Western Union vs Wise: which is better? Comparison 2026
By our public methodology Western Union and Wise score the same — 75 out of 100. Below: where they differ by factor and by fact.
Score breakdown
| Western Union | Wise | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 20 | 85 |
| Reach | 100 | 47 |
| Speed | 100 | 100 |
| Safety | 100 | 69 |
| User reputation | 92 | 77 |
Pros and cons
Western Union
- On some routes money arrives within minutes or the same day
- Regulator licence or registration stated on the official site
- Sends to a large number of countries
- Highly rated by App Store users
- The exchange rate includes a markup over the market rate
Wise
- On some routes money arrives within minutes or the same day
- Regulator licence or registration stated on the official site
- Converts at the mid-market rate with no markup
- Sends to a large number of countries
Facts side by side
| Fact | Western Union | Wise |
|---|---|---|
| Fee to send 1,000 USD (US → Mexico) | Not verified | $7.67 wise.com |
| Discloses earnings on the exchange rate | Yes westernunion.com | Yes wise.com |
| Mid-market rate with no markup | No westernunion.com | Yes wise.com |
| Countries you can send to | 200 westernunion.com | 140 wise.com |
| Cash pickup | Yes westernunion.com | Not verified |
| Delivery to mobile wallets | Yes westernunion.com | Not verified |
| Delivery within minutes or same day | Yes westernunion.com | Yes wise.com |
| Licensed by a financial regulator | Yes westernunion.com | Yes wise.com |
| Founded | 1851 westernunion.com | 2011 wise.com |
| Public company (listed, audited reports) | Yes sec.gov | Not verified |
| App Store rating | 4.8★ itunes.apple.com | 4.6★ itunes.apple.com |
| App Store ratings | 1,346,022 itunes.apple.com | 112,946 itunes.apple.com |
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