Remitly vs Xe

Updated November 2026 · AppBreakup editorial

Remitly

App for sending money abroad to bank accounts, mobile wallets and cash pickup points.

Free

Visit Remitly Remitly profile

Well-known currency converter that also offers international money transfers to bank accounts, wallets and cash pickup.

Free plan + paid

Visit Xe Xe profile

The short answer

Remitly suits people sending regular remittances to family abroad, especially to mobile wallets or cash pickup, with support in 18 languages. Xe suits people moving larger sums between bank accounts who also use its well-known currency converter and rate alerts. The biggest difference is focus: Remitly is built around family remittances, Xe around exchange rates and larger transfers, though both deliver to banks, wallets and cash pickup.

Remitly or Xe: our take

Remitly is a Seattle-based remittance service. You can send from the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, much of the EU and a few other countries to recipients in 175+ countries, with delivery to a bank account, mobile wallet or cash pickup location depending on the destination. The app shows the fee, exchange rate and total before you confirm, and many transfers arrive within minutes. Signing up is free; Remitly earns from transfer fees and from a margin in its exchange rates, so cost varies by route and payment method, with cards often costing more than bank transfers. Support is offered in 18 languages, and Remitly Business handles payments to overseas contractors.

Xe began as a currency converter and is now owned by Euronet Worldwide. The free converter, live charts and rate alerts remain a big part of its appeal. Its transfer service sends to bank accounts, mobile wallets and 500,000+ cash pickup locations in well over a hundred countries. Transfer fees start from $0, paying by bank account adds no extra fee, and card payments add a small fee. Like Remitly, part of the cost is in the exchange rate margin. Xe is regulated by the FCA, FinCEN, FINTRAC, ASIC and others, offers business accounts, and allows US online transfers of up to $535,000 USD per transfer. Bank-funded transfers can take up to three business days.

Both work on the web and in iOS and Android apps, and neither charges a subscription. Because both build part of their price into the exchange rate, the only reliable comparison is to quote the same amount and route in each app and compare the total received. In general, Remitly is tuned for frequent, smaller transfers to family with fast delivery and multilingual support, while Xe is often competitive for larger bank-to-bank sums.

Choose Remitly if you send money home regularly and the recipient wants cash pickup or a mobile wallet. Choose Xe if you move larger amounts, want rate alerts to time a transfer, or already rely on Xe's converter.

Choose Remitly if…

People sending regular remittances to family abroad, especially for cash pickup or mobile wallets
Sends to 170+ countries with bank, mobile wallet and cash pickup options
Fee and exchange rate shown before you confirm

Choose Xe if…

People sending larger sums abroad who also want a trusted currency converter and rate alerts
Free currency converter, charts and rate alerts
Bank, mobile wallet and cash pickup delivery

What is Remitly?

Remitly is a Seattle-based remittance service built mainly for people who send money home to family in another country. You can send from the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, much of the EU and a few other countries to recipients in 170-plus countries, with delivery to bank accounts, mobile wallets, or cash pickup locations depending on the destination. The app shows the fee, exchange rate and total before you send, and many transfers arrive within minutes. Remitly makes money from transfer fees and from the margin in its exchange rates, so the total cost varies by route and payment method, with cards often costing more than bank transfers. Support is offered in 18 languages. There is also Remitly Business for paying overseas contractors and vendors. Signing up is free; Remitly works on the web and in Android and iOS apps.

What is Xe?

Xe started as a popular online currency converter and is now also a money transfer service owned by Euronet Worldwide. The free converter, live rate charts and rate alerts remain widely used by travellers and businesses. Its transfer service lets you send money to bank accounts, mobile wallets and cash pickup points in well over a hundred countries, paying by bank debit, wire or card; card payments are faster but cost more. It's licensed by regulators in the UK, US, Canada and Australia, among others, and offers business accounts for larger and recurring payments. There's no subscription: the cost of a transfer is built into the fee and the exchange rate, and it's often competitive for larger sums. It suits people moving larger amounts between bank accounts or who already use Xe's rates, and those who want cash pickup too. It runs on the web and in iPhone and Android apps, with biometric login and transfer tracking.

Side by side

Attribute	Remitly	Xe
Pricing	Free	Free plan + paid
Open source	No	No
Self-hostable	No	No
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
Best for	People sending regular remittances to family abroad, especially for cash pickup or mobile wallets	People sending larger sums abroad who also want a trusted currency converter and rate alerts
Status	Active	Active

Remitly vs Xe pricing

Remitly: free

We couldn't verify Remitly's plan details on its own site yet, so we don't list them.

Xe: free plan + paid

Starting price: Transfer fees from $0 source

Xe pricing page

Platforms

Platform	Remitly	Xe
Web
iOS
Android

Remitly facts

4 of 4 verified

Destinations: 175+ countries; Checked Nov 8, 2026remitly.com(opens source in a new tab); “Serving 175+ countries.”
Delivery methods: Bank account, mobile wallet, cash pickup; Checked Nov 8, 2026remitly.com(opens source in a new tab); “bank account, mobile wallet or a cash pickup location.”
Support languages: 18; Checked Nov 8, 2026remitly.com(opens source in a new tab); “Get support in 18 languages We’re here to help when you need it.”
Headquarters: Seattle, US; Checked Nov 8, 2026remitly.com(opens source in a new tab); “Registered address: 401 Union Street, Suite 1000, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA.”

Xe facts

8 of 8 verified

Cash pickup: 500,000+ locations; Checked Nov 8, 2026xe.com(opens source in a new tab); “Cash Pickup Your recipient can receive their cash in person, at over 500,000 Xe cash pickup locations worldwide.”
Regulators: FCA, FinCEN, FINTRAC, ASIC and more; Checked Nov 8, 2026xe.com(opens source in a new tab); “Regulated for your protection Licensed by the FCA, FinCEN, FINTRAC, ASIC, and more—so your money and data stay safe wherever you send.”
Bank account payment: No additional fee; Checked Nov 8, 2026xe.com(opens source in a new tab); “This typically takes up to 3 business days and has no additional fees.”
Rate alerts: Yes; Checked Nov 8, 2026xe.com(opens source in a new tab); “Set up rate alerts and get notified when your desired exchange rate is reached, helping you make the most out of every transfer.”
US online transfer limit: $535,000 USD per transfer; Checked Nov 8, 2026xe.com(opens source in a new tab); “United States (US): $535,000 USD”
Owner: Euronet Worldwide; Checked Nov 8, 2026xe.com(opens source in a new tab); “We are part of Euronet Worldwide (NASDAQ: EEFT), a multibillion-dollar global payments company.”
Starting price: Transfer fees from $0; Checked Nov 8, 2026xe.com(opens source in a new tab); “low fees starting at $0.”
Card payment: Small additional fee; Checked Nov 8, 2026xe.com(opens source in a new tab); “However, card payments come with a small additional fee.”

Pros and cons of Remitly

Sends to 170+ countries with bank, mobile wallet and cash pickup options
Fee and exchange rate shown before you confirm
Support in 18 languages
Business accounts for paying overseas contractors
Exchange rates include a margin, so it is not always the cheapest route
You can only send from a limited list of countries
Costs vary by route and payment method, which makes comparing harder

More Remitly alternatives

Pros and cons of Xe

Free currency converter, charts and rate alerts
Bank, mobile wallet and cash pickup delivery
Regulated in many countries and part of Euronet
Card payments add an extra fee
Exchange-rate margin makes the true cost less obvious than Wise's
Bank transfers can take up to three business days

More Xe alternatives

Other apps to consider

Wise
Instead of Remitly
Uses the mid-market exchange rate with a visible fee, often cheaper for bank-to-bank transfers.
MoneyGram
Instead of Remitly
Lets you send or collect cash in person through a very large agent network.
Xoom
Instead of Remitly
PayPal-backed transfers to banks, wallets, UPI, PIX and cash pickup, funded from a PayPal balance.
Instarem
Instead of Xe
Upfront fees, real-time tracking and loyalty points for regular senders.
Atlantic Money
Instead of Xe
One flat fee and no exchange-rate markup, good value on large transfers.

Remitly vs Xe: common questions

Is Remitly better than Xe?

Is Remitly free?

Yes, Remitly is free.

Is Xe free?

Xe has a free plan, with paid plans for more features. See its verified pricing facts above for current limits.

Is Remitly or Xe open source?

Neither is open source.

Which platforms do Remitly and Xe support?

Remitly: Web, iOS and Android. Xe: Web, iOS and Android.