German concertinas, developed within Germany itself for its local market and diaspora, tend to be larger than the English or Anglo concertinas. They are generally bisonoric, use a different style of 'long plate' reeds, and tend to be square rather than hexagonal. Unlike the English and Anglo, they sometimes have more than one reed per note, creating a vibrato effect.

Various German concertina systems share common construction features and core button layout. In the United States, particularly in the Midwest where there are many German and Central European descendants, the term concertina often refers to the Chemnitzer concertina. Chemnitzer concertinas are bisonoric and are closely related to the bandoneón, but with a somewhat different keyboard layout and decorative style, with some mechanical innovations.