Remitly vs MoneyGram: Fees, Rates & Speed Compared
Remitly ahead nowhere; MoneyGram on USD → INR, GBP → EUR, USD → PHP, USD → MXN, GBP → PKR, USD → NGN.
Remitly
Won 0 of 6 routes here
4.6
MoneyGram
Won 6 of 6 routes here
4.0Both put cash or a mobile transfer in a recipient's hands, but they come from different eras of the same business. MoneyGram is an agent network dating to 1940; Remitly is an app built in 2011 around digital-first pricing for established remittance corridors. Remitly typically prices its core corridors — the US, UK, Canada and Australia into South Asia, the Philippines, Mexico and East Africa — sharper than MoneyGram's broader but older network.
Live comparison: Remitly vs MoneyGram across popular corridors
Recipient payout route by route, Remitly against MoneyGram, from collected quotes (not guaranteed).
| Corridor | Remitly | MoneyGram | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| USD → INR($1,000) | ₹96,031.43 | ₹96,233.62 | MoneyGram (+₹202.19) |
| GBP → EUR(£1,000) | €1,161.96 | €1,162.52 | MoneyGram (+€0.56) |
| USD → PHP($500) | ₱30,309.51 | ₱30,972.97 | MoneyGram (+₱663.46) |
| USD → MXN($1,000) | MX$17,818.46 | MX$17,861.98 | MoneyGram (+MX$43.52) |
| GBP → PKR(£500) | ₨181,457.03 | ₨182,608.24 | MoneyGram (+₨1151.21) |
| USD → NGN($200) | ₦267,500.37 | ₦267,855.02 | MoneyGram (+₦354.65) |
Key differences between Remitly and MoneyGram
Remitly vs MoneyGram: Feature comparison
| Feature | Remitly | MoneyGram |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.6/5 (Excellent) | 4.0/5 (Good) |
| Fee structure | From $0 to $3.99 per transfer | From $1.99 to $11.99+ |
| Exchange rate markup | 0.5% - 2% above mid-market | 1% - 3% above mid-market |
| Transfer speed | Minutes to 3-5 days | Minutes to 3 days |
| Supported countries | 100+ | 200+ |
| Supported currencies | 40+ | 50+ |
| Max transfer | $300,000 | $10,000 |
| Delivery methods | Bank Deposit, Cash Pickup, Mobile Money, Home Delivery | Bank Deposit, Cash Pickup, Mobile Wallet |
| Regulators | FinCEN, FCA | FinCEN, FCA |
What we measured: Remitly vs MoneyGram
Remitly led on 5 of 101 of the corridors we price against 0 of 60 for MoneyGram, whose win rate of 0.6% means it rarely takes the front against a digital-first competitor. Average shortfalls are 3.11% and 3.14% respectively.
A worked example: $1,000 to India
On $1,000 USD→INR the gap is ₹202, with MoneyGram delivering more — 0.26% all-in for Remitly against 0.05% for MoneyGram. Both price cash pickup differently from bank deposit, so quote your actual payout method before treating either figure as final.
When to choose Remitly vs MoneyGram
Pick Remitly for its established remittance corridors
Remitly is the sharper instrument on the routes it actually specialises in, with express delivery in minutes and a Trustpilot rating meaningfully ahead of MoneyGram's. The constraint is its narrower, 100-country list against MoneyGram's roughly 200.
Pick MoneyGram for wider reach and an older agent network
MoneyGram's argument is coverage into destinations Remitly doesn't serve, through an agent network built over eight decades. Fees start at $1.99, roughly in line with Remitly's, but the network reaches further into markets a newer app hasn't yet built out.
What the Remitly and MoneyGram figures don’t settle
Agent-level pricing is not something we observe. Confirm your corridor, payout method and MoneyGram's or Remitly's coverage of your destination before sending.
Verdict: Remitly or MoneyGram?
Cost winner: MoneyGram
Remitly led 5 of 101 of the corridors we price against 0 of 60 for MoneyGram, a 0.6% win rate for MoneyGram against a digital-first specialist. Average shortfalls of 3.11% and 3.14% confirm the gap is real, not just a matter of who wins outright.
Speed: Similar delivery times
Remitly's express tier settles in minutes; MoneyGram's speed varies more by corridor and agent. For a corridor Remitly prices sharply, it's also typically the faster of the two.
Wider coverage: MoneyGram
MoneyGram's roughly 200 countries beat Remitly's 100, built over eight decades of agent relationships. Remitly answers with sharper pricing and a higher Trustpilot rating on the corridors it does serve.
Bottom line
On Remitly's core remittance corridors, it's usually the better-priced and faster option. Outside that list, MoneyGram's older, wider network is more likely to reach the destination at all.
Remitly vs MoneyGram: your questions
Does Remitly serve every country MoneyGram does?
No — Remitly's 100-country list is narrower than MoneyGram's roughly 200, concentrated on established remittance routes. Check Remitly's coverage for your specific destination before assuming it's available.
Why does MoneyGram still exist if Remitly is usually cheaper?
Reach. MoneyGram's decades-old agent network covers destinations and payout situations a newer, narrower app hasn't built out yet. Price and coverage are different trade-offs, and MoneyGram wins on the second one.
Which has the better Trustpilot rating?
Remitly, by a meaningful margin. That measures whether the transfer felt reliable and arrived as promised, which is a different question from which one is cheaper on a given corridor.
Is MoneyGram's fee actually lower than Remitly's?
The starting fees are similar (both from around $2-4), so the real difference tends to come from the exchange rate markup rather than the headline fee. Compare the all-in cost for your specific corridor rather than the fee alone.