Wise moves money. This tells you what things cost.
These get compared constantly and they are not really competitors.
Wise is a money-transfer service with a multi-currency account and a card attached. It is genuinely excellent at what it does, and if you are sending money abroad, getting paid in another currency, or want a card that does not quietly add a few percent to every purchase, it is one of the best options available.
It also has a currency converter on its website, which is why it shows up when people search for one.
The actual difference
| Wise | RoamRate | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A financial service — transfers, a multi-currency account, a debit card | A converter app. It touches none of your money |
| Account required | Yes, with identity verification | None |
| Works offline | No — it is a banking app and needs a connection | Yes, by design |
| Moves money | Yes, near the mid-market rate | No |
| Tells you if a price is fair | No | Local Price Index |
| Cost | Free app; fees per transfer | $4.99 once |
Why most travellers carry both
They cover different moments. Wise handles the money: the card you pay with, the transfer you make, the balance you hold. A converter handles the decision: the quoted price you are trying to evaluate in the three seconds before you answer.
The important overlap is the rate itself. Wise shows you the mid-market rate and then charges you a small, visible fee — which is the honest version of what a bank does invisibly. That is worth understanding regardless of which converter you use, because the number in any converter is the mid-market rate, and it is not what you personally receive. We wrote that up separately.
If you only want one
Get the Wise card. A card that does not add a hidden margin to every transaction will save a frequent traveller far more than any converter app costs, and that is true even though it means not buying ours.
Then, if you still find yourself doing mental arithmetic at counters with no signal, come back.
For the part Wise does not do
Offline conversion, one-handed, with local price context. $4.99 once, or free for five major currencies.
Download on the App Store