Revolut vs Wise: 2025 Full Comparison

Interested in how Wise (formerly TransferWise) vs Revolut measure up? This Revolut Vs Wise review is here to help.

We'll cover:

• A full side by side feature comparison

• Which provider is cheaper?

• Which is faster?

• Which is safer?

• Which gets better customer reviews?

Summary: Both Revolut and Wise (formerly TransferWise) offer comprehensive card and account solutions to make it easier and cheaper to manage your money. Revolut offers several different account tiers which you can select to match your transaction needs, with or without monthly fees. Wise accounts have no ongoing costs, and offer multi-currency and international features to suit customers from the occasional user to frequent travellers, expats and others. Which is best for you may simply depend on how you need to transact.

Revolut vs Wise: side by side

• Details correct at time of research - 6th May 2025

So, to summarise:

• Both Revolut and Wise offer international accounts with linked cards

• Revolut offers account options with or without monthly fees, all Wise personal accounts are free to open, but business customers may pay a one off charge when they set up their accounts

• Wise supports more currencies for holding and exchange

• Revolut offers other account features like accounts for kids - Wise does not

• Both providers are fully regulated, and offer both personal and business services

Revolut account features cover a broad range of services, and higher tier accounts may get lots of perks like airport lounge access, and complimentary insurance. Wise is more focused on international transfers and currency exchange, and offers more account currency options than Revolut, too.

The important bits

*Details correct at time of research - 6th May 2025

*The speed of transaction claims depends on individual circumstances and may not be available for all transactions

Monthly account fees: Wise has no monthly account fee. Revolut customers can choose between accounts with and without monthly fees

Rates: Wise uses the mid-market rate for all currency conversion, whereas Revolut may charge out of hours or fair usage fees

International transfer fees: Both providers have variable fees which are based on the destination country

Speed: Both Revolut and Wise payments can be instant - delivery time depends on destination and the receiving bank's processes

Service: Both providers offer service in a range of languages, online, in-app and by phone

Safety: Both providers are safe to use and have automatic and manual security features in place

Reviews: Both providers score Excellent review ratings on Trustpilot

Pros and cons

The verdict: Which is better, Revolut or Wise?

Both Revolut and Wise (formerly TransferWise) offer personal account options which let you hold and exchange foreign currencies, and spend with a linked debit card. Which wins for you will depend on the specific services you need, and how often you'll use your account.

Revolut accounts are offered on 5 different tiers for UK personal customers, depending on the volume and type of transactions you're likely to make. That makes them great for customers who want to access extensive account features, and can stay within their account plan transaction limits.

On the other hand, Wise international accounts offer great features which are based around international payments and spending. Wise accounts are a strong choice for customers looking for an account with no monthly fees, with broader currency options and low, transparent transaction charges. The Wise account is more flexible when it comes to currencies, too - with 40+ currencies available.

Both Revolut and Wise offer accounts for businesses with rich feature sets for businesses dealing in multiple currencies.

About Revolut and Wise

Revolut was founded in 2015, and has over 50 million customers. Revolut accounts allow customers to hold and exchange 30 currencies, and spend with a linked debit card in 150 countries.

Revolut offers several different personal and business account options which come with varied fees and features to suit different customer needs.

Wise was launched as TransferWise back in 2011 as a low-cost international payment provider. These days, Wise has upwards of 12 million active customers, and also offers personal and business accounts to hold and manage currencies, accept payments and spend using a linked debit card.

With Wise you can send payments to 140+ countries, in 40+ currencies.

How do Revolut and Wise international payments work?

To use Revolut you'll need to set up an account online or in the app. There's no monthly fee for a standard account, or you can upgrade to an account tier with ongoing charges for more features.

Once you have an account you can make an international payment with Revolut by taking the following steps:

1. Log into your account or open the Revolut app

2. Tap Payments, then Transfers

3. Tap Send, New, and Add a bank recipient

4. Enter the bank transfer details for your recipient

5. Tap on the beneficiary, choose the currency you want to send and add the amount

6. Add a payment reference

7. Tap Continue to review your transfer details and estimated arrival time

To use Wise you'll need to create an account, and depending on the type of payment you want to make you might need to provide some ID for verification.

Once your account is up and running make payments online and in the Wise app:

1. Log into your account

2. Type in how much you want to transfer, or how much you need the recipient to get

3. Enter the recipient's details - bank account number or email

4. Check over the details

5. Fund your payment using a card or bank transfer

6. Confirm and your money will be on the move

Wise transfers are made through Wise's network of local bank accounts, so they arrive quickly and don't incur intermediary fees. When you want to pay for your transfer in pounds you'll send the money to Wise's local UK account. Then Wise will make a payment of the equivalent amount in your preferred currency, from their account in the destination country. No money actually moves across borders, so it can end up faster and cheaper than international payments arranged using SWIFT.

Revolut vs Wise fees

*Details correct at time of research - 6th May 2025

Revolut card vs Wise card fees

*Details correct at time of research - 6th May 2025

Revolut vs Wise exchange rates

The costs of currency exchange matter a lot when you're sending overseas payments or spending with your card as you travel. The approach Wise and Revolut take to currency conversion is quite different, so it's important to understand how they work so you can choose the right one for your needs.

With Revolut, depending on your account plan you will get some weekday no-fee currency exchange that uses the Revolut exchange rate. After that, fair usage fees apply. There are also some additional transaction costs for specific services like out of hours currency exchange. Out of hours fees cost 0.5% or 1% depending on your account plan, while fair usage fees can be a further 0.5%.

Wise uses the mid-market rate and splits out the costs of conversion for transparency. Conversion fees depend on the currency and start from 0.48%.

Revolut vs Wise international transfer limits

Wise account holders can send payments to limits set according to the currencies involved; Revolut transfers may have variable limits which are set according to the currency you need to send. Here's a summary:

*Details correct at time of research - 6th May 2025

Sending large amount transfers

If you need to send large amount transfers for yourself or your business, you'll need a provider which offers a safe, reliable and low cost service. Let's check out how Wise vs Revolut operate when sending a large payment overseas.

Wise high amount transfers

Wise gets cheaper for higher value transfers, whether that's a single payment, or a series of payments over a month which adds up to a high value. There's a progressive fee discount, which is automatically applied the more you send. If you ever need help with a high value transfer you can complete a form online or in your Wise app to get a call back from the Wise dedicated team for high value payments.

Wise sets the discount amount in GBP, but the discounts apply on the currency equivalent amount, no matter which currency you need to send. Here's a run down:

*Details correct at time of research - 6th May 2025

More information: How to send large amounts of money with Wise

Revolut high amount transfers

Revolut may not add their own limits on outgoing transfers, but their partner providers may have limits which apply. There are also a few currencies where Revolut has limits, which you'll see in the app. If you ever hit a Revolut payment limit, you'll be shown this in the app when you start to model your payment. You can then reach out to the Revolut support team if you need help to process your payment. Limits can not usually be changed, but you may be able to split your payment into several smaller transfers instead.

Revolut does not market fee discounts on high value payments - but you might want to check their options before you send just in case they can help with a better fee on a high value payment.

Revolut vs Wise card

Both Revolut and Wise offer international debit cards linked to their accounts. Revolut cards vary depending on the account tier you get, while Wise has the same card for all account customers.

Details correct at time of research - 6th May 2025

*Wise will not charge you for these withdrawals, but some additional charges may occur from independent ATM networks

Revolut vs Wise card: Where can you use them?

Both the Revolut and Wise cards are issued on major global networks - either Visa or Mastercard - and can be used wherever the network is accepted. This offers coverage in 150+ countries for each provider. Just look out for the network logo when you pay.

More information: Wise card vs Revolut card for travel

Revolut and Wise account fees

Wise does not have an account opening fee, or any ongoing fees for personal customers. With Revolut, the account subscription service works a little bit differently. You can select from several different account plans depending on your preferences, with fees from 0 GBP to 45 GBP a month. Here's a breakdown of the important fees you need to know about.

*Details correct at time of research - 6th May 2025

Revolut and Wise international transfer fees

Both Revolut and Wise offer great value international transfers around the world. The way each provider structures their fees is a little different.

Revolut international transfers typically come with 2 potential fees - the transfer fee which varies by currency, and any relevant exchange fee. Transfer fees are shown in the app when you start to set up your payment - some account tiers get a discount on the fee, or even have this fee waived entirely. Aside from this, there may also be a currency conversion cost. This depends on the plan you have, how you've transacted that month, and whether you're converting in banking hours. All plans have some weekday currency exchange which uses the Revolut rate with no additional fee. However, once this is exhausted you may find additional fees apply, and there may also be an out of hours fee of 0.5% or 1% depending on your plan. This fee is waived for top tier accounts. Check your account terms and conditions carefully, as the fees here can be somewhat confusing to navigate.

Wise has a simple pricing scheme for international transfers, which you'll see in the app before you pay. The costs depend on the currency, value of payment and how you want to pay - and start from 0.48% with no other fees added to the rate used.

Revolut and Wise: which is cheaper?

Whether Revolut or Wise is cheaper for you will depend a lot on the details. Wise uses a simple pricing mechanic which doesn't rely on your specific account type. Instead you see the fees in the app with no costs added to the exchange rate, so you can compare  them easily.

Revolut also shows you the fees which apply to your payment in the app before you transact, but the costs are worked out in a slightly more complicated fashion. Your final fee depends on the day, your account plan, the value of the transfer, and the currencies involved.

To see which is best for your specific payment you'll need to model it with each provider to get a detailed quote which you can then compare.

Revolut Vs Wise: which is faster for international payments?

How long an international payment with Revolut will take depends on where you're sending money to:

• GBP payments can take a day

• EUR payments can take from a few seconds to 2 working days

• Other payment destinations can take up to 2 business days

Wise is a specialist in international transfers - which means they're usually fast. 60% of Wise payments get to their destination instantly, and most arrive in 24 hours. However, the exact delivery time will depend on where you're sending money to, and how you want to pay. You'll see an estimated arrival time when you set up your payment.

Revolut vs Wise: Payment methods

To fund a payment, or to add money to your balance you can usually use either a bank transfer or card with both Wise and Revolut. Other options are also available, and fees may vary according to the payment method you select. Here's a summary:

Revolut vs Wise business

*Details correct at time of research - 6th May 2025

*The speed of transaction claims depends on individual circumstances and may not be available for all transactions

Revolut vs Wise business fees

*Details correct at time of research - 6th May 2025

Receiving money: Is it better to use Wise or Revolut?

Wise accounts offer local and SWIFT account details which you can use to receive incoming payments. In total you can receive 20+ currencies to Wise. There are usually no fees to receive payments using local account information, but SWIFT fees do apply, which vary by currency. Here are some of the fees for major currencies when you receive SWIFT or wire transfers to Wise:

*Details correct at time of research - 6th May 2025

Revolut offers ways to receive payments in a selection of different currencies, which may include both local and SWIFT account information. To see which currencies you can receive with your details, you'll need to look for the account details which are available to you in the Revolut app. There are no Revolut fees to receive payments from abroad with SWIFT, but there may be intermediary fees which are deducted as the transfer is processed, which can mean you get less than you expect.

Are they safe to use in the UK?

Yes. Wise and Revolut are both safe to use in the Uk with normal safety precautions. You'll need to protect your account with a strong password and enable 2 factor authentication, but you can be assured that both providers also work on your behalf to keep your account and your money safe. Security features in place include ways to freeze your card, view instant transaction notifications and get help 24/7 if you have any queries about your account.

Are they regulated in the UK?

Yes. Both providers are regulated in the UK.

Revolut is regulated in the UK by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and has a UK banking licence with restrictions from the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) - this means it is working through the process to operate as a full bank.

Wise Payments Limited is authorised in the UK as an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Revolut vs Wise customer service

Both Revolut and Wise recommend that you contact them using the in app chat feature if you ever need help. This will allow you to get self help information and then connect to an agent 24/7 if you need more support. Look for the chat button on the provider app after logging in.

Safety

Both Revolut and Wise use both smart technology and dedicated service teams to keep customer money safe. As both were built to operate digitally, features have been built into the apps to ensure you can manage your money securely, like 2 factor authentication, ways to freeze and unfreeze your card, and instant transaction notifications.

Ease of use

Supported currencies

Revolut account holders can hold and exchange 30 currencies, and send payments to 150 countries.

Wise accounts can handle 40+ currencies, and customers can send payments to over 140 countries.

Conclusion

Both Revolut and Wise have some interesting features which will suit different customer needs.

Revolut accounts come with different tiers which all have their own features and fees - this means you'll need to be careful to choose the best account tier for your transaction volumes. Stick within your allocation of no fee transactions to avoid excess use fees.

Wise international accounts offer features which are more heavily focused around international payments and spending. Accounts are free, with transparent costs for currency exchange and fee-paid transactions. Because there are no monthly fees you'll only ever pay for the services you use and value.

FAQs

What is the difference between Revolut and Wise?

Revolut and Wise both offer account services and international debit cards to hold, send, spend and exchange multiple currencies. However, the features and fees of each are different so it's worth comparing them both to see which works best for you.

Is Wise a Visa debit card?

Wise issues cards on both the Visa and Mastercard networks. Both Visa and Mastercard are broadly accepted globally, so you can use your Wise card in 150+ countries.

What type of card is a Revolut card?

The Revolut card is a prepaid Visa or Mastercard debit card linked to a digital Revolut account.