BNP Paribas vs Société Générale vs Crédit Agricole

BNP Paribas vs Société Générale vs Crédit Agricole: Core Facts

What is compared

BNP Paribas (Esprit Libre) vs Société Générale (Sobrio) vs Crédit Agricole (39 regional caisses, EKO)

Verdict

Crédit Agricole for the largest branch network and its free EKO tier; BNP Paribas for one flat national tariff with no regional variance; Société Générale for the cheapest national entry bundle (Sobrio Evolution €7.75 a month, October 2026)

Pricing structure

BNP Paribas and Société Générale publish one national tariff; Crédit Agricole prices vary by each of its 39 regional caisses, so figures below are regional examples, not national averages

Branch network

Crédit Agricole: largest branch network in France, about 7,000 branches across its regional caisses. BNP Paribas: about 1,800 branches. Société Générale: about 1,500 branches(as of 2026-10)

Free / entry-level account

Crédit Agricole's EKO account has been free since 29 April 2026 (previously €2/month), with a condition of at least 1 card payment every 30 days or a €5/month non-usage fee applies. No free package was found in sourced research for BNP Paribas or Société Générale's standard packaged accounts(as of 2026-04)

Entry packaged account (25+)

BNP Paribas Esprit Libre Référence with Visa Classic: €8.00/month. Société Générale Sobrio Evolution: €7.75/month (Classic €8.60, Premier €15.90), with an online-opening promo of €1/month for 12 months seen until 30 September 2026. Crédit Agricole Essentiel: about €10/month, varies by caisse. Youth (18 to 24): BNP Paribas €4.15/month, Société Générale €3.50/month(as of 2026-10)

Standalone Visa Classic card fee

BNP Paribas: €49.50/year. Société Générale: €50/year (raised April 2025). Crédit Agricole Île-de-France: €46.80/year immediate debit, €45.00/year deferred debit, other caisses differ(as of 2026-04)

Non-euro payment FX fee

BNP Paribas: 2.9% + €0.90. Société Générale: 2.7% + €1. Crédit Agricole Île-de-France: 2.5%, the lowest of the three on sourced figures(as of 2026-04)

Deposit protection

All three are French banks covered by the FGDR (Fonds de Garantie des Dépôts et de Résolution) up to €100,000 per depositor

Débit différé (deferred debit)

All three offer a deferred-debit card option at no extra cost, bundling the month's card payments into a single month-end debit; ATM withdrawals are always debited immediately regardless of the option chosen

Regulator

ACPR (Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution) and Banque de France

Status

Active Definition

Verified

2026-08-24

How BNP Paribas vs Société Générale vs Crédit Agricole compares

This comparison covers three full-service, branch-based French retail banks: BNP Paribas (packaged as Esprit Libre), Société Générale (packaged as Sobrio), and Crédit Agricole (a federation of 39 independent regional caisses, packaged offers include EKO). It is NOT a comparison with their online-only or youth sub-brands, Société Générale's is BoursoBank and Hello bank! is BNP Paribas's online brand, both sold separately.

BNP Paribas vs Société Générale vs Crédit Agricole: Frequently Asked Questions