Pro Account for SMEs: Pennylane vs. Qonto – which to choose?

Why choosing a pro account impacts your finances

For SMEs already generating more than €500,000 in revenue, a modern business account must be much more than a simple checkbook: it centralizes flows, secures funds, simplifies accounting, accelerates payments and allows for smooth expense management.

So, when choosing a professional tool, you can't just settle for a simple payment method. Consider Pennylane and Qonto: two strong players, but with very different banking options.

Pennylane: an integrated pro account, designed for 360° management

Pennylane makes a solid proposition by combining a bank account with a financial tool. With a French IBAN , unlimited SEPA transfers and direct debits , and free physical and virtual Mastercard cards with unlimited use , everything is automated.

Each transaction triggers a mobile notification. Your employees can attach a photo receipt, which is instantly reconciled in their accounting system.

But Pennylane goes further: the account also accepts instant transfers, check cashing, and offers real cash flow financing – payment anticipation or factoring, all included in the subscription.

Pennylane also allows you to track and manage notifications of missing supporting documents, automatic reminders, reconciliation and automatic generation of entries.

In short, with Pennylane you manage everything, cards, salaries, invoices, from a single dashboard.

Qonto: a high-performance pro account but geared towards “pre-accounting”

Qonto offers a complete pro account, with quick opening (~10 min) and French IBAN. Physical and virtual cards are included, with segmented offers (One, Plus, X) offering different limits, insurance and withdrawals.

The Qonto account also manages instant SEPA transfers, SWIFT, direct debits, sub-accounts with dedicated IBANs, and financing solutions (loans, cash flow).

The interface provides dashboards, team expense management, integrated invoicing and synchronization with software: all aimed at optimizing the process, right down to pre-accounting.

However, Qonto does not automatically generate your accounting entries. The data must be exported or synchronized to external software or sent to your accountant.

Pennylane vs Qonto Comparison Chart

Function	Pennylane	Qonto
IBAN & transfers	French IBAN, unlimited SEPA, instant payments included	French IBAN, SEPA instant, SWIFT, sub-accounts
Pro cards	Unlimited free physical/virtual Mastercards	One/Plus/X cards, various limits & insurance
Collection & direct debit	Checks, SEPA direct debits, automated collections	Transfers, direct debits, collections via electronic invoicing
Funding	Cash advance, integrated factoring	Loans, cash flow, internal financing facility
Supporting documents & lettering	Supporting notifications, reminders, automatic lettering	Receipt reminders, expense management, export to accounting tools
Accounting	Complete accounting, generation of entries, automatic reconciliation	Accounting preparation, synchronization possible, external processing required
Steering & reporting	Financial dashboards, real-time monitoring	Dashboards, expense management, collaborative expenses
Basic pricing	From €14/month, all inclusive	From €9/month, 24/7 support, modular features (Essential, Smart, Premium)

Which bank card should I choose?

If you're looking for simplicity and cost control, Pennylane stands out: unlimited cards, zero additional fees, immediate activation, and direct accounting integration. Perfect for managing team expenses without the hassle.

On the other hand, if your company has international needs or premium uses, the Qonto Plus/X range is interesting: high ceilings, reinforced insurance and premium services such as concierge or no exchange fees.

Blendy's favorite ❤️

At Blendy, international CPA based in Paris, France, we mostly recommend Pennylane for two strong reasons:

• You already use Pennylane for your accounting: integrating the pro account is the natural next step. Everything works within a single interface, without any interruptions or manual exports.

  
  

  Not only do you benefit from unified management (accounting + cards), but you also simplify your internal processes: everything is configured from the same interface, with instant transmission of supporting documents.

  
  

• You are on Qonto today: congratulations on the banking step, but Qonto remains a pre-accounting solution.

  
  

  Your banking data still needs to be exported, prepared, and then entered into software or via your accountant.

  
  

  With Pennylane, everything is native, including accounting, automatic lettering and built-in financing, without the need for multiple tools.

  
  

Of course, Qonto's offerings remain relevant for SMEs that are very international or require premium service options (concierge, unlimited withdrawals, travel insurance), but if your goal is to streamline the financial chain from A to Z, Pennylane is our favorite.

Ready to make the right choice?

Looking for a personalized audit of your expenses? When we begin our collaboration, the Blendy team proposes an onboarding session to determine whether Pennylane or Qonto is a better fit for your SME's financial and operational strategy.

Contact us today for a personalized analysis!

Contact us now

With Blendy, International CPA, take advantage of digital accounting to accelerate your financial process and develop your business.

Pennylane, Dext, QuickBooks and Stripe certified, we support digital, e-Commerce, IT services, SaaS companies in France and internationally.