Alternatives to Revolut include:
Wise
Monzo
Zing
N26
HSBC
XE
RegencyFX
Airwallex
Remitly
These companies are equivalent to Revolut but offer lower fees, better rates, greater coverage, more transfer options, better customer service, better security & reassurance, as well as offer similar or better features than Revolut.
Revolut vs the alternatives
Revolut offers low transfer fees, good exchange rates on smaller transfers, free Revolut to Revolut transfers, and many great banking features.
For currency conversion and international transfers, they add a small markup of around 0.25% and charge a 0.15% variable fee.
Revolut also adds a 1% markup on the weekends and a 1% “fair usage” once you hit your monthly limit (1,000 on the standard plan, no limit on Premium and up).
They support transfers to 200+ countries and 80+ currencies, much higher than similar companies like Wise or Zing.
Although Revolut offers a lot of great features, there’s a lot they are lacking:
Expensive beyond the “fair use” limits, unless you upgrade
Expensive paid plans if you don’t make use of all of their features
Poor customer service with most issues addressed by chatbots
Issues with accounts getting locked or frozen without explanation
Lack of local bank details makes it worse to receive payments
The business offering is generic and lacks tailored features
We’ve looked at top Revolut competitors and put a list of the best companies and apps below.
Wise for traveling and spending abroad
Wise is a strong alternative to Revolut especially for traveling and spending abroad, thanks to their multi-currency account and debit card.
Wise uses the mid-market rate for currency exchange and adds a small fee to every transfer.
This might be slightly off-putting, but it is a cheaper option if you convert more than £1,000 (or equivalent in your currency) per month.
For example, exchanging £2,000 for USD will get you $10 more with Wise compared to Revolut.
In addition, the app is much easier to use when it comes to currencies, while Revolut has been cluttered with many additional features. We dive deeper into it in our Wise vs Revolut comparison.
Similar to Revolut, you can make P2P transfers between Wise users, have access to virtual cards, store multiple currencies, and also get access to 10 local accounts and details.
Wise cards are available in Australia, Brazil, Canada, the EEA (European Economic Area), Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, and the UK.
Exchange rate | 0% (mid-market rate) |
---|---|
Transfer fees | From 0.33% |
Monthly ATM withdrawal limit | £200 (or 2 withdrawals) + 1.75% + 0.5 GBP after |
P2P transfers available | Yes between Wise users |
Currencies available | Spend in 48 currencies with a Wise card |
Money protection | Safeguarding |
Monzo if you're based in the UK or the US
Monzo is a great mix of Revolut and Wise in one app for those living in the UK and the US.
With Monzo you get the benefit of most of Revolut’s banking features, as well as they are partnered with Wise for international money transfers.
For currency conversions, Monzo uses Mastercard exchange rates with no markup, which means you can easily spend your money abroad.
But the biggest advantage of Monzo is that it is a licensed bank, so your money is FSCS-protected in the UK and covered by FDIC in the US.
If Monzo is your main bank, you get unlimited fee-free withdrawals in the EEA, otherwise, it’s £400 in the EEA and £200 anywhere else and 3% afterward for both.
This is similar to Wise and Revolut, but the fee is slightly higher.
The biggest downside of Monzo is the lack of a multi-currency account, meaning you can’t store currencies outside of your main currency.
If that is what you need, consider checking Starling Bank if you’re from the UK or N26 if you’re in other EU countries.
In addition, Monzo is only available in the UK and the US.
Exchange rate | 0% (Mastercard rate with no markup) |
---|---|
Transfer fees | From 0.33% (as powered by Wise) |
Monthly ATM withdrawal limit (not main account) | £400 in the EEA or £200 outside + 3% after |
P2P transfers available | Yes between Monzo users |
Currencies available | 1 (only GBP or USD) |
Money protection | FSCS and FDIC |
Zing for a cheaper multi-currency account in the UK
Zing is a great multi-currency account for those from the UK.
Zing offers cheap international money transfers at the mid-market rate, and transfers up to £500 are completely free, making it a great app for small transfers.
Pair the fees and no markup together, and it becomes cheaper than Revolut (even before reaching the 1% fair usage limit).
Here are a few examples based on the receiving amount:
Amount | Zing | Revolut |
---|---|---|
500 GBP to USD | $635.20 | $633.06 |
1000 EUR to USD | $1049.17 | $1047.70 |
5000 GBP to EUR | €6038.61 | €5995.64 |
Overall, it is cheaper than Revolut, offers fee-free transfers of up to £500 per month, comes with multiple currencies, and offers a decent transfer limit of £40,000 per day.
If you need to make a larger transfer, you might want to consider a currency broker such as RegencyFX or XE (they are covered lower down this page).
Zing also offers one free ATM withdrawal per month and charges £2 per withdrawal afterward.
This is much cheaper than Revolut if you withdraw anything over £300 per month (£200 free + 2% fee after).
Exchange rate | 0% (mid-market rate) |
---|---|
Transfer fees | 0.2% (free up to £500) |
Monthly ATM withdrawal limit | 1st withdrawal is free, with £2 flat-fee after that. Unlimited free withdrawals in the UK. |
P2P transfers | Yes between Zing users |
Currencies available | 22 |
Money protection | Safeguarding |
Wondering how Wise, Revolut and Zing stack up?
Check our guide where we've comapred them side-by-side.
N26 for those living in Europe
N26 is the best alternative to Revolut for those living in Europe.
Similar to Monzo, N26 uses a Mastercard exchange rate with no markup, meaning you won’t pay extra fees for making foreign transactions or weekend payments (like with Revolut).
And similarly, N26 uses Wise in the background for international money transfers. This makes N26 a great Revolut alternative for traveling and spending abroad.
However, N26 does not have a multi-currency account, meaning that you can only hold EUR in it. In fact, some non-euro transactions may be rejected.
ATM withdrawal limits will vary depending on the tax residency of your card.
In most cases, you will have 2-3 monthly withdrawals followed by €2 fee afterward. There’s also a 1.7% charge for non-euro withdrawals.
N26 is available in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Exchange rate | 0% (Mastercard rate with no markup) |
---|---|
Transfer fees | From 0.33% (as powered by Wise) |
Monthly ATM withdrawal limit | Up to 3 free withdrawals per month depending on your residence + €2 after. An additional 1.7% will be charged for non-euro withdrawals. |
P2P transfers | Yes between N26 users |
Currencies available | 1 (only EUR) |
Money protection | Banking license in Germany. Your money is insured up to €100,000. |
If you’re looking specifically for money transfers to Europe and not interested in multi-currency accounts, TransferGo is another good option, especially for transfers to Ukraine.
HSBC for peace of mind and reassurance
HSBC is better than Revolut if safety is your main priority.
What sets them apart from other brick-and-mortar banks, is their international money transfer offering, specifically the HSBC Global Money account.
It is available to the current HSBC account holders in the US and the UK and removes the need for another card when traveling abroad or managing currencies.
With HSBC Global Money you can expect to pay a markup of around 2.4% - 3.5% but there are no transfer fees.
The currencies you can hold and transfer will vary between the US and the UK accounts.
For example, in the US you can send 19 currencies but hold only 8, while in the UK you have access to 18 currencies and can transfer 50.
All your currency balances are protected by the FSCS and FDIC, meaning it is a safer option if you prefer to keep large amounts of money in your account.
The overall fees and rates are better with Revolut, but you get the reassurance of protection for all your currencies, and ATM withdrawals are limited to £1000 or currency equivalent (higher than Revolut’s £200 limit) with no fees.
It’s a good option if you’re an existing HSBC account holder, want to hold a large balance on your account, and transact in different currencies.
Exchange rate | 2.4% - 3.5% |
---|---|
Transfer fees | No fees |
Monthly ATM withdrawal limit | £1000 or currency equivalent with no fees |
P2P transfers | Not available |
Currencies available in the UK | Hold 18 and transfer 50 |
Currencies available in the US | Hold 8 and transfer 18 |
Money protection | FSCS and FDIC |
XE for currencies and FX rates
XE is better than Revolut for currency exchange, FX, and larger transfers.
XE is another leader in the money transfer market, but its focus is on currency exchanges, global reach, and larger transfers.
With XE you can send money to over 200 currencies with a small markup of 0.3% - 1.5% and up to $2.99 in fees.
However, for large transfers, the fees can be waived and you get a dedicated account manager to help you through the transfer and will deal with any issues you may have.
The best part, you can use your Revolut card to fund your transfer with XE.
Their app is simple and not as feature-rich as Revolut but it is built around currency conversion. With the app, you get a currency converter, rate alerts, historic currency graphs, and transfer tracking.
In terms of speed, most transfers will arrive in minutes, while some can take up to 3 days. This is similar to Revolut, but sometimes it can take up to 10 days.
XE is available in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Guernsey, Italy, Isle of Man, Jersey, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, South Africa, and other countries.
You can send money to bank accounts, and mobile wallets as well as send cash abroad to over 500,000 cash pickup locations.
Exchange rate | 0.3% - 1.5% |
---|---|
Transfer fees | $1.99 to $2.99 |
Monthly ATM withdrawal limit | You can’t use ATMs with XE |
P2P transfers | Not available |
Currencies available | 243 |
Money protection | Safeguarding |
RegencyFX for support and large transfers
RegencyFX is a better alternative for large transfers and customer support.
RegencyFX is a currency broker, meaning it specializes in sending large amounts of money abroad.
You won’t get a debit card, or multi-currency account with RegencyFX, but you do get a dedicated account manager.
With account managers, you get real human support over email or phone any time you need it.
This is a big advantage over Revolut, as it is mostly criticized for its poor support, replies from bots, and not being able to talk to a human.
With RegencyFX, you pay no fees on transfers abroad, but instead, the cost will be factored into the exchange rate, which can go up to 1%.
They have no limits on transfers, your money will arrive within 3 days, they will negotiate the exchange rate on your behalf, and you can make use of multiple hedging tools including forward contracts to minimize currency risks.
RegencyFX is available globally, with head offices in the UK and Spain.
Exchange rate | 0.3% - 1% |
---|---|
Transfer fees | No transfer fees |
Monthly ATM withdrawal limit | You can’t use ATMs with RegencyFX |
P2P transfers | Not available |
Currencies available | 35 |
Money protection | Safeguarding |
Airwallex for a better business account
Airwallex is the best alternative to Revolut for business.
Airwallex is built for business only (while Revolut offers both, business and personal), and similar to Revolut Business account it comes with tiered accounts (free and paid).
However, considering the cost of both, you get many more business features with Airwallex and an overall better experience.
With the Revolut Basic business plan, you are limited to £1,000 in conversions at the mid-market rate with 0.6% after and 1% on the weekends. This can be increased to £50,000 with a Scale plan for £79/month.
Airwallex on the other hand, charges a 0.5% markup on transfers every day of the week, but you can send up to $5,000,000. You also get 12 local accounts with details vs SWIFT accounts with Revolut.
In addition, with the Airwallex basic plan you get 5 free employee cards (3 on Revolut), batch and bulk payments (not available on a Basic Revolut account), up to 10 free company cards (with additional fees on Revolut), multiple integrations and API access (not available on Revolut Basic plan).
While Revolut is a good option if you’re a freelancer or running a small business, Airwallex is aimed at larger businesses with a minimum £10,000 balance on the account.
Airwallex is available in the USA, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, Europe, Singapore, and more.
Exchange rate | 0.5% |
---|---|
Transfer fees | No fees |
Monthly ATM withdrawal limit | Not available |
P2P transfers | Not available |
Currencies available | 20+ currencies and 120+ countries |
Money protection | Safeguarding |
Remitly for more withdrawal options
A great Revolut alternative for payout methods and cash transfers.
With Remitly, you can expect to pay a markup of around 1% - 3% and a transfer fee of around $1.99 - $35.99 depending on the delivery method and countries involved.
The main advantage over Revolut is the withdrawal methods they offer.
With Remitly you also get more delivery methods compared to Revolut, including cash pickup, cash home delivery, bank account and debit card deposits, and mobile money transfers.
If you need to send airtime, you may want to consider WorldRemit.
Remitly is available in over 30 countries, including UAE, Europe, the UK, the US, Australia, Canada, and more.
Exchange rate | 1% - 3% |
---|---|
Transfer fees | $1.99 - $35.99 (free for the first transfer) |
Monthly ATM withdrawal limit | Not available |
P2P transfers | Not available |
Currencies available | 30 |
Money protection | Safeguarding |
Revolut offers multiple subscription tiers beyond the Standard free plan:
Plus - £3.99/month
Premium - £7.99/month
Metal - £14.99/month
Ultra - £45/month
While many additional benefits are available, it is only worth it if you’re going to use many of them, not just for currency conversion and international money transfers.
It might seem cheaper than many of the companies above, with no ”fair use” limits and better rates, but you still get charged a small markup and the weekend fee of 1%, and you need to factor in the membership cost.
This ultimately makes Revolut more expensive than the likes of Wise, N26, Zing, and Monzo.
The only time you might benefit from it is if you’re making more than two £2,000+ transfers per month, every month.
Finding the right alternative for your needs
It’s difficult to give a one-size-fits-all alternative to Revolut because there are so many factors involved.
Here are a few things to consider when picking one for your needs.
Your location
This is the main factor you need to consider as companies will vary based on where you live.
In the UK or the US, Monzo is the best alternative offering similar features and cheaper transfers, while N26 is better for those living in the EU.
Features
Your needs will affect the features you should be looking for.
For example:
If you want to travel and spend abroad, you’ll want a multi-currency account with Wise
If you’re after FX and currency exchange you may want to consider XE,
If you’re making a large one-off transfer you should consider a currency broker such as RegencyFX.
Exchange rates
The exchange rates will impact how much money you get after the conversion, be it when converting your own money or sending it abroad.
This is where most companies will add a markup to make a profit. The lower the percentage, the closer it is to the ‘real exchange rate’.
While many alternatives we’ve offered have no markup, their fees may make up the difference.
For the best exchange rates, we recommend using Wise or Zing (in the UK).
Fees
Many companies will add a fee when conversions are involved. It can be a set fee or a percentage. Most companies will add a fee for ATM withdrawals as well.
Revolut’s fees are known to be lower on average, but companies like N26, Zing, and Monzo are very competitive as well.
Coverage
Make sure the company you pick supports the destination country you need the most.
Apps like Wise and XE will have the biggest coverage and may be best suited if you’re making multiple different currency transfers.
We cover all these with our comparison engine and recommend searching for Revolut alternatives based on the amount and the countries involved to get the best deals.