Revolut vs Lunar 2026 — Nordic Neobank Comparison

The "revolut vs lunar" search trend has moved meaningfully in Google Search Console over the past quarter as Lunar continues to expand outside its Nordic core (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland) into the broader EU market. For Polish users who already hold an account at Revolut or other pan-European fintechs, the question is increasingly practical: does a Nordic-branded neobank with a full Danish banking license offer something materially different from Revolut's Lithuanian EMI/banking footprint?

This article compares Revolut and Lunar on the dimensions that actually move the needle in 2026 — fee structures, FX markups, IBAN type, deposit insurance, savings products, investing functionality, app UX, customer service, and the practical implications for users based in Poland.

Quick Answer / TL;DR

• Licensing: Revolut Bank UAB holds a full bank license from the Lithuanian central bank (passported across the EU). Lunar operates as a Danish bank under the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority (Finanstilsynet), with a separate Lunar Bank A/S entity.
• Deposit insurance: Revolut deposits are covered up to EUR 100,000 by the Lithuanian VIDB scheme. Lunar deposits are covered up to roughly DKK 750,000 (approximately EUR 100,000) by the Danish Garantiformuen (DK FGB).
• Pricing model: Revolut runs a tiered subscription model (Standard free, Plus ~EUR 3.99/month, Premium ~EUR 9.99/month, Metal ~EUR 14.99/month, Ultra ~EUR 55/month). Lunar offers Free, Pro and Premium tiers in Nordic markets, with a more limited rollout pattern outside DK/SE/NO/FI.
• FX: Both apply weekday interbank rates with weekend markups; Revolut applies a 1% markup beyond the free monthly FX allowance on lower tiers, while Lunar's FX is positioned as fee-free on the major tiers within a monthly limit, with a small markup beyond it.
• Polish availability: Revolut has been operating in Poland since 2015 and offers a Polish IBAN (PL) through Revolut Bank UAB Oddział w Polsce. Lunar's Polish availability is far more limited and depends on whether the user is resident in a supported market.

Comparison Table

Fees Breakdown

Revolut's fee structure is built around its subscription tiers. The Standard plan is genuinely free in nominal terms but rationed: EUR 200 ATM withdrawals per month before a 2% fee, capped foreign exchange (typically EUR 1,000 per month at interbank), and limited disposable virtual cards. Each tier above Standard expands those allowances and adds perks (travel insurance from Plus upward, lounge passes on Premium, concierge on Ultra).

Lunar follows a similar tiered logic but with a more Nordic flavour: the free tier is positioned as a "real bank account" for daily use, Pro adds higher allowances and travel features, Premium layers on insurance and a metal card. Pricing is denominated in local currency in the Nordic markets, which makes side-by-side comparison with Revolut messy: a DKK 99/month Pro tier translates to roughly EUR 13.30, which sits between Revolut Premium and Ultra depending on the exchange rate that day.

Many users underestimate the cost of the "in-between" actions. Out-of-network ATM withdrawals on a free Revolut Standard plan above the EUR 200 limit cost 2% (minimum EUR 1) — analysis suggests that a single EUR 300 cash withdrawal at a Polish bankomat can erase a month's worth of "fee-free" branding. Lunar's free tier on its Nordic markets is more generous on ATM allowance in absolute terms but is denominated in DKK or SEK, so the effective EUR equivalent fluctuates.

FX Rates and Currency Conversion

Revolut and Lunar both quote interbank-style rates during European business hours and apply a weekend markup, historically around 0.5%-1% on major pairs and meaningfully more on exotics. The differences are at the edges:

• Revolut's 1% FX fee applies on the Standard plan once you exceed roughly EUR 1,000 per calendar month of conversion. Plus, Premium and Metal raise that allowance progressively, and Ultra effectively removes it for most users.
• Lunar's FX policy varies more by market, with Pro/Premium tiers in DK and SE offering fee-free conversions within a monthly cap; beyond the cap, small markups apply. Outside the Nordics, the same tier may have different limits.

For Polish users who convert PLN-EUR regularly (for example, paying invoices, online subscriptions, or travel), historical comparison suggests Revolut is the more predictable option because PLN is a first-class supported currency with an EUR/PLN pair quoted continuously during the working week. Lunar's PLN support is, in 2026, less prominent and depends on whether the user has a PLN balance enabled.

Savings and Cash Interest

Both providers have responded to the post-2023 high-rate environment with cash-interest products. Revolut's Flexible Accounts (delivered via partner money market funds) pay variable yields that historically have tracked policy rates with a small drag — recent disclosures suggest yields in the 3.0%-3.5% range for EUR balances, with rates differing for USD and GBP. Higher tiers (Premium, Metal, Ultra) get larger allowances and sometimes a small uplift.

Lunar's "Lunar Save" and similar deposit products in the Nordic markets have advertised rates in the 3%-4% range on Pro/Premium tiers, typically capped at a stated balance threshold. Because Lunar is a deposit-taking bank in Denmark, these are bank deposits under the DK Garantiformuen guarantee — not money market fund exposure — which is a meaningful difference for users who care about the underlying legal structure.

For Polish residents, neither product currently competes head-to-head with what mBank, Pekao or local fintechs offer on PLN savings, simply because the most attractive rates from EU neobanks are quoted in EUR. That said, EUR savings can be useful for users who genuinely transact in EUR (cross-border workers, freelancers invoicing EU clients).

Cards, IBAN and Daily Banking

Revolut issues a Lithuanian (LT) IBAN by default, with the option of a Polish (PL) IBAN through the Polish branch (Revolut Bank UAB Oddział w Polsce) after the migration completed in earlier years. The PL IBAN materially improves acceptance with Polish employers, ZUS, US (tax office) and utility providers — analysis suggests a sizable share of issues with "non-standard" IBANs in Poland trace back to legacy systems that reject anything other than PL.

Lunar issues a Danish (DK) IBAN as default. For a user based in Poland who needs to receive salary, pay taxes or receive transfers from Polish counterparties, a DK IBAN works under SEPA but can cause friction in older systems that hardcode PL country prefixes.

Physical card design and metals are similar — both offer plastic, metal and virtual options across tiers, with Lunar leaning into Scandinavian minimalist branding and Revolut offering more numerous card skin variants.

Investing

Revolut Invest covers fractional US and EU stocks, ETFs, commodities and crypto. Commissions on stocks depend on the tier: Standard pays per-trade fees with a free monthly allowance (historically around 1 free trade/month, with paid trades at 0.25% or a fixed EUR 1, whichever is higher), while Ultra raises the allowance significantly. The ETF universe is curated rather than exhaustive — many investors note that not every UCITS ETF available at DEGIRO or Interactive Brokers shows up in Revolut.

Lunar's investing offer in the Nordics historically routed through partner brokers (such as Saxo) for stocks and ETFs, with crypto available in some markets. The fee model leaned toward percentage commissions on stock trades, with no native ETF Sparplan equivalent at the time of writing.

Neither platform offers IKE or IKZE — those tax-advantaged wrappers are restricted to Polish brokers (mBank Brokers, BOSSA, XTB on selected products, BM Pekao). For tax-advantaged investing, a Polish-licensed broker remains the only route.

Regulation and Deposit Insurance

Both providers carry EUR ~100,000 deposit insurance, but the legal substrate differs:

• Revolut Bank UAB is supervised by the Bank of Lithuania and joined the VIDB (Indėlių ir investicijų draudimas) scheme. EUR 100,000 covers each depositor per institution.
• Lunar Bank A/S is supervised by the Danish FSA and covered by Garantiformuen, with a DKK ceiling of around DKK 750,000 (the EUR equivalent moves with the EUR/DKK rate, which is itself tightly managed within the ERM II band).

For most retail users, the practical difference is negligible — both are EU-harmonised deposit guarantee schemes. For users with balances close to EUR 100,000, splitting across multiple institutions remains the prudent path regardless of which provider they choose.

App UX and Customer Service

Revolut's app is one of the most heavily iterated in the European fintech market. Recent versions emphasise a "hub-and-spoke" navigation pattern, with the main account front-and-centre and discrete tabs for cards, savings, invest and crypto. The customer service experience is in-app chat first, with phone support gated to higher tiers; reported response times vary substantially by tier and issue type.

Lunar's app, especially in its Nordic core markets, is consistently praised for design clarity, calm visual language and Scandinavian usability discipline. The phone support availability is more generous in core markets but thinner outside. For Polish users, the language coverage is a real consideration: Revolut has long supported Polish in-app, while Lunar's primary support languages remain Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish and English.

Polish Investor Perspective

For a Polish tax resident, the 19% Belka tax (podatek od zysków kapitałowych) applies to capital gains and interest from both Revolut and Lunar. Key practical points:

• Interest from Revolut Flexible Accounts denominated in EUR or other foreign currencies is reportable in PIT-38 (or the appropriate annex), converted at the NBP average rate from the working day preceding the income date.
• Lunar interest, if available to a Polish resident, is reported similarly. Neither platform withholds Polish Belka tax at source — the user is responsible for self-assessment.
• Capital gains from Revolut Invest are reported on PIT-38, with cost basis and proceeds converted to PLN at the relevant NBP rates. Revolut provides a yearly statement, but reconciling it with PIT-38 typically requires manual work.
• Neither broker is IKE or IKZE compatible. Polish tax wrappers remain restricted to Polish brokers (https://www.mbank.pl, https://bossa.pl, BM Pekao and select XTB IKE products in earlier years — verify current availability).

Tracking your portfolio across brokers: If you hold balances at Revolut, Lunar, a Polish broker and perhaps Trade Republic, Freenance consolidates them into a single view and projects your Financial Freedom Runway — how many months of expenses your liquid net worth covers at your current burn rate. Useful when juggling several IBANs and currencies.

When is Revolut Better than Lunar?

Analysis suggests Revolut is a stronger fit when:

• You are based in Poland and need a PL IBAN for salary, ZUS or US compatibility.
• You want a single app that covers banking, FX, crypto, stocks, commodities and savings.
• You travel widely outside the Nordics and want broad language support.
• You value depth of features over design minimalism.

When is Lunar Better than Revolut?

Lunar tends to win when:

• You are resident in Denmark, Sweden, Norway or Finland and value a locally-licensed bank.
• You prefer the deposit substrate of a Danish-supervised bank with Garantiformuen coverage.
• You value Scandinavian app design and the local language and customer service depth.
• You do not need exotic investment products and are content with a stocks/crypto subset via partner brokers.

FAQ

Is Lunar available in Poland in 2026? Lunar's primary markets remain Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland. Polish residency support is limited and may be unavailable depending on the user's documentation and address; many investors in Poland default to Revolut for daily neobank usage.

Which has stronger deposit insurance? Both offer EUR ~100,000 per depositor under their respective national schemes (Lithuanian VIDB for Revolut, Danish Garantiformuen for Lunar). The numerical ceiling is effectively equivalent for retail users.

Can I get a Polish IBAN with Lunar? No — Lunar issues a Danish IBAN. Revolut, via its Polish branch, offers a PL IBAN that resolves the vast majority of compatibility issues with Polish institutional systems.

What FX markup does Lunar charge compared to Revolut? Both apply small markups on FX, with monthly allowances depending on tier. Historical data shows Lunar Pro/Premium offering broadly competitive FX, but Revolut's wider currency support (including PLN as a first-class pair) is the more practical option for most Polish users.

Do either bank report capital gains to Polish tax authorities? Neither withholds Belka tax at source. Polish tax residents must self-report income from Revolut Invest, savings interest and Lunar (if applicable) on PIT-38 and adjacent forms using NBP conversion rates.

Can I open both? Yes — many users hold Revolut as the daily transactional account with a PL IBAN and use Lunar (or another Nordic neobank) for specific use cases such as Nordic travel, EUR savings or simply portfolio diversification across deposit guarantee schemes.

Worked Cost Examples

Three Polish-resident usage profiles, with monthly cost estimates:

Profile 1 — Daily account, EUR 1,000/month travel spend in EUR, EUR 200/month ATM withdrawals while abroad:

• Revolut Standard: EUR 1,000 fits within typical monthly FX allowance; EUR 200 ATM matches the free allowance. Total: ~EUR 0/month.
• Lunar Free (if Polish access were available): Similar profile in DK markets ~EUR 0/month; outside Nordics depends on configuration.

Profile 2 — Heavy traveller, EUR 3,000/month FX, EUR 500/month ATM:

• Revolut Standard: EUR 2,000 over the free FX allowance at 1% = EUR 20; EUR 300 over the free ATM allowance at 2% = EUR 6. Total: ~EUR 26/month.
• Revolut Premium at ~EUR 9.99/month: Allowances absorb the usage. Total: ~EUR 10/month.
• Lunar Pro/Premium: Pricing depends on market; broadly EUR 6-15/month at the Pro tier, EUR 13-20/month at Premium.

Profile 3 — Savings-focused user, EUR 30,000 EUR balance in a savings product:

• Revolut Flexible Account: ~EUR 30,000 × 3.25% = ~EUR 975/year gross interest (before 19% Belka for Polish residents). Net ~EUR 790/year.
• Lunar Save (Nordic markets): ~EUR 30,000 × 3.5% = ~EUR 1,050/year gross. Net ~EUR 850/year for Polish residents (Belka 19% self-assessed; no withholding at source).

The savings differential between the two is small in absolute terms; the bigger consideration is whether the user can actually open and fund a Lunar account from Poland.

Onboarding and KYC

Revolut onboarding for Polish residents is well-trodden — typical KYC steps include a photo of the dowód osobisty or paszport, a selfie video, and source-of-funds questions for higher tiers. The Polish branch onboarding is automated and the PL IBAN is issued quickly. Time-to-card on file is usually a few days.

Lunar onboarding is geared to its Nordic markets — Danish residents use MitID, Swedish residents BankID, and so on. For non-Nordic residents, the onboarding path is more constrained: Polish-resident applicants typically face friction or unavailability depending on the period and the documentation accepted.

N26 (covered in the three-way comparison) sits between the two — full availability for Polish residents with DE IBAN, standard document KYC.

App Feature Surface

Revolut's app, in 2026, includes: multi-currency accounts, virtual and physical cards (with disposable virtual cards on higher tiers), FX, Vaults, Pockets, Group Bills, Flexible Accounts (savings), Invest (stocks, ETFs, crypto, commodities), Insurance (purchased separately), Travel features (lounge passes on premium tiers, eSIM), Donations, RevPoints rewards programme, and the Ultra-tier perks (concierge, partner subscriptions).

Lunar's app emphasises: account view, transactions, savings, cards, the "Goals" feature for visual savings targets, investment view in supported markets, family/junior accounts in some markets, and travel insurance bundling on premium tiers.

The functional surface area is meaningfully larger at Revolut. For users who treat their banking app as a financial hub, Revolut offers more in one place. For users who prefer a focused, calm interface for daily banking and savings, Lunar's narrower surface is a feature rather than a limitation.

Sources

• Bank of Lithuania, supervisory disclosures for Revolut Bank UAB.
• Danish Financial Supervisory Authority (Finanstilsynet), bank register entry for Lunar Bank A/S.
• VIDB (Indėlių ir investicijų draudimas) public scheme documentation, Lithuania.
• Garantiformuen (Danish deposit guarantee fund) coverage statements.
• Revolut tier pricing pages and terms of service, accessed Q2 2026.
• Lunar tier pricing and product documentation, Nordic markets, accessed Q2 2026.
• Narodowy Bank Polski, daily average exchange rate tables.
• Krajowa Administracja Skarbowa, PIT-38 reporting guidance for foreign-source capital income.