Start with what the account is for
An investing account can be a savings pot that pays interest, a place to hold fractional shares and exchange-traded funds, or a route into crypto. These are different jobs, and the cost lines look nothing alike. bunq sits across stocks, etfs and crypto, so one account covers stocks, exchange-traded funds and crypto. Solcredito MX is a credit product instead, aimed at borrowers whose credit is poor, with lending of up to MXN 100,000 at an annual percentage rate of 9.5% to 3,696%. Put the two side by side in the Investing rankings and you can see the split straight away.
The first question to ask is which job your money has. If you want the cash to earn something while you decide, an easy-access account with a headline rate is the comparison that matters. bunq describes its account kind as easy access and pays a headline rate of 3.01%, with the rate type listed as variable. A variable rate is not a promise, so read it as a direction rather than a yield.
Fees, and which account they belong to
Fees are where most comparisons go wrong, because the same brand charges different amounts on different tiers. bunq lists an annual fee of €0 and a monthly fee of €0, with the premium tier starting from €0. A expats audience is one reason to look past the entry plan, but the price of the paid tier matters more than any label. For context, the account fee across the accounts we track runs €0 to €219.24, so a free tier is the best-case end of that spread, not the norm.
Trading costs sit on a separate line from account fees, and here the range is wide. Stock trade fees run €0 to €17.54. bunq makes crypto and fractional shares available, with maker fees of 0.25% to 1.99% and taker fees of 0.25% to 1.99%, and a minimum crypto trade of from 350. A maker fee rewards orders that sit on the order book; a taker fee applies when you take liquidity immediately. If you mostly place one kind of order, the maker number matters more, so check both against how you actually trade.
Currency costs are easy to overlook. bunq supports 8 currencies on a mastercard network, with a foreign exchange fee of 0.5% to 3%. Buying an overseas share or holding euros while spending in another currency can raise your costs quietly, and the fee applies per transaction rather than once a year.
Getting money in and out
The minimum deposit tells you whether the account is reachable. bunq sets a minimum deposit of €10, and free monthly payments are available on the personal plans. Across the accounts we track, minimum deposits run €0 to €105,876.12, so a low threshold matters if you are starting small or moving money in irregular amounts.
Access terms decide whether the account suits your pace. bunq allows withdrawals free up to a set number of times a month, rising after a first year of use, and interest is paid weekly. Monthly payments are supported, which helps if you want to automate contributions. Before you commit, work out how often you expect to withdraw. A limit that does not match your habits turns a free account into an expensive one.
How safe is the money
Protection is a factual question with a factual answer, and the two brands answer it differently. bunq holds a variable balance that can earn 3.01%, with deposit protection listed as EU DGS up to EUR 100,000 and investor protection as EU ICS up to EUR 20,000. The first covers cash on deposit; the second covers eligible investments such as shares. If you hold most of your money in investments rather than cash, the investment protection is the line to read closely, because the two caps apply to different things.
Regulatory status tells you who stands behind the balance. bunq is operated by bunq B.V., headquartered in NL, founded in 2012 and listed under De Nederlandsche Bank and SIPC. It holds banking licences in several European countries, including registration SIREN 893970970 in France, MI - 2628476 in Italy, 909737 in Ireland, W0086933I in Spain and BE 0769.451.708 in Belgium, alongside HRB 293822 for its German entity. Licence numbers let you confirm the firm you are dealing with is the firm that holds your money.
Compare that with credit. A loan of up to MXN 100,000 is money owed, not money held, so there is no deposit to protect. Borrowing at an annual percentage rate of 9.5% to 3,696% for poor credit is a cost decision, not a saving decision. Keep the two conversations apart.
Service, access and what happens if you are wrong
Support tells you how quickly you can get an answer when a trade goes the wrong way. bunq offers email and help centre and a bunq app interface with a credit card on debit terms. Cards are useful day to day, but the platform matters for investing, because that is where prices, order history and statements live.
Allow room for a wrong call. A retail investor loss across the accounts we track runs 40.3% to 88%, which is a reminder that fees are only part of the cost of investing. Price movement does most of the work, and an inactivity fee of €0 to €105.24 on some accounts can add a charge for doing nothing at all.
A workable comparison routine
Work through the same order every time. First, the job: is this an interest account, a share dealing account, a crypto venue or a loan. Second, the entry and exit terms: minimum deposit of €10 for bunq, free monthly payments, and withdrawal allowances that suit your pace. Third, the dealing costs: stock trade fees of €0 to €17.54, crypto maker and taker fees of 0.25% to 1.99% and 0.25% to 1.99%, and an exchange fee of 0.5% to 3% on currency conversions.
Fourth, the protection: deposit cover of EU DGS up to EUR 100,000 and investment cover of EU ICS up to EUR 20,000, plus the names behind them in De Nederlandsche Bank and SIPC. Fifth, the downside: 40.3% to 88% in retail losses and €0 to €105.24 in inactivity fees. Then read the write-ups, starting with the bunq review, and if a loan is on the table read the Solcredito MX review before signing anything. The Investing rankings put the same fields side by side, and the eToro review is worth a look if you want another dealing option to measure against.