Personal Finance Money transfer

5 best Venmo alternatives for personal use

Alexis Konovodoff

17.04.25

Read time 5 minutes

Venmo® is a popular payment platform in the US. You can use your account to send and receive money, but you can’t use Venmo overseas.¹

In this article, we’ll look at the top 5 Venmo alternatives, including how to use apps like Venmo to pay friends and family in the US or further afield.

Heading overseas? Use Wise to spend money in over 150 countries across the globe. Let’s dive in!

move-and-manage

1. Wise

Wise is a popular international alternative to Venmo. You can open a Wise account online or via the handy mobile app. Send money to over 140 countries — all at the standard mid-market exchange rate.

Use Wise to:

send low-fee transfers

receive money in 9 local foreign currencies

order the Wise Multi-Currency Card to spend like a local in over 150 countries

Like Venmo, you can use Wise to request instant money transfers from friends and family. You can’t use Venmo for international payments, but you can hold over 40 currencies in your Wise account at once.

You can also set up automatic recurring payments via your Wise account — and you can transfer money from Venmo to Wise.

Let’s take a closer look at some pros and cons of Wise.

Pros	Cons
Currency conversion at the mid-market rate — no markups or hidden fees	Some foreign currency transfers can take up to 2 days to reach your recipient*
Over 50% of transfers are instant*	Wise is an entirely virtual service — no in-person support
24/7 digital customer support

*Transaction speed claimed depends on funds availability, approval by Wise’s proprietary verification system and systems availability of our partners’ banking system, and may not be available for all transactions.

2. PayPal

PayPal® is a peer-to-peer platform for US customers looking to send, spend, and receive money across the world.

You can use your PayPal account to send safe and secure payments without revealing your bank details. You can make purchases, transfer money, and pay bills — all from just one app.²

However, PayPal adds hefty fees to global transactions. You’ll pay a markup of up to 4% for currency conversion. You’ll also pay a 5% transaction fee to send foreign payments via your PayPal balance or bank account.³

You can’t send direct transfers from Venmo to PayPal. If you want to move money between the platforms, you’ll need to connect the same bank account to both apps.⁴

Let’s take a look at some pros and cons of choosing PayPal vs Venmo.

Pros	Cons
PayPal won’t share your financial information with sellers or buyers	High fees for some transactions, including 2.90% + 0.30 USD per domestic card transaction³
Safe and secure transfer method	You’ll need a PayPal account to receive money⁵
Easy to sign up — you can connect your credit or debit card for purchases⁶	For foreign payments, you’ll pay up to 4% for currency conversion

3. Zelle

The Zelle® app is a common alternative to Venmo. You can use Zelle through your bank or credit union — and the app partners with over 2200 banks in the US.⁷

Like Venmo, Zelle is best for quick domestic payments to family in the US. You can use your account to send, request, or receive money using your recipient’s email address or mobile number.⁷

Let’s take a look at some pros and cons of using Zelle, including fees, availability, and international capabilities.

Pros	Cons
Your transfer should reach your recipient within minutes⁸	You can’t use Zelle to send money to a non-US bank account⁹
You can use Zelle for your small business¹⁰	Not all banks and credit unions partner with Zelle⁷
There aren’t typically any fees for sending and receiving money via Zelle — speak to your bank for more information¹¹	You can only use Zelle to send money to someone with an eligible bank account⁹

4. Cash App

Cash App® is a popular payment app like Venmo. You can use the mobile Cash App platform to send and receive money to and from friends or family.

Use Cash App to:

set up direct deposits

link your debit or credit cards for purchases¹²

spend abroad — fees apply¹³

It’s free to send money from your Cash App balance or debit card. However, you’ll pay a 3% fee to send money from a credit card. You’ll also pay an instant deposit fee to withdraw money faster.¹²

Cash App is a handy alternative to Venmo. It offers quick and easy transfer solutions, and you can link your payment cards to the platform.¹²

Unlike Venmo, however, you can use Cash App outside the US. You’ll pay a 2% international use fee for spending with your linked card abroad.¹³

Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of using Cash App vs. Venmo.

Pros	Cons
Order a Visa® debit card to spend money in the US or further abroad¹²	Only US residents can open an account, so you may not be able to transfer money to people outside the country¹²
Cash App uses encryption and fraud detection to protect your money¹²	Your recipient may need to create a Cash App account if they don’t already have one¹²
Buy and sell bitcoin via Cash App¹²	You’ll pay a 2% fee for using a linked credit card via Cash App; you’ll also pay 2% for international card payments

5. Apple Cash

If you’re an Apple® user, you can use Apple Cash to send money, get cash back on your Apple Card transactions, and transfer funds to your linked bank accounts.

To use Apple Cash, simply go into your iPhone settings and select “Wallet & Apple Pay.” Tap “Apple Cash” and follow the on-screen instructions.¹⁴

There are a few pros and cons to using Apple Cash as an alternative to Venmo — let’s take a closer look.

Pros	Cons
Make purchases using Apple Cash — you can use Apple Pay or your virtual card in person and online¹⁴	Apple Cash is currently only available in the US¹⁴
If you have an iPhone with iOS 18 or later, you can set up Apple Tap to Cash — simply send money by holding your iPhone near your recipient’s device¹⁴	Both you and your recipient may need iOS 11.2 or later and an iPhone 6 or later to use Apple Cash¹⁵
It’s easy to set up Apple Cash on your iPhone or Apple device

Make low-cost international transfers with Wise

A smart option if you’re sending money overseas: meet Wise.

Register a Wise account online or in the Wise app and send money to 140+ countries with the mid-market exchange rate and low, transparent fees.

Wise always shows you the amount you’re paying and how much your recipient will get — and you can even compare against other providers on the Wise app or desktop site.

If another service is cheaper for your particular payment, you’ll be shown — so you can’t lose.

Get started with Wise

See how Wise compares with international bank transfers in our full guide

Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up-to-date pricing and fee information

There are plenty of money transfer apps like Venmo, including PayPal, Wise, Apple Cash, and Cash App.

Some of these platforms — like Wise — enable international transfers and offer additional payment features that are missing from the Venmo app.

To start sending your money across the world at the mid-market exchange rate, check out Wise.

Sources

Venmo - Accessing Venmo while abroad
PayPal - PayPal benefits
PayPal - PayPal consumer fees
Venmo - Adding a payment method
PayPal - How do I receive money through PayPal
PayPal - How to get started with your PayPal account
Zelle - What is Zelle?
Zelle - How long does it take to receive money with Zelle?
Zelle - Who can I send money to with Zelle?
Zelle - I’m a small business using Zelle
Zelle - Are there any fees to send money using Zelle?
Cash App - Homepage
Cash App - Does Cash App work internationally?
Apple - Use Apple Cash in wallet on iPhone
Mac Rumors - How to use Apple Cash on iPhone and iPad

Sources checked 04/09/2025

*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.