Airwallex vs Wise Business: UK Comparison 2026

Just started a UK company and need a business account? Or perhaps you’re simply tired of your current account, finding it too costly or lacking the features your business needs.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or an established business looking to switch accounts, you might want to consider a digital account with global capabilities.

Two of the most popular options for globally-trading SMEs here in the UK are Wise Business) and Airwallex, but how do they compare? To help you choose the right solution for your business, we’ll run through everything you need to know here in this guide. This includes fees, features and more.

Already know what you want? Register with Wise Business 🚀

Airwallex vs Wise Business - comparison summary

To make it easier to compare Wise Business and Airwallex at a glance, we’ve put together a table covering all the important things that every business owner needs.

This includes fees, currencies and key account features, so you can see how the two providers stack up side-by-side:

Airwallex business accounts and features

Airwallex works on a monthly subscription model, offering three main plans based on the size and stage your business is at:¹

• Explore for small businesses - £19 a month, or £0 if you deposit/hold at least £10,000 per month
• Grow for scaling businesses - £49 a month
• Accelerate for large businesses needing customised workflows and dedicated support - £999 a month.

All Airwallex business accounts offer the following features:¹

• Accounts with local bank details in 20+ currencies
• Free domestic transfers, and local transfers to 120+ countries (fees apply for Airwallex international payments to 200+ countries sent via SWIFT)
• Access to interbank FX rates
• Batch transfers and bill payments
• Multi-currency company and expense cards
• 5 free ‘Spend’ users a month
• Payment links
• Integration with accounting software such as Xero and QuickBooks
• Core API access

Upgrade your plan and you can unlock additional Airwallex features such as approvals workflows for vendors, customisable, and multi-conditional approvals - as well as increased limits across the board.

The Accelerate plan comes with advanced capabilities, such as centralised financial management, purchase orders, rule-based automation for expenses and HRIS platform integrations. You’ll also get a dedicated account manager and onboarding support.

Another very useful Airwallex feature, particularly for ecommerce businesses - is its online payment gateway. It enables businesses to accept multi-currency payments globally, supporting major cards and a whopping 160+ local payment methods.¹ It also integrates with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce, and includes built-in fraud prevention.

Wise Business accounts and features

Wise Business offers a very simple account structure. There are no monthly fees, you can open an account for £50 (Advanced plan) or for free (Essential plan).

Wise Business features include:

• Local account details for 8+ major currencies
• Hold 40+ currencies at once
• International payments to 140+ countries for low fees
• Mid-market exchange rates on all currency conversions
• Employee expense cards -no foreign transaction fees in 40+ countries with the spending currency in your balance, plus spending limit controls and cashback
• API integration with accounting tools including Xero and QuickBooks, plus other business tools
• Mass payouts
• Bespoke permission levels to control team access.
• Make your money work harder and earn variable returns on GBP, EUR and USD with Wise Interest (capital at risk, growth guaranteed)

Wise doesn’t yet offer a payment gateway like Airwallex, but it's coming soon.

Sign up to the Wise Business payment gateway waitlist 🔒

Airwallex vs Wise Business - account fees

Now, how much will it cost you to use either provider for managing everyday business finances? Here are the main Wise Business and Airwallex fees you need to know about:¹

Opening an account with Airwallex

If you’re interested in using Airwallex, you’ll be pleased to know that it’s relatively easy to open an account.

First, make sure you meet the eligibility requirements. You must be an officially incorporated and active business, operating in the UK or another country Airwallex supports, and not in an unsupported industry - check the full list of these here.

You’ll need the following documents:

• Business incorporation documents - such as Certificate of Incorporation, Memorandum and Articles of Association (or equivalent Company Constitution)
• Photo ID
• Proof of address for all directors and beneficial owners
• Other documents if asked - such as proof of business address, authorisation letter or new business supporting documents.

To open an account, simply head to the Airwallex website and enter your business email address to get started. You’ll be asked to enter your details, upload supporting documents and verify your ID.

Open an account with Wise Business and scale globally, the smarter way

If you like the sound of Wise Business, you’ll be pleased to know that opening an account is easy and quick. You can open an account for free to start sending international transfers, or pay a one-time fee of just £50 (Advanced plan) or for free (Essential plan) to upgrade to the Advanced plan and access all features. Remember, there are no monthly fees to worry about.

To open a Wise Business account you’ll need to download the Wise app or head directly to the sign up page. You’ll need a photo ID and proof of address for the account representative, along with business documents which vary depending on the entity type. Find out more Wise Business account requirements here. You’lll need to fill in some details about your business, upload your documents and then wait a day or two for your account to be verified.

With Wise Business, you can:

• 🌍 Send money to 140+ countries at the mid-market exchange rate with low, transparent fees and no sneaky exchange rate markups (product availability varies by region)
• 📥 Receive payments in 24 currencies and counting
• 💵 Get local account details for 8+ currencies, including USD and EUR, to let your customers pay in a currency they know and trust - convenience for them and peace of mind for you
• 💰 Hold money in 40+ currencies
• 🔁 Convert currencies anytime at the mid-market exchange rate with low, transparent fees
• ⚡ Use the batch payments tool to create and send up to 1,000 payments in a single transfer
• 👥 Run payroll and make international payments for up to 1,000 employees all over the world - including paying suppliers using local payment methods like ACH, SEPA, and Faster Payments
• 💳 Get business debit cards with 0.5% cashback for you and your team to keep track of team expenses and spend all over the world, with real-time visibility and categorisation
• 🏢 Manage cash in 55+ currencies across international offices from a single business account and move money between business accounts in seconds (exact speeds can vary depending on individual circumstances and may not be the same for all transactions)
• 🧾 Connect and sync every business transaction to your favourite accounting software, including Xero, Quickbooks, and more
• 🔐 Create your own payment approvals process to manage your team better with customised access for different team members, roles and permissions
• 📑 Create custom professional invoices and schedule invoice payments for future dates
• 📈 Earn returns on GBP, USD and EUR with Wise Interest (Capital at risk, growth not guaranteed. Your money is at risk if governments default or interest rates go negative. Visit https://payout-surge.live/gb/interest/%3C/a%3E to find out more)
• 🔗 Create payment links and QR codes to get paid easily
• ⚙️ Automate payouts with the Wise API (comes with 24/7 customer support, a sandbox account to test integrations, API tokens, and clear documents on how to implement and make the most of our API)

Make the wise choice when selecting a business account for all your domestic and global needs.

Be Smart, Get Wise.

Register for Wise Business ✍️

Investments can fluctuate, and your capital is at risk. Interest is offered by Wise Assets UK Ltd, a subsidiary of Wise Payments Ltd. Wise Assets UK Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority with registration number 839689. When facilitating access to Wise investment products, Wise Payments Ltd acts as an Introducer Appointed Representative of Wise Assets UK Ltd. Please be aware that we do not offer investment advice, and you may be liable for taxes on any earnings. If you're uncertain, we urge you to seek professional advice. To find out more about the Funds, visit our website.

*Disclaimer: The UK Wise Business pricing structure is changing with effect from 26/11/2025 date. Receiving money, direct debits and getting paid features are not available with the Essential Plan which you can open for free. Pay a one-time set up fee of £50 to unlock Advanced features including account details to receive payments in 22+ currencies or 8+ currencies for non-swift payments. You’ll also get access to our invoice generating tool, payment links, QuickPay QR codes and the ability to set up direct debits all within one account. Please check our website for the latest pricing information.

Sources used:

Sources last checked 12-Feb-2026