Revolut vs Wise 2026: Fees, Safety and Which Is Better for You

Short answer: Wise is usually the better choice for sending and receiving money across currencies — it converts at the mid-market rate and shows its fee before you send. Revolut is usually the better choice as an everyday app — spending, budgeting, savings and investing in one place, with a monthly exchange allowance on each plan and a fee above it. Many people end up using both. Below: how each one actually charges, how your money is protected with each, and which suits which kind of user.

Revolut and Wise are two of the best-known financial apps in Europe, and increasingly worldwide. The fee figures on this page come from the providers' own pages, read in September 2026; fees change, so check the current terms in the app before you rely on any number.

The core difference

Revolut wants to be your everything-app for money. It does transfers, spending, savings, crypto, stocks, insurance, and more. Wise wants to be the best at one thing: holding and moving money across currencies at the real exchange rate.

This fundamental difference shapes every comparison. If you mostly move money between countries, Wise's model is built for you. If you want one app for most of your financial life, Revolut's is. The details below decide the edge cases.

How Revolut charges for currency exchange

Revolut's UK fee schedule sets a monthly exchange limit per plan. Within the limit you get the Revolut exchange rate plus any exchange fee that applies; above it, a fair usage fee is added:

• Standard: £1,000 of exchange a month, then a 1% fair usage fee on the rest.

• Plus: £3,000 a month, then 0.5%.

• Premium, Metal and Ultra: no exchange limit and no fair usage fee.

The limit is shared across everything you exchange — money currencies, crypto and commodities count towards the same monthly total. Revolut's own worked example: on Standard, £500 of currency, £300 of crypto and £200 of commodities uses up the whole £1,000.

Other markets have their own fee schedules, so check the one for your country in the app.

How Wise charges

Wise converts at the mid-market rate — the rate you see on independent currency sites — with no markup, and charges a separate conversion fee that varies by currency route and is shown before you confirm. For card spending, Wise says you spend at the mid-market rate with low conversion fees, and its UK card fee page allows free cash withdrawals up to 250 GBP a month, with 2.69% on the amount above that.

The practical effect: Wise's cost scales with the amount you convert and is visible up front, while Revolut's cost depends on your plan and how much of your monthly allowance you have left.

How to find out which is cheaper for you

No published comparison can tell you the answer for your currency pair on your day, so run the check yourself — it takes two minutes:

• Look up the mid-market rate for your pair and write it down.

• Enter the exact amount you want to send into each app and note the amount the recipient will receive, not just the fee.

• Multiply your send amount by the mid-market rate. The gap between that figure and each receive amount is the real total cost.

• On Revolut, check how much of your monthly exchange limit you have already used — the answer changes once you pass it.

Our Wise vs Revolut transfer comparison goes through this method in more detail, and the cheapest international transfers covers other providers on the same terms.

App and features

Revolut's app is packed. Budgeting tools, savings vaults, crypto trading, stock investing, premium subscriptions and insurance — it is a financial super-app, and some settings sit several menus deep.

Wise's app is more focused: multi-currency balances, local account details for receiving money, transfer history and card controls. For people who want simplicity, that focus is the point.

Savings and interest

Revolut offers savings products in several markets, and Wise offers a way to earn a return on held balances in some countries. Terms, rates and protection differ by country and by product — some are not deposits at all — so read the product terms before treating either as a savings account. For accounts designed for saving, see our best savings accounts guide.

Business use

Both offer business accounts, and both are popular with freelancers. Revolut Business leans towards spend management and team cards; Wise Business towards international payments. For companies with heavier multi-currency needs, Airwallex is worth comparing too — we cover it in our Airwallex review and in Wise vs Airwallex.

Security and regulation: how your money is protected

The two are regulated in different ways, and this is the difference most comparisons understate.

Revolut. Revolut Bank UK Ltd received approval from the Prudential Regulation Authority to exit the mobilisation phase and launch as a UK bank, reported on 12 March 2026, which lets it offer deposit accounts protected by the FSCS on eligible deposits. The FSCS limit is £120,000 per person per bank, up from £85,000 on 1 December 2025, per the FSCS. At the time of that report, existing UK customers were to be migrated to the new bank over a few months — so check in the app which Revolut entity holds your account. EU customers are served through Revolut's EU entity, supervised by the Bank of Lithuania, and protection there follows that entity. Crypto and investments held in Revolut are not deposits and are not covered.

Wise. Wise does not lend out customer money. It safeguards it — keeping it separate from Wise's own funds — rather than relying on a deposit insurance scheme such as the FSCS.

For large balances you intend to keep, a deposit covered by a statutory guarantee is the stronger form of protection. For money you are moving or spending, the difference matters less in practice. Either way, check the licence of the entity that actually holds your money.

Who should choose which

Choose Revolut if you want:

• An all-in-one financial app

• Crypto and stock trading in the same place (neither is protected like a deposit)

• Currency exchange inside a monthly allowance, or unlimited on the higher plans

• Premium plan perks such as insurance

Choose Wise if you want:

• Transparent, per-transfer pricing at the mid-market rate

• Local account details for receiving money in several currencies

• A simple, focused app

• A multi-currency account without extras you do not need

Or use both. Many people do exactly that — Revolut for daily spending, Wise for larger international transfers. There is no rule that says you have to pick one.

Alternatives to Revolut and Wise

If neither fits, the usual next candidates depend on the job. For a euro account from a licensed bank, compare Revolut vs N26 and our list of N26 alternatives. For a business that pays and gets paid in several currencies, look at Wise vs Airwallex. The wider field is in the best neobanks of 2026.

The verdict

Wise for moving money, Revolut for everything else — and for many people, both. If you only open one: pick Wise if most of your money crosses borders, and Revolut if you want one app for spending, saving and investing. Check the current fees for your country and plan before you commit.

Important disclaimer

We may earn commission when you open an account through our links. This does not change what we write. This is not financial advice. Always check the provider's terms before applying. Crypto and investments can fall in value; your capital is at risk.

Frequently asked questions

Is Wise better than Revolut?

For moving money between currencies, usually yes: Wise converts at the mid-market rate with a visible fee. For an all-in-one everyday app with spending, savings and investing, Revolut is usually the better fit. Many people use both.

Is Revolut cheaper than Wise?

It depends on your plan and amount. Inside Revolut's monthly exchange limit (£1,000 on Standard in the UK) Revolut can be cheaper; above it, a 1% fair usage fee applies on Standard. Wise charges a per-transaction conversion fee instead. Compare the amount the recipient receives in each app for your exact transfer.

Is my money safer with Revolut or Wise?

They are protected differently. Revolut's UK bank can offer FSCS protection on eligible deposits up to £120,000 once your account is with that bank; Wise safeguards customer money rather than insuring it. Crypto and investments in either app are not deposits.

Can I use Revolut and Wise together?

Yes. A common setup is Revolut for daily spending and Wise for larger international transfers and receiving money in other currencies.

What are the alternatives to Revolut and Wise?

N26 for a euro account from a licensed bank, Airwallex for businesses with multi-currency needs, and other neobanks covered in our best neobanks ranking.