Which are the Best Apps for Transferring Money Internationally?

By 
Matt Di Vincere (Chief Editor)
Last Edited Sep 26, 2023

Finding a way to transfer money internationally is never easy.

Banks are often expensive and their apps are not designed specifically for overseas transfers.

Sending money internationally online through a money transfer app is a viable alternative,especially if you can get cheaper money transfers in the process.

BUT –

Which money transfer app should I choose?

Is the process easy for newcomers?

Am I actually saving money by using them?

Top 3 Money Transfer Apps:

The best apps for sending money internationally are available on the two main mobile platforms: Apple and Android.

Based on my testing, it’s fair to say the quality and functionality of apps is pretty similar between the two platforms.

The most recommended apps are:

Fully functional, enabling you to transfer money internationally ✅

Transparent and showing exactly what rate you will receive ✅

Cheaper than banks and other apps on the market* ✅

Have received great feedback from users ✅

Handle a number of different currencies ✅

Allow you to receive money from abroad ✅

Enable you to fund transfers through a bank transfer or debit card ✅

… They are: Wise, OFX and Currencies Direct.

Each app and money transfer service as a whole has different selling points.

Take a look at them below:

OFX
Wise / TranserWise
Currencies Direct

* Exchange rates and fees may vary based on inquiry size and currencies involved.

Additional Known International Payment Apps

Western Union App

  • Google Play Rating: 4.6 / 5 (275,000+ ratings)
  • App Store Rating: 4.6 / 5 (13,000+ ratings)
  • Company Rating: 42% (Review)
  • Geo Availability: Worldwide
  • Device Availability: iPhone, Android
  • Pay With: Debit/Credit Card, Bank Wire
  • Features: Send Money Abroad, Pay Bills Directly with Hundreds of Stores.
  • Get the App: Android / Apple

WorldRemit App

  • Google Play Rating: 4.6 / 5 (185,000+ ratings)
  • App Store Rating: 4.7 / 5 (85,00+ ratings)
  • Company Rating: 81.0% (Review)
  • Geo Availability: USA/UK/EU/Asia/AUS
  • Device Availability: iPhone, Android
  • Pay With: Debit Card, Bank Wire
  • Features: Send Money Abroad – to Bank or cash pickup , 190 Destinations!
  • Get the App: Android / Apple

Xoom Money Transfer

  • Google Play Rating: 4.8 / 5 (300,000+ ratings)
  • App Store Rating: 4.8 / 5 (1m+ ratings)
  • Company Rating: 77.8%% (Review)
  • Geo Availability: Europe, USA
  • Device Availability: iPhone, Android
  • Pay With: Debit/Credit Card, Bank Wire
  • Features: Pay bills, Send money to bank accounts and pick-up locations
  • Get the App: Android / Apple

Orbit Remit App

  • Google Play Rating: 3.6 / 5 (6,500+ ratings)
  • App Store Rating: 4.8 / 5 (19,000+ ratings)
  • Company Rating: 75% (Review)
  • Geo Availability: UK, Australia, New Zealand
  • Device Availability: iPhone, Android
  • Pay With: Bank Wire
  • Features: Make transfers, view recipients, live help chat functionality (new)
  • Get the App: Android / Apple

Transfergo App

  • Google Play Rating: 3.6 / 5 (30,000+ ratings)
  • App Store Rating: 4.7 / 5 (150+ ratings)
  • Company Rating: 72% (Review)
  • Geo Availability: UK, Europe
  • Device Availability: iPhone, Android
  • Pay With: Debit/Credit Card, Bank Wire
  • Features: Send money to over 40 locations, View Recipients
  • Get the App: Android / Apple

Moneygram App

  • Google Play Rating: 4.5 / 5 (56,000+ ratings)
  • App Store Rating: 4.9 / 5 (430,000+ ratings)
  • Company Rating: N/A (Review)
  • Geo Availability: Worldwide
  • Device Availability: iPhone, Android
  • Pay With: Bank Wire
  • Features: Make payments, Check payment status, Pay bills, Find the nearest Moneygram location to you
  • Get the App: Android / Apple

Payoneer App

  • Google Play Rating: 4.2 / 5 (83,000+ ratings)
  • App Store Rating: 4.5 / 5 (2,300 ratings)
  • Company Rating: 89.9% (Review)
  • Geo Availability: Worldwide
  • Device Availability: iPhone, Android
  • Receive To: Bank Account, Card
  • Features: Receive Business Payments from Abroad to a Bank Account or Dedicated Mastercard
  • Get the App: Via Website

FairFX Mobile Banking

  • Google Play Rating: 1.2  / 5 (500+ ratings)
  • App Store Rating: 3.9 / 5 (450+ ratings)
  • Company Rating: 86.8% (Review)
  • Geo Availability: UK/EU/AUS
  • Device Availability: iPhone, Android
  • Pay With: Debit Card (Europe), Bank Wire
  • Features: Currency Card Balance Tracking, Report Stolen Cards, Inquiries, Money Transfers
  • Get the App: Via Website

Remitly App

  • Google Play Rating: 4.8 / 5 (690,000+ ratings)
  • App Store Rating: 4.9 / 5 (1.2m+ ratings)
  • Company Rating: N/A (Review)
  • Geo Availability: UK, Europe, US, Australia
  • Device Availability: iPhone, Android
  • Pay With: Debit/Credit Card, Bank Wire
  • Features: Send Money Abroad – to bank or cash pickup
  • Get the App: Android / Apple

Paysend App

  • Google Play Rating: 4.4 / 5 (93,000+ ratings)
  • App Store Rating: 4.6 / 5 (6,000+ ratings)
  • Company Rating: 80.0% (Review)
  • Geo Availability: UK & EU
  • Device Availability: iPhone, Android
  • Pay With: Debit Card, Bank Wire
  • Features: Send Money Abroad – including card-to-card transfers. Track transfer status.
  • Get the App: Android / Apple

Ria Money Transfer App

  • Google Play Rating: 4.7 / 5 (74,000+ ratings)
  • App Store Rating: 4.9 / 5 (82,000+ ratings)
  • Company Rating: 76% (Review)
  • Geo Availability: Worldwide
  • Device Availability: iPhone, Android
  • Pay With: Debit/Credit Card, Bank Wire
  • Features: Send money to bank accounts and cash pickup locations. Pay bills directly.
  • Get the App: Android / Apple

Instarem App

  • Google Play Rating: 4.4 / 5 (7,500+ ratings)
  • App Store Rating: 3.8 / 5 (500+ ratings)
  • Company Rating: N/A (Pending Review)
  • Geo Availability: USA/UK/EU/Asia/AUS
  • Device Availability: iPhone, Android
  • Pay With: Debit Card, Bank Wire
  • Features: Send Money Abroad – Bank-to-Bank to 55 Countries
  • Get the App: Android / Apple

Opal Transfer App

  • Google Play Rating: 3.8 / 5 (1,300+ ratings)
  • App Store Rating: 4.1 / 5 (50+ ratings)
  • Company Rating: N/A (Pending Review)
  • Geo Availability: UK/EU
  • Device Availability: iPhone, Android
  • Pay With: Debit/Credit Card, Bank Wire
  • Features: Send Money Transfers to Europe
  • Get the App: Android / Apple

Sendwave App

  • Google Play Rating: 4.7 / 5 (59,000+ ratings)
  • App Store Rating: 4.7 / 5 (24,000+ ratings)
  • Company Rating: N/A (Pending Review)
  • Geo Availability: UK/EU
  • Device Availability: iPhone, Android
  • Pay With: Debit Card, Bank Wire
  • Features: Send Money to Africa and Asia. Bank-to-bank and cash pickup.
  • Get the App: Android / Apple

Transfer Galaxy App

  • Google Play Rating: 4.6 / 5 (12,000+ ratings)
  • App Store Rating: 4.5 / 5 (200+ ratings)
  • Company Rating: N/A (Review)
  • Geo Availability: UK/Europe/Nordics
  • Device Availability: iPhone, Android
  • Pay With: Debit/Credit Card, Bank Wire
  • Features: Send Money Abroad to Africa & Asia. Specialist in Nordic Territories.
  • Get the App: Android / Apple

Ace Money Transfer App

  • Google Play Rating: 4.3 / 5 (37,000 ratings)
  • App Store Rating: 4.8 / 5 (750+ ratings)
  • Company Rating: N/A (Review)
  • Geo Availability: UK/EU/AUS
  • Device Availability: iPhone, Android
  • Pay With: Debit Card, Credit Card, Bank Wire
  • Features: Bank-to-bank transfers to over 100 countries.
  • Get the App: Android / Apple

Small World Money Transfer App

  • Google Play Rating: 3.1 / 5 (7,000+ ratings)
  • App Store Rating: 4.6 / 5 (5,000+ ratings)
  • Company Rating: N/A (Review)
  • Geo Availability: UK/EU/US
  • Device Availability: iPhone, Android
  • Pay With: Debit/Credit Card, Bank Wire
  • Features: Send Money Abroad, Bank-to-Bank and Cash Pickup.
  • Get the App: Android / Apple

Unity Link Money Transfer App

  • Google Play Rating: 4.6 / 5 (11,500+ ratings)
  • App Store Rating: 4.7 / 5 (11,000+ ratings)
  • Company Rating: N/A (Review)
  • Geo Availability: UK
  • Device Availability: iPhone, Android
  • Pay With: Debit Card, Bank Wire
  • Features: Bank-to-bank, cash pickup, mobile money, airtime top up to Ghana & Gambia
  • Get the App: Android / Apple

Comparing Money Transfer Apps Side by Side

I compared the top 10 most popular money transfer apps based on my findings.

Based on downloads and reviews, Wise, Revolut Xoom and Remitly are a lot more popular than the rest of the bunch.

What is the reason for that?

First off, they are just a lot more successful than other companies in this space.

They are “new school” providers who have been very well funded and offer cheaper-than-before rates, alongside a smoother-than-before experience.

They are great examples of mobile apps built to transfer money fast.

In the case of Wise and Revolut, their apps provide even more functionality. Take their multi currency accounts, you can easily receive, pay and hold money in any number of currencies. All easily managed through their apps and running alongside a multi currency debit card.

But, are these popular money transfer apps necessarily the best?

It heavily depends on your needs and inquiry size.

I put OFX at #1 and Currencies Direct at #3 alongside Wise because…

Both OFX and Currencies Direct have a similar trading system to the one offered by Wise and Revolut.

But they offer something extra – a tailored service for those looking to make a large transfer.

With that being said, their apps are slightly less smooth, and they don’t offer multi-currency accounts (for private clients), nor debit cards, so they are strictly bank-to-bank.

The bottom line is that I would recommend going for a “fintech” app like Wise for smaller inquiries, or if you are travelling. And with brokers like Currencies Direct or OFX if you are transferring large sums.

Most Popular Apps

Money Transfer AppVerdictAndroid AppiPhone App# Reviews Google appRating Google# Reviews App StoreRating App StoreCompany Rating %
OFX🏆 Best OverallYesYes3,700+4.5‎2,400+4.990.4
Currencies Direct🏆Best editorial ratingYesYes500+3.6100+4.297.8
Tor FX🏆Best phone supportYesYes250+4.075+4.493.4
Azimo❌ Discontinued, Used to be greatYesYes28,8214.622,7344.777.0
Revolut🏆Best bank-like functionalityYesYes2.4m+4.5600,000+4.976.0
Currencyfair🏆Best rates through P2P systemYesYes900+2.780+4.389.1
Wise🏆Best customer reviewsYesYes500,000+4.729,000+4.686.8
Moneycorp🏆Best for businessesYesYes150+1.4100+2.192.8

Tips on Making Mobile Payments Internationally

Generally, when you talk about “mobile payments”, in the broader sense of the word, they are very easy to do.

To make a mobile payment at the corner shop, all you need to do is leverage the NFR technology of your mobile.

To pay someone online via PayPal, all you really need is their email and name.

In China, they even have Palm Payments, not requiring you to carry a mobile or use any particular app.

But, using a money transfer app could prove more difficult.

Most people who use an app for international payments are looking to make a payment into a bank account.

And bank accounts are cumbersome to input, consisting of multiple fields like SWIFT Code and/or IBAN and/or Account Number, etc.

This insertion of account details is prone to errors, and even more so on mobile devices.

That’s why I would personally recommend against inserting payment details for a new payee on mobile.

If you’ve already paid a person before and they’re on your contact list, by all means make that payment from wherever you want.

But, if you are looking to add someone’s bank details, it might be less error prone to do so from a tablet, laptop or desktop computer.

What does the future hold for mobile money transfer apps?

Based on my observations from the last decade or so in the industry,and reading statistics about the unbelievable mobile adoption of mobile payments,

I have no doubt that, sooner or later, the overwhelming majority of payments will be made via mobile. Whether it’s for paying friends, paying for things in shops or paying for things online, mobile payment apps are making things faster and easier.

I am also speculating that the associated fees will keep dropping, and that fewer people will use legacy services like banks or expensive remittance providers.

Developing countries are also in prime position to leverage the fast growing number of citizens who have access to a mobile. Countries like Kenya have even completely skipped the online banking phase and moved straight to mobile, with the popular M-Pesa used by over 95% of households.

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