The cheapest bank on paper can become an expensive everyday bank once you need a card, Swish and bill payments. Do not start with the headline price. Start with what must work on an ordinary Tuesday.
Compare the cost of the account you will actually use, not simply the price of online banking. Only when the card, payments, BankID and the help you value are all in view can you make a sensible choice.
First: what is a main bank?
In this guide, a main bank is an account that handles everyday life: salary in, bills out, Swish, e-invoices, direct debit, BankID and a debit card. That is not the same thing as a bank where you only hold a savings account, ISK or mortgage.
What an everyday bank really costs
The important figure is not the price of an empty online bank. It is what you pay for online banking with payments and the debit card you will actually use. Packages are not directly comparable, so read the card column before reaching a conclusion.
The major everyday banks, compared
Fees checked 21 August 2026| Bank | Published annual price | When you need a debit card | My reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Länsförsäkringar Bank | 468 kr | Included in Bekväma vardagen | 39 kr a month for account, card, app, online bank, Swedish payments, Swish and BankID. |
| Sparbankerna | Varies locally | Varies by local Sparbank | Its own bank, its own price list. Do not use Swedbank's price as a shortcut. |
| Handelsbanken | 300 kr for the basic offer | Check the total with your specific card | Online banking is free for some customer groups and card customers. It is not a simple all in package price. |
| ICA Banken | 0 kr for online banking | 420 kr a year, card required | The clearest example of why 0 kr in the headline does not mean a free everyday bank. |
| Skandia | 240 kr for the card after year one | 20 kr a month | The everyday package has salary account, card, online bank, app and Swish. The card is free in year one. |
| Nordea | 540 kr | One Nordea Debit is included | The everyday package is cheaper for benefit customers and free for students and people up to 22. |
| SEB | 600 kr | SEB Debit is included in Enkla vardagen | The package is free for students and people up to 24. Without the package, the card costs 420 kr a year. |
| Swedbank | 468 kr | Included in Nyckelkund | Payment services and card are included in the package. Online banking without payment services is 0 kr. |
| Danske Bank | 708 kr for Danske Silver | Included in the account package | Students and young customers can pay 0 kr. Price and contents depend on package and benefit level. |
Sources: Konsumenternas bank-fee comparison, updated 21 August 2026, and Länsförsäkringar's price list. A fee is not a quality ranking and can change.
Main bank, savings bank or mortgage bank?
This is often confused. Avanza can be an excellent home for an ISK. Landshypotek or SBAB can be an excellent home for a mortgage or savings account, and mortgage rates should be compared separately. That does not automatically make them a good hub for salary, card, Swish and bills. Landshypotek, for example, says its offer does not include transaction accounts, Swish or debit cards.
My simple model: choose one main bank for everyday life. Then choose a specialist when it has better rates, mortgage terms or investments. Your money does not need to live with one company.
Sparbankerna are not simply Swedbank
Sparbankerna are local banks with their own price lists and local governance. Many work with Swedbank on products, IT and administration, which explains shared technology you may encounter. But a Sparbank makes local decisions and has a different ownership and community model. Some also have formal ownership or collaboration links to Swedbank, so check the bank you can actually join.
That is why a local Sparbank can be an interesting option even though Swedbank would not be my first choice. They need to be assessed as different banks, not as the same logo in different colours.
My view on Swedbank
Why I would personally keep looking
I have myself been a retail customer of Swedbank. My assessment is based on that experience, what I have heard from colleagues, family and friends, and repeated public stories and complaints I have seen online. This is a personal editorial opinion, not a claim about a measured support level.
Not every Swedbank customer will of course have the same experience. My own experience simply means I would look at other options before choosing a main bank. The 468 kr yearly fee is not, for me, enough reason to stay.
New to Sweden?
For anyone new to Sweden, access comes before price. The bank may ask for a personal identity number or co-ordination number, identity documents, an address and where the money comes from. Get that and BankID in order first, then decide on the card and price. Start with the new to Sweden guide.
Before you switch bank
The move is rarely difficult. The problem is closing the old account before daily life has really moved.
- Open the new account and check that BankID, Swish and the card work.
- Move your salary and list direct debits, e-invoices and cards stored in apps.
- Keep the old account open through two salary and bill cycles.
- Cancel the old package only once nothing else is drawn from it.
Common questions
Do I need the same bank for my mortgage, savings and daily banking?
No. Compare each job separately. Consolidate only when the discount or simplicity is genuinely better.
What should I compare beyond the price?
The debit card's real annual cost, bill payments and Swish, deposit protection, foreign exchange fees if you travel, and how the bank helps when something goes wrong.
Is the lowest price always best?
No. The cheapest online account can become more expensive once card and payment services are added. Choose the package you will actually use.
My considered view
When I weigh the cost, what is included and how everyday life needs to work, this is where I land. It is a personal starting point, not a universal ranking.
Länsförsäkringar Bank
This is the bank I would look at first. The everyday package is easy to understand, and the price is in line with several other large banks while keeping the important services together.
Your Sparbank
Worth considering when you want access to a local branch and value decisions being made closer to you. Always compare the fee and offer at your particular Sparbank.
Nordea, SEB, Handelsbanken and Danske Bank can all fit very well when you receive a package, mortgage discount or relationship that matters to you. ICA Banken can also be relevant, but include the card in the calculation: 0 kr for online banking becomes 420 kr a year once you want a debit card.