Softwr

Personal Finance · head to head

Banktivity vs Wise

Banktivity logo

Banktivity

Personal Finance

Personal finance for Mac and iOS

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Wise logo

Wise

Personal Finance

Multi-currency account and international transfers priced at the mid-market rate plus an upfront fee

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Wise has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Banktivity runs on macOS, iPhone and iPad only, with no Windows, Android or web version; Wise wise is an electronic money institution, not a bank, so balances are safeguarded rather than covered by deposit insurance schemes, and a customer who treats it as a current account is taking a different risk from a bank deposit.
  • They diverge on capability: Banktivity covers Account tracking, Wise covers International transfers.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Banktivity and Wise actually diverge.

Attributes where Banktivity and Wise differ
AttributeBanktivityWise
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionPercentage of the amount converted
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsMac, IOSWeb, IOS, Android
Founded20072011

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Personal Finance).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Banktivity

  • Account tracking
  • Bill management
  • Investment tracking
  • Budget forecasting
  • Investment accounts
  • Mac support

Only in Wise

  • International transfers
  • Real exchange rates
  • Multi-currency accounts
  • Bill payments
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Web support
  • Android support
  • Mid-market conversion

Both cover

  • Bank accounts
  • IOS support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Banktivity

  • Personal budgeting and money management on a Macnot Wise
  • Investment and net worth trackingnot Wise
  • Retirement planning projectionsnot Wise
  • Connecting to over 14,000 financial institutionsnot Wise

Wise

  • Budget Managementnot Banktivity
  • Expense Trackingnot Banktivity
  • Investment Trackingnot Banktivity

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Banktivity

  • Runs on macOS, iPhone and iPad only, with no Windows, Android or web version
  • Pricing is not shown on the product page and sits behind a separate plans page

Wise

  • Wise is an electronic money institution, not a bank, so balances are safeguarded rather than covered by deposit insurance schemes, and a customer who treats it as a current account is taking a different risk from a bank deposit.
  • The headline percentage is a floor, not an average: it starts from 0.23 to 0.24 percent depending on region, and thin or exotic corridors cost several times that, so the advertised number tells you almost nothing about the corridor you actually use.
  • Funding a transfer by debit or credit card adds a materially higher fee than funding by bank transfer, and the cheap headline rate assumes you use the slower funding route.
  • Compliance holds are common and opaque: transfers can be frozen for verification with limited explanation and no branch to visit, which is painful when the money is a rent payment with a deadline.
  • Fees, card issue costs, ATM allowances and available features differ by country of residence, so a price checked on one country site does not apply to an account opened elsewhere.
  • It is a payments product only, with no overdraft, no lending and no domestic banking relationship, so most users still need a bank account alongside it.

Pricing, plan by plan

Banktivity

On request
  • Monthly$4.99/month
    • Full feature access
    • Cloud sync
  • Annual$39.99/month
    • All monthly features
    • Discounted rate

Wise

Free
  • Personal accountFree
    • Free to register, no monthly or subscription fee
    • Hold balances in dozens of currencies at no charge
    • Local account details for receiving payments
  • Send or convert money$undefined/per transfer
    • From 0.23 percent on the US pricing page and from 0.24 percent on the UK page
    • The exact percentage varies by currency pair
    • Funding by card or e-wallet costs more than funding by bank transfer
  • Wise debit card$9/one-time
    • 9 USD one-off issue fee in the US, 7 GBP in the UK
    • No subscription fee
    • Spending a currency you already hold is free

Which should you pick?

Choose Banktivity if

  • You need account tracking.
  • You work on Mac, IOS.
  • You also want bill management.
Banktivity review

Choose Wise if

  • You need international transfers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want real exchange rates.
Wise review

Questions people ask

Is Banktivity or Wise better?
Neither clearly leads. Banktivity starts at On request and Wise at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Banktivity or Wise?
Wise has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Banktivity and Free for Wise.
Does Banktivity or Wise run on more platforms?
Banktivity runs on Mac, IOS. Wise runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Wise for free?
Yes. Wise has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Banktivity starts at On request.
What is Banktivity best used for?
Banktivity is most often used for personal budgeting and money management on a mac, investment and net worth tracking, retirement planning projections, connecting to over 14,000 financial institutions. Of those, personal budgeting and money management on a mac and investment and net worth tracking are not what Wise is typically brought in for.
What can Banktivity do that Wise cannot?
Banktivity covers Account tracking, Bill management, Investment tracking, Budget forecasting. Wise covers International transfers, Real exchange rates, Multi-currency accounts, Bill payments. Both handle Bank accounts, IOS support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Banktivity: Does Banktivity offer a free trial?

Yes. Banktivity offers a 30-day free trial at any subscription level with no credit card required. This allows you to test the platform before committing.

Source
Wise: What does Wise actually charge to send money?

A percentage of the amount, stated before you confirm, starting from 0.23 percent on the US pricing page and 0.24 percent on the UK one. The rate varies by currency pair, and paying by card costs more than paying by bank transfer.

Banktivity: What devices does Banktivity support?

Banktivity is available on Mac, iPhone, and iPad with cross-device sync. Data is encrypted end-to-end across all devices.

Source
Wise: Does Wise really use the mid-market rate?

Yes. Conversion is done at the live mid-market rate with no margin added, and the cost is charged as a visible fee instead. That is the opposite of a bank that quotes a worse rate and calls the transfer free.

Banktivity: How many banks does Banktivity connect to?

Banktivity connects to 14,000+ banks, allowing direct connections to most major financial institutions.

Source
Wise: How much is the Wise card?

A one-off issue fee of 9 USD in the United States or 7 GBP in the United Kingdom, with no subscription. ATM withdrawals are free up to 250 per calendar month in the account currency, then 1.95 USD plus 1.95 percent per withdrawal in the US and 2.69 percent of the excess in the UK.

Banktivity: What financial planning tools does Banktivity include?

Banktivity includes budgeting, financial reporting, investment portfolio tracking, retirement planning tools, and net worth tracking across all your accounts.

Source
Wise: Is a Wise account free to open?

Yes. Registering is free and there is no monthly fee. You pay only when you send or convert money, or when you order a card.

Wise: Is Wise a bank?

No. It is an authorised electronic money institution, so your money is safeguarded at partner institutions rather than protected by deposit insurance.

Share

Related pages

More on Banktivity

More on Wise

Keep looking

Other head to heads