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Wise vs Revolut: fees, ATM limits and which to pick

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Both apps show up in every nomad packing list, and the lazy answer is "get both." Often that is right. But it skips the question that actually matters: what is each one best at? Wise is a money-movement specialist built around the real exchange rate. Revolut is a neobank-style app that wraps spending, investing and travel perks into paid tiers. Once you see how differently they're shaped, picking the right tool (or the right combination) gets easy.

Side by side

Wise Revolut
What it really is A money-movement specialist: multi-currency account, local bank details, debit card. No tiers needed to get the core deal. A neobank-style app: multi-currency account, card tiers, plus stocks, crypto, savings and budgeting features.
Exchange rate The mid-market (interbank) rate on every conversion, with a separate, visible percentage fee. Mid-market rate on weekdays within your plan limit; a markup on weekends and above the free monthly cap.
Conversion fee Typically ~0.5 to 1% per conversion (Wise quotes fees from about 0.47%), shown upfront before you confirm. No weekend penalty. Free up to a monthly allowance (about €/$1,000 on the free Standard plan, more on paid tiers), then a 0.5% fair-usage fee; a ~1% weekend markup applies.
Local account details Real local details in ~9 to 10 currencies (USD, EUR, GBP, AUD and more) to get paid like a local. IBAN/account details available, but the breadth of true local details is narrower than Wise.
Currencies held 40+ currencies held in one balance. About 25 currencies you can hold, depending on region.
ATM withdrawals A monthly free allowance (around 250 EUR/USD, less in some regions), then a percentage fee above it: about 2.69% in Europe, with a small fixed fee still applied in a few regions such as the US. A monthly free allowance that scales up with the plan tier, then a percentage fee.
Plans / cost No monthly subscription; you pay per transaction. One-time small card-issue fee. Free tier plus paid tiers (e.g. Plus/Premium/Metal/Ultra) with monthly fees that raise the free allowances.
Extras Focused: send/receive, hold, spend. Some markets add a debit-linked investing option. Broad: stock/crypto trading, savings vaults, budgeting, travel perks and insurance on higher tiers.
Best-known strength Transparent, low-margin currency conversion and getting paid internationally. One app that bundles spending, investing and travel features.

Both providers change pricing often, and the exact fees, free allowances and currency lists hinge on your home country and plan. Treat the numbers above as estimates, and check the current figures on Wise's and Revolut's own fee pages before you choose.

Which to pick, and when

Note Pick Wise if you mainly need to get paid in several currencies, convert larger or irregular amounts, or want a predictable mid-market rate with no weekend surprises. It is the better money plumbing.

Note Pick Revolut if you want one app for everyday spending, budgeting, travel perks and a bit of investing, and your conversions are small, frequent and on weekdays, where its free allowance shines.

Eligible Run both for the most resilient setup. Wise for receiving and converting, Revolut for daily spend, and each one as the other's backup card when an income or a checkout hangs on it.

Depends Watch the edges. Revolut's free conversion carries a weekend markup and a monthly cap, and either account can be frozen for review, so never park your whole runway in one app.

The one distinction that decides it

Strip away the marketing and it comes down to this. Wise is built for moving and holding money across borders at the lowest honest margin. Revolut is built to be the single app you spend and manage your financial life from. Wise shows you the mid-market rate and a separate fee every time, so nothing about the cost is hidden. Revolut tucks most of its cost behind plan allowances and a weekday/weekend split, generous when you stay inside the lines, pricier when you stray outside them.

For a nomad, the practical read is usually this: invoice and receive through Wise, then spend day-to-day on whichever card hands you the best perks and ATM allowance where you happen to be. Neither one wins in the abstract. The winner is whichever matches how your money actually flows.

ATM withdrawals abroad, in real numbers

Cash machines are where the quiet fees hide, so here is the shape of it on Wise (figures effective 1 May 2026). You get a free monthly allowance, then a percentage on anything above it: around 250 EUR or 250 GBP free per month across Europe and the UK, then 2.69% on the excess; in the US it is 250 USD free, then a 1.95 USD fixed fee plus 1.95%; in Australia it is 400 AUD free, then 2.69%. Your allowance follows the country where your card was issued, not where you happen to stand at the machine. Revolut's free ATM allowance on the Standard plan is smaller and only grows when you move up to a paid tier, so heavy cash users hit the fee sooner. If your month runs on physical cash, size your plan to the allowance rather than to the headline, and pull out larger amounts less often so more of each trip stays inside the free band. These figures shift, so confirm the current numbers on each provider's own fee page before you rely on them.

Decide it with your own numbers

Skip the generic ranking and match an account to your real income currencies, spending pattern and home country:

Related comparisons

  • Revolut vs N26, if you have narrowed it down to app-first accounts and want the European neobank angle.
  • Wise vs PayPal, if getting paid by international clients is the part that actually keeps you up at night.

Frequently asked questions

Is Wise or Revolut cheaper for currency conversion? +

It depends on how and when you convert. Wise always uses the mid-market rate and charges one visible percentage fee, with no weekend penalty, so you can predict the cost whatever the day and however big the amount. Revolut can be cheaper, sometimes free, when you convert on weekdays inside your plan's monthly allowance, but it adds a markup at weekends and once you go past that allowance. Convert large or irregular amounts, or move money on a Saturday, and Wise is usually the steadier deal. Keep your conversions small, frequent and weekday-based, and Revolut's free allowance can come out ahead.

Can I get paid in multiple currencies with both? +

Both let you hold and receive several currencies, but Wise goes further on genuine local bank details. With Wise you get real local account numbers in roughly nine to ten currencies: a US routing and account number, a UK sort code and account number, a euro IBAN, and more, so clients and employers pay you as if you were local and skip the international-transfer friction. Revolut gives you account details too, but it covers fewer true local options. That gap matters most if you freelance and invoice clients across several countries.

Do I have to pick just one? +

No, and plenty of nomads run both on purpose. The usual pattern: Wise handles the money plumbing (getting paid in several currencies, holding balances, converting at the mid-market rate) while Revolut is the day-to-day spending app for its budgeting, travel perks and investing features. They complement each other rather than compete. And when your income rides on being able to pay for things abroad, carrying a backup card from the other provider just makes sense.

How much does Revolut charge for currency exchange above the free allowance? +

On the free Standard plan, Revolut converts at the mid-market rate on weekdays up to a monthly allowance (around 1,000 in your home currency). Past that allowance it adds a fair-usage fee of about 0.5%, and at weekends it applies a markup, around 1% on the Standard plan and smaller or nothing on the paid tiers. Paid tiers also raise or remove the monthly allowance, so the free rate is real but it has a weekday-and-within-limit shape to it. Treat these as estimates and check Revolut's current fee page for your country, because the numbers move.

What are Wise's ATM withdrawal limits and fees? +

Wise gives you a free monthly ATM allowance, then charges above it (figures effective 1 May 2026). In Europe and the UK that is about 250 EUR or 250 GBP free per month, then 2.69% on the excess. In the US it is 250 USD free, then a 1.95 USD fixed fee plus 1.95%. In Australia it is 400 AUD free, then 2.69%. The exact allowance and fee depend on where your card was issued, so check Wise's ATM fees page for the country you are heading to.

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Voymo gives general information to help you organise your move. It is not legal, tax, or immigration advice, always confirm with an official source or a qualified professional before you act.