Alternatives

Best Wise alternatives

Wise scores 8.6. These are live products NeoBankDB would open next — each with a full review, not a leftover affiliate tile.

8.6Strong

4.7 user score on Wise · compare licences below

WiseRevolutAirwallexStarling Bankbunq
Editorial score8.68.68.38.17.7
HQLondonLondonSingaporeLondonAmsterdam
MonthlyFree personal Free Account often free Personal free Paid plans (Easy Savings / Easy Bank / Easy Green / Easy Money)
ProtectionSafeguarded e-money at Wise Payments Limited — nEligible deposits at Revolut Bank UK Ltd: FSCS uSafeguarded / stored-value — not a retail bank dFSCS up to £120,000 per depositor per bank (StarDutch Deposit Guarantee Scheme up to EUR 100,000
Cardmastercardvisavisamastercardmastercard
Users16M+50M+150k businesses4M+15M+

Full alternatives

#1 alternative

Revolut

active

Digital bank and e-money app. Licence depends on the entity.

4.7

London · 50M+ · $1.7B raised · ~$45B val.

8.6Strong

The default comparison set for a reason. Treat the UK bank product and the e-money wallet as different legal objects, then Revolut wins most travel and multi-currency briefs. It is not the quietest home for a salary if you want a full-licence high-street feel — that is still Starling or Monzo in the UK.

Best for: People who live in more than one currency and want one app for spend, FX, and extras.

Why it beats Wise

  • Best-in-class FX for travellers on paid plans
  • Product depth: bank, broker, crypto, cards, kids
  • UK bank licence closes the old EMI objection for eligible users

Watch-outs

  • Support quality does not match the feature list
  • Weekend FX and fair-usage ATM rules catch Standard users
  • Crypto and stock sleeves are not the bank
Licence
UK bank (eligible customers)
Protection
Eligible deposits at Revolut Bank UK Ltd: FSCS up to £120,000 per person (scheme cap from 1 Dec 2025; Revolut FSCS sheet). Revolut Ltd e-money is safeguarded, not FSCS (UK personal terms, 11 Dec 2025). New customers from 11 March 2026 may still be onboarded onto an EMI account with Revolut Ltd.
Monthly
Free · Plus/Premium/Metal/Ultra paid

#2 alternative

Airwallex

active

Global business accounts from a Singapore-born payments company.

4.5

Singapore · 150k businesses · ~$800M raised

8.3Strong

Default APAC business account in this register. Mercury wins US start-ups; Airwallex wins multi-entity trade.

Best for: Exporters, marketplaces, and Aussie/Asian scale-ups paying suppliers in many currencies.

Why it beats Wise

  • Corridor coverage that Wise Business still fights
  • Expense cards on the same ledger
  • Australia and Asia density

Watch-outs

  • Not a deposit-taking bank
  • Onboarding is a proper KYB process
  • Pricing gets real at volume — read the file
Licence
Payments / EMI-class licences by market
Protection
Safeguarded / stored-value — not a retail bank deposit scheme
Monthly
Account often free · FX and scale pricing on the corridor

#3 alternative

Starling Bank

active

The grown-up UK challenger: bank first, app second.

4.7

London · 4M+ · ~$1.1B raised

8.1Strong

If the question is ‘will this still be here in ten years,’ Starling scores at the top of the UK set. Monzo is more fun; Starling is more bank.

Best for: UK individuals and SMEs who want a real bank, not a wallet.

Why it beats Wise

  • Conservatively run UK bank
  • Excellent business account
  • Fee-free personal FX spend is still a headline feature

Watch-outs

  • UK-only onboarding
  • App is calmer, less playful than Monzo
  • Fewer ‘lifestyle’ extras
Licence
UK bank
Protection
FSCS up to £120,000 per depositor per bank (Starling FSCS information sheet). Joint accounts: £120,000 per holder.
Monthly
Personal free · Business from £0–£7+

#4 alternative

bunq

active

Dutch bank for people who want IBANs, sub-accounts, and a travel card.

4.4

Amsterdam · 15M+ · Private / profitable claims

7.7Solid

A serious EEA bank if you will pay for it. N26 is the free-ish euro alternative; bunq is the structured one.

Best for: EEA freelancers who will pay a monthly fee for IBANs and sub-accounts.

Why it beats Wise

  • Real Dutch bank
  • Sub-accounts
  • Travel-capable paid plans

Watch-outs

  • Not free
  • Personality-led brand
  • UK is not the home market
Licence
Credit institution
Protection
Dutch Deposit Guarantee Scheme up to EUR 100,000 per depositor per credit institution at bunq B.V. (bunq personal terms).
Monthly
Paid plans (Easy Savings / Easy Bank / Easy Green / Easy Money)

#5 alternative

Yuh

active

Yuh is not a bank. Swissquote Bank Ltd is. esisuisse cover is CHF 100,000, shared.

Gland · Swiss all-in-one app · Swissquote (100% after July 2025)

7.6Solid

Yuh is not a bank. The English homepage says it in one paragraph: Swissquote Bank Ltd provides the banking, FINMA authorises that bank, and esisuisse cover is CHF 100,000 shared with Swissquote. July 2025 ended the PostFinance joint venture. If you already hold cash at Swissquote, do not count CHF 100,000 twice. Zak is Bank Cler. Neon sits at Hypothekarbank Lenzburg. Read those files separately.

Best for: People who live in Switzerland and want spend plus invest, and who accept Swissquote as the bank.

Why it beats Wise

  • Official line: Yuh is not a bank
  • Swissquote Bank Ltd is named
  • esisuisse CHF 100,000 is printed

Watch-outs

  • Shared cap with any Swissquote cash you already hold
  • Swiss residency
  • Not Zak, not Neon, not Alpian
Licence
Fintech app — not a bank
Protection
Yuh itself is not a bank. Banking sits at Swissquote Bank Ltd, FINMA-authorised. esisuisse covers eligible deposits up to CHF 100,000. Yuh and Swissquote are one entity, so the cap is shared.
Monthly
No fees whenever possible — live list on yuh.com/en/pricing

#6 alternative

Chase UK

active

J.P. Morgan Europe Limited trading as Chase. UK bank, PRA/FCA, FSCS up to £120,000.

London · UK digital bank · JPMorgan Chase

7.6Solid

Chase UK is a bank. The legal name is J.P. Morgan Europe Limited. PRA-authorised, FCA-regulated, FSCS up to £120,000. It is a useful UK current account with honest travel spend. It is not Revolut’s multi-country stack and not a US Chase login. UK tax residents only.

Best for: UK residents who want a JPMorgan current account in an app, with FSCS, and cheap travel spend.

Why it beats Wise

  • Real UK bank, not an EMI
  • FSCS £120,000
  • £0 monthly

Watch-outs

  • UK residents only
  • No overdraft
  • App-only
Licence
UK bank
Protection
FSCS up to £120,000 per depositor per bank (Chase UK FSCS page) at J.P. Morgan Europe Limited.
Monthly
£0

Questions

01

Why look beyond Wise?

Wise is scored 8.6. Weaknesses on this file: Not FSCS; Holds; ATM. Alternatives above are scored independently, not paid placements.

02

Are these Wise alternatives available in the same countries?

Coverage is per product. Open the country page and the individual review — a UK bank licence does not travel, and an EMI is not FSCS.

03

How do I compare them side by side?

Use Compare on any card, up to four products, then open compare.

Back to the Wise review