Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Lightning Network VS bunq

Compare Lightning Network VS bunq and see what are their differences

Lightning Network logo Lightning Network

The Lightning Network is a scalable decentralized network that has been making waves in the digital currency community as it is a system that offers near-instant payments at almost no cost.

bunq logo bunq

bank of the Free! Mobile banking that makes life easy.
Visit Website
  • Lightning Network Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-02-13
  • bunq landing page
    landing page //
    2024-11-08
  • bunq business page
    business page //
    2024-11-08

A mobile banking solution designed to simplify personal and business finances with innovative features.

Lightning Network features and specs

  • Scalability
    The Lightning Network significantly improves transaction speed on the Bitcoin network by enabling off-chain transactions, which reduces congestion and increases scalability.
  • Lower Fees
    Transactions conducted over the Lightning Network usually incur lower fees compared to on-chain Bitcoin transactions, making micropayments more feasible.
  • Instant Transactions
    Payments made through the Lightning Network are conducted instantly, which is beneficial for both merchants and consumers who require quick transaction confirmations.
  • Improved Privacy
    Since transactions occur off-chain, they are not posted to the Bitcoin public ledger, enhancing user privacy and confidentiality.
  • Reduced Blockchain Load
    By conducting numerous transactions off-chain, the Lightning Network decreases the load on the Bitcoin blockchain, preserving resources and increasing efficiency.

Possible disadvantages of Lightning Network

  • Complexity
    Setting up and managing payment channels on the Lightning Network can be technically complex, possibly hindering widespread adoption among average users.
  • Liquidity Requirements
    Users need to lock up Bitcoin in a payment channel to use the Lightning Network, which can impose liquidity constraints and reduce the availability of funds.
  • Network Stability
    The Lightning Network depends on a series of interconnected channels, which may lead to instability or failures if nodes go offline or there isn't a sufficient number of channels.
  • Security Concerns
    While off-chain transactions provide privacy, they also pose potential security risks, such as the possibility of dishonest participants attempting to exploit the network.
  • Routing Issues
    Efficiently routing payments through the network can be challenging due to the decentralized nature of the Lightning Network, potentially causing delays or failures in transactions.

bunq features and specs

  • 100% online – no branch visits, no paperwork
    Get started from anywhere, anytime. Just download the bunq app, and you’ll never need to visit a physical branch.
  • Manage expenses effortlessly
    Create up to 25 Bank Accounts to organize your budgeting, manage salaries, set aside savings, and even handle multiple local currencies—all within seconds.
  • Earn Cashback
    Get rewarded for every payment made with your card, including employee cards—paid weekly.
  • Free Business Account for Freelancers
    A perfect no fee business bank account option to help you manage your finances efficiently.
  • Tap to Pay (receiving payments)
    Businesses can easily accept in-person, contactless payments for your business. Wherever you are, all you need to accept card payments is your bunq app and your smartphone.
  • Save time with automation
    From bookkeeping integrations and AutoVAT to quick invoice processing, bunq offers a wide range of tools that save you time, so you can get back to running your business.
  • Sky-high interest rates
    Boost your savings with 2.51% interest on EUR for personal accounts and 0.75% for business accounts — and earn even more on USD and GBP. Interest is paid out every week, so you can benefit from compound interest.
  • Teamwork made easy
    For businesses - quickly and safely share your account with co-directors and employees, so you can manage money collectively and make financial decisions together, all within the bunq app.
  • Bank like a local, wherever you are
    Open accounts with NL, DE, ES, FR & IE IBANs, and in up to 22 currencies quickly and without any hassle. You also get 6 worldwide ATM withdrawals for free every month.
  • Plant trees with your card
    As a bunq user you'll plant trees just by using your bunq card. We're planting mangroves in Kenya thanks to our partner veritree. You can also track the estimated CO2 impact of your transactions in the app!
  • Exclusive Business Card perks
    With our business accounts, get top discounts on tools and services like Google Workspace to help your business grow and succeed.

Analysis of bunq

Overall verdict

  • Bunq is generally regarded as a good option for those looking for a modern, mobile-first banking experience, especially if sustainability and innovative financial tools are important to you. However, it may not be the cheapest option as it charges a monthly fee for certain account types.

Why this product is good

  • Bunq is often praised for its innovative features which are designed to provide a modern and flexible banking experience. It offers a highly user-friendly app, multiple sub-accounts for budgeting, instant payment notifications, and the ability to plant trees with certain transactions. It's also known for its commitment to sustainability and transparency. Users who value quick, on-the-go banking often appreciate bunq's seamless interface and customizable options. Additionally, bunq supports multiple currencies and provides various tools for managing finances effectively.

Recommended for

    Bunq is recommended for tech-savvy individuals, frequent travelers, environmentally conscious users, and anyone who values digital convenience and flexibility in their banking services. It's especially useful for those who are comfortable managing their finances through a mobile app and who can benefit from features like real-time budget tracking and multiple currency support.

Lightning Network videos

Bitcoin Lightning Network: This You NEED TO KNOW!! ⚡️

More videos:

  • Review - Why The Lightning Network Does not Scale
  • Review - Bitcoin Lightning Network Explained: How it Actually Works

bunq videos

bunq Update 27

More videos:

  • Review - Bunq Review - The SUPERGREEN Bank of the Future!
  • Review - Automate your payments with bunq API

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Lightning Network and bunq)
Development
100 100%
0% 0
Finance
26 26%
74% 74
Online Payments
0 0%
100% 100
Maps
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Lightning Network should be more popular than bunq. It has been mentiond 24 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Lightning Network mentions (24)

  • Navigating the Path to Blockchain Scalability: Emerging Solutions and Innovations
    Financial Services: Scalable blockchain solutions enable high-frequency trading, real-time settlement, and decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms. With rollups and state channels, platforms like Lightning Network and Optimism make micropayments more feasible and cost effective. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • NOOB - Wallet of Satoshi sats.
    It’s indeed Bitcoin, but on the Lightning Network. https://lightning.network. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Texas paid Bitcoin miner more than $31M to cut energy usage
    > Latency and fees are higher than existing mechanisms in most of the world, and at much higher environmental cost. This statement is simply incorrect. The later 2 scaling ecosystems built on top of Bitcoin and Ethereum offer 1-2 second transaction times for 3-4 cents in fees. The electrical costs are equivalent to sending an email. https://lightning.network/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Bitcoin and Lightning Labs for AI development
    A new collection of Bitcoin tools created especially for the development of artificial intelligence (AI) was recently released by Lightning Labs, the primary creator of the Bitcoin Lightning Network. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Inflation will keep going up for eternity
    Lightning network enables instant payments with Bitcoin https://lightning.network/. Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

bunq mentions (3)

  • NexoCard issues/rejections in Germany
    I had similar issues with bunq.com from Netherlands where their Mastercards where registered in Russia and they had to fix it and afterwards everything is fine and you can use the card without any major problems. Source: about 3 years ago
  • [FWI] More people would use those existing solutions?
    Plants trees for customers under 18 • https://bunq.com. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Is YNAB really better than just using multiple bank accounts as envelopes?
    I use Vivid here in Germany (https://vivid.money/en-de/) and before that Bunq (deemed it too expensive) (http://bunq.com), but these are both only available in Europe. Looks like One Finance could be an alternative for people in the US, if that applies to you (https://www.onefinance.com). Source: over 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Lightning Network and bunq, you can also consider the following products

Avalanche - Avalanche was founded at MIT with the mission to create a high scalability blockchain platform that has been used by developers around the globe to create new applications that are based and run by cryptocurrency.

Stripe - Online payment processing for internet businesses. Stripe is a suite of payment APIs that powers commerce for online businesses of all sizes. Use Stripe’s payment platform to accept and process payments online for easy-to-use commerce solutions.

Meter - Meter is a decentralized and high-performance-based infrastructure that allows for the development of blockchain applications.

BankWorld Mobile - Mobile banking software

Hedera Hashgraph - A superior consensus algorithm.

MyBank - Mobile banking system with digital passbook & bill payments