Best money transfer apps. Compared live.

It depends on where you're sending and how much. Transfer services usually cost less than banks, because banks take more inside the exchange rate. We priced a 1,000 transfer on 98 routes, counting the fee and the rate markup together. The median bank cost 3.1% of the amount. The median transfer service cost 2.0%. A typical bank quote paid out 2.7% less than the best provider on the same route. Compare your own route to see who pays out the most.

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It depends on the provider, the route and how the money is paid out. Cash pickup and mobile-wallet payouts can arrive within minutes. Bank deposits can take longer. Weekends, public holidays and compliance checks add time. Check the provider's delivery estimate before you send.

Yes, if you use a regulated provider. Wise, Remitly and Revolut are licensed or registered with regulators such as the FCA (UK), FinCEN (US) and ASIC (Australia). They use encryption, two-factor sign-in and fraud monitoring. Check that a provider is licensed in your country before you send money.

There are two costs. The first is the transfer fee you see when you pay. The second is the markup: the gap between the provider's exchange rate and the mid-market rate. The markup is often the bigger cost, and a provider with no fee can still cost more through its rate. Our comparison adds both together and shows the amount your recipient will get.

Compare the total amount your recipient will get, not the rate or the fee on its own. Enter how much you're sending, where from and where to. We work out what each of 80+ providers would deliver, so you can see who pays out the most for your transfer.

It depends on your route. No single provider leads everywhere. Over the last 91 days, TapTap Send delivered the most on 61 of the 212 corridors we can compare, more than any other provider. Wise converts at the mid-market rate and shows its fee separately. Remitly pays out to bank accounts, mobile wallets and cash pickup. Revolut suits people who hold several currencies. Western Union and MoneyGram have large cash pickup networks. OFX focuses on larger transfers. Whichever you choose, compare the total cost, fee plus markup, before you send.

Watch: Wise vs Remitly vs WorldRemit on a $1,000 transfer

Usually, yes. Banks charge a fee and also keep a markup inside the exchange rate. We priced a 1,000 transfer on 98 routes. The median bank cost 3.1% of the amount, or about 32 of every 1,000 sent. The median transfer service cost 2.0%, about 20. Banks show the fee but not the markup, so compare the amount your recipient gets, not the advertised fee.

The markup, also called the FX margin or spread, is how most banks profit from a transfer. They quote a rate below the mid-market rate and keep the difference. To avoid it, use a provider that converts at or close to the mid-market rate and shows its fee separately, such as Wise. A "$0 fee" transfer can still cost more, because the cost sits in the rate. Compare the amount your recipient gets across 80+ providers. A rate alert can also help you time a transfer.