German banking app downloads saw and uptick in 2023 with a combined downloads hitting 59.6m. Postbank, a retail bank, had the largest app download growth in 2023 from the previous year, almost doubling (96%) to a total of 2m downloads. Postbank was sold to Deutsche Bank in 2008 and in 2023 they migrated the bank’s 12m customers which could have boosted the download numbers as part of the process. Commerzbank, Germany’s second largest bank by market share, had the lowest growth during the same period with a 6% increase in app downloads.
The combined downloads of neobanks totalled at 8.3m as of 2023, a 13.7% share of total banking app downloads in Germany. Incumbent bank app downloads totalled at 52.8m as of the same period, a 87.5% share of downloads. Incumbent and neo banking app download growth in 2023 from 2022 was very similar with both having around 20% average growth. This figure does change when removing Postbanks’ huge growth in 2023, incumbent banks averaged 13.3% growth in 2023 compared to neobanks average reaching 20.4%. If growth rates remain at this constant it will take more than 30 years before neobanks overtake incumbent bank downloads.
Sparkasse, the central portal of German savings banks, had the most downloads from 2017-2023 with total downloads reaching 19.5m by the end of 2023. The Sparkasse app represents 510 companies and around 11,000 branches throughout Germany. Sparkassen banks are typically owned by local public authorities, emphasizing community-focused banking. Sparkassen offer retail banking services, promote financial inclusion, and actively support local initiatives. They prioritize stability, often collaborate, and have adapted to digital banking trends while maintaining their local roots. Each Sparkasse tailors its services to the needs of its community, making it a unique yet integral part of the broader Sparkasse network.
