Mercury vs Wise Business (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Mercury grades higher than Wise Business: 3.0 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Mercury grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Mercury
Business banking with cards, expenses, bill pay and invoicing
Wise Business
Multi-currency business account for international payments
Which one is for you
Pick Mercury if
- Fits if you run a startup and want cards, bill pay and invoicing on a $0 account
- Works for companies that send USD payments and sync to QuickBooks or Xero
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Android, as only web and iPhone are listed
- Pricey if you want ACH debit invoicing at $0 or a relationship manager, which sit on Pro at $299 a month
- Watch out: Mercury isn't an FDIC-insured bank, as banking comes from Choice Financial Group and Column N.A.
- Watch out: non-USD international wires carry a 1% exchange fee and non-USD card transactions 3%
- Watch out: Books is $35 a month and Payroll $100 plus $50 a person, both waived only until 31 December 2026
Pick Wise Business if
- Fits if you pay suppliers or contractors abroad and want to see the fee before sending
- Works for businesses that get paid in several currencies and want local account details
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a monthly flat price, as fees depend on the currency and amount
- Tight if you receive USD wires or Swift payments: each costs a fixed $6.11
- Pricey if you use ATMs a lot: free up to $250 a month, then $1.95 plus 1.95% each
- Watch out: Wise says it isn't an FDIC-insured bank, and pass-through cover applies only to interest-earning funds
- Watch out: a volume discount only starts once conversions pass $25,000
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAMercuryVery good | 2.2GPAWise BusinessFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BThe Mercury plan is $0, with Plus at $29.90 a month and Pro at $299 on yearly billing. The core is free, so the paid plans are optional. | BA $31 one-time set-up fee is under a year of the category's middle subscription, but the fees on every transfer and conversion are where the real cost sits. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe $0 plan has no monthly fee or minimum balance, with cards, expense management, invoicing and bill pay. A 30-day free trial of Plus is offered. | FNo free plan or trial. Opening the account is free, but account details in 22 currencies need the $31 fee. |
| Features | BCompany cards, expense management, bill pay and payments, invoicing and accounting integrations on the free plan. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core work. | BInternational transfers, account details in 22 currencies, team cards, accounting sync and interest on balances. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core work. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You open a business bank account, which takes setup and verification. | CNo store rating on record. You open the account, verify the business and set up currencies. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb and iPhone, with QuickBooks, Xero and NetSuite. No Android or desktop app listed. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with QuickBooks, Xero and Sage. No desktop app. |
| Best for | online business banking for startups | paying and getting paid in other currencies |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Mercury and Wise Business. How we grade
Where they differ
- Mercury also covers invoicing, bookkeeping, expense tracking, payroll and bill pay.
At a glance
| Mercury | Wise Business | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $29.90 per month, billed annually | $31 one-time set-up fee, then per-transaction fees |
| Free plan | The Mercury plan is $0 a month with checking and savings, cards, expense management, invoicing and bill pay. | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial of Mercury Plus | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Mercury | Wise Payments Limited |
| Price read from | mercury.com | wise.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Mercury
- Mercury is not an FDIC-insured bank; banking is provided through Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., Members FDIC.
- Non-USD international wires carry a 1% currency exchange fee, and non-USD card transactions carry 3%.
- Mercury Books is $35 a month and Mercury Payroll is $100 a month plus $50 per person paid, both waived until Dec 31, 2026.
- Treasury, which pays up to 4.21% yield, is available only with a $250K Mercury balance, and Stripe fees apply to credit card invoice payments.
Wise Business
- Wise says it is not an FDIC-insured bank; pass-through FDIC cover of up to $250K applies only to interest-earning funds held at program banks.
- Receiving a USD wire or Swift payment costs a fixed $6.11; domestic non-wire payments in nine currencies are free.
- ATM withdrawals are free up to $250 a month; after that each one costs $1.95 plus 1.95%.
- Sending and converting fees differ by currency, and a volume discount starts once conversions pass $25,000.
Key features
Mercury
- Company cards
- Virtual and physical debit and credit cards, with custom spend limits, merchant-locked cards and duplicate subscription detection. Corporate credit cards earn 1.5% cashback.
- Expense management
- Employee cards with limits, automatic receipt matching for card transactions, custom categories and reimbursements, including mileage.
- Bill pay and payments
- Free domestic ACH, wires, real-time payments and checks in USD, plus payment by ACH debit or wire drawdown.
- Invoicing
- Unlimited invoices that accept card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, wire and ACH, with recurring invoices on paid plans.
- Accounting integrations
- Syncs with accounting tools such as QuickBooks, Xero and NetSuite.
Wise Business
- International transfers
- Send money to other countries with fees that vary by currency and start from 0.23%. The site says BatchTransfer can pay up to 1,000 contractors at once.
- Account details in 22 currencies
- Receive payments from abroad in USD, EUR, GBP and other currencies. Receiving USD wire and Swift payments carries a fixed fee.
- Multi-Currency Cards for the team
- Physical and digital cards for staff, with custom spending permissions and team access settings.
- Accounting software sync
- Connects the account to accounting software, including QuickBooks, Xero and Sage Business Cloud Accounting, for reporting in each currency.
- Interest on balances
- An opt-in feature that pays a variable rate on USD, GBP and EUR balances. The page quotes 3.4% variable APY on USD.
Plans
Mercury
Mercury$0
No monthly fees or minimum balance. Includes company cards, expense management, bill pay, invoicing and free USD ACH, wires and real-time payments.
Mercury Plus$29.90
per month, billed annually
Adds recurring invoices, ACH debit invoicing at $1 per transaction, unlimited 1099 filings, priority support and 6 months of free Xero.
Mercury Pro$299
per month, billed annually
Adds a relationship manager, ACH debit invoicing at $0 per transaction and NetSuite categorizations on top of what Plus has.
Wise Business
Wise Business account$31
one-time set-up fee
Opening the account is free; the one-time fee unlocks account details in 22 currencies. Transfers and conversions are charged per use.
Ways to pay less
Mercury
- Annual discount
15% off with annual billing
The pricing page toggle reads Annual Pricing (15% off), and was on by default when read. The monthly-billed price is not shown.
Wise Business
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Mercury or Wise Business?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Mercury starts at $29.90 per month, billed annually, and Wise Business starts at $31 one-time set-up fee, then per-transaction fees.
Which has a free plan, Mercury or Wise Business?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Mercury has a free plan. Wise Business does not.
Which platforms do Mercury and Wise Business run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Wise Business lists an Android app. Both list a web app and an iOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.