Kontist vs Holvi (2026): which business account for a German freelancer?

Two of the most common Geschäftskonto picks for a German freelancer — and they optimise for different things. Kontist wants to do your taxes; Holvi wants to be a calm banking-and-invoicing home. Here’s the honest split for a Freiberufler or Selbstständige.

Kontist — the tax-native account

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Kontist

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Best for: Automatic income-tax & VAT set-aside Free tier + paid plans

Built around the one thing a Freiberufler keeps getting wrong: Kontist sets aside income tax and VAT automatically on every payment, so the money is already parked when the Umsatzsteuer-Voranmeldung is due. It adds an integrated bookkeeping/tax tier and an ELSTER/DATEV-friendly export. German-first, ideal if you want the account itself to handle the tax discipline.

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Holvi — banking and invoicing in one

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Holvi

★★★★★ 4.2/5

Best for: A simple Geschäftskonto + invoicing Free tier + paid plans

A tidy account that keeps banking and invoicing together, popular with Kleinunternehmer and the self-employed who want a clean Geschäftskonto with light bookkeeping rather than heavy tax automation. Simpler than Kontist on the tax side, calmer if your setup is straightforward.

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Pick by what you need

• You want the account to handle income-tax and VAT set-aside → Kontist. The automation is the whole point, and it’s what saves a Freiberufler at Voranmeldung time.
• You’re a Kleinunternehmer or want simple banking + invoicing → Holvi. Less automation, less to manage, one calm place for the money and the invoices.
• You need full English or you bill across the EU/multi-currency → weigh a pan-EU account like Qonto (English, broader business tools) or Wise for cross-border receiving — you trade the German-tax-native features for reach.

Bottom line

If the tax set-aside is the reason you’re switching accounts, Kontist is the pick — it’s the Freiberufler’s tax-native default. If you want a simpler home for banking and invoicing, especially as a Kleinunternehmer, Holvi is the calmer choice. Both are solid German-market accounts; match the one to how you actually do your taxes. The full German field — Kontist, Qonto, Holvi, N26 and FYRST — is in the best business bank account for German freelancers guide.