Comparison · 2026 edition
Nium vs Swan: virtual accounts compared 2026.
Nium and Swan side by side in the Virtual Accounts and IBANs Index 2026: scores, evidence, published facts and awards.
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Nium and Swan side by side in the Virtual Accounts and IBANs Index 2026: scores, evidence, published facts and awards.
In the Virtual Accounts and IBANs Index, Nium scores higher overall: 3.8 out of 5 (75 out of 100) against 2.8 (56), ranking 3 and 5 of 10. Nium also scores higher in every segment.
Overall and segment scores out of 100, and the score out of 5.
| Score | Nium | Swan |
|---|---|---|
| Score out of 5 | 3.8 | 2.8 |
| Score out of 100 | 75 | 56 |
| Overall rank | 3 of 10 | 5 of 10 |
| For payment and e-money firms (out of 100) | 81, rank 2 | 66, rank 6 |
| For marketplaces and platforms (out of 100) | 75, rank 3 | 58, rank 5 |
| For businesses collecting from abroad (out of 100) | 69, rank 3 | 45, rank 8 |
| Type | Multi-currency accounts and virtual accounts for platforms | Euro accounts and virtual IBANs under a French e-money licence |
Each score with the evidence behind it.
| Criterion | Nium | Swan |
|---|---|---|
| Currencies and markets | 5/5 20+ issuing currencies and 28 collection currencies published. | 1/5 Euro only, with IBANs from five countries. |
| Account ownership | 5/5 Accounts and virtual accounts in customers' names published. | 4/5 Accounts with IBANs for the client's users and virtual IBANs published; naming of each account not stated. |
| Published pricing | 0/5 Not published. | 1/5 Only a "starting from" plan price published. |
| Local rails and speed | 5/5 Same-day or real-time receipt on local systems in several markets. | 2/5 SEPA receipt published; instant receipt not published. |
| Regulatory standing | 4/5 Licences with numbers in many markets; safeguarding terms not on the pages read. | 5/5 Own e-money licence with register number and named safeguarding banks. |
| Integration | 3/5 API and webhooks; sandbox and launch time not stated on the accounts page. | 5/5 API, sandbox, no-code screens and a stated launch time. |
Each criterion is scored 0 to 5 against the best published offer in the Virtual Accounts and IBANs Index. 0 means not offered or not published. How it is scored
What each provider publishes on its own pages, read on 26 October 2026.
| Fact | Nium | Swan |
|---|---|---|
| Currencies and markets | "Issue accounts under your own brand in 20+ currencies"; "inbound collections in 28 local and global currencies"; hold and convert in 100+ currencies. | Euro accounts with IBANs starting FR, DE, ES, NL and IT; services across the EEA. |
| Account ownership | "Issue a local account in your customer's name"; "Give each customer a dedicated virtual account"; "VANs are issued in your customers' names." | "All accounts come with an IBAN"; virtual IBANs listed; accounts opened for the client's users. |
| Pricing | Not published; "No hidden markups". | "Starting from 2990€/m" for Swan on demand; no set-up fees; sandbox free. |
| Local rails and speed | "local rails (SEPA, Faster Payments, ACH, FAST, and others)" plus SWIFT and USDC; "Most local rail funding settles same-day or in real time." | Not listed in this index |
| Regulatory standing | NIUM Pte. Ltd. MAS Major Payment Institution PS20200276; Nium Fintech Limited FCA e-money institution 901024; UAB Nium EU Bank of Lithuania licence No. 14; Nium, Inc. NMLS ID 1528562. Security badges: ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 2 Type 2. | Electronic money institution authorised by the ACPR, REGAFI 86245; client funds safeguarded at BNP Paribas and Natixis. |
| Integration | Single API with webhooks; documentation at docs.nium.com; white-label, "Nium stays invisible" to end users. | Sandbox with API explorer and event simulator; no-code white-label screens; "launch in weeks, not months". |
| Local rails | Not listed in this index | SEPA transfers and SEPA Direct Debit; SEPA Instant not mentioned. |
| Date read | 26 October 2026 | 26 October 2026 |
Not published or not stated by Nium: pricing, regulatory standing and integration.
Not published or not stated by Swan: account ownership, local rails and speed and integration.
Facts read on 26 October 2026 from: nium.com/products/multi-currency-accounts, nium.com/regulatory-disclosures, nium.com/products/global-payouts; and swan.io/pricing, swan.io/use-cases/fintech, swan.io/faq.
Awards follow from the published scores and cannot be bought.
From each provider's strongest criteria and published terms.
Payment firms and platforms issuing accounts in their customers' names under their own brand.
European platforms issuing euro accounts with local IBANs to their customers.
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