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Neon vs. Revolut – 8 Key Points Comparison (September 2025)

Neo

10/09/2025

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Neon and Revolut are interesting when looking for a very advantageous account abroad.
They sometimes tick the same boxes, but in practice, they don’t meet the same needs.
So how do you choose the most interesting one for you?

This comparison 2025 shows what you need to know to understand the real differences based on how you actually use your account.

FOR

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

Deposit Guarantee

Neon

A great partner for your travels

Free bank account

• free
• 🇨🇭
• CH IBAN

POUR

Switzerland + regular travels

FORCES

Purchases abroad ✔︎
International transfers ✔︎
Cash withdrawals abroad ✔︎

FAIBLESSES

CH residence only ✘
Card delivery fees ✘
Third-party TWINT app / prepaid ✘

garantie deS dépôtS

✔︎ CHF 100,000.-

Revolut

The king abroad

Free account

• free
• 🇨🇭 🇫🇷 🇩🇪 🇮🇹 🌍
• GB IBAN

POUR

Travels Abroad

FORCES

Multi-currency ✔︎
Exchange fees ✔︎
Free transfers ✔︎

FAIBLESSES

No personal CH IBAN ✘
Weekend exchange rate markup ✘
Limited use in Switzerland ✘

garantie deS dépôtS

✘ regulated low-risk

Neon vs Revolut – overview at a glance ⚡️

Revolut and Neon both offer a free plan, but as soon as you start using the account on a daily basis, the differences quickly become apparent.

Basic fees: equal on the essentials

Both banks offer a free account in their standard version. Neon charges a one-time fee (10 CHF) for delivery participation while the Revolut card costs 5.99 CHF for delivery. And the more advanced options (metal card, custom designs) quickly become chargeable.

For basic use, it’s balanced.

Point awarded: tie

Withdrawals in Switzerland: Neon is better suited for daily use

Revolut allows withdrawals of up to 200 CHF/month free of charge, then applies a 2% commission. It’s convenient if you withdraw little, but the limit is quickly reached.

Neon offers 2 free withdrawals per month at ATMs in Switzerland, then charges 2 CHF per operation. The difference is especially noticeable as soon as you exceed very occasional use. Practical: Neon also allows free cash withdrawals with Sonect at k kiosks and restaurants or at Lidl checkouts with a purchase of 10 CHF.

In this example, if you withdraw 500 CHF in Switzerland during the month:
→ With Neon: the first two withdrawals are free, then you’ll pay 2 CHF for the third. Total: 2 CHF.
→ With Revolut: beyond 200 CHF, the next 300 CHF are taxed at 2%, or 6 CHF. Total: 6 CHF.

For local withdrawals, Neon remains more flexible once you exceed 200 CHF.

Point awarded: Neon

Withdrawals abroad: Revolut is more advantageous… as long as you stay under the limits

Internationally, Revolut offers up to 200 CHF of free withdrawals per month (in any currency), before charging 2% on the excess amount. Neon directly applies 1.5% fee on all withdrawals in foreign currencies, without a free tier.

If you withdraw 400 EUR in 4 times during the week:
→ Neon applies about 6 EUR in fees (1.5% on each withdrawal)
→ Revolut charges nothing on the first two (200 EUR), then 4 EUR (2% on the next 200)
Result: Revolut is cheaper… but only if you stay below the thresholds and during weekdays.

Because withdrawals made on weekends are subject to an exchange rate increase of about 1%, which can reverse the trend once you exceed 300-400 EUR.

Therefore, Revolut is more competitive for small amounts on weekdays, but less stable for frequent use or outside of working days.

Point awarded: Revolut

Currency payments: Revolut is more flexible under 1,250 CHF/month

For card payments in a currency other than CHF, Revolut offers interbank rates without commission… up to 1,250 CHF volume per month (in the Standard plan). Beyond that, it charges a 1% markup. On weekends, a fixed 1% markup applies to all payments.

Neon applies a 1.5% commission on each foreign currency transaction, regardless of the period or amount.

As long as you stay within the monthly limits, Revolut remains more flexible for payments abroad. But weekend markups can quickly reduce this advantage.

Point awarded: Revolut

Summary – Fees Card

Result: Revolut scores 2 points, Neon 1 point, 1 tie.

Revolut takes the lead for foreign currency payments and withdrawals, provided you respect its limits. Neon maintains the advantage in Switzerland, especially if you regularly withdraw cash.

Personal Swiss IBAN: the key difference

Neon offers a personal Swiss IBAN (CH), in your own name.
This is essential for:

• receiving a salary or pension in CHF
• paying rent via e-banking
• avoiding blockages with administrations or insurance companies
  

Revolut uses a shared Swiss IBAN, in Revolut’s name.
In practice, this means:
→ It’s impossible to use it to receive a salary (rejected by some employers),
→ Some Swiss payments fail due to name mismatch.

Point awarded: Neon

QR-bills, BVR, eBill: native support vs nothing

• Neon handles all Swiss formats 🇨🇭: QR-bills, eBill, BVR.
  You scan, you validate, it’s paid.
  
• Revolut: none of the Swiss invoice formats are supported.
  

Point awarded: Neon

TWINT: where the shoe pinches

• Neon allows you to use TWINT via the UBS TWINT app or TWINT Prepaid.
  This solution has limitations:
  → you need to manually load the TWINT account,
  → no direct real-time debit,
  → no instant sending as with a native app.
  

It’s a workaround, but not sufficient for daily use, especially if you use TWINT for payments between friends, money pools, or online purchases.

• Revolut offers no compatibility with TWINT.
  

Point awarded: Neon, but with a reservation (no integrated TWINT, just a makeshift solution).

Summary for use in Switzerland

Result: 3 points for Neon, 0 for Revolut.
Neon is the only one of the two to offer a real Swiss bank account, compatible with local payment tools. But neither integrates TWINT smoothly: Revolut doesn’t offer it at all, and Neon only provides an impractical solution.

The differences between Neon and Revolut become most visible internationally. Both offer a multi-currency solution, but the conditions, fees, and limits can change everything. And the pitfalls are not always where you expect them.

Currency payments: Revolut is more flexible, but not always more economical

With Revolut (Standard version), you can pay in more than 30 currencies at the interbank rate, without fees, up to 1,250 CHF per month. Beyond this limit, a 1% commission automatically applies.
Another point not to be overlooked: on weekends, all payments are subject to an additional 1% markup, even under 1,250 CHF.

At Neon, things are simpler… but less advantageous: 1.5% fixed fee on each foreign currency payment, regardless of day or amount.

If you stay under the limits on weekdays, Revolut is clearly more attractive. But as soon as you exceed the limit or pay on a Saturday, the gap narrows.

Point awarded to: Revolut

Foreign withdrawals: Revolut stays ahead, but only for small amounts

Revolut allows up to 200 CHF/month of fee-free currency withdrawals, which is enough for a weekend or occasional expenses.
Beyond that, a 2% commission applies to the excess amount, in addition to the weekend exchange rate markup.

Neon applies a 1.5% fee on each foreign currency withdrawal, without a free tier.

Example with a 400 EUR withdrawal on a weekday

• Revolut: 200 EUR free, 200 EUR at 2% = 4 EUR in fees
• Neon: 400 EUR at 1.5% = 6 EUR in fees
  

Revolut is more advantageous if you stay under the limits. But as soon as you withdraw more or outside business days, the difference diminishes.

Point awarded to: Revolut

CHF → foreign currency exchange: Revolut is more competitive, but watch out for conditions

To convert CHF to foreign currencies (EUR, USD, GBP…), Revolut applies a low margin: about 0.3 to 0.5% on weekdays. Neon uses Wise, with variable exchange fees, often between 0.9% and 1.7% depending on the currency.

Example with a transfer of 5000 EUR from a CHF account

• Revolut: 19 CHF in total fees
• Neon: 44 CHF (via Wise, including exchange fees + transfer)
  

Revolut performs better with frequent conversions. But you need to keep an eye on the timing of the operation: outside weekdays, fees can double.

Point awarded to: Revolut

Summary – Foreign Exchange Payments Abroad

Result: 3 points for Revolut, 0 for Neon

Revolut confirms its international positioning. Its fees are low and transparent… as long as you respect the limits and avoid operations on weekends.
Neon, simpler in its pricing, consistently remains slightly more expensive for foreign currency payments and withdrawals.

Sending money abroad, receiving payments in foreign currencies, or managing multiple currencies daily: this is where Neon and Revolut have two very different approaches.
Neon uses external partners, Revolut integrates everything into the app. And depending on the currency or amount, the right choice can save you several dozen francs.

CHF transfers in Switzerland: perfect for Revolut and Neon

On this point, no surprise: both Neon and Revolut allow sending and receiving CHF transfers in Switzerland without fees.

Nothing to report, both do the job.

Point awarded: Tie

SEPA transfers in EUR: Revolut takes the lead over Neon

To send euros to a SEPA zone country, Revolut charges no fees, as long as you use a European IBAN (LT).
With Neon, EUR transfers go through Wise, with about 1.5% fees on the amount.

For a transfer of 5000 EUR to an account in France

• Revolut: 0 CHF in fees
• Neon: 75 CHF in fees via Wise
  

If you regularly send euros to Europe, the difference is very clear.

Point awarded to: Revolut

Transfers in other currencies: more subtle than you might think

For transfers in USD, GBP, or any other currency, both banks use an intermediary:
→ Neon uses Wise (with fees that vary depending on the currency)
→ Revolut applies its own fixed fees (often between 0.3% and 0.75%, minimums around 4 to 6 CHF)

For small amounts, Revolut is often more expensive due to its fixed fees.
But as soon as you exceed 400 to 600 CHF, Neon often becomes more costly due to its proportional fees.

For a transfer of 1000 USD

• Revolut: 6 CHF in fees
• Neon: 10–17 CHF depending on the current Wise rate

The advantage depends on the currency and the amount. You need to compare each time.

Point awarded: Tie

Multi-currency management: Revolut has the advantage over Neon

Revolut allows you to hold up to 30 different currencies in the same account, with a separate balance for each.
You can also make manual conversions in advance to avoid exchange fees at the time of payment.

With Neon, everything goes through the main CHF account.
You can send many currencies via Wise, but you can’t hold multiple currencies in parallel.

If you travel often or regularly pay in foreign currencies, Revolut is much more convenient.

Point awarded to: Revolut

Summary – Transfers Multi-currency

Result: Revolut scores 2 points, 2 ties

Revolut is clearly better equipped for sending money in EUR or managing multiple currencies on a daily basis.
Neon remains solid, but its operation relies on external partners like Wise, which makes transfers less smooth.

Opening an account, making a transfer, creating a sub-account, receiving a notification… This is where the application plays a key role. And between Neon and Revolut, the experience is quite different.

App interface and fluidity: two effective styles

With Neon, the experience is intentionally minimalist: everything fits in a few screens, with a real effort on readability. The essentials are there, but you can feel that the goal is simplicity above all.

Revolut has a denser app with many options right from the home screen. You can customize the interface, sort accounts, manage multiple portfolios, activate functions according to your needs.

Neon is simpler. Revolut is richer. But in both cases, the app is solid.

Point awarded: Tie

Sub-accounts, budgets, expense control: Revolut goes further

Revolut allows you to create “Pockets” to separate amounts, activate budgets by category, receive alerts, block certain expenses…

With Neon, you can create “Spaces” to organize your money, but there are no automatic budgets, nor advanced tracking tools.

For those who want to manage their money more finely, Revolut offers many more levers.

Point awarded to: Revolut

Practical functions: mobile payment, card blocking, notifications

Both apps allow you to block/unblock the card, adjust limits, track transactions in real-time.

• Apple Pay and Google Pay are available on both Neon and Revolut.
  
• Revolut additionally offers:
  → disposable virtual cards for online payments
  → a function to round up payments for savings
  → a kids mode with the Revolut Junior app
  

Neon covers the basics, but Revolut adds practical tools that can really be useful.

Point awarded to: Revolut

Summary – App features

Result: Revolut scores 2 points, 1 tie

Revolut offers a more comprehensive app, with more options to track expenses, manage multiple uses, or even integrate other services. Neon remains simple and clear, but much more limited in terms of customization.

Neon: full Swiss banking guarantee

The money is deposited with Hypothekarbank Lenzburg, under Swiss banking license. Deposits are protected up to 100,000 CHF, as in any traditional bank. The status is clear and supervised by FINMA.

Point awarded: Neon

Revolut: outside the Swiss framework

Revolut operates with a Lithuanian banking license. Deposits are covered up to 100,000 EUR… but via the European system, without Swiss protection. Revolut is not controlled by FINMA.

Point awarded: Neon

Technical security: both are reliable

Strong authentication, notifications, card blocking… both apps respect current standards.
Revolut even offers disposable virtual cards, but this doesn’t bridge the regulatory gap.

Point awarded: Tie

✅ Summary – Security deposit guarantee

Result: 2 points for Neon, 0 for Revolut, 1 tie
Neon is the only one of the two to offer real Swiss banking protection.
Revolut remains technically strong, but less reassuring on the legal side.

Neon: human support, but limited to Swiss business hours

At Neon, customer service is reachable by phone, email, or through the form integrated into the application, but only on weekdays between 8 am and 5 pm. Responses are generally clear, human, and quick during these hours. However, there is no support outside these times: no availability in the evening or on weekends, and no integrated chat in the app. For emergencies while traveling or issues outside business hours, this is clearly a limitation to consider.

Point awarded: Neon (for quality)

Revolut: accessible at all hours, but not always human

Revolut offers customer support accessible 24/7, including weekends and holidays. This is a real advantage when you find yourself abroad with an urgent problem. However, the first interaction almost always goes through an automated chatbot, which doesn’t always understand the situation well. You often have to insist to get a human response. And even then, the answers can lack precision, particularly when it comes to topics related to Switzerland.

Point awarded: Revolut (for availability).

Summary – Customer Service

Result: 1 point each

Neon responds better, but less often. Revolut is available all the time, but more impersonal.
So: if you primarily use your account in Switzerland, Neon remains more reassuring. But when traveling abroad, being able to contact Revolut at any time is a real plus.

Neon: a real integrated solution compatible with Switzerland

Neon allows investing from the app in Swiss and international stocks and ETFs, via the Hypothekarbank Lenzburg.

Fixed fees: 0.5% (Switzerland), 1% (foreign), with no custody fees.

With an available savings plan and statements compatible with Swiss tax declarations.

📎 See also: Complete Neon Invest Test

Point awarded: Neon

Revolut: trading available, but not very relevant in Switzerland

Revolut allows buying US stocks, cryptocurrencies, some ETFs… But everything is in USD, no Swiss stocks, no adapted tax support (no DA-1, no official report). Revolut is not designed for a Swiss resident who wants to invest seriously.

Point awarded: Neon

Summary – Investment trading

Result: 2 points for Neon, 1 for Revolut

Revolut can possibly allow testing (if you have access to these features with your account).
Neon allows investing from Switzerland, without tax headaches.

On paper, Revolut and Neon seem similar. But in practical uses, their priorities are opposite.

✔︎ Neon remains the best option for managing your money in Switzerland.
✔︎ Revolut takes the lead as soon as you multiply payments or withdrawals in foreign currencies.

Final score by criterion

Total: Revolut 4 points – Neon 4 points – 1 tie

Which account to choose based on your profile?

The Practical Verdict

• If you’re looking for a reliable primary account in Switzerland, with QR-bills, CH IBAN, and TWINT compatibility → Neon is the clear choice.
  
• If you travel often, pay in foreign currencies, or withdraw cash abroad → Revolut is more suitable.
  

There’s nothing preventing you from using both in parallel, each for its strengths.

To help you, Neo has brought out its tools of the future!

What does Neoradar reveal?

Neon vs Revolut

What do you think of Neon compared to Revolut?

• Can you do it all with one app?
• How can you help others choose the right bank between Neon and Revolut?
• Which bank is most convenient for families?
• Did you become rich overnight by installing any of these apps?

Share your feedback with all Neo’s friends 😈