Dance: the e-bike subscription in Paris in 2026, review and real cost

Dance is the e-bike you don't own: a monthly subscription, a delivered bike, repairs done wherever it's parked, and a lock supplied. The Berlin service, founded in 2020 by two SoundCloud co-founders and the founder of Jimdo, arrived in Paris in 2022 and already claimed more than 10,000 subscribers there in early 2024. In 2026 the news is elsewhere: Dance has been bought by Swapfiets. Here is where the service stands, what it really costs and who it makes sense for. Dance is not available in the UK: this review is for anyone moving to, or living in, Paris, Berlin or Hamburg.

What changed in 2026: the Swapfiets takeover

On 18 May 2026, Swapfiets (part of the Dutch Pon group) announced the purchase of Dance. According to the announcement reported by the trade press, the deal adds more than 11,000 e-bikes to Swapfiets' fleet, which now claims more than 75,000 subscription e-bikes and about 280,000 subscribers in 45 cities.

What it means for a current or future subscriber:

• The Dance brand continues alongside Swapfiets. Dance's boss stays in place.
• The positioning stays different: Dance targets a fully digital journey (sign-up, repair, cancellation in the app), Swapfiets keeps its stores and in-person service.
• Cities: Dance says on its site it operates in Paris, Berlin and Hamburg. Its electric scooter is only offered in Berlin and Hamburg.

Before the takeover, Dance raised 12 million euros in March 2025 to grow its fleet. Published accounts show revenue of 8 million euros in 2024, still loss-making: being bought by a bigger player rather secures continuity, but nothing rules out changes to prices or terms in the coming months. Reread the terms when you commit.

The bike

Dance offers two frames: Dance One and Dance One Step (step-through). According to the maker's spec sheet:

A classic urban e-bike: rear hub motor, maintenance-free belt, mid-size battery. Perfect for central Paris and the inner suburbs, less at ease on steep climbs (Montmartre, Belleville) than a mid-drive, like any hub motor. On that point, see the "hilly city" profile in our city bike comparison.

What's included

• The bike and its battery, delivered to a pick-up point chosen at sign-up.
• Repairs, booked in the app: you lock the bike in a public place, a mechanic comes to fix or swap it. Dance promises a visit within two working days.
• A lock and theft protection, with an excess (see below).
• The option to return the bike within 24 hours at no cost if you don't keep it.
• No deposit.

Prices

Dance no longer shows a fixed price on its French home page: the price appears at sign-up, and the service runs offer after offer (in October 2026, a limited offer showed 590 € for 12 months, about 49 € a month). The prices published by the trade press for Paris were 59 € a month with commitment and 79 € a month without (2024 figures, check at sign-up).

Two plans exist, according to Dance's FAQ:

• Annual subscription: 12-month minimum commitment, lower monthly price.
• Flexible subscription: no commitment, cancellable at the end of each month.

Theft excess: the bit to read twice

This is where reviews diverge, and that's normal: cover depends on the option.

In both cases the condition is the same: the bike must have been properly locked. In Paris, where bike theft is massive, that detail makes all the difference. And the battery, which comes off in seconds, is the most coveted item: get in the habit of taking it with you.

Cancelling

It's done in the app: Settings, Subscription, Cancel. You then choose a drop-off point in the service area and return the bike with its accessories. On the annual plan, cancellation is only possible at the end of the 12-month commitment (the FAQ also mentions an option to cancel before the end of the first month).

Dance for companies

Dance for Business lets an employer pay all or part of the subscription: the page showed 69 € excl. VAT per month per subscription, a one-off 29 € sign-up fee for the company and a 19 € monthly platform fee, with an employer subsidy of the company's choice (20, 30, 40, 50 € or all of it). In France, the employer's contribution can fall under the forfait mobilités durables (sustainable mobility allowance). This and other employer schemes are covered in long-term rental compared.

The real cost over three years, vs buying

36-month calculation at the 2024 press price (59 € committed, 79 € flexible), no promotion:

Maintenance, insurance and resale figures are ballparks, not official rates. Resale value depends hugely on battery health and brand: for yours, the bike price guide gives a precise figure. Our guide to selling a used e-bike details depreciation.

Reading the table: over three years, owning works out slightly cheaper, provided you resell, don't get robbed and have the cash up front. Dance wins if you need a bike for one or two years, have nowhere safe to keep it, or an employer pays a big share. Over one to three months, the flexible plan is unbeatable: nothing you buy resells without a loss after three months.

And don't forget purchase grants: in Paris and the Île-de-France region, buying an e-bike can be subsidised, which tips the balance towards ownership. Details in bike grants in Île-de-France.

What subscribers say

On Trustpilot, Dance had a 4 out of 5 rating from nearly 700 reviews in October 2026. The same themes keep coming up:

• Positives: fast repairs (often within 24 to 48 hours), a responsive concierge team, a bike seen as light, nimble and well finished, and theft claims handled without fuss for part of the subscribers.
• Negatives: a real-world range often quoted around 25 to 30 km, below what some expected (logical with a 353 Wh battery used in high mode), a heavy bike to pedal with a flat battery, fees or excesses disputed by subscribers who hadn't read the terms, a few defects on delivery, and invoices hard to retrieve after cancelling (download them before you leave).

These are trends, not statistics: the service moves fast, and the Swapfiets takeover may change how repairs are organised.

Who it's for

• Yes: you're moving to Paris for a year or two, want to try e-bike commuting before buying, have no cellar or secure bike store, or your employer funds the subscription.
• No: you've ridden for years and can maintain a bike, have a garage, plan to keep your bike more than three years, or live outside the service area.

If you're torn between Swapfiets, now in the same group, and public offers such as Véligo Location in Île-de-France, the full comparison is in long-term e-bike rental compared. The general principle of long-term hire is explained in our long-term rental guide.

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Ended up buying your own e-bike and want to know what it'll be worth in three years? Value your bike with L'Atelier's price guide: it takes a minute.