Our Recommendations

Services and tools we actually use and trust. Every recommendation includes honest pros and cons.

Transparency note: Some links below are affiliate links. If you sign up through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend services we genuinely believe in. Read our full disclaimer.

Bank Accounts

Open your first German bank account in minutes.

Recommended

N26

★★★★½ 4.5/5

Free mobile bank account with a German IBAN. Fully digital, English-friendly app.

+ Free standard account+ Full English app+ Fast setup (under 10 min) - No cash deposits- No physical branches

Open N26 Account

C24 Bank

★★★★ 4.3/5

Free smart banking with up to 2.5% interest on your balance. German-only app.

+ Free account with interest+ Excellent budgeting tools+ Up to 4 free sub-accounts - App only in German- Newer bank (less established)

Open C24 Account

DKB

★★★★ 4.4/5

Germany's largest direct bank. Free Visa debit card, great for international travel.

+ Free worldwide ATM withdrawals+ Free Visa debit card+ Very established and trusted - App mostly in German- Slow account opening

Open DKB Account

Investment Platforms

Start building wealth with commission-free ETF plans.

Recommended

Trade Republic

★★★★½ 4.5/5

Commission-free investing in stocks, ETFs, and crypto. 1 EUR per trade for savings plans.

+ Commission-free savings plans+ 3.25% interest on cash+ Simple, clean app - Mobile-only (no desktop)- Limited order types

Start Investing

Scalable Capital

★★★★ 4.3/5

Modern broker with free ETF savings plans and a robo-advisor option.

+ Free ETF savings plans+ Desktop + mobile+ Robo-advisor available - Trading fees on free tier- Interface can be complex

Start Investing

Health Insurance

Find the right public or private health insurance.

Recommended

TK (Techniker Krankenkasse)

★★★★½ 4.6/5

Germany's largest public health insurer. Excellent English support for expats.

+ Best English support+ Excellent digital services+ Large network - Same base rate as all public insurers- Some premium add-ons cost extra

Apply at TK

Feather Insurance

★★★★ 4.4/5

Insurance broker for expats. Handles public and private health insurance in English.

+ 100% English service+ Free consultation+ Handles all paperwork - Broker (not direct insurer)- Limited to partner insurers

Get Free Quote

Credit Cards

Get a real credit card with no annual fees.

Recommended

Advanzia Mastercard Gold

★★★★ 4.2/5

Free gold credit card with no foreign transaction fees and travel insurance included.

+ No annual fee+ No foreign transaction fees+ Free travel insurance - High interest on unpaid balance- Must pay full balance monthly

Apply Now

TF Bank Mastercard Gold

★★★★ 4.1/5

Free gold Mastercard with travel insurance and no foreign transaction fees. No German credit history needed.

+ No annual fee+ No foreign transaction fees+ Travel insurance included - High interest on revolving balance- Customer support in German only

Apply Now

Barclays Visa

★★★★ 4/5

Free Visa credit card with up to 2 months interest-free on purchases. Good for building German credit history.

+ No annual fee+ Up to 2 months interest-free+ Builds German credit history (SCHUFA) - Requires German address and income proof- Foreign transaction fees apply

Apply Now

Tax Software

File your German tax return in English and get your refund.

Recommended

Wundertax

★★★★ 4.3/5

Simple online tax return software in English. Average refund: 1,063 EUR.

+ Full English interface+ Simple step-by-step process+ Only pay if you file - Not suitable for complex cases- No personal advisor

File Tax Return

SteuerGo

★★★★ 4.2/5

Online tax return software with an English interface. Guided process walks you through every step.

+ Full English interface+ Step-by-step guidance+ Cheaper than Wundertax at 34.95 EUR - Limited freelancer support- No personal tax advisor

File Tax Return

Taxfix

★★★★ 4.3/5

Mobile-first tax app that files your return in under 30 minutes. Simple Q&A format, average refund over 1,000 EUR.

+ Very simple Q&A format+ Mobile-first design+ English available - Not suitable for complex tax situations- Freelancer support limited

File Tax Return

SIM Cards

Get connected on Germany's best network.

Recommended

fraenk

★★★★ 4.1/5

Simple, no-contract mobile plan on Telekom's network. 5 GB for 10 EUR/month.

+ Telekom network (best coverage)+ No contract, cancel anytime+ Simple pricing - App only in German- Limited data options

Get fraenk

ALDI Talk

★★★★ 4/5

Affordable prepaid SIM on the O2 network. Available at any ALDI store, no contract required.

+ Available at every ALDI store+ No contract, fully prepaid+ Very affordable plans from 7.99 EUR - O2 network (weaker rural coverage)- App only in German

Get ALDI Talk

Lidl Connect

★★★½ 3.9/5

Prepaid mobile on the Vodafone network. No contract, decent rural coverage, competitive pricing.

+ Vodafone network (better rural coverage)+ No contract+ Good data packages - Limited availability outside Lidl stores- App only in German

Get Lidl Connect

Accommodation

Find furnished apartments for your first months in Germany.

Recommended

Wunderflats

★★★★ 4.2/5

Furnished apartments for medium-term stays (1-24 months). Verified landlords, no SCHUFA needed.

+ Furnished and ready to move in+ No SCHUFA required+ All-inclusive pricing - Higher monthly rent than unfurnished- Limited availability in smaller cities

Browse Apartments

Language Learning

Learn German with the best apps and courses.

Recommended

Babbel

★★★★ 4.4/5

Structured German language courses built by linguists. Berlin-based company with the best German course on the market.

+ Best structured German course+ Speech recognition for pronunciation+ Offline mode available - About 7 EUR per month- Limited conversation practice

Start Learning

Job Platforms

Find tech and professional jobs with visa sponsorship.

Recommended

Honeypot

★★★★ 4.3/5

Tech-focused job platform where companies apply to you. Strong presence in Germany, supports visa sponsorship.

+ Companies apply to you+ Tech-focused (developers, data, product)+ Visa sponsorship support - Tech roles only- Requires coding profile/assessment

Create Profile