Wise vs Revolut (with a £20 sign-up bonus!)

These 2 fintechs are seeking to revolutionise the way money works across borders. We've compared them to see which does that better.

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Jason Loewenthal

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Wise vs Revolut is a battle of 2 fintech companies trying to change the way international payments work.

Both have a primary focus on money transfers and international finance.

Wise Payments Limited is an authorised e-money institution regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Revolut is a fully licensed UK bank.

Revolut's £20 sign-up bonus for new accounts

Revolut is currently offering a £20 sign-up bonus when you open a new account, making it a strong sign-up incentive compared with any other provider.

See deal

Wise vs Revolut: Vital statistics

Wise logoRevolut logo
Finder score9.1Excellent
Customer satisfaction surveyNot yet rated4.5
★★★★★
Free spending abroad
Arranged overdraftNo overdraft availableNo overdraft available
Representative exampleN/AN/A
Interest when you're in credit0%0%
Branch access
FSCS protected
Sign-up bonus
AmountN/A£20
Product imageWiseRevolut
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Do you want a bright green card or a bluey-purple-ish one? What features are important to you from a finance apps? Those are some of the questions you’ll have to ask yourself when you’re deciding between these 2 accounts.

Revolut offers a sign-up bonus of £20 and a variety of app features, plus FSCS protection on deposits. Whereas Wise generally offers a better exchange rate and lower transfer fees.

Otherwise they’re both fairly similar, with neither offering overdrafts options.

Round 1: App features

Wise logoRevolut logo
Visual breakdown of spending
Spending categories15Customisable
Set spending budgets
Set up direct debits in the app
Top up via bank transfer
Have salary paid in
Separate savings accounts
Round-ups
Customer service via the app
Customer service via a telephone line
Cheque scanning
Freeze/unfreeze card in app
Send money abroad
Fee for sending money abroad£0.59 + 0.33% of the amount that's convertedFree in SEPA region, between 30p and £5 to send elsewhere
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They both have spending categories so you can organise where your money has gone. Wise has 15 and if that isn’t enough for you, Revolut has as many categories as you care to name, because they’re customisable. Whether you need the freedom to do that is up to you and Wise might be more than enough for most people.

In other points of difference, Revolut has separate savings account and a feature to let you round up your spending to help you save the change.

Wise has in-app and telephone customer service, while Revolut only has the latter.

In terms of sending money abroad, Wise charges 59p and a percentage of the transfer amount, while Revolut transfers are free in the SEPA region or 30p to £5 outside it. It’s worth noting though that Wise generally has better exchange rates than Revolut, which can make a big difference if you’re transferring a large amount.

  • Winner: Tie.

Round 2: Spending in the UK

Wise logoRevolut logo
Free card transactions in the UK
Contactless card limit£100£100
Apple Pay
Google Pay
Samsung Pay
Free ATM withdrawals£200 per month, 2 free withdrawalsLimited to £200 per month or 5 withdrawals
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There are fairly similar offerings in this round, though Wise works with Samsung Pay while Revolut doesn’t. They have the same cash withdrawal limit of £200, but Revolut lets you do that in 5 withdrawals compared to 2 with Wise.

  • Winner: Wise, because it has Samsung Pay.

Round 3: Using the card abroad

Wise logoRevolut logo
Free foreign transactionsYes if hold that currency on the card yet small conversion fee if notLimited to £1,000 per month
Free foreign ATM withdrawalsLimited to £200 per monthLimited to £200 per month
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This round is where these 2 competitors should really excel, but neither side is best in class.

Wise doesn’t charge a fee if you’re spending a currency you already have on your card, but if you spend in a different currency then you’re charged a small conversion fee.

Revolut lets you spend £1,000 a month with no fee and if you spend over that you’re charged 1% for that amount.

Both limit foreign cash withdrawals to £200 each month.

  • Winner: Revolut, because it has a higher monthly spending limit that isn’t related to the currency you’re spending in.

Round 4: Account types

Wise logoRevolut logo
Free account
Premium account
Joint account
Teen account (for 16- and 17-year olds)
Kids' account or card
Business account
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Wise has a free personal account and a business account, that’s it.

Revolut has those and also offers joint accounts, premium accounts, kids’ accounts and teen accounts.

If you want a greater range, then Revolut might be what you’re looking for, though Wise’s offering is more simple.

  • Winner: Revolut, because it has more options.

Round 5: Signing up

Wise logoRevolut logo
Apply through the app
Quick application
Credit check
Card delivery fee£7£4.99
Card delivery timescale2-6 working days (UK), varies for different countriesUp to 9 working days
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To apply for either of these you can do it quickly and easily through their respective apps.

Wise charges £7 for a card which should arrive in 2–6 working days, while Revolut charges £4.99 and it should arrive in up to 9 working days.

Revolut also has a £20 sign-up bonus, which is handy.

  • Winner: Revolut, because the card is cheaper and there’s a sign-up bonus.

Round 6: Customer reviews

On Trustpilot, Wise has a rating of 4.3 out of 5 from over 285K reviews. Revolut has a ranking of 4.7 out of 5 from over 376K reviews. We checked this is in March 2026.

Customers liked Wise’s fast transfers, but some customers had issues with customer service.

Revolut got praise for its ease of use, though some users complained about their accounts or transactions being frozen while they were being reviewed.

  • Winner: Wise, by a whisker.

Overall winner: Revolut

While both of these have aspirations to make managing money internationally better for customers, neither is a leader at that right now. They do offer a range of products and features that are a vast improvement on traditional banks when it comes to sending or spending money abroad, but other neobanks have better offerings.

That said, Revolut has slightly more than Wise at the time of writing. It has a wider range of account types, a sign-up bonus and higher limits for spending abroad.

Wise might shade it for sending money abroad because it generally offers a better exchange rate and its lower fees could really save you money compared to Revolut, especially if you’re sending large amounts of money. However, Revolut just pips it to the title due to its slightly higher Trustpilot score.

Our “Best for” picks highlight top options in specific categories based on our independent evaluation (see our full methodology), while “Promoted” tags indicate sponsored placements. Selected products may not suit everyone. We track selected market offers, which may not cover every product. Products are listed in no particular order unless specified, and inclusion or ordering may be influenced by popularity or commercial agreements. Most comparison table data is provided by Defaqto or sourced directly from providers. Always evaluate your own circumstances and consider independent advice before making major financial decisions.
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Jason is a writer and editor. He worked as a senior subeditor for Finder for 5 years and in that time became familiar with a wide range of financial products and services. Before that, he worked for Australian Associated Press. He has a BA from Macquarie University in Australia. Jason loves to help other people find new ways to save money. See full bio

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