Wise Business vs Airwallex
Last reviewed 15 October 2026
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Wise Business and Airwallex are two popular multi-currency business accounts in Europe. Both let you hold several currencies, get local account details and pay suppliers abroad — but their pricing models differ: Wise charges a one-off setup fee and low per-transfer fees, Airwallex a monthly plan that becomes free once your volumes are high enough.
| Wise Business | Airwallex | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | None | €19 (Explore), €0 with €10,000 in monthly deposits or balance; Grow €49 |
| Setup fee | One-off fee for account details: €50 (Estonia), €55 (Germany), €60 (Ireland, Netherlands, France) | None; 1-month free trial |
| Currency conversion | Mid-market rate + from 0.2% | Interbank rate + 0.5% (major currencies) or 1% (others) |
| Sending money | Fee depends on the currency, shown before you pay (from 0.2%) | Free domestic transfers in EUR, GBP and CHF; local transfers to 120+ countries; SWIFT €10–20 |
| Receiving SWIFT payments | Fixed fee, e.g. EUR 2.39 | Not listed on the EU pricing page |
| Company cards | First card free, then €4 per extra card | Up to 10 (Explore) or 50 (Grow); 5 users included |
| Accepting card payments | Not available to new customers | EEA consumer cards 1.30% + €0.25 |
| Batch payments | Up to 1,000 payments per file | Bill pay included (up to 500 bills a month) |
| Who can open | Sole traders, freelancers and companies | Registered businesses, including registered sole traders |
| Regulated by (EEA) | National Bank of Belgium (Wise Europe SA) | De Nederlandsche Bank and Bank of Lithuania |
Which one should you choose?
- Choose Wise Business if you are a freelancer or small business with modest volumes: there is no monthly fee, conversion starts from 0.2% and you pay only when you use it.
- Choose Airwallex if you move €10,000 or more a month (the Explore plan is then free), want to accept card payments from customers, or need many company cards for a team.
- Converting large amounts? Compare the exact rate for your currency pair in both — Wise’s fee varies by currency, Airwallex charges a flat 0.5% on major currencies.
More detail: Wise Business guide · Airwallex Business guide.
Sources: Wise business pricing pages and Airwallex EU pricing page, checked 13–15 October 2026. Fees exclude VAT where applicable and can change.