PayPal vs Revolut: Fees, Rates & Speed Compared
PayPal ahead nowhere; Revolut on GBP → EUR, USD → PHP, USD → MXN.
PayPal
Won 0 of 3 routes here
1.4
Revolut
Won 3 of 3 routes here
4.7Both of these are accounts first and transfer services second, which makes this a comparison between two conveniences rather than two remittance products. Revolut gives you the interbank rate with no markup on weekdays and free transfers up to £1,000 a month, then 0.5%; the catch is the weekend, when a 0.5–1% markup applies because the underlying FX market is closed. PayPal charges 5% (min $0.99, max $4.99) and adds 3–4% to the rate every day of the week. The practical decision is whether both parties can hold a Revolut account, and whether you can wait until Monday.
Live comparison: PayPal vs Revolut across popular corridors
Recipient payout route by route, PayPal against Revolut, from collected quotes (not guaranteed).
| Corridor | PayPal | Revolut | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| USD → INR($1,000) | — | ₹96,517.98 | N/A |
| GBP → EUR(£1,000) | €1,124.02 | €1,153.97 | Revolut (+€29.95) |
| USD → PHP($500) | ₱29,759.74 | ₱31,140.09 | Revolut (+₱1380.35) |
| USD → MXN($1,000) | MX$17,124.76 | MX$17,865.18 | Revolut (+MX$740.42) |
| GBP → PKR(£500) | — | ₨182,099.38 | N/A |
| USD → NGN($200) | — | — | N/A |
Key differences between PayPal and Revolut
PayPal vs Revolut: Feature comparison
| Feature | PayPal | Revolut |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 1.4/5 (Poor) | 4.7/5 (Excellent) |
| Fee structure | 5% with $0.99 min, $4.99 max | Free up to £1,000/month, then 0.5% |
| Exchange rate markup | 3% - 4% above mid-market | 0% weekdays, 0.5-1% weekends |
| Transfer speed | Instant to 3 days | Instant to 3 days |
| Supported countries | 200+ | 150+ |
| Supported currencies | 25+ | 36+ |
| Max transfer | $60,000 | No limit |
| Delivery methods | PayPal Account, Bank Deposit | Bank Deposit, Revolut Account |
| Regulators | FinCEN, FCA, Various | FCA, ECB, FinCEN |
What we measured: PayPal vs Revolut
Neither provider led a single corridor: Revolut 2 of 41, PayPal 0 of 43. What separates them is how far back they sit when they lose. Revolut's average shortfall is 2.12% — close to the front, and among the tightest we record — while PayPal's is 8.91%, the widest of any provider we track. Read that together: Revolut rarely wins because specialist services undercut it at the margin, but it is never far off. PayPal is consistently far off. Revolut also carries the higher Trustpilot rating of the two by a wide margin.
A worked example: £1,000 to euros
On £1,000 GBP→EUR the gap is €29.95, with Revolut delivering more. Revolut's all-in cost is 2.20% against 4.75% for PayPal. One timing note this example cannot show: our pricing is observed at a point in time, and Revolut's weekend markup means the same transfer sent on a Saturday costs more than the figure above. If the transfer is not urgent, the day you send is a real lever here — the only page on this site where that is true of one provider and not the other.
A second corridor: $1,000 to Mexico
Outside Europe the gap widens rather than narrows: on $1,000 USD→MXN, Revolut delivers MX$740 more, at 0.63% all-in against 4.77% for PayPal. Revolut's weekday interbank rate holds up well outside the euro corridors it's most associated with; PayPal's 3–4% markup applies the same way everywhere, which is the more consistent (and more expensive) of the two patterns.
When to choose PayPal vs Revolut
Pick PayPal only where the transaction already lives there
PayPal's case is the same here as anywhere: an invoice, a refund, a marketplace payment or a counterparty who will accept nothing else. It reaches 200 countries against Revolut's 150 and needs nothing of the recipient beyond an email address, where Revolut is at its best when both sides hold the app. If the recipient cannot or will not open a new financial account, PayPal's reach is the argument, and you are paying roughly 8–9% all-in for it.
Pick Revolut when both sides hold the app and it is a weekday
Revolut is the better instrument for anyone moving money regularly between countries they live and work in, rather than sending remittances to a third party. Free allowance to £1,000 a month, the interbank rate on weekdays, balances in 36 currencies, no upper transfer limit, and regulation by the FCA and ECB. Revolut-to-Revolut transfers land instantly and cost nothing. The constraint is that this only works when the recipient is willing to hold an account too — which is precisely the constraint PayPal does not have.
What the PayPal and Revolut figures don’t settle
Revolut's free allowance and weekend markup depend on your plan tier, PayPal's pricing differs between personal and business accounts, and card funding adds a further charge on both. Quotes are collected by currency pair, so confirm your own eligibility and the applicable schedule before sending.
Verdict: PayPal or Revolut?
Cost winner: Revolut
Revolut's weekday rate is the interbank rate with no markup up to £1,000 a month, then 0.5% — the tightest margin tracked on this site. PayPal charges 5% plus a 3-4% markup regardless of day or amount, which is why its average shortfall of 8.91% is the widest we record for any provider on the site.
Speed: Similar delivery times
Revolut-to-Revolut transfers land instantly, matching PayPal's balance-to-balance speed, but only when both sides hold the app. Where the recipient doesn't have Revolut, delivery depends on the destination bank's own processing time; PayPal's instant settlement has no such condition attached.
Wider coverage: PayPal
PayPal reaches 200 countries against Revolut's 150 and needs only an email address, where Revolut needs the recipient to open an account. That's the entire coverage argument for PayPal here — everything else favours Revolut once both sides are willing to install the app.
Bottom line
The day of the week is a genuine lever here in a way it isn't on almost any other comparison on this site: a Revolut transfer sent on a weekday at the interbank rate is a different transfer, price-wise, than the same amount sent on a Saturday. Time it right and Revolut wins comfortably; PayPal's price doesn't move regardless of when you send.
PayPal vs Revolut: your questions
Why does Revolut cost more on weekends?
The interbank FX market is closed on weekends, so Revolut applies a 0.5-1% markup instead of passing through the live interbank rate it uses on weekdays. If the transfer isn't urgent, waiting until Monday is the single cheapest thing you can do on this comparison.
What happens after I use Revolut's free £1,000 monthly allowance?
Transfers above the free allowance are charged at 0.5%, which is still well below PayPal's combined fee-and-markup cost on the same amount. The allowance resets monthly and favours smaller, recurring transfers rather than being a one-time promotion.
Is PayPal ever the cheaper option in your data?
Not on the corridors we price — PayPal didn't lead a single one against Revolut, and its average shortfall when it loses is the widest of any provider we track. Its case is convenience and reach, not price.
Do I need a Revolut account to receive a Revolut transfer?
Yes, for the free and fastest route — Revolut-to-Revolut transfers are instant and cost nothing. Revolut can also send to an external bank account, but that removes the main price advantage over a specialist transfer service.