Comparison
Wise vs Revolut for nomads: fees, currencies 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 ~0.3–0.6% per conversion, shown upfront before you confirm. No weekend penalty. | Free up to a monthly allowance on paid plans (more on higher tiers), then ~0.5–1%; weekend markup applies. |
| Local account details | Real local details in ~9–10 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. | 25–30+ currencies depending on plan and region. |
| ATM withdrawals | A monthly free allowance, then a small fixed fee plus a small percentage above it. | 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
Eligible 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.
Eligible 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.
Note 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.
Decide it with your own numbers
Skip the generic ranking and match an account to your real income currencies, spending pattern and home country:
- Best bank account for nomads — our free picker weighs Wise, Revolut and others against the currencies you actually earn and spend in.
- Schengen 90/180 calculator — because where you bank and where you can legally stay are two halves of the same plan.
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.
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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.