CurrencyFair vs Revolut

CurrencyFair and Revolut, despite their many differences, share a certain preoccupation with convincing people to part with their hard-earned cash in a manner slightly less painful than usual. Both let you convert currencies at rates that won’t have you questioning the existence of a benevolent deity and they each come packaged in apps so sleek and simple they practically sparkle. They also offer the soothing illusion that you’re sidestepping banks entirely, even as your money hops, skips and somersaults through cyberspace. And ultimately, whether you need to pay a remote contractor or just buy a waffle iron in a different continent’s currency, both seem quite determined to make the process marginally less dismal.

CurrencyFair, a venerable old-timer from the mists of 2009, emerged from Ireland with a rather straightforward plan: let people trade currencies with one another and sidestep the usual financial fluffery. It caters to those who like their money-movements rational and businesslike, be they small business owners, freelancers or anyone who finds pleasure in the phrase “peer-to-peer exchange platform.” It’s all delightfully sensible and almost makes you forget that you’re essentially bartering in a digital village square.

Revolut, on the other hand, burst forth in 2015 from the beating heart of London like a bright, shiny gadget that insists it’s more than just a gadget. It wants to be your bank, your investment broker, your travel buddy and your tech-savvy cousin all at once. Revolut lures you in with promises of effortless spending abroad, sprinkles in cryptocurrency and stock trading and then waves some savings features under your nose, all while maintaining the air of a startup that’s figured out the meaning of life, the universe and everything—or at least thinks it has.

See also: Top 10 Online Payment platforms