N26 vs Wise: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
N26 had ~$566.8M of annual revenue in FY2025 and ~$1.8M of net income. Wise had $2.5B of annual revenue in FY2026 and $498.7M of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
N26
N26 burned through heavy losses for most of its first decade, with cumulative losses of roughly $1.13 billion (€1 billion) through 2024 as the BaFin growth cap coincided with the ECB rate-hike cycle. The turn came in 2024, when it posted its first quarterly profit in Q3, and 2025 delivered the first full-year profit: revenue rose 13% to ~$567 million (€501.6 million), gross profit rose 33% to ~$396 million (€350.5 million) and net income swung from a ~$47.5 million (€42.0 million) loss to a ~$1.81 million (€1.6 million) profit. Preliminary Q1 2026 figures showed ~$147 million (€130.0 million) in revenue and ~$11.1 million (€9.8 million) in net income, and management expects to stay profitable in 2026. N26 GmbH is a massive German digital challenger bank operating across Europe, commanding a private market valuation of approximately $9 billion.
Wise
Wise reports in U.S. dollars under US GAAP for fiscal years ending March 31. FY2026 net revenue was $2,502.8 million, up 19% from $2,098.9 million in FY2025. Income before tax was $660.4 million (a 26% margin) and net income was $498.7 million, both lower than FY2025's $717.5 million and $550.3 million. In Q1 FY2027 (quarter ended June 30, 2026), net revenue rose 25% year on year to $714.0 million on $69.3 billion of cross-border volume. Wise announced a share purchase program of more than $500 million alongside its FY2026 results.
Revenue and profit by year
N26
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$566.8M | ~$1.8M | 0.3% | +12.6% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$503.3M | ~-$47.5M | -9.4% | +42.1% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$354.3M | ~-$115.7M | -32.7% | — | Source |
Wise
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | $2.5B | $498.7M | 19.9% | +19.2% | Source |
| FY2025 | $2.1B | $550.3M | 26.2% | +18.2% | Source |
| FY2024 | $1.8B | $501.5M | 28.2% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
N26
- Net fee and commission income
53% of gross profit (2025)
Mostly premium subscriptions (Smart, Go and Metal) and card interchange on ~$193 billion (€170.7 billion) of transaction volume. ~$208 million (€184.2 million).
- Net interest income
47% of gross profit (2025)
Interest on deposits placed with central banks and treasury assets, plus overdrafts and consumer loans. Up 49% to ~$188 million (€166.3 million).
- Investing products
Not formally reported
Trading fees on stocks, ETFs and crypto.
Wise
- Cross-border revenue
About $1.3B in FY2026
Fees on international transfers and conversions; average take rate 0.52%.
- Card and other revenue
About $0.6B in FY2026
Mainly income from spending on Wise debit cards.
- Net interest on customer balances
About $0.8B interest income less $0.2B paid out in FY2026
Interest earned on safeguarded customer holdings, net of interest passed to customers.
Business model and strategy
N26
How it makes money
N26 earns money from two roughly equal engines. Net fee and commission income, mostly premium subscriptions (Smart, Go and Metal tiers) and card interchange on ~$193 billion (€170.7 billion) of 2025 transaction volume, reached ~$208 million (€184.2 million), or 53% of 2025 gross profit.
Growth strategy
After leaving the UK in 2020 and the US in early 2022, N26 concentrates on continental Europe, with Germany, France, Spain and Italy as core markets. Growth now comes from converting free users into primary-bank and paying customers, cross-selling savings, investing and credit, and scaling efficiently so that revenue growth turns into profit.
Competitive advantage
N26 pairs a full German banking license with a product built only for the phone. Holding its own license since 2016 lets it take deposits covered by German statutory deposit protection up to €100,000, lend through overdrafts and consumer credit, and passport services across 24 markets without a sponsor bank.
Wise
How it makes money
Wise earns transaction revenue in two buckets. Cross-border revenue comes from the fees on international transfers and conversions; in FY2026 the average cross-border take rate was 0.52% of volume, down from 0.58% a year earlier because Wise passes scale savings back as lower prices. Card and other revenue comes mainly from spending on Wise debit cards, which reached $43.6 billion in FY2026.
Growth strategy
Wise is adding licenses and direct payment-system connections (FY2026 added South Africa, the UAE, and Thailand licenses and direct links in Brazil and Japan), signing more banks to Wise Platform (UniCredit, Raiffeisen Bank, MBSB Bank, and Capitec), and extending Assets, its product for earning a return on balances, to new markets such as Brazil.
Competitive advantage
Wise's edge is its own payment infrastructure: licenses in many jurisdictions and direct access to domestic payment systems, including new direct connections in Brazil and Japan during FY2026.
Questions about N26 vs Wise
Which company has higher revenue — N26 or Wise Group plc?
N26 had ~$566.8M (FY2025), while Wise Group plc had $2.5B (FY2026). By latest annual revenue, Wise Group plc is the larger business, with N26 showing a smaller revenue base. Note: these are from different fiscal years and are not a direct like-for-like comparison.
How does revenue per employee compare for N26 and Wise Group plc?
N26 has $354k / employee in revenue per employee, while Wise Group plc has $455k / employee. Headcounts may use different dates, so the ratio alone does not establish which business operates more efficiently.
How do N26 and Wise Group plc make money?
N26 and Wise Group plc generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. N26: N26 earns money from two roughly equal engines. Wise Group plc: Wise earns transaction revenue in two buckets.
Is N26 bigger than Wise Group plc?
By last reported revenue, Wise Group plc ($2.5B (FY2026)) is the larger company compared to N26 (~$566.8M (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the N26 vs Wise overview