offers an all-in-one online business account for freelancers, startups, and small and medium-sized businesses. It combines basic banking features such as local IBANs, transfers, and physical and virtual cards with tools for invoicing, expense management, and accounting. Payments, team expenses, and supplier invoices can be managed digitally via app or web, including connections to accounting software, with a clear focus on simplicity and transparency.

Features included in the Qonto Business plan:

• Digital business account with local IBAN
• SEPA and international transfers
• Physical and virtual Mastercard cards
• Simple invoicing tool
• Expense tracking with receipt uploads
• Connections to accounting software such as DATEV or sevDesk
• Multi-user access with roles and permissions
• Real-time overview of cash flow

Qonto is best suited for freelancers, startups, and small and medium-sized businesses looking for a simple, digital business account solution with integrated payment, expense, and accounting features to simplify their financial management without the complexity of traditional banks.

bunq

bunq offers a fully digital business account for freelancers, solo entrepreneurs, and small teams who value flexibility. Users can customize their account with multiple sub-accounts, real-time payments, and integrated financial management tools to keep track of expenses and cash flow. Advanced features such as automatic sales tax reserves, invoice scanning, international IBANs, and sustainable options such as tree planting are available entirely online without paperwork or branch visits.

Features included with bunq:

• Multiple sub-accounts for organizing finances
• Fully digital account opening in just a few minutes
• Virtual and physical cards (Apple Pay and Google Pay compatible)
• Instant SEPA payments
• Intelligent budget and expenditure analyses
• Automated savings functions (e.g., automatic VAT reserves, auto-saving)
• International account features depending on the selected plan
• Real-time financial management via the app

bunq is particularly suitable for anyone who manages multiple sources of income, relies on detailed budget planning, or is looking for a banking solution that can be flexibly adapted to the development of their business.

Finom

Finom offers a digital business account that combines banking and financial management on one platform. It includes invoicing, expense tracking, and automated accounting functions, making it particularly suitable for freelancers and small businesses. All plans include a German IBAN as well as virtual and physical debit cards and sub-accounts. Higher plans also offer team cards, higher limits, and cashback on card payments.

Features included in Finom Solo:

• German IBAN with full SEPA banking
• Virtual and physical debit cards
• Integrated tools for invoicing and expense tracking
• Document entry with automatic categorization
• Subaccounts for budget planning
• Cashback on purchases
• Connections to accounting software
• Multi-user access depending on tariff

For anyone who wants to manage banking, invoicing, and expense management from a single dashboard, Finom stands out as a comprehensive all-in-one solution.

Holvi

Holvi is a digital business account solution for freelancers and small business owners who want to keep their finances simple and organized. It combines a business account with a US IBAN with invoicing, receipt tracking, cash flow overview, and basic accounting, accessible on mobile devices and desktop. Higher-tier plans add automated accounting exports, physical debit cards, and additional accounts for better financial organization.

Features included with Holvi:

• Business account with German IBAN
• Virtual and physical Mastercard debit cards
• Integrated billing tools
• Document entry and categorization
• Cash flow analyses and financial overviews
• Multiple IBANs depending on the selected plan
• Instant SEPA transfers
• Access via browser and mobile app

For those who prefer a centralized financial workspace rather than using multiple tools in parallel, Holvi offers a practical all-in-one approach.

Our recommendation

All of the options listed offer solid digital banking solutions for both sole traders and small businesses with up to ten employees—regardless of whether they are newly founded start-ups or already established self-employed individuals. Each provider has its own strengths, such as app-based banking, flexible account structures, or integrated invoicing, but all reliably cover the basic requirements.

For freelancers in Germany who are looking for a solution that is specifically tailored to local tax requirements and typical self-employment processes, Kontist remains the most compelling choice for us overall.