Qonto vs Vivid Money: Expense Management vs Multi-Currency IBANs

Qonto offers six plans: Essential (EUR 9/month), Business (EUR 29/month), Premium (EUR 45/month), and team-oriented plans up to EUR 199/month for larger companies. Each plan includes a set number of physical cards, team seats, and accounting integration access. SWIFT transfers are charged per transaction across most plans.

Vivid Business plans start at EUR 6.90/month (annual) and go up to EUR 249/month. Each tier includes a monthly FX allowance (0% within limit) and a SWIFT quota. The entry-level plan is cheaper than Qonto's Essential but with less team management infrastructure.

Qonto's pricing reflects its expense management depth — each plan is designed around team size and card needs. Vivid's pricing reflects FX volume — higher plans buy you larger 0% FX allowances. If you have a team with card spending needs, Qonto's plans scale more logically with headcount. If your primary cost is FX conversion, Vivid's plan structure is better aligned.

Vivid has the structural advantage in multi-currency. It provides 22 dedicated currency IBANs — each currency gets its own IBAN — which allows counterparties to send payments directly to the relevant currency account without conversion. Monthly FX allowances are generous: 0% on conversions up to EUR 10,000–70,000 per month depending on plan; 0.5% beyond.

Qonto is primarily a euro-first platform. SWIFT transfers are available but charged per transaction. Qonto does not offer 22 currency IBANs; multi-currency holding is more limited. Qonto's strength is in managing euro-denominated team expenses, not in multi-currency treasury management.

For businesses with significant multi-currency income or regular large-volume FX conversions, Vivid's dedicated IBANs and 0% allowance model offer a material cost advantage. For businesses that transact primarily in euros with occasional international wire transfers, Qonto's per-transfer SWIFT pricing is adequate.

Qonto is one of the strongest expense management platforms in Europe. Every plan includes tiered card options: Mastercard One (standard), Mastercard Plus, and Mastercard X Metal for senior team members or high spenders. Cards include real-time spending notifications, per-card limits, receipt management with automatic matching, approval workflows (Premium+), budget management, and reimbursement workflows for out-of-pocket expenses.

Vivid supports Company Cards and allows individual cards per team member, but its expense management depth is more limited than Qonto's. Vivid does not offer the same tiered card programme, approval workflows, or integrated receipt matching as Qonto.

For companies with 5+ employees who need granular expense visibility, receipt capture, and approval controls, Qonto's expense management is best-in-class among European neobanks. For smaller teams where basic card controls are sufficient, the gap matters less.

Qonto holds an ACPR payment institution licence (France) and is a member of the FGDR (Fonds de Garantie des Dépôts et de Résolution), which provides deposit protection up to EUR 100,000 per depositor. This is the same statutory protection as BNP Paribas or Société Générale — a meaningful guarantee for businesses holding operating balances.

Vivid Money is regulated as an EMI by Luxembourg's CSSF. Customer funds are safeguarded — held in segregated accounts — but are not covered by a deposit guarantee scheme. In the event of Vivid's insolvency, safeguarded funds would be returned to customers, but without the statutory guarantee of a deposit insurance scheme.

For businesses holding significant cash balances in their business account, Qonto's FGDR protection is a concrete advantage. For businesses primarily using the account for transacting (money flows in and out quickly), Vivid's safeguarding regime is adequate. The regulatory difference is most material for businesses with large operating balances.

Both platforms offer DATEV integration, which is particularly relevant for German-market businesses. Qonto additionally integrates with Xero, QuickBooks, and several other accounting tools — making it suitable for businesses using international accounting platforms. Qonto's receipt management and expense categorisation feed directly into these integrations, creating a nearly automated bookkeeping workflow.

Vivid offers DATEV export and Sevdesk integration. This covers the German accounting stack well but does not extend to Xero or QuickBooks natively. For businesses using German accounting tools (DATEV, Sevdesk), both platforms serve the need. For businesses using international platforms like Xero or QuickBooks, Qonto has broader native support.

Vivid also offers API access for custom integrations. Qonto's API is available on higher plans. For businesses that need to automate data flows beyond standard accounting integrations, both provide developer access.