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Personal Finance · head to head

PayPal vs Qonto

PayPal logo

PayPal

Personal Finance

The simpler, safer way to pay and get paid

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Qonto logo

Qonto

Accounting

French neobank and finance management platform for freelancers, SMEs and businesses

From
€9/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: PayPal currency conversion on international purchases and sends carries a 4.00 percent fee, and 3.00 percent in other conversion scenarios; Qonto pricing in EUR only, not USD

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PayPal and Qonto actually diverge.

Attributes where PayPal and Qonto differ
AttributePayPalQonto
Starting price$29/month€9/month
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb
CategoryPersonal FinanceAccounting
Founded1998Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in PayPal

  • Payment processing
  • PayPal Checkout
  • Invoicing
  • Business debit card
  • Working capital loans
  • Shopify
  • WooCommerce
  • BigCommerce

Only in Qonto

Nothing recorded that PayPal does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

PayPal

  • Paying online merchants without sharing card detailsnot Qonto
  • Sending money to friends and family domestically and internationallynot Qonto
  • Holding balances in multiple currencies for cross border purchasesnot Qonto

Qonto

  • Business bankingnot PayPal
  • Team paymentsnot PayPal
  • Cash flow managementnot PayPal
  • Multi-currency transfersnot PayPal
  • Freelancer paymentsnot PayPal

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

PayPal

  • Currency conversion on international purchases and sends carries a 4.00 percent fee, and 3.00 percent in other conversion scenarios
  • Instant transfer to a bank or debit card costs 1.75 percent of the amount, with a minimum of 0.25 USD and a maximum of 25.00 USD
  • International personal transactions carry a 5.00 percent fee regardless of payment method, with a minimum of 0.99 USD and a maximum of 4.99 USD
  • Sending domestic personal payments funded by a credit card costs 2.90 percent plus a fixed fee of 0.49 USD
  • Instant transfers are capped at 25,000.00 USD per transaction

Qonto

  • Pricing in EUR only, not USD
  • Basic tier limited to 30 transfers per month
  • Add-ons for invoice automation and project tracking cost EUR 12-39/month extra
  • Business tier minimum commitment for small team accounts
  • Business plan minimum pricing EUR 49/month vs self-employed EUR 9/month

Pricing, plan by plan

PayPal

$29/month
  • Standard$2.99/transaction
    • Card payments
    • PayPal checkout
    • Invoice payments

Qonto

€9/month
  • Basic (Self-Employed)$9/month
    • 30 transfers
    • 1 physical + 2 virtual cards
    • Account remuneration 5% for 2 months
  • Smart (Self-Employed)$19/month
    • 100 transfers
    • 2 physical + 50 virtual cards
    • Account remuneration
  • Premium (Self-Employed)$39/month
    • 200 transfers
    • 2 physical + 50 virtual + 50 Instant cards
  • Essential (Business)$49/month
    • 250 transfers
    • 5 physical + 50 virtual cards
    • Multiple sub-accounts

Which should you pick?

Choose PayPal if

  • You need payment processing.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want paypal checkout.
PayPal review

Choose Qonto if

Nothing in the data separates Qonto from PayPal on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Qonto review

Questions people ask

Is PayPal or Qonto better?
Neither clearly leads. PayPal starts at $29/month and Qonto at €9/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PayPal or Qonto?
PayPal starts at $29/month and Qonto at €9/month.
Does PayPal or Qonto run on more platforms?
PayPal runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Qonto runs on Web.
What is PayPal best used for?
PayPal is most often used for paying online merchants without sharing card details, sending money to friends and family domestically and internationally, holding balances in multiple currencies for cross border purchases. Of those, paying online merchants without sharing card details and sending money to friends and family domestically and internationally are not what Qonto is typically brought in for.
What can PayPal do that Qonto cannot?
PayPal covers Payment processing, PayPal Checkout, Invoicing, Business debit card.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PayPal: Does PayPal charge fees and when do they apply?

PayPal states that fees apply when converting currency and sending money to accounts in another country. Specific fee amounts are not disclosed on the homepage but are referenced in their published fee schedule.

Source
Qonto: How much does Qonto cost?

Qonto's self-employed plans range from EUR 9/month (Basic) to EUR 39/month (Premium). Business plans range from EUR 49/month (Essential) to EUR 199/month (Enterprise).

Source
PayPal: Is there a subscription cost to use PayPal's basic services?

No subscription fees are mentioned on the homepage. PayPal operates on a transaction-based fee structure for money transfers and payments rather than recurring charges.

Source
Qonto: What is included in Qonto's Basic plan?

The Basic plan costs EUR 9/month and includes 30 monthly transfers, 1 physical card and 2 virtual cards, plus account remuneration at 5% for the first 2 months.

Source
PayPal: Are there restrictions on when I can use buyer protection?

PayPal offers buyer protection for eligible purchases, but coverage limitations exist. A user agreement sets the specific conditions for protection eligibility.

Source
Qonto: What is the difference between self-employed and business plans?

Self-employed plans (Basic to Premium) are for individuals and cost EUR 9-39/month. Business plans (Essential to Enterprise) offer more transfers and cards for teams, ranging from EUR 49-199/month.

Source
PayPal: What payment methods can I link to PayPal?

PayPal's digital wallet allows storage of multiple payment methods and can be used for secure money transfers, payment requests, and checkout at major retailers.

Source
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