5 Best International Money Transfer Apps Reviewed 2023

International money transfer apps allow you to send payments to friends, family and businesses all around the world, right from your phone or smart device.

Money transfer apps are typically offered by specialists in digital transfers and multi-currency accounts – which means there’s a smooth in-app onboarding so you can get an account, get verified, and get your money moving, all without even leaving the house.

There are plenty of international money transfer apps available to customers in the US. However, each has different features, fees, exchange rates and delivery times – comparing a few is the best way to find the right one for you.

Read on to learn more about the 5 best international money transfer apps for US customers.

5 Best Money Transfer Apps in the US

Here’s a quick summary of the best online money transfer apps in 2023 for the US – and what we love about them:

• Wise: multi-currency accounts for personal and business customers, to hold 50+ currencies, send payments to 80+ countries, with the mid-market exchange rate
• Revolut: hold and exchange 25+ currencies with the mid-market rate, and send low cost personal or business payments around the world
• Remitly: great for low cost payments to friends and family, on popular remittance routes
• OFX: Send in app and have a 24/7 phone service available, whenever you need a more personal touch
• Western Union: send personal payments almost anywhere in the world, to bank accounts or for cash collection

We’ve picked these providers from customer review and rating data, from both the Apple App store and the Google Play store, as well as the services available, exchange rates and fees. Ultimately which is best for you will depend on your specific needs – so use this guide as a starting point, to review and research your preferred apps a little further.

There’s a more detailed look at each of our providers coming up next – first, an overview:

* Rating and review data was taken on 1 December 2022 from App store and Play Store

Transfer App #1 – Wise

• Wise is best for: Fast payments with the mid-market rate and no hidden fees
• Fees and exchange rates: mid-market exchange rate, and low transparent fees from 0.41%
• Safety: Fully regulated by many global regulatory bodies around the world
• Speed: 50%+ of transfers are instant, 90% arrive in 24 hours
• Transfer limits: High limits, set by currency, usually the equivalent of around 1 million GBP
• Customer reviews: 4.1/5 rating on Play Store, from 243,000+ reviews; 4.6/5 rating on the App Store from 26,000+ reviews

Wise offers one off and recurring international money transfers, and multi-currency accounts for personal and business customers. Create an account and get verified through the Wise app to start, and you’ll be able to send payments to 80+ countries with the mid-market exchange rate and low, transparent transfer fees.

If you’d like a full Wise multi-currency account you can open one online or in the app, to hold 50+ currencies, and receive payments for free from 30+ countries. There’s a linked debit card for easy spending and withdrawals, too. There’s no monthly fee or minimum balance to pay, so you can just use your account as and when you need it for travel, shopping with international ecommerce retailers, or sending international payments.

Wise international payments are typically quick, with more than half arriving instantly. You’ll see a delivery estimate in the app when you set up your payment, and can track the transfer in the app easily once it’s on its way. There are limits on the amount you can send per currency, but these are generally high – at around 1 million GBP or the currency equivalent.

Wise pros and cons

Pros:

• Mid-market exchange rates and transparent service fees
• Send payments or open a multi-currency account in the Wise app
• Transfers are fast – over 50% arrive instantly

Cons:

• Services, fees and delivery times vary based on destination
• No cash pay out options available, transfers to bank accounts only
• There’s a one time fee to open a business account or get a debit card

Transfer App #2 – Revolut

• Revolut is best for: Broad range of services including savings and investments
• Fees and exchange rates: exchange currency to your plan limit using the mid-market exchange rate and transfer with a variable fee
• Safety: Revolut is regulated and trades safely around the world
• Speed: transfers to cards usually take minutes, payments to bank accounts take 3 to 5 days
• Transfer limits: Varies by currency and payment type
• Customer reviews: 4.5/5 rating on Play Store, from over 2 million reviews; 4.7/5 rating on the App Store from 31,000+ reviews

With Revolut you’ll need to register an account and get verified by uploading your documents to get started. Standard accounts are free, or you can upgrade to a plan with a monthly fee to unlock more features.

As well as international transfers, Revolut accounts offer a great range of services. Even with free standard plans you can hold and exchange 25+ currencies, spend with a linked debit card, earn interest on your balance, and unlock lots of investment and budgeting tools.

There are no limits for most international transfers with Revolut – if any specific limitations apply to your payment you’ll be notified when you set it up in the app.

Revolut account holders can exchange funds with the mid-market exchange rate to plan limits – 1,000 USD per month for a standard plan – and send transfers with a low, variable fee based on the currency. If you’ve upgraded to a paid plan you may be able to exchange unlimited amounts with the mid-market rate, and get discounts on your international transfers.

Revolut pros and cons

Pros:

• Get a free account or pay a monthly fee for more features
• Send payments with mid-market exchange rates and low transfer fees, subject to your account type
• Transfers to cards are extremely fast

Cons:

• You’ll need to pay a monthly fee to get all the available features from Revolut
• Out of hours and exotic currency fees may apply
• Bank deposits take up to 5 days

Transfer App #3 – Remitly

• Remitly is best for: Remittances with a range of payout options on popular currency routes
• Fees and exchange rates: fees vary by destination country and service – exchange rates may include a markup
• Safety: registered and regulated by the appropriate bodies in all the countries served
• Speed: delivery times vary – express payments may be instant, while economy transfers can take a few days
• Transfer limits: set by day, 30 days and 180 days, depending on account tier
• Customer reviews: 4.8/5 rating on Play Store, from over 550,000 reviews; 4.9/5 rating on the App Store from 926,000+ reviews

Remitly payments can be made from 21 countries, to around 100 countries on popular remittance routes. Depending on the country you’re sending to you may be able to choose from bank deposits, cash collection, mobile money transfers or home delivery. Fees vary, but you can often select a faster Express service, or a cheaper Economy service depending on your preferences.

Remitly transfers are intended for personal use only. Limits apply based on your account tier, including maximum limits per day, 30 days and 180 days. Upgrade to the Tier 3 account by uploading your verification documents and providing more details about your payments, to send higher amounts.

Remitly offers simple international transfers from large global economies, on common remittance routes. It’s extremely popular with its users, and can be a great way to get money quickly – and with a low fee – to someone on the other side of the world, even if they don’t have access to a bank account. However, as you can’t make business transfers, and Remitly payments can not be made from one send country to another, it’s not the perfect match for everyone.

Remitly pros and cons

Pros:

• Easy online and in-app payments – super popular with customers
• Choose from different fee options depending on whether speed or cost is more important
• Send money for bank deposit, cash collection, to a mobile money account or for home delivery

Cons:

• Exchange rates may include a markup, and fees do vary by service and destination country
• Not all services are available in all countries served
• Payments can not be made between send countries

Transfer App #4 – OFX

• OFX is best for: App payments where you can also speak to a team member easily if you’d like to
• Fees and exchange rates: no transfer fee applies – exchange rates may include a markup
• Safety: authorized and regulated everywhere that services are offered
• Speed: Usually delivered in 24 hours
• Transfer limits: Usually unlimited
• Customer reviews: 4.6/5 rating on Play Store, from over 3,000 reviews; 4.9/5 rating on the App Store from 2,000+ reviews

OFX is a currency specialist which offers international payments for individuals and businesses, alongside currency risk management solutions and multi-currency holding accounts for business customers.

The OFX app is fairly well rated, but with quite a low number of customer reviews – possibly because OFX also offers a 24/7 phone service which is one of their stand out features. This offers reassurance if you’re sending a high value transfer or if you want to talk through your options first and then send in the app a little later.

OFX transfers are usually uncapped, as the service is used by businesses sending high value payments as well as retail customers sending lower amounts.

OFX pros and cons

Pros:

• Well rated for customer service and experience
• Send to 50+ currencies, with no transfer fee
• Access currency risk management solutions and products

Cons:

• Exchange rates include a variable markup
• Holding account services for business customers only
• Some services can’t be accessed via the app

Transfer App #5 – Western Union

• Western Union is best for: Cash collection payments, thanks to its huge agent network around the world
• Fees and exchange rates: fees vary by destination country and service – exchange rates may include a markup
• Safety: authorized and regulated in the US and around the world
• Speed: cash collection payments can be available in minutes, bank deposits take up to 2 days
• Transfer limits: 3,000 USD initially, then up to 50,000 USD once you have verified your account
• Customer reviews: 4.5/5 rating on Play Store, from over 255,000 reviews; 4.8/5 rating on the App Store from 555,000+ reviews

Western Union is one of the world’s biggest money transfer companies, with services in person, online and through their app. You can make payments for cash collection, to bank accounts or to mobile wallets – and you can pay in the app by card or through a bank transfer to Western Union.

Western Union fees vary based on the service you want and the destination country. You’ll be able to see a quote and all your payment and delivery options in the app before you confirm. It’s good to know that the exchange rates can also vary based on the payment type, and will include an exchange rate markup.

You can send up to 3,000 USD with Western Union by registering an account with just your basic personal information. Once you’ve verified your account, you’ll be able to send up to 50,000 USD. Western Union advises you only make payments to people you know and trust – never send to anyone you don’t know, as transfers can not usually be reversed once they’re initiated.

Western Union pros and cons

Pros:

• Send to almost any country in the world
• Cash collection payments are almost instant
• Easy to register an account and get started through the Western Union app

Cons:

• Fees vary based on service and destination country
• Exchange rates include a variable markup
• Not all services are available in all destinations

What is the best app for transferring money abroad?

There’s no one best international money transfer app – different options suit different customer needs. Here’s a quick overview so you can pick the best one for your specific payment:

Conclusion: What is the best app to send money abroad?

There are plenty of different international money transfer apps you might choose from – and each one will suit a different customer, with different payment needs.

At Exiap you can compare providers transparently, to find the best money transfer service for your needs based on both the fees and exchange rates available.

Use this guide as a starting point to pick the right one for you – and don’t forget to check out the Exiap comparison page to get more live fee and exchange rate information.

FAQs on Best International Money Transfer Apps

What is the cheapest app to send money internationally?

The price you pay for your international transfer will depend on the value of the payment, the currencies involved, and where you’re sending to. Different providers have their own features – such as cash collection payments from a service like Western Union or Remitly, which can also change the costs. 

The good news is that services like Wise and Remitly let you model your payment in advance, so you can see and compare the fees and exchange rates that apply. Get quotes from the providers which offer services you’re interested in, to see which is cheapest for your specific transfer.

What is the safest international money transfer?

The international money transfer services we’ve profiled in this article – Wise, Revolut, Remitly, Western Union and OFX – are all regulated for the services they provide, and safe to use. As you’d expect, you’ll need to take normal common sense precautions like keeping your account and password information secret, and only sending money to people you know and trust – but as long as you do, you should be able to send payments securely with any of our featured providers.

Which money transfer apps work internationally?

Many international money transfer services have apps – check out OFX, Remitly, Western Union, Revolut, Wise or XE as a starting point.

Which apps transfer money instantly?

Delivery times for international transfers do vary widely depending on where you’re sending payments to, and how you want them to be collected. For near-instant cash collections, check out Remitly or Western Union, and for fast transfers to banks, take a look at Wise. More than 50% of transfers with Wise are delivered instantly.

Are money transfer apps safe to use?

All the providers we’ve highlighted in this review are fully licensed and regulated, making them a safe way to send your payment.

How do international money transfer apps work?

To make a payment with an international money transfer app you’ll need to create an account, and get a quote for the fees and exchange rate available. Pay with your card, or through a bank transfer, and your money will be on its way.

What is the easiest app to send money?

There’s no single easiest international money transfer app – use this guide to pick the right one for you based on our analysis and the customer rating information shared from Apple App store and Google Play.

Sources:

1. Wise sending money
2. Revolut sending money
3. Remitly sending money