The 8 Best Apps Like Cash App [2024] - Find out more about these Cash App alternatives

Cash App is one of the most popular money apps in the US, offering fast ways to make person to person payments, with instant transfers to a $cashtag, phone number or email and attractive social features. However, Cash App isn’t perfect. For example, there are limited international options, so if you want to send and receive peer to peer payments outside the US and UK you’ll need an alternative.

If you’re looking for other money apps like Cash App, this guide has you covered. We’ll walk through some top Cash App alternatives and great options for transferring funds to friends and family.

We’ll also introduce the Wise Account as a smart option for sending and receiving money internationally using the mid-market exchange rate, from your linked bank account, debit or credit card.

Open a Wise Account for free

📝 Here are the 8 best apps like Cash App
Wise PayPal Google Pay Venmo Zelle Revolut Payoneer Xoom

Cash App

Cash App¹ lets customers send and receive payments, spend with a linked card, get direct debits early, and invest. You can send a Cash App payment with just the recipient’s basic contact details, or their $cashtag username, and it’ll arrive instantly. That means there’s no need to get a bank account number and routing information just to pay back a friend for pizza.

Cash App does have a couple of drawbacks. As we mentioned, international options are limited, so while it’s a great way to send and receive money in the US - or even make a transfer to someone in the UK - beyond that you’ll need an alternative. You may also need to pay some ATM fees and a charge to cash out your funds if you’re in a hurry to get them.

Time to learn more:

• Read about how Cash App works here
• Learn how to send money on the Cash App here

Or read on for all you need to know about Cash App competitors you may prefer.

Wise

If you need a low cost, fast and easy way to send international payments, the Wise multi-currency account may be right for you.

Wise payments can be considerably cheaper than your bank, and often arrive instantly. You can hold 50+ currencies in your account, get paid like a local from 30 countries, and transfer out to 80+ currencies. Payments always use the mid-market exchange rate with low, transparent fees and no hidden costs to worry about. The Wise money transfer app is available on App Store and Google Play.

If you like Cash App because of the linked debit card, Wise has you covered there too. Get a Wise international card to spend and make withdrawals in 174+ countries with no foreign transaction fees.

Join Wise today

Transaction speed claimed depends on individual circumstances and may not be available for all transactions. Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

PayPal

If you shop online, the chances are that you’ve already got a PayPal² account. Like Cash App, you can use PayPal to send and receive payments, and you’ll also be able to make a broad range of international transfers from your account. To get their money, your recipient will also need a PayPal account.

PayPal also offers a broad range of account services, but when it comes to peer payments, the main disadvantage is probably the costs. From the US, you can send a personal payment domestically for free from your PayPal balance or linked bank account, but there’s a 2.9% fee for most card transfers. International payments come with an even higher 5% fee, plus currency conversion costs, no matter how you fund them³.

Ready to learn more? Here’s your comprehensive guide to PayPal and how PayPal works.

Google Pay

Google Pay⁴ is a mobile wallet which lets you link payment methods and make online, mobile and in-app purchases. Within the US you can send payments to friends and family using Google Pay, but the options to make international transfers are more limited. You’ll need to link Google Pay to a third party provider’s app - like Wise - to get a broader range of international services.

Google Pay is probably most attractive as a Cash App alternative to people who want to make domestic mobile payments - Learn about Google Pay in this full guide.

Venmo

Like Cash App, Venmo⁵ provides a neat way to send and receive money from friends and family in the US. It’s perfect for splitting a bill or paying your rent for example, and has some nice social features which make it easier to chat, like and comment when you send, request or receive money. Link your Venmo account to a bank account or your preferred payment card, and you’ll be able to fund transfers with your external funding source or any Venmo balance you already hold.

The main downside with Venmo - as with many other specialists in peer to peer payments - is that the service is only available within the US. To send a payment to a friend overseas, you’ll need an alternative. Get a full guide to Venmo, including a Venmo review, here.

Zelle

Peer to peer payments with Zelle⁶ move money from one bank account to another more or less instantly. A key advantage of Zelle is that it’s already available through many banks’ own online and mobile banking services, so you don’t even need to download a new app. In the event your bank doesn’t support Zelle, though, you can simply get the app and register to get started.

Zelle payments land directly in your recipient’s bank account, which means there’s no cash out fee even if you want to access the funds fast. However, you need a US based bank account to send or receive money with Zelle, ruling his option out for cross-border payments. New to Zelle? Learn more here.

Revolut

Revolut⁷ offers US customers 3 different account plans, which you can choose according to your personal preferences and the services you need to use. Accounts offer a range of financial planning and budgeting tools, a linked card to spend in 140 currencies, and the option to hold and exchange 28 currencies.

Even the free standard accounts have a strong range of features for people wanting to manage many of their financial needs in one place - or you can upgrade to a fee paid account to unlock more features. Get all you need to know about Revolut accounts in this handy guide.

Payoneer

Payoneer⁸ is a good alternative money app to Cash App if you’re a business owner, freelancer or ecommerce seller. Payoneer business accounts and solutions allow you to get paid in a range of currencies from marketplace platforms, customers and businesses. You can get paid into local receiving accounts, pay your suppliers or cover business taxes, and even access working capital.

Payoneer, not for you? Read more about alternatives to Payoneer here.

Xoom

Our final Cash App alternative is Xoom⁹ - a PayPal company. Xoom is PayPal’s specialist international payment provider, and offers customers a range of ways to pay and get paid internationally.

Services vary by destination country but can include sending money from your Xoom account to have your recipient collect in cash at an agent near tham. That makes this a fast way to get cash to someone who may not have easy access to a bank account - but the overall fees including exchange rate markups can be on the high side. Get a full Xoom money transfer review here.

Bottom line

Which Cash App alternative is best for you will depend on the sort of payments you want to make and receive. The Cash App competitors we’ve highlighted here all offer varied services, which makes them more suited to specific customer needs. Some specialize in domestic transfers within the US with a range of social features, some are more about mobile payments, and some others offer easy ways to send money to bank accounts directly.

Choosing the best alternative to Cash App will take a bit of thought. However, if you’re looking to send low cost international payments to bank accounts, the Wise Account may be a great option for you. Wise payments are usually very fast, and often instant - and cover 80+ countries. You’ll always get the mid-market exchange rate and low fees, which can beat the banks and mean you make significant savings.

Learn more about Wise

Transaction speed claimed depends on individual circumstances and may not be available for all transactions

Frequently asked questions

What app is most like Cash App?

The Cash App alternative that suits you best will depend on how you like to use it and what type of payments you need to send and receive. For domestic payments in the US you might want to check out Venmo if you love Cash App for its social features, or Zelle if you’d like your money to be deposited in a bank account directly, for example.

What apps pay instantly?

Many money transfer apps can support instant payments within the US, although your recipient may need to pay extra if they want to withdraw the funds to their own account in a hurry.

What is the most secure money transfer app?

Before you choose a money transfer app, check out some customer reviews and make sure it’s properly licensed for the services it provides. For example, the Wise Account has received plenty of reviews on TrustPilot (4.4/5 - Excellent).¹⁰

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Sources:

1]Cash App home
2]PayPal home
3PayPal fees
4]Google Pay home
5]Venmo home
6]Zelle home
7]Revolut home
8]Payoneer home
9]Xoom home
10]Trustpilot - Wise

All sources checked on 26 January 2022