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Alpian Bank Review: Digital private bank at fair prices

There are over 100 private banks in Switzerland. These banks generally only open their doors to very wealthy individuals and offer them highly personalised services.

In 2019, the Alpian Bank which is changing this. Alpian positions itself as a digital private bank and also offers People with fewer assets very attractive services.

Fair interest rates, extremely favourable exchange rates and personal advice are just a few examples. In this Alpian experience report, you can find out everything you need to know about the digital private bank Alpian!

📊 Alpian - The most important things at a glance
RegulationSwiss banking licence - FINMA, Geneva
Deposit protectionUp to CHF 100,000
Account managementFree of charge - No minimum deposit
CurrenciesCHF, EUR, USD, GBP - Multi-currency account
Currency exchangeFrom 0.2% (weekday) - 0.5% (weekend)
InterestKey interest rate dependent - current conditions in the app
Asset management0.75% p.a. - from CHF 300,000 staggered up to 0.50%
Product costs (TER)Approx. 0.15-0.40% - depending on portfolio
Pillar 3a✅ Yes - BlackRock fund - 0.60% p.a. (until the end of 2026: 0%)
ETF savings plans✅ Yes - Global, Switzerland, Sustainable, Crypto
Counselling✅ Personal - Video call or chat in the app
Cash withdrawal CHCHF 2 per purchase
MapStandard free of charge - metal card CHF 60
Custody of securitiesInteractive Brokers (USA)
Who is it suitable for?Investors from ~CHF 50'000 who want digital and favourable private banking services
💡 Schwiizerfranke assessment: Alpian is the most favourable entry-level solution in the Swiss private banking world - personal advice, multi-currency account and ETF strategies from 0.75% p.a. Particularly strong as a second bank for travellers and larger assets. All robo-advisors in comparison →

Table of contents

Alpian Bank advantages at a glance

The following Alpian advantages speak in favour of the offer:

  • Swiss banking licence with CHF 100,000 Deposit guarantee
  • Attractive interest rates on the new Alpian savings account
  • Very favourable exchange rates with surcharge from 0.2% on weekdays.
  • A Multi-currency account with 4 currencies: CHF, USD, EUR, GBP
  • Free e-tax statement
  • Integrated Pillar 3a solution with BlackRock
  • Comfortable Personal counselling via video call or chat
  • Digital banking in one app: save, invest, pay
  • Customisable investment strategies and Sustainable investment
  • Alpian ETF savings plans with selectable focus: Switzerland, Global, Sustainability, Crypto
  • High quality VISA metal card (for a surcharge of CHF 60)
  • American Express Gold Card with 45,000 points + CHF 50 cashback (for a surcharge of CHF 175 in the first year, later possibly more expensive)
  • Transparent Alpian costs and prices
  • Apple Pay and TWINT
  • eBill and recurring Payments (Schedule Payments)
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Important: After entering the code, you have 30 days to make the deposit - otherwise the bonus will expire.
To Alpian (don't forget the code)! *

What is a private bank anyway and what makes Alpian special?

You can imagine Alpian's positioning as a bridge between a modern digital bank and a private bank with personalised service. But what exactly is a private bank?

Traditional banks serve a broad spectrum of customers and can therefore only cater to individuals to a limited extent.

Private banks generally focus on a small number of wealthy individuals and offer them a highly individualised and customised service. The List of all Swiss private banks can be found here.

Alpian manages this balancing act through digitalisation. Instead of an expensive property on the Paradeplatz, the focus is on convenient, Customer advisors available in the app set.

The Alpian advisor can be contacted via chat or video call to discuss your own wealth situation from the comfort of your living room. When creating the portfolio, the Consultants even through artificial intelligence supported.

Only through this in-depth digitalisation can fair conditions and Alpian costs be made possible. So let's take a closer look at these two points.

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What Alpian interest rates are currently available on the Alpian account?

Tip: You can find the current interest rates on CHF, EUR and USD directly in the app or on the Alpian pricing page. They depend on the interest rate and are subject to change.

It may be worth parking funds in Swiss francs and only changing them when necessary.

Alpian fee structure - clarity and fairness

While until recently there were still ongoing Alpian fees for the Account management the Alpian costs in banking will have disappeared by the end of 2024! The Alpian account is now free of charge available.

The Investing with Alpian costs Of course, there are still fees (like almost everywhere else) and billing is very simple and uncomplicated.

Important Alpian fees

PerformanceFee
Account management / multi-currency accountFree of charge
Asset management (standard plan)0.75% p.a.
Asset management (up to CHF 300,000 invested)0.69% p.a.
Asset management (CHF 300,000-500,000 invested)0.60% p.a.
Asset management (from CHF 500,000 invested)0.50% p.a.
ETF product costs (TER)Depending on the portfolio, visible in the app
Pillar 3a management fee0.60% p.a. (until 31.12.2026: 0%)*
Cash withdrawal CHF domesticCHF 2
Visa metal cardCHF 60 on request
Currency exchange (weekday / weekend)0.2% / 0.5%

*Launch offer for the first 1,000 customers. Status: February 2026.

Account management is free with Alpian - no catch, no minimum deposit. Costs only arise when investing.

Asset management costs 0.75% per year in the standard plan. From CHF 300,000 in invested assets, a sliding scale applies: the fee gradually decreases to 0.50% per year.

Important to know: The 0.75% is not an all-in fee. The product costs of the ETFs used (TER) are added to this. The specific amount depends on the selected portfolio and can be seen in the app.

Optimal use of Alpian - Schwiizerfranke recommendations

Private banks are traditionally aimed at very wealthy clients. The Alpian fee structure shows which customer segment Alpian appeals to. To help you have a positive Alpian experience, you will find the most sensible usage scenarios here:

As a savings account: The Alpian savings account offers fair interest on CHF balances, depending on the interest rate. If you want to save larger sums, you can also benefit from attractive interest rates on EUR and USD balances. You can find the exact current conditions directly in the app or on the Alpian pricing page.

For international payments and travelling: The free multi-currency account with CHF, EUR, USD and GBP makes Alpian particularly attractive for frequent travellers and anyone who regularly pays in foreign currencies. The exchange rate premium of 0.2% on weekdays is very competitive.

As a digital private bank with an investment mandate: If you are looking for professional asset management but shy away from the high minimum investments of traditional private banks, Alpian is the right choice. Personal advice via video call, ETF-based strategies and transparent fees from 0.75% p.a. make the offer attractive.

As a supplement to the main bank: Alpian is particularly worthwhile as a second bank. Currency accounts, savings accounts and investment mandates under one roof - without account management fees.

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Important: After entering the code, you have 30 days to make the deposit - otherwise the bonus will expire.
To Alpian (don't forget the code)! *

Alpian investment strategies

The following Alpian strategies for asset management are possible:

The Alpian investment strategies are passively orientated and are implemented with ETFs. We like this very much and it ensures favourable product fees. Also on Sustainability is taken into account and investments are selected according to ESG and your portfolio is assessed using an "impact score".

Incidentally, the securities are held in custody at Interactive Brokers in the USA, which is not a problem, but is nevertheless important to know.

The advisory mandate prepared for this test report was tailored to our risk profile and then presented in full detail.

The Product fees of most ETFs are very low and were in the range of a TER of 0.15% - 0.4% in this exemplary portfolio.

It was noticeable that a small position of 1% was immediately Bitcoin was suggested via the Bitcoin ETP from 21Shares. This has slightly higher fees, but can certainly be seen as a very exciting addition.

Since the Freely customisable portfolio it is not presented in detail here. The proposed portfolio in the Alpian Test was initially intended for the Schwiizerfranke investment philosophy somewhat too high positions in European equities and, in particular, too many bonds in foreign currencies.

Overall, however, the investment proposal looks sensible and harmonised, and details can of course be easily adjusted if necessary.

Instead of analysing a single portfolio proposal, we therefore prefer to look at a comparison with the alternative providers.

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Alpian Pillar 3a – Is the BlackRock offer worthwhile?

Since autumn 2025, Alpian has also been offering a pillar 3a – advertising it with «100% BlackRock funds» and «low fees». Sounds tempting, but how does the offer compare with established 3a providers?

The hard facts:

ProviderAll-in feesMax. Share quota
finpension0.39%99%
VIAC0.40%99%
frankly (ZKB)0.44%95%
Alpian 3a~0.75%100%

The 0.601% management fee charged by Alpian seems acceptable at first glance. However, when you add the TER of the BlackRock funds (approx. 0.151%), the effective total cost comes to around 0.751% – almost twice as much as finpension or VIAC.

The launch offer: For the first 1,000 customers, all administration and foundation fees will be waived until the end of 2026. Only the minimal fund costs of approx. 0.15% will remain. This is indeed attractive – but unfortunately limited in time.

Additional charges: In addition to the ongoing costs, further fees are incurred for certain events. Alpian charges CHF 400 for an early withdrawal from the WEF to promote home ownership, and CHF 100 for a pledge. Anyone leaving Switzerland permanently pays CHF 500 for the payout, and any address search costs CHF 50.

Good to know: Currently, only a single 3a account is possible with Alpian. According to Alpian, multiple accounts – important for staggered payouts in old age – will follow soon.

Safety: Alpian Pillar 3a is managed by the Lemania-Prévoyance Foundation, an established Swiss pension fund under cantonal supervision. Your funds are protected as special assets and remain your property even in the event of Alpian's insolvency.

My assessment:

Alpian 3a is a solid product for existing Alpian customers who want everything under one roof. The BlackRock funds are attractive, but the Swisscanto and UBS index funds at VIAC or finpension deliver virtually identical performance – at significantly lower costs.

Conclusion on Alpian Pillar 3a: Those who already use Alpian and appreciate simplicity can take advantage of 0% fees for the first two years. For pure return optimisation, approximately finpension or VIAC the better choice. With CHF 100,000 in pension assets over 20 years, the difference in fees amounts to several thousand pounds.

Alpian vs. robo-advisors vs. traditional online banks

How does Alpian compare to other digital banks like Neon or robo-advisors like True Wealth? Here are some observations:

  • Alpian vs. neon: Compared to a pure online bank like Neon, Alpian offers a more personalised service. Easily accessible Alpian customer advisors are available at all times. However, Alpian's range of banking functions is of course not yet as advanced as Neon's. Alpian still lacks virtual sub-accounts or free cash withdrawals, for example.
  • Alpian vs. True Wealth: Robo-advisors offer automated investment strategies, whereas Alpian focuses on personalised advice in combination with automated investment strategies. This human "touch" can often make a big difference in complex financial situations because advisors are always at your side. However, this extra service is naturally reflected in slightly higher Alpian fees. Asset management at Alpian costs 0.75%, which in the Comparison with Robo Advisor but is not that high.
  • Alpian vs. traditional banks: Alpian compares very favourably with traditional banks. The fees for asset management are significantly more favourable than at most banks and the service for advice is noticeably better.

Alpian Bank experience: Digital private bank at fair prices 2

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Real Alpian experience

The registration process - digital and simple

The journey with Alpian began with the Registration processwhich is remarkably Simple and intuitive took place. The app was downloaded and the verification process completed within a few minutes. No waiting for appointment confirmations or paperwork. Within a very short time, the Alpian account was ready for use and a few days later there was a surprise in the post.

A black letter not only contained the black Alpian metal card, but also an additional surprise - which I don't want to take away from you, of course, so this will remain a secret.

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Alpian app experience - simple, safe, innovative

The Alpian app is user-friendly and offers innovative functionsthat take the banking experience to a new level. For example, you can conveniently chat with support at normal times.

Questions about the investment mandate were then referred to the video call. With Alpian, video calls can be booked and held directly in the app. So you don't need a zoom or anything like that. In the late afternoon, the next possible appointment for this Alpian test report was the following day. Of course, I forgot about the counselling call straight away, so I wasn't in the app. But that wasn't a problem, because the advisor simply called me on the phone and asked whether we wanted to continue the call and if so, whether we wanted to hold it on the phone or via video call directly in the Alpian app.

Personalised advice - a digital experience with a human touch

We switched to the video call and were even able to discuss individual details of the risk profile and the investment proposal in the app together.

A The highlight of the Alpian experience is definitely the personal advisory service. Although Alpian is a digital bank, the customer service felt very personal. The advisors were easily accessible, endeavouring and friendly. In a world where digital banking can often be impersonal, this was a welcome change.

Alpian disadvantages and criticism

 Whenever new digital solutions come onto the market today, they are usually not yet fully developed at the beginning. For example, Alpian is still missing a few important functions that many customers would like to see.

Virtual sub-accounts or a separate TWINT app (so far only via the prepaid TWINT app) are still missing. At least eBill and recurring payments were recently introduced, which makes the app much more suitable for everyday use.

Who many Cash withdrawals could be bothered by the fees. In this case, a second bank would make sense as a supplement.

Fees: Alpian fees were not initially attractive for smaller account balances, but now the ongoing account management fees have disappeared.

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"Intelligent people learn from the mistakes of others".

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Conclusion on the Alpian experience report and review

The conclusion to the Alpian experience report? Alpian is an exciting option for all those who want a Mixture of digital convenience and personalised service search

Alpian Bank is aimed at more discerning clients who value customised financial services and personal advice.

Alpian is a particularly attractive option for larger sums. From CHF 300,000 invested assets the administrative fees are gradually decreasing up to 0.50% per year - with full private bank service.

Not to mention all the other benefits, such as the favourable exchange rates on the multi-currency account.

Alpian can therefore also be a very attractive addition for savers or people who travel a lot.

Of course, some important banking functions are still missing, but the bank is still young, so let's give it some time. The Alpian account can be particularly exciting as a supplementary second bank.

What's your situation? Have you already had Alpian experience? Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments!

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Important: After entering the code, you have 30 days to make the deposit - otherwise the bonus will expire.
To Alpian (don't forget the code)! *
Financial author Eric Marschall certified investment advisor (IAF) independent financial expert Switzerland - certified financial expert switzerland
About the author

Eric is the founder of Schwiizerfranke.com and certified IAF wealth advisor. Since 2019, he has been helping Swiss citizens to organise their finances comprehensibly, independently and efficiently.

More about Eric & Schwiizerfranke

📌 Note: This article is for information purposes only and does not constitute personalised investment advice.

25 responses

    1. Hello George
      Yes, there was a new code at the turn of the year: FRANKE works. For the new terms and conditions, see the blog post 🙂

      Reply

  4. Hello
    Unfortunately, this bank has also drastically reduced its interest rates and is certainly only attractive above CHF 125,000, but only if you don't invest.
    Interest CHF
    0.10% up to 75'000
    0.275% between 75,000 and 125,000
    0.50% over 125,000

    There is more with a EUR or USD account, 1% interest.

    Reply

  5. I refused to open an account because they asked me for a salary statement and I hid the figures on it. They wanted to know exactly how much I earned.
    No thanks! I don't want a mortgage.

    Reply

  6. Registration super, quick and painless, one of the best so far.
    not (yet?) received the 75 on the first deposit.
    Email address only 2 digits before the domain did not work (interesting but of course not so important)
    I find only a 4-digit security code (or fingerprint) a bit too insecure.

    Reply

    1. Thanks for sharing, Jürg. The CHF 75 will certainly arrive soon. Otherwise ask support and say hello from me 🙂

      Reply

  7. Many thanks for the comprehensive review of the Alpian range.
    However, I would like to point out that this article mentions several times that there is a higher interest rate for balances of CHF 50,000 or more (currently 1.25%). This is not correct. From CHF 50,000, the account management fees are indeed cancelled, but only from CHF 100,000 is there a higher interest rate.

    Reply

    1. This was recently changed by Alpian, thanks for pointing it out! It has now also been updated in the article.

      Reply

  8. Alpian has now adjusted the interest rates (downwards). Currently there are still

    Amount up to CHF 100,000 1%
    Amount over CHF 100,000 to CHF 1,000,000 1.25%

    Reply

  9. Hello Eric
    I really like your blog and have already made several decisions based on your reports.
    I have just opened an account with Alpian, but I am now a little confused. According to your report, I understood that if you have more than CHF 50,000 in your account, everything earns interest at 1.5%. However, I received the information from Alpian that the 50'000 earns interest at 1% and only the amount above that at 1.5% (e.g. if I had 60'000 in my account, 50'000 would earn interest at 1% & 10'000 at 1.5%). It wasn't as clear on the Alpian website as it was after closing. I don't think it's as transparent as they advertise themselves. Can you confirm this with the interest rates? You write, for example: Tip: If your total assets with Alpian exceed CHF 50,000, the quarterly fee is waived. If you have this amount in your Alpian account, you will even be credited with 1.5% interest. I clearly understand that this applies to all assets, not just to the amount exceeding 50,000. Could you clarify that? If I had been aware of this, I would have opened a savings account instead of this account.

    Reply

    1. Hello Jürg,
      Thank you very much for your tip!
      It was already clearly shown in the table, but thanks to you I have now formulated it more clearly so that it is easier to understand.

      The 1.5% is only credited on amounts above CHF 50,000. Below that, 1.0% interest will be credited. Also remember that these are not fixed interest rates, they may change in the future (especially because the base rate has been lowered).
      If it is still unclear, please ask Alpian again for confirmation.

      Best regards and many thanks for your support,
      Eric

      Reply

      1. Eric, thank you for your reply and clarification. Yes, it was already written before, but it could be interpreted either way. Now it's clear.
        After opening an account with Alpian, I also came across a table that clearly showed it. But I didn't find it before (or I didn't pay attention to it 🫣). To be on the safe side, I also asked Alpian directly, it is as you write in the answer.
        PS: no offence, you (Schwiizerfranke) are and remain my No. 1 when it comes to finances!
        Jürg

        Reply

        1. 😀 wow, thank you so much for the great feedback, Jürg! That really makes me happy!
          Best regards,
          Eric

          Reply

  10. You call a quarterly fee of CHF 45 favourable? If you are a member of Raiffeisen (was a co-operative deposit of 200 over 20 years ago, currently earning interest at 6 %), then you pay exactly 0 francs in fees for the member private account. Only the Maestro card is charged, but you can do without it. And ZKB is now also offering a free account.

    Reply

    1. Hello Gerhard,
      That's right, there are some Free accounts, as shown here.
      However, Raiffeisen and ZKB do not offer interest rates on credit balances as high as those at Alpian.
      The Alpian fees should of course be taken into account and the offer only makes sense if there are sufficient deposits to eliminate the fees.

      Reply

  11. Excellent writing as always!

    I myself am a satisfied customer of Alpian. Initially, I only used the services for international transfers because they offer unrivalled conditions for FX transactions. However, I now also use Alpian for regular payments and have recently even opted for the investment mandate 🙂

    The introduction went extremely smoothly, and the financial advisor was not only knowledgeable, but also extremely personable.

    I recommend Alpian to anyone who is interested in investing but either doesn't have the time or expertise, or who is looking for a cost-effective solution for international payments or money transfers abroad.

    Reply

  12. Opening an account is very easy, even from abroad!
    The only disadvantage is that the account only works via the app. However, the app is well structured and clear. Chats are also quick and uncomplicated.
    overall absolutely recommended!

    Reply

  13. Hi,
    Thanks for the report... Is there a withdrawal limit per year?

    I am currently still with Wir bank where it has 1.8% but the withdrawal limit is 20000 per year which bothers me.

    Greetings

    Reply

  14. Thank you!
    I was told Alpian works only on mobile phones... not on pcs or tablets... this could be a problem !

    Reply
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