Qonto vs Shine: the two volumes that decide
Publié le 25 septembre 2026.
Dans cet article · 8 parties
On paper the two entry plans cost the same: €9 excluding VAT a month. Every comparison you will find stops there, or lists features side by side until the difference dissolves.
The choice does not turn on the monthly price. It turns on two volumes, and neither appears on either provider's pricing page, because working them out requires applying both fee schedules against each other.
Transfers: where the free plan stops being free
Shine's entry plan includes 5 SEPA transfers a month. Qonto Basic includes 30. Below the crossover, Shine wins on price; above it, the larger quota does.
Tipping point · Shine Free vs Qonto Basic
Shine Free is cheaper up to 27 transfers a month. Beyond that, Qonto Basic takes the lead.
| Monthly volume | Cheaper |
|---|---|
| up to 27 transfers | Shine Free — €108 a year apart |
| from 28 transfers | Qonto Basic — €2 a year apart |
Calculated on published fee schedules surveyed on 25 September 2026. Fixed assumptions: €0 in cash a month, 0 cheques a month.
If you send fewer than a dozen transfers a month, paying €108 a year for a quota you will not use is the most common waste in this market.
Cheques: no crossover at all
Both charge €2 per cheque deposit. Because the per-unit price is identical, the gap never reverses. The subscription decides, and it decides once.
Tipping point · Qonto Basic vs Shine Free
Shine Free stays cheaper across the whole range studied, up to 80 cheques a month.
| Monthly volume | Cheaper |
|---|---|
| from 0 cheque | Shine Free — €60 a year apart |
Calculated on published fee schedules surveyed on 25 September 2026. Fixed assumptions: €0 in cash a month, 15 transfers a month.
Worth knowing before you commit: Qonto Basic includes no free cheque deposits, and Shine's Start plan does not offer cheque deposits at all.
Cash: not a price difference, an impossibility
Qonto does not accept cash deposits in any plan. Not at a punitive rate: not at all. If your business takes cash, Qonto is out of the comparison before price is discussed, and we remove it from the ranking rather than showing it at the top with a zero.
Shine accepts cash, charged between 2 % and 4 % of the amount deposited, with a monthly cap. On any meaningful cash volume that percentage overtakes a French network bank's flat subscription:
Tipping point · Shine Free vs BNP Paribas Pro
Shine Free is cheaper up to €266 in cash a month. Beyond that, BNP Paribas Pro takes the lead.
| Monthly volume | Cheaper |
|---|---|
| up to €266 in cash | Shine Free — ≤ €128 a year apart |
| from €267 in cash | BNP Paribas Pro — within a few cents |
Caveat: movement commission (de 0,06 % à 0,10 % par mois, plafond 230 € par mois) cannot be modelled from the volumes entered. Totals are floors.
Calculated on published fee schedules surveyed on 25 September 2026. Fixed assumptions: 5 cheques a month, 20 transfers a month.
Neither is a bank
Both are payment institutions, not banks. No authorised overdraft, no classic business lending. Client funds are held at a partner bank, which gives indirect deposit protection.
One fact most English-language comparisons get wrong: Shine has been owned by Cegid since 26 November 2025. Société Générale held it from 2020 to 2024, then Danish group Ageras. Reviews still describing it as a Société Générale product are at least a year out of date.
Which to pick
- Invoicing clients, paid by transfer, low volume. Check the free plans first. Shine Free and Indy both start at €0, and the thresholds above tell you when that stops being true.
- High transfer volume. Qonto, for the quota, past the crossover shown.
- Taking cash. Not Qonto. Compare Shine against a network bank on your own volume, because the answer flips at a few hundred euros a month.
- A team to equip. Qonto's range goes up to 30 physical cards; Shine caps at 10.
Run the calculator on your own numbers rather than trusting a profile that is not yours.
Limits
These are published fee schedules surveyed on a stated date, not tested experience. We have not measured onboarding times, support quality or how either provider handles a non-resident application. Totals carry a "≥" wherever a published fee could not be modelled from the volumes entered.
Sources
- chiffrepro survey of 25 September 2026, every observation sourced: observatoire.json.
- Qonto pricing, Shine pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Qonto or Shine for cash deposits?
Shine, because Qonto does not offer the service. But do the arithmetic first: the charge reaches 4 % of the amount deposited, and a French network bank is often far cheaper on that profile.
Which one is cheaper?
Both entry plans are €9 excluding VAT. Everything then turns on how you get paid: €2 per cheque on both sides, a percentage on cash at Shine, and transfers charged from the 6th at Shine against the 31st at Qonto.
Are they banks?
No. Both are payment institutions. Neither offers an authorised overdraft or a classic business loan.
Who owns Shine now?
Cegid, since 26 November 2025. Société Générale owned it from 2020 to 2024, then Ageras. Many comparisons are still describing the Société Générale era.