Alternatives to Bank Deposits in 2026 2026

A fixed-term bank deposit is no longer the only way to earn a return on your savings. In 2026 there are alternatives with equal or higher yields and different risk and liquidity profiles: instant-access savings accounts, treasury bills, money market funds with daily liquidity, and peer-to-peer lending platforms with higher returns. APYData compares all options so you can choose the one that best fits your profile.

Products compared

5.09%

Best APY available

2.77%

Average APY

#	Entity	Product	APY	Score	Risk	Liquidity	View
1	Ibercaja	Cuenta Vamos	5.09%	8.5	Low	Instant	View →
2	Bankinter	Cuenta Nómina	5.00%	8.4	Low	Instant	View →
3	Raisin	Cuenta Bienvenida	3.33%	8.0	Low	Instant	View →
4	Scalable Capital	Scalable Capital — Cash EUR	2.50%	7.7	Low	Instant	View →
5	Banco Sabadell	Cuenta Online	2.50%	7.7	Low	Instant	View →
6	Bunq	Bunq — Easy Savings (EUR)	2.31%	7.7	Low	Instant	View →
7	Revolut	Cuenta Remunerada	2.27%	7.7	Low	Instant	View →
8	Bankinter	Cuenta Digital	2.15%	7.6	Low	Instant	View →
9	MyInvestor	Cuenta Remunerada	2.10%	7.6	Low	Instant	View →
10	Openbank	Cuenta de Ahorro	2.02%	7.6	Low	Instant	View →
11	Trade Republic	Cuenta Remunerada	2.02%	7.6	Low	Instant	View →
12	Abanca	Cuenta Remunerada	2.00%	7.6	Low	Instant	View →
13	N26	N26 Instant Savings Metal (1,30% TAE)	1.30%	7.4	Low	Instant	View →
14	ING Direct	Cuenta Naranja	1.00%	7.3	Low	Instant	View →
15	Tesoro Público (España)	Obligaciones del Estado 30 años	3.60%	7.2	Low	Market hours	View →
16	Ministero dell'Economia (Italia)	BTP 10 años	3.59%	7.2	Low	Market hours	View →
17	Agence France Trésor (Francia)	OAT 10 años	3.37%	7.1	Low	Market hours	View →
18	Tesoro Público (España)	Obligaciones del Estado 10 años	3.22%	7.1	Low	Market hours	View →
19	IGCP — Agência de Gestão da Tesouraria (Portugal)	OT 10 años	3.08%	7.0	Low	Market hours	View →
20	Ministero dell'Economia (Italia)	BTP 5 años	3.00%	7.0	Low	Market hours	View →

Want to filter by term, currency or guarantee?
Use the full comparator with all available filters.

Open comparator →

Why look for alternatives to bank deposits?

Fixed-term deposits from Spanish banks have improved following ECB rate hikes, but most still sit below 3% APY. With inflation at 2.5–3%, the real return on many deposits is marginal. There are alternatives that offer the same security with better returns, or higher returns by taking on slightly more risk.

The 5 best alternatives to bank deposits in 2026

1. Savings accounts (instant liquidity)

A savings account pays interest on your available balance with no lock-in and no withdrawal penalty. The best in Spain in 2026 exceed 2.50% APY. Key advantage: total liquidity. Ideal as a complement or partial replacement for a fixed-term deposit.

Bnext: 2.50% (1st year) · Trade Republic: ~2.02% · MyInvestor: ~2.10%
Spanish or European DGS coverage up to €100,000

2. Treasury bills (sovereign guarantee)

Spanish government debt offers yields of 2.3–2.5% over 6–12 months with a Spanish State guarantee. Tax advantage: no withholding at source (you declare in your annual return). For amounts over €100,000, they are the only alternative with sovereign protection.

3. Money market funds (daily liquidity, no DGS but low risk)

Money market funds invest in short-term, high-quality debt offering yields of 2.2–2.8% with daily liquidity. Available through brokers such as Freedom24 or XTB. No DGS coverage, but very low risk profile.

4. European bank deposits (up to 3.5% APY)

Through platforms like Raisin, you can open fixed-term deposits from European banks (Estonia, Latvia, Malta, Portugal) with yields above the Spanish average and the same EU DGS coverage up to €100,000.

5. Peer-to-peer lending (higher yield, higher risk)

Platforms like Mintos (~10.5%) or Bondora (~6.75%) let you lend directly to individuals and businesses, earning yields well above bank deposits. However, there is no DGS coverage and there is real default risk. Only recommended for a portion of your portfolio, with diversification.

Quick comparison of alternatives

Alternative	APY approx.	Liquidity	Guarantee
Savings account	2.0–2.5%	Instant	DGS €100k
Treasury bills	2.3–2.5%	6–12 months	State
Money market fund	2.2–2.8%	Daily	No DGS
European deposit (Raisin)	2.4–3.5%	Fixed term	EU DGS €100k
P2P lending	6–10.5%	Variable	No guarantee

Explore all alternatives on APYData

APY Radar — weekly yield alerts

Receive an email when a product exceeds your target APY. No ads, no spam — just data.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best alternatives to bank deposits in 2026?

The main alternatives are: savings accounts (instant liquidity, 2–2.5% APY), treasury bills (2.4%, no initial withholding), money market funds (2.2–2.8%, daily liquidity), peer-to-peer lending (6–10%, higher risk) and European neobank savings accounts (up to 2.5%).

Are alternatives more profitable than bank deposits?

It depends on the timeframe. For 12 months, P2P lending (Mintos: ~10.5%) significantly outperforms deposits (up to 3.5%). For instant liquidity, money market funds and neobanks like Bnext (2.5%) are competitive. Deposits remain unbeatable combining DGS security with solid returns.

Are treasury bills better than a bank deposit?

It depends on your tax situation. Treasury bills offer no withholding tax at source (you declare in your annual return). For amounts over €100,000 they are the only sovereign-guaranteed alternative. For smaller amounts, a good deposit usually pays the same or more with greater convenience.

What are the risks of P2P lending vs a bank deposit?

P2P lending (Mintos, Bondora) is not covered by any DGS and carries borrower default risk plus platform risk. A DGS-covered bank deposit up to €100,000 has no capital loss risk. The higher P2P APY (6–10%) compensates for a real risk of partial capital loss.