Remitly and Wise are often compared as "money transfer apps" — but they serve fundamentally different purposes. If you're a freelancer, this distinction matters a lot before you choose one.
The Core Difference
Wise is a multi-currency account with built-in transfer capability. You get local bank details (USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, etc.), a debit card, and currency conversion — making it a full payment receiving tool.
Remitly is a remittance service. It's designed to let people send money from one country to another — primarily to family members in developing economies. You cannot receive payments through Remitly.
For freelancers, this means: Wise is a tool for getting paid. Remitly is a tool for sending money home.
Can You Use Remitly as a Freelancer?
What Remitly does NOT offer:
- Account details to share with clients
- A way to receive international transfers
- A balance or multi-currency wallet
- A debit card
- Invoice or payment link features
What Remitly DOES offer:
- Competitive rates for sending to 170+ countries
- "Express" (minutes) and "Economy" (3–5 days, cheaper) tiers
- Good rates for corridors like USD → PHP, USD → INR, USD → NGN
Fee Comparison: Real Quotes (14 October 2026)
For receiving client payments, Wise wins by default — Remitly has no way to receive money.
For sending, we compared what the recipient actually gets. Each figure is the amount delivered to a bank account, after all fees and exchange-rate margins:
| Corridor | You send | Remitly | Wise — paid from your Wise balance | Wise — paid from a US/UK bank | Most delivered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD → INR | $200 | ₹18,661 | ₹18,913 | ₹18,294 | Wise (balance) |
| USD → INR | $1,000 | ₹95,206 | ₹94,782 | ₹94,162 | Remitly |
| USD → INR | $5,000 | ₹476,032 | ₹474,126 | ₹473,506 | Remitly |
| USD → PHP | $200 | ₱12,565 | ₱12,484 | ₱12,080 | Remitly |
| USD → PHP | $1,000 | ₱62,826 | ₱62,565 | ₱62,160 | Remitly |
| USD → PHP | $5,000 | ₱314,130 | ₱312,961 | ₱312,557 | Remitly |
| USD → MXN | $200 | MX$3,521 | MX$3,670 | MX$3,551 | Wise |
| USD → MXN | $1,000 | MX$18,184 | MX$18,400 | MX$18,283 | Wise |
| USD → MXN | $5,000 | MX$91,066 | MX$92,048 | MX$91,938 | Wise |
| GBP → INR | £200 | ₹24,940 | ₹25,000 | ₹24,983 | Wise |
| GBP → INR | £1,000 | ₹125,952 | ₹125,222 | ₹125,204 | Remitly |
| GBP → INR | £5,000 | ₹629,760 | ₹626,320 | ₹626,303 | Remitly |
Last verified 14 October 2026. Wise figures from Wise's public price calculator; Remitly figures from Remitly quotes published through Wise's comparison data on the same day. Rates move daily, and Remitly can show promotional rates on a first transfer — check your own quote on remitly.com before sending.
What the numbers say:
- Remitly wins on the Philippines at every amount, and on India from $1,000 / £1,000 up. It charged no transfer fee on those quotes and its exchange rate sat very close to the mid-market rate.
- Wise wins on Mexico at every amount, and on small sends to India, where Remitly's $3.99 fee bites.
- Where your dollars start matters for Wise. Paying Wise from a US bank transfer adds a flat fee of about $7. If the money is already in your Wise USD balance — for example, client payments you received there — that fee disappears, and Wise closes most of the gap.
Wise's own fees on these routes: 0.42% + $0.57 for USD → INR, 0.49% + $0.56 for USD → PHP, 0.51% + $0.65 for USD → MXN and 0.46% + £0.43 for GBP → INR, when paid from a Wise balance.
When Freelancers Use Both
Many international freelancers use Wise and Remitly together for different purposes:
| Purpose | Use |
|---|---|
| Receiving USD from US clients | Wise (local USD account details) |
| Converting USD to GBP at best rate | Wise (0.33% from your balance) |
| Sending money to family in Philippines | Remitly (often cheaper Express rate) |
| Spending daily in UK | Wise debit card |
| Paying for software tools (USD) | Wise (holds USD balance) |
Wise as the Primary Freelancer Payment Tool
For UK, Canadian, and Australian freelancers, Wise covers the full payment stack:
- Receive from US clients → Free by ACH (Wise USD account)
- Receive from EU clients → Free by SEPA (Wise IBAN)
- Convert USD → GBP → 0.33% fee
- Send GBP to UK bank → Free
- Spend internationally → Wise debit card, mid-market rate
Remitly adds one specific use case on top: cheaper remittances to family abroad.
The Bottom Line
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Should I use Wise to get paid by clients? | Yes — this is exactly what Wise is for |
| Can I use Remitly to get paid by clients? | No — Remitly doesn't support receiving |
| Should I use Remitly for personal money transfers? | Often — it delivered more to India and the Philippines from $1,000 in our October 2026 quotes |
| Do I need both? | Only if you also send personal remittances abroad |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Remitly better than Wise? For sending, it depends on the corridor: in October 2026, Remitly delivered more to the Philippines at every amount and to India from $1,000, while Wise delivered more to Mexico and on small sends to India. For everything else a freelancer needs — receiving payments, holding multi-currency balances and converting currency — Wise is the only one of the two that does it.
Can I use Remitly to receive money from Upwork or Fiverr? No — Remitly has no account receiving feature. For Fiverr, withdraw to Payoneer and convert inside Payoneer (0.50%). On Upwork you can also use Direct to US Bank into your Wise USD account ($2.99 per withdrawal outside the US since September 2026).
How do I receive international client payments as a freelancer? Open a Wise account, go to Account Details, and share the relevant local account details with your client (USD routing + account number for US clients, IBAN for EU clients, etc.). Local transfers such as ACH and SEPA are free to receive; USD wires cost $6.11.
See also: Wise transfer fees explained · Best payment setup for UK freelancers · Wise review for UK freelancers
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