Airwallex vs Wise vs Rivet: which business account fits cross-border payments?

Airwallex, Wise and Rivet all give a company foreign currency details. They charge in different places, and they suit different companies. Here is how the fees line up.

Rashidatou K.Payments editor

Published: 28 October 2026
Updated: 1 November 2026
Reading time: 3 min read

The short answer

Wise Business charges a one-off 31 USD to open and converts from 0.23% above the mid-market rate. It suits companies that convert often and want low per-transfer prices.
Airwallex's Explore plan has no monthly fee and marks FX up 0.5% for major currencies and 1.0% for others. Paid plans are priced per user, which matters once a team grows.
Rivet's Starter plan is free with USD details and unlimited digital cards. FX starts from 0.80% on Starter and falls to 0.30% on Scale. EUR and GBP details start on Growth.
SWIFT is where the three differ most: Airwallex lists 15 to 25 USD per outgoing SWIFT transfer, Wise 6.11 USD to receive a USD wire. Local rails are cheaper on all three.
Pick on where your clients pay you from and where you pay out, then check that the provider accepts your company's country before you compare prices.

"Airwallex vs Wise" is one of the most common comparisons founders run before opening a business account abroad. Both give a company account details in several currencies. They make their money in different places, and that decides which is cheaper for you.

This comparison adds Rivet, because it is our product and the question we get most is how it sits next to these two. Every competitor figure below comes from the provider's own US pricing page, read on 1 November 2026. Prices change, so check them again before you decide.

How the fees compare

The short answer: Wise is priced per transaction, Airwallex per user, and Rivet per plan. Your monthly volume and team size decide which model costs least.

	Wise Business	Airwallex	Rivet
To open	31 USD one-off	Free (Explore)	Free (Starter)
Monthly fee	None	Explore 0 USD; Grow 12 USD per user plus a platform fee	Starter 0 USD; Growth 200 USD; Scale 500 USD
FX above mid-market	From 0.23%, varies by currency	0.5% major currencies, 1.0% others	From 0.80% (Starter), 0.50% (Growth), 0.30% (Scale)
Receive a USD wire	6.11 USD	Not listed separately	Rail fee shown before you confirm
Send by SWIFT	Varies by route	15 to 25 USD	Rail fee shown before you confirm
Local transfers	Low fixed fees	Domestic USD free; local to 120+ countries	Per-payout fee by plan, local rail where available
Cards	Debit card, free to spend	Multi-currency corporate cards	Unlimited digital cards on every plan; physical from Growth

Two notes on reading this table. Wise's 0.23% is the lowest rate it offers, on major pairs; some currencies cost more. Airwallex's per-user pricing on Grow counts "Spend users", which it defines as anyone who holds a card or approves, submits or pays an expense.

Which one fits which company

Wise Business

Wise suits a small company that converts currency every week and pays a handful of suppliers. It never charges a monthly fee, and its conversion rate on major pairs is hard to beat. Teams that need spend approvals, many cards and bill workflows tend to outgrow it.

Airwallex

Airwallex suits a growing company that wants cards, expenses and accounts payable in one product. Explore is free and covers a lot. The cost grows with headcount on Grow, and SWIFT payouts are priced at the top of the market.

Rivet

Rivet is built for companies registered outside the big banking markets, and for US LLCs whose owners live elsewhere, where we support the owners' countries. USD details in the company's name come with the free plan. EUR and GBP details, physical cards and lower FX come with Growth and Scale. Payouts go to 120+ countries on the recipient's local rail, or on-chain in USDC or USDT where there is no local rail.

A worked month

Say a company receives 40,000 USD from US clients and converts 20,000 USD to EUR to pay a supplier.

Wise: no monthly fee; conversion from 0.23% is about 46 USD at the cheapest rate, plus 6.11 USD per incoming wire if clients pay by wire.
Airwallex Explore: no monthly fee; 0.5% on a major pair is 100 USD.
Rivet Growth: 200 USD plan fee; 0.50% is 100 USD.

At this volume Wise is cheapest on paper. Rivet's plan fee starts to pay for itself when a company needs EUR and GBP details in its own name, many cards, and bulk payouts, or when its owners or country fall outside what the others accept. The true cost of international payments explains how to add up a month like this for your own numbers.

Before you compare prices

Price only matters once you can open the account. Check these first:

Does the provider accept companies registered in your country?
Does it accept owners who live where your owners live?
Are the account details in the company's name, or pooled under the provider's name with a reference?
Which rails can clients use to pay in: ACH, wire, SEPA, Faster Payments?

The Wise Business alternatives guide covers more providers, and Bank accounts shows the details a company gets with Rivet.

Questions people ask

Is Wise better than Airwallex for a business?

For a small company that converts currency often and sends modest amounts, Wise's per-conversion pricing is usually cheaper. Airwallex suits teams that want corporate cards, expense approvals and integrations in the same place, and that can use the free Explore plan or justify per-user fees on the paid plans.

Is Airwallex risky?

Airwallex is a licensed payment company in the markets it serves, and customer money is held in safeguarded or partner bank accounts, as with Wise and other fintechs. The practical risk for any of them is an account review or restriction. Keep your KYB file current and your activity matching what you declared, and have a second account for continuity.

Who is Wise's biggest competitor for business accounts?

For multi-currency business accounts, the names most often compared with Wise are Airwallex, Revolut Business and Payoneer. Which one is cheaper depends on how much you convert, how many people need cards, and whether you pay by SWIFT or by local rails.

Does Airwallex open accounts for a US LLC owned by a non-resident?

Airwallex onboards companies by country of registration and checks the owners separately. Ask Airwallex directly whether it accepts your owners' countries of residence before you apply, because the answer depends on both the company and the people behind it.

Sources

Written by

Rashidatou K.

Payments editor

Rashidatou writes Rivet's guides to how money moves between countries: the payment rails, what each one costs, and the account details a company needs to get paid in another currency. Every figure in Rashidatou's articles is traced to the scheme rulebook, the regulator or the provider's published price list, and those sources are listed at the end.