Wise Business vs Revolut Business for Estonian OÜs
Two of the most common banking choices for e-resident founders, compared head to head.
For most newly registered Estonian OÜs, the realistic choice of business account isn't between Wise, Revolut, and a traditional Estonian bank. It's between Wise and Revolut. Traditional banks like LHV and Swedbank typically want to see a clearer Estonian operational footprint than a freshly incorporated remote company usually has, which is exactly the substance-rules friction we cover in our main formation guide. Wise and Revolut were both built for exactly this kind of remote, multi-currency setup, so they're where most e-resident founders actually end up.
They are not interchangeable products, though. They're built around different operating models, and which one fits depends on what your company actually does day to day.
How the fees actually work
This is where the two diverge most clearly.
| Fee structure | Wise Business | Revolut Business |
|---|---|---|
| Account opening | One-time fee, typically around €45–50 | Free |
| Monthly fee | None, no subscription tiers | Tiered plans, free Basic plan up to roughly £79+/month for higher tiers |
| Currency exchange | Mid-market rate plus a transparent fee, minimum around 0.68% per conversion | Interbank rate within your monthly plan allowance; 0.6% fee beyond it |
| International transfers | Low, transparent per-transfer fee shown before you send | A limited number free per month depending on plan, then a flat fee per transfer beyond that |
Wise charges you a small, predictable fee on every transaction, with no subscription. Revolut bundles a monthly allowance of free transactions into a paid plan, cheap or free if your volume fits the plan, but you're paying for capacity you may not use if it doesn't. Low, occasional transaction volume tends to favor Wise. Frequent transfers and exchanges within a predictable monthly pattern can favor Revolut, if you're on the right tier.
The real difference: operating model, not just price
Wise was built around one job, moving money across currencies cheaply and transparently, and it shows. There's no tiered feature gating, no upsell path. You get local account details in 40+ currencies, transparent FX, and that's largely the whole product.
Revolut was built as a broader business platform: multi-currency accounts plus spend controls, approval workflows, card issuing at scale, expense management, and integrations. Useful if you're managing a small team's spending or want internal financial governance, overhead you don't need if it's just you invoicing clients.
Choose Wise Business if:
- You're a solo founder or very small team mainly invoicing international clients
- You want maximum fee transparency with no subscription commitment
- Your transaction volume is moderate or unpredictable month to month
Choose Revolut Business if:
- You're managing a team and want built-in spend controls, approvals, or multiple cards
- Your transaction volume is high and predictable enough to make a paid tier's allowance worth it
- You want deeper accounting and workflow integrations beyond basic exports
Wise Business
Multi-currency · No subscriptionBest fit for a solo e-resident founder invoicing EU or global clients who wants predictable, transparent fees with no monthly commitment.
Compare Wise Business →Revolut Business
Multi-currency · Tiered plansBest fit for a small team that wants spend controls, multiple cards, and integrated workflow tools alongside multi-currency banking.
Compare Revolut Business →A note on the 2026 substance and banking reality
Both providers have tightened onboarding scrutiny for companies with no clear operational connection to where they're registered, part of the broader EU trend we cover in detail in our main guide. Whichever provider you choose, be ready to clearly explain your business activity, your actual clients, and why an Estonian entity makes sense for what you do. A vague or purely tax-motivated application is more likely to face friction with either provider than it would have a few years ago.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use both Wise and Revolut for the same company?
Yes, plenty of founders do. Wise for low-fee international transfers and invoicing, Revolut for team cards and spend management, or vice versa depending on which features matter more to each use case.
Which one is actually cheaper?
It depends entirely on your transaction pattern. Low, irregular volume tends to favor Wise's pay-as-you-go model. High, predictable volume that fits neatly into a Revolut plan tier can end up cheaper per transaction. Model your actual expected usage before deciding.
Will either of these work as my only business account?
For many remote, EU-or-global-facing OÜs, yes. If you anticipate needing lending products, a physical branch relationship, or services neither offers, you may eventually want a traditional bank account alongside one of these, but that's rarely a day-one requirement.