Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Wise VS Mercury

Compare Wise VS Mercury and see what are their differences

Wise logo Wise

Currency exchange Banks and other providers could charge you up to 5% in hidden costs when sending ...

Mercury logo Mercury

Mercury is banking* for startups
  • Wise Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-02
  • Mercury Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-17

Mercury offers banking* for startups — at any size or stage. With an intuitive product experience, founders can access free checking and savings accounts, debit and credit cards, domestic and international wire transfers, Treasury, venture debt, and more — and manage their business with confidence. Mercury also offers vibrant community programs that provide founders with the connections, advice, and resources to help them build the next great companies. Launched in 2019, Mercury is trusted by more than 100,000 startups. To learn more, visit Mercury.com.

*Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. All banking services provided by Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust®; Members FDIC.

Wise

Website
wise.com
Pricing URL
-
$ Details
-
Platforms
-
Release Date
-

Mercury

$ Details
free
Platforms
Web iOS Android
Release Date
2019 April

Wise features and specs

  • Low Fees
    Wise offers competitive and transparent fees compared to traditional banks and many other money transfer services.
  • Real Exchange Rates
    Wise uses the mid-market exchange rate, meaning users get the real exchange rate without any hidden markups.
  • Fast Transfers
    Many transfers through Wise are processed quickly, often within a few hours or a day, depending on the destination country and payment method.
  • Multi-Currency Accounts
    Users can hold and manage money in multiple currencies with Wise's Borderless Account, making it easier for those who deal with international payments regularly.
  • Transparent Pricing
    Wise is upfront about their fees and the total cost of a transfer, so users know exactly how much they'll pay and how much the recipient will receive.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Wise offers a clean and intuitive application and web interface, making it easy for users to navigate and complete transactions.

Possible disadvantages of Wise

  • Limited Customer Support
    Wise's customer support is primarily online, and some users report difficulties in reaching live assistance or having slow response times.
  • Transfer Limits
    There are limits on how much money can be transferred in a single transaction or over a period of time, which might be restrictive for some users.
  • Lack of Physical Locations
    Unlike traditional banks, Wise doesn't have physical branches, which can be an inconvenience for those who prefer in-person banking services.
  • Verification Process
    New users or those making large transfers may have to go through a lengthy verification process, which can delay the initial transaction.
  • Not Available in All Countries
    Wise does not operate in every country, limiting its accessibility for some users looking to send or receive international payments.
  • Occasional Delays
    While generally fast, some transfers may experience delays due to various factors, such as banking hours, holiday schedules, or compliance checks.

Mercury features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Mercury offers a user-friendly interface that simplifies banking for startups and small businesses, making it easy to manage accounts, transfer funds, and monitor transactions.
  • No Monthly Fees
    Mercury does not charge monthly fees or require minimum balances, which is beneficial for new businesses trying to manage their finances effectively.
  • Automated Bookkeeping
    Mercury provides integrated bookkeeping tools, facilitating accounting processes by automatically syncing transactions with popular accounting software like QuickBooks and Xero.
  • FDIC Insured
    Mercury accounts are FDIC-insured up to $250,000 through its partner banks, providing peace of mind regarding the safety of your deposits.
  • Multiple User Accounts
    The platform allows multiple user accounts with customizable permissions, making it easier for teams to collaborate on financial management securely.

Possible disadvantages of Mercury

  • Limited Physical Presence
    Mercury operates entirely online, which can be a drawback for businesses that prefer or require in-person banking services.
  • No Cash Deposits
    Mercury does not support cash deposits, which can be inconvenient for businesses that deal with a significant amount of cash transactions.
  • Limited Lending Options
    Mercury offers fewer lending products compared to traditional banks, which might be a limitation for businesses seeking comprehensive financing solutions.
  • Customer Service
    While often responsive, customer service is primarily conducted through online channels, which some users may find less satisfactory compared to face-to-face interactions.
  • No International Wire Transfers
    Mercury does not support international wire transfers, which can be a significant limitation for businesses operating globally.

Analysis of Wise

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Wise is highly regarded as one of the top options for international money transfers. It is praised for its transparency, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use, making it a preferred choice for many users.

Why this product is good

  • Wise is considered a reliable and efficient service for international money transfers due to its transparent fee structure and competitive exchange rates. The platform uses a mid-market exchange rate with no hidden fees, making it a popular choice for individuals and businesses looking to transfer money across borders. Additionally, Wise is known for its user-friendly interface and fast transfer speeds.

Recommended for

  • Individuals needing to send money abroad frequently.
  • Expats living in foreign countries who need to transfer money to home accounts.
  • Freelancers and remote workers receiving payments from international clients.
  • Businesses conducting international transactions.

Analysis of Mercury

Overall verdict

  • Mercury is generally considered a good option for startups and tech companies that want a hassle-free banking solution with modern digital tools. It is particularly beneficial for those seeking an online-focused bank with no hidden fees.

Why this product is good

  • Mercury is an online bank that is designed specifically for startups and tech companies. They offer a range of features that cater to the needs of small businesses, such as seamless integration with accounting software, no monthly fees, and no minimum balance requirements. Additionally, Mercury provides a user-friendly digital interface, allowing entrepreneurs to manage their finances with ease. Their customer service is often praised for being responsive and helpful.

Recommended for

  • Startups
  • Tech companies
  • Small businesses looking for digital banking solutions
  • Entrepreneurs wanting a no-fee account

Wise videos

TransferWise Review - 3 Must Knows (2020)

More videos:

  • Review - TransferWise in detail
  • Review - Transferwise Review

Mercury videos

Mercury Movie Review - Prabhu Deva, Karthik Subburaj - Tamil Talkies

More videos:

  • Review - Mercury review by Prashanth
  • Review - Mercury 150 Four Stroke Review Performance Reliability One Year Later - Florida Sport Fishing TV

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Wise and Mercury)
Online Payments
86 86%
14% 14
Money Transfer
83 83%
17% 17
Billing & Invoicing
100 100%
0% 0
Fintech
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Wise and Mercury

Wise Reviews

6 Cheaper Payoneer Alternatives for Your Online Transcations
Wise is a well-known alternative to traditional banking and offers competitive rates for international money transfers. It operates on a peer-to-peer system, ensuring low fees by matching individuals who want to exchange currency in different countries.
Top 5 Payoneer Alternatives [2024]
Wise offers fast, convenient transfers with transparent fees based on mid-market exchange rates, as well as a multi-currency account for both individual and business customers. While Wise offers several tools for business customers, such as expense cards, it is not as extensive as those offered by Payoneer. On the other hand, Payoneer’s fee structure is only transparent on...
Source: www.exiap.com
Top 5 Payoneer Alternatives for Seamless Online Transactions
Both offer global transactions, but Wise shines with competitive exchange rates and transparent fees, while Payoneer focuses on receiving payments with features like virtual cards. Choose Wise for cost-effectiveness, Payoneer for easy receiving.
Source: www.doola.com
Best money transfer apps of 2021
TransferWise does also offer Business pricing, which adds in extra features that are free, including the ability to receive money in EUR, USD, GBP, PLN, AUD and NZD currencies without charge. However, this comes with a 0.33%-3.56% fee to convert currencies. The supporting TransferWise debit Mastercard comes free too, with the same currency conversion fee of 0.33%-3.56% plus...
Top 7 Wise Alternatives
Wise’s Multi Currency Account (review) and associated Wise card (review) (which works great as a travel money card) are especially useful to expats who need banking features in a new country to pay rent, buy groceries, or receive money like a local (Wise offers international bank details in 10 currencies).
Source: transumo.com

Mercury Reviews

  1. Veeresh G T
    · Founder at Vepapu ·
    The best for Non-Residents

    The best in the market for helping US non-residents get a checking bank account for their US companies. Mercury's secure experience takes founders to another level in their global journey.

    🏁 Competitors: Vepapu
    👍 Pros:    Free pricing|Place for non-residents

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Mercury should be more popular than Wise. It has been mentiond 36 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Wise mentions (24)

  • Which bank in vietnam have the lowest fee for overseas remittance?
    I don't think you need to be a holder of both. I put my mom on my Wells Fargo account and she sent to my account. There is also https://wise.com/us/ . This one I have used to send to someones account in Vietnam. It does have slightly higher fee. But it goes straight into their account. From Wells Fargo I would have to go and get USD then exchange it to Vietnamese currency. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • We are happy to welcome you to Auction 88 — Coins of The World.
    They invoice in Euros (Czech Republic) so also be aware of fees on payments. I've successfully used TransferWise (https://wise.com/us/). Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Recommend me a first credit card with 0 foreign tx fee
    It's not a credit card. It's just a way to convert currency w/o a fee. https://wise.com/us/. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Renting an apartment without a US Bank account?
    Get a Wise account. Open one in your local currency, and one in US currency. I was doing that for the first few months. Source: over 2 years ago
  • My New Client Is Asking Me For My Bank Info
    I’ve used Wise for bank payments from international clients before: https://wise.com/us/ that way you’re not giving them your actual bank info but the process is similar on the client’s end. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

Mercury mentions (36)

  • Sonos CEO Patrick Spence steps down after app update debacle
    Interestingly, Mercury [0] is VC-backed, and their backend is entirely Haskell. In an interview [1], their CTO mentions that it’s actually quite easy to hire for Haskell, as the demand is much lower than the supply, and, as he slyly puts it, “interest in Haskell acts as a decent proxy for baseline developer quality.” So while the pool is larger for JS/TS and Python, that may not always be beneficial. [0]:... - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Haskell vs. Ada vs. C++ vs. an Experiment in Software Prototyping Productivity [pdf]
    I work on one of the largest Haskell codebases in the world that I know of (https://mercury.com/). We're in the ballpark of 1.5 million lines of proprietary code built and deployed as effectively a single executable, and of course if you included open source libraries and stuff that we have built or depend on, it would be larger. I can't really speak to your problem domain, but I feel like we do a lot with what we... - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Privacy/secruity experience with RBFCU? (Randolph Brooks Credit Union)
    Not just a fintech front for a privacy dis-respecting bank (like Mercury business banking for example). Source: over 1 year ago
  • The Meaning of Monad in MonadTrans
    Mercury (https://mercury.com/) uses Haskell extensively for pretty much all of its backend systems. It’s a great general purpose language. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Wise or Payoneer?
    He claims it's totally legal https://mercury.com/. Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Wise and Mercury, you can also consider the following products

Bill.com - Your financial operations platform. The intelligent way to create and pay bills, send invoices, manage expenses, control budgets, and access the credit your business needs to grow—all on one platform.

Brex - The first corporate card for startups

Zoho Invoice - 100% free online invoicing software for small businesses.

PENTA - A free and beautiful business bank account in Germany 😍🇩🇪

The Invoice Machine - The Invoice Machine is an online invoicing service with a simple and elegant user interface.

Ramp - Grow more. Waste less. Enterprise corporate cards built from the ground up to save your company money: issue unlimited cards and eliminate overspend with our advanced savings reports and 1.5% cash back on everything.