Xe vs Wise: Fees, Exchange Rates, and Features Compared

Xe vs Wise - At a glance

Xe and Wise are both world leaders in currency transfers and picking one or the other might be difficult.

We’ve compared both brands looking at the fees, exchange rates, transfer speed, regulations, product offering, limits, usability, and asked our users for feedback.

Here’s a quick summary of Wise and Xe.

Fees & Rates

8.5

Transfer Speed

7.0

Safety & Trust

9.5

Product Offering

8.8

Transfer Limits

9.0

Ease of Use

9.5

Customer Feedback

8.0

8.6 Overall

Fees & Rates

9.4

Transfer Speed

9.0

Safety & Trust

9.2

Product Offering

8.8

Transfer Limits

9.5

Ease of Use

10.0

Customer Feedback

8.5

9.2 Overall

An overview of Xe vs Wise

Deciding on Xe or Wise will depend on your needs. Here’s a quick summary of why and when you should be using one or the other (or both):

Xe vs Wise exchange rate and fees

Between Wise vs Xe, Wise offers better value for money due to no markup transfers.

8.5

vs

9.4

Visit Wise

Before getting into more details, here's a quick summary of how the two compare based on the live exchange rates and fees for a few common transfer pairs.

Amount

AmountMedium TransferLarge TransferCustom

Last updated at 07/05/2026

GBP USD

Mid Market Rate £1 = $1.3391£1 = $1.3391

Transfer Amount £10,000£100,000

1

Wise

2

Xe

1

Wise

2

Xe

Recipient gets

Exchange rate

Exchange rate markup

Cheapest payment method

Transfer fee

$13,304.16

1.3354

0.27%

Bank transfer

£36.95

Visit

$13,150.00

1.3150

1.81%

Debit card

£0.00

Visit

$133,162.34

1.3354

0.27%

Bank transfer

£279.07

Visit

$131,480.00

1.3148

1.83%

Bank transfer

£0.00

Visit

EUR USD

Mid Market Rate €1 = $1.1443€1 = $1.1443

Transfer Amount €10,000€100,000

1

Wise

2

Xe

1

Wise

2

Xe

Recipient gets

Exchange rate

Exchange rate markup

Cheapest payment method

Transfer fee

$11,381.75

1.1437

0.05%

Bank transfer

€48.31

Visit

$11,227.00

1.1227

1.90%

Debit card

€0.00

Visit

$113,921.74

1.1437

0.05%

Bank transfer

€391.94

Visit

$112,610.00

1.1261

1.60%

Bank transfer

€0.00

Visit

EUR GBP

Mid Market Rate €1 = £0.8546€1 = £0.8546

Transfer Amount €10,000€100,000

1

Wise

2

Xe

1

Wise

2

Xe

Recipient gets

Exchange rate

Exchange rate markup

Cheapest payment method

Transfer fee

£8,525.24

0.8567

-0.25%

Bank transfer

€48.75

Visit

£8,351.00

0.8351

2.30%

Debit card

€0.00

Visit

£85,326.20

0.8567

-0.25%

Bank transfer

€401.31

Visit

£83,770.00

0.8377

1.99%

Bank transfer

€0.00

Visit

USD GBP

Mid Market Rate $1 = £0.7468$1 = £0.7482

Transfer Amount $10,000$100,000

1

Wise

2

Xe

1

Wise

2

Xe

Recipient gets

Exchange rate

Exchange rate markup

Cheapest payment method

Transfer fee

£7,458.79

0.7489

-0.28%

Bank transfer

$39.90

Visit

£7,401.00

0.7401

0.90%

Bank transfer

$0.00

Visit

£74,618.31

0.7481

0.01%

Bank transfer

$261.43

Visit

£74,600.00

0.7460

0.29%

Bank transfer

$0.00

Visit

USD PHP

Mid Market Rate $1 = ₱61.501$1 = ₱61.501

Transfer Amount $10,000$100,000

1

Wise

2

Xe

1

Wise

2

Xe

Recipient gets

Exchange rate

Exchange rate markup

Cheapest payment method

Transfer fee

₱610,930.52

61.4844

0.03%

Bank transfer

$63.65

Visit

₱609,543.00

60.9543

0.89%

Bank transfer

$0.00

Visit

₱6,117,718.09

61.4844

0.03%

Bank transfer

$499.67

Visit

₱6,067,780.00

60.6778

1.35%

Bank transfer

$0.00

Visit

Wise applies no markup on all transfers, meaning every transfer is sent at the mid-market rate.

Instead, Wise charges a fee for each transfer based on the currency pair, amount, and the deposit methods used. We’ve created a detailed analysis of Wise’s fees here.

Xe, on the other hand, doesn’t charge any fees on its transfers, irrespective of the transfer route and amount, the fees are always zero.

Xe exchange rate margins are fair compared to the likes of Western Union and mainstream banks.

For instance, when transferring $3000 from USD to EUR, the exchange rate margin can be as low as 0.8%. As the size of the transfer increases, the margin (also known as the markup) reduces.

This may not look like much, but it can add up if you’re making multiple small transfers. Here are a few more examples based on live rates from XE and Wise:

Wise fees and exchange rates

You can use the dropdown to add or change currencies.

XE fees and exchange rates

You can use the dropdown to add or change currencies.

As you can see, the markup on some exchange rates charged by Xe eats into the receiving amount more than the fees offered by Wise.

The only time it is worth using Xe, is when making large money transfers, over $500,000.

This is because anything above is handled by the Xe currency brokerage, where rates are tailored to your needs and you will get a much better service.

Transfer speed

Wise wins this round for general needs. Wise offers more currency pairs with instant transfers compared to Xe. However, Xe offers quicker transfers on transfers over $100,000.

7.0

vs

9.0

Visit Wise

We’ve conducted a thorough analysis of transfer speed for both Wise and Xe.

We’ve looked at every single currency pair offered and calculated transfer times for $1,000 and $100,000 transfers (in respective currencies).

We found that for a $1,000 (or equivalent in other currency):

• On average, Wise transfers take around 20 hours to process, and range between instant to 6 days.

• While for Xe, most transfers arrive after 23 hours on average, ranging from instant to 3 days.

While for a $100,000 transfer:

• Wise takes 38 hours on average, ranging between 30 minutes and 7 days

• While Xe transfers in 23 hours on average, ranging between instant and 3 days

In addition, we also found that Wise offers instant transfers on many more currencies compared to Xe.

As a result, we recommend using Wise for small transfers, and Xe for larger transfers if you need it delivered quickly.

Transfer limits

Wise is the winner here. Both companies have very high limits, however, with Xe you need to go through support to send over 500,000 USD.

9.0

vs

9.5

Visit Wise

Wise has a maximum limit of $1 million per transfer, if sent by wire transfer.

Xe has a limit of just under half that, at $535,000.

As for the minimum transfer, Xe and Wise have no restriction on minimum amounts.

For business money transfer, Xe offers much higher limits of $15 million per day, while Wise is locked at 1,600,000 USD over the swift network.

Product offering

For day-to-day transfers, Wise is the winner here when comparing Xe vs Wise for personal transfers.

8.8

vs

8.8

Visit Xe

While Xe covers more countries and currencies, Wise allows for more transfer options and has a multi-currency account.

Coverage

Xe has a much larger coverage compared to Wise.

• Xe services over 200 countries worldwide, and handles over 100 currencies.

• In contrast, Wise lets you send money from 160 countries in 51 currencies.

If you’re looking to convert more exotic currencies, Xe is a better choice.

Payment methods

Wise takes the edge on payment options though.

With Wise, you can make a payment using bank transfers, debit or credit card, Swift transfer, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and other local wallets, as well as using your Wise balance.

Xe, on the other hand, can only process bank transfers, wire transfers, and card payments.

Multi-currency account

Wise boasts a multi-currency account that can store multiple currencies at once.

This allows you to spend money abroad without fees, provided you have enough of the correct currency in your account.

Wise is not a bank, however, you can also use Wise for your day-to-day general banking needs, though you may find a more in-depth service from other banks like Revolut (check out our Wise vs Revolut comparison).

Business accounts

Both companies offer business accounts, however, Xe is far superior when it comes to features and business offering.

We’ve created an in-depth analysis for Xe and Wise in these guides:

• Wise business account review

• Xe business account review

Here’s a quick roundup of both accounts.

Both companies offer free business accounts and the fee structure is the same for business as for personal accounts, however, Xe business rates are handled by their currency brokerage side.

This means that Xe can tailor the rates to your business rates.

The more important part is the support you get with Xe vs Wise.

Wise is a predominantly online only company, and if you run into issues, it might be harder to resolve them compared to Xe.

With Xe, you get a dedicated account manager that will help you with your business transfers or with any issues you may have.

In addition, Xe offers one of the best and most trusted currency APIs that can be integrated into any business.

Both Xe and Wise integrate into third-party tools like Xero, QuickBooks, and FreeAgent, however, Xe offers more integrations for enterprises and large businesses.

Customer service and experience

Xe is the winner, simply because you can call and talk to a real human at any time. Wise on the other hand, prefers to deal through FAQs, guides, and over email.

8.0

vs

8.5

Visit Wise

Ease of use

With top marks, Wise can't be beaten on its ease of use. Though Xe also performs strongly.

9.5

vs

10.0

Visit Wise

Wise has a top rated app, and you can register on the Wise website if you prefer to use a desktop computer.

You can see your account balance clearly, split by currency, with your transaction history available in one tap.

Xe also allows you to register and use their service via desktop, but the layout of the site is slightly more difficult to navigate.

I’ve made a transfer with both companies and created the below comparison to show you how easy it is to use both companies.

Making international payments

Sending money with Wise

Wise app was built to streamline the transfer process, the entire process takes a few clicks.

Sending money with XE

XE has many more steps involved and takes a bit longer to complete.

Safety and regulations

There's nothing in it between Xe and Wise on safety and trust. Both are very well respected, trustworthy providers.

8.5

vs

9.4

Visit Wise

Wise is regulated widely across the world, as is Xe. They also both offer multi-factor authentication and have good overall fee transparency.

Customer feedback

Xe is a winner here.

Over the years they’ve collected more positive reviews and consistently stayed on track. Wise on the other hand, had a fair few neutral and negative comments in the past year.

8.5

vs

9.4

Visit Wise

Overall Trustpilot reviews for Xe are positive, with most referencing the professional service offered and their competitive rates. The more negative reviews focus on the usability of the app, and occasional poor exchange rates.

Wise is also mainly positive, with particular praise for the cost and speed of transfers, along with the simplicity of the app. However, many complain about delayed transfers, not completed transfers, and lack of in-person support.

We’ve collected reviews from our users, and similarly, Xe has more recommendations compared to Wise.

Alternative to Xe & Wise

Good alternative to Wise and Xe

Remitly

Remitly is another great option for money transfers abroad.

Remitly offers slightly higher fees vs Wise and Xe, however, they offer more delivery options than Xe and Wise combined.

For instance, you can use all the traditional delivery options, as well as cash pickup and cash delivery.

This may be a better option if you want your money delivered in-person, but it will cost you a bit more.

User Comments (15)Read reviewVisit Remitly

Please share your experience with Remitly

Would you recommend Remitly?

Yes Yes, I recommendMaybe I'm not sureNo No, I don't recommend

Anonymous

The Exchange rates are Terrible. Lost £150.00 by sending £5000 That is a huge amount. When other companies have much better rates. costing about £25-£35 for the same amount of funds transferred

No, I don't recommendSeptember 20th, 2025

Anonymous

Was told the money would be there same day, transferred money for an emergency 3 days later and they keep saying something different each time we call. It’s not a small amount of money and the money is no longer in our bank account.

No, I don't recommendAugust 29th, 2025

Andrew Lippert

Too convoluted - Not worth the time

No, I don't recommendAugust 5th, 2025

Anonymous

MY BANK REFUSE TO DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY

I'm not sureJune 30th, 2025

Anonymous

I am not currently a customer, having an experience of delivery to the wrong account and slow resolution with MoneyGram .

I'm not sureJune 16th, 2025

Jymmy François

Okkkkkkkkkkk

Yes, I recommendMay 19th, 2025

Ray

After 14hours of waiting & 6 phone calls by me, recipient never received currency, was told overseas bank problem. Used another currency operator, money arrived in seconds. Poor Show, now waiting for full refund!

No, I don't recommendMay 16th, 2025

Anonymous

Can't send to Russia

No, I don't recommendFebruary 14th, 2025

Anonymous

Good service

Yes, I recommendFebruary 2nd, 2025

Anonymous

Not possible to send money to a bank account

No, I don't recommendJanuary 17th, 2025

Kenneth Thomas

The funds I needed arrived in minutes and saved me. It was an easy and straight forward process. Thanks Remitly

Yes, I recommendDecember 14th, 2024

Anonymous

Good option

Yes, I recommendNovember 8th, 2024

Anonymous

good and easy

Yes, I recommendOctober 28th, 2024

Anonymous

First time user. So far is fast and easy.

Yes, I recommendSeptember 28th, 2024

Anonymous

Currently unavailable to send money from USA to Russia

No, I don't recommendSeptember 27th, 2024

Showing 10 out of 15 reviewsShowing 15 out of 15 reviewsShow moreShow less

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