These two apps price a transfer in opposite ways. Revolut charges almost nothing up to a monthly limit, then starts adding fees; Remitly charges a fee and a markup from the first dollar, but gets the money there fast, often as cash.
On a $1,000 dollar-to-euro transfer on a weekday, Revolut on its free plan costs about $1.00, while Remitly's Economy option costs about $22.91. For a routine bank-deposit send, Revolut is the cheaper. Where Remitly earns its keep is speed and cash pickup on routes to family. The figures below use the current mid-market reference; Wise may use an account-holder API estimate, while other providers use stored published fee and markup models rather than live quotes.
- Inside Revolut's monthly limit on a weekday, it is the cheapest of the two by a wide margin, charging only a small spread.
- Remitly charges a fee plus a markup of about 1.9% from the first dollar, so it costs more on a bank-deposit transfer.
- Remitly's strengths are speed and cash pickup. Express arrives in minutes, and it pays out in cash on many routes to family.
- Revolut's catches are the monthly limit, the 0.5% fee above it, and a weekend markup.
How Revolut charges
This site's representative Revolut model uses a small spread on major pairs, a roughly US$1,450 Standard allowance, and 0.5% on the excess. It is a fallback scenario, not a universal plan: country-specific allowances, overage terms, paid-plan prices, and availability differ.
So a $1,000 weekday transfer on Standard costs only its small spread, about $1.00. That is the cheapest tier either app offers. The catch is that it only lasts until you hit the limit or the weekend.
How Remitly charges
Remitly is built for sending money to family, and it prices every route on its own. On top of a flat fee of about $3.99, it bakes a markup of roughly 1.9% into the exchange rate on a route like this one. You also choose a speed: Express (card-funded, minutes) costs more; Economy (bank-funded, one to three days) costs less.
That markup applies from the first dollar, with no monthly limit to run out of. The cost is higher than Revolut's spread-only tier, but it is the same on day one and day thirty, weekday or weekend.
Head to head, by amount
Revolut leads inside its limit; the gap narrows once you cross it, but it stays ahead on this route. Here is the same dollar-to-euro transfer at three sizes.
$1,000: Revolut's spread-only tier
Inside the limit, Revolut Standard sits at just its small spread (0.10%). Remitly's fee-plus-markup puts it well above.
$5,000: the limit cracks
At $5,000, Standard has gone past its monthly limit, so Revolut charges 0.5% on the amount above it. Remitly's percentage is unchanged. Revolut is still ahead on this route, but the lead is smaller than it looked at $1,000.
$10,000: closer, still Revolut
On a large weekday send, Standard pays 0.5% on a big amount over the limit, which is real money, and Remitly's 1.9% on the full sum is not far behind. On some routes and amounts they trade places, so check the modelled table at your size.
The pattern at a glance
The bars at $10,000 show the two models side by side: Revolut's cost comes from the excess fee once the limit is blown, Remitly's from a markup that applies to everything. The next chart splits that transfer into the visible fee (gold) and the hidden rate cost (red).
The savings in context
Across the displayed estimates, choosing Interactive Brokers over MoneyGram leaves an extra €326.11 (3.93%) in the recipient's account.
Same 10,000 USD and the same market rate before fees. Provider availability, how you pay and the final price can change the result.
Who should pick what
Pick Revolut if you send on weekdays, you can stay within the monthly limit, and the money is going into a bank account. Inside the limit it is the cheapest option here, and it is likely already your everyday banking app.
Pick Remitly if your recipient wants cash in hand, the money is urgent, or you are sending to a country where Remitly's payout network runs deep. Choose Economy to keep the cost down, and pay for Express only when the money is truly needed today.
Use Interactive Brokers as the large-amount price check when the currency trade funds an investment or hedge inside the brokerage. Its 0.002% Tier I commission with a USD 2 equivalent minimum can rank below both at scale. It does not replace Remitly cash, mobile money or a normal payment to another person.
The bottom line
For a bank-deposit transfer you can fit inside the limit on a weekday, Revolut is the cheaper of the two, often by a wide margin. Remitly costs more on the same transfer, because it charges a fee and a markup of about 1.9% from the first dollar. You are paying for what Remitly does well: speed and cash pickup on the routes families actually use.
Decide what the transfer needs before you compare the price. If it is the lowest cost into a bank account, Revolut wins. If it is cash in a relative's hand by tonight, Remitly is often worth the premium. And either one beats a bank, which would take 3% or more on the same send. Our markup versus fee guide shows how to see the cost that hides in the rate.
Frequently asked questions
Is Revolut cheaper than Remitly?
Usually, yes, for a bank-deposit transfer on a weekday within Revolut's monthly limit, where only its small spread applies. Remitly charges a fee plus a markup of about 1.9% from the first dollar. Above the limit or on a weekend, the gap narrows, so check the modelled table at your amount.
When is Remitly the better choice?
When speed or cash pickup matters more than the lowest price. Remitly's Express option arrives in minutes, and it pays out in cash at local agents on many routes to family abroad, which Revolut does not offer. For those sends, the extra cost can be worth it.
Does Remitly's promotional rate last?
No. Remitly often gives new customers a special exchange rate on their first transfer, but it is a one-off. Compare providers on what a repeat transfer costs, because the promo rate will be gone by your second or third send.
Are these numbers exact?
The table uses the current mid-market reference and, where available, a Wise account-holder API estimate. Other providers use stored published fee and markup models, not live quotes, so the results are modelled estimates for typical routes. Remitly's pricing varies by route and by Express versus Economy, and Revolut's limits vary by region. Always confirm the final figure on the provider's own site before you send.
Cost figures are worked out from each provider's published fee structure applied to the current mid-market reference rate, modelled estimates for typical major-currency routes. Remitly's pricing varies by route and speed; Revolut's fair-use limits and plan prices vary by region. The figures shown are representative. Always confirm the final quote on the provider's own site before you transfer. We may earn a commission from affiliate links at no extra cost to you; this never affects rankings. Nothing here is financial advice.
Sources: Revolut exchange fees (opens in a new tab), Remitly pricing (opens in a new tab), Interactive Brokers commissions (opens in a new tab), IBUK and IBLLC Client Agreement (opens in a new tab), Interactive Brokers third-party withdrawals (opens in a new tab). Accessed 22 August 2026.