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Personal Finance · head to head

Skrill vs Strands

Skrill logo

Skrill

Personal Finance

Fast and secure money transfer

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Strands logo

Strands

Personal Finance

Personal and business financial management modules for banks, owned by CRIF

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Skrill has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Skrill a currency conversion fee of 4.49 percent applies to most conversions; Strands transaction categorisation accuracy depends on local merchant data, and banks in smaller markets face months of tuning before customers trust the categories shown.
  • They diverge on capability: Skrill covers Money transfers, Strands covers Transaction categorisation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Skrill and Strands actually diverge.

Attributes where Skrill and Strands differ
AttributeSkrillStrands
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modeltransactionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, REST API
Founded2001Unknown

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 Skrill

  • Money transfers
  • Digital wallet
  • Currency conversion
  • Prepaid card
  • Bank accounts
  • Credit cards
  • Web support
  • IOS support

Only in Strands

  • Transaction categorisation
  • Personal financial management
  • Business financial management
  • Lighthouse
  • Automated savings
  • Account aggregation

What people use each for

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

Skrill

  • Sending money internationally from a prepaid digital walletnot Strands
  • Funding and withdrawing from online merchants and gaming sitesnot Strands
  • Buying and selling cryptocurrency inside a wallet accountnot Strands

Strands

  • A retail bank adding budgeting and spending insight without building a categorisation enginenot Skrill
  • A bank wanting personalised product offers driven by observed spending and credit datanot Skrill
  • A credit union offering small business customers cash flow forecasting inside online bankingnot Skrill
  • A Nordic institution combining Strands insight with open banking account aggregationnot Skrill

Where each one falls short

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

Skrill

  • A currency conversion fee of 4.49 percent applies to most conversions
  • An inactivity fee of EUR 5.00 is deducted monthly after six months with no login or transaction
  • Card deposits carry a 2.50 percent fee
  • SWIFT bank withdrawals cost 2.80 percent with a minimum fee of EUR 3.5
  • Skrill to Skrill transfers cost 2.99 percent with a EUR 0.50 minimum on standard accounts, reduced to 1.45 percent only for True Skriller accounts
  • Crypto trading fees are tiered by VIP status, from 1.50 percent standard down to 1.30 percent at Gold and Diamond VIP

Strands

  • Transaction categorisation accuracy depends on local merchant data, and banks in smaller markets face months of tuning before customers trust the categories shown.
  • It is now a product line inside CRIF, a credit bureau, so roadmap priorities follow group data strategy rather than standalone software competition.
  • Commercial terms are often bundled with other CRIF services, which makes a standalone comparison against a pure PFM vendor harder to run.
  • Money management features have weak measurable impact on bank revenue, so the business case relies on engagement metrics that are difficult to tie to profit.
  • It is a white-label component, so the bank still owns design, support and customer communication, and a poor in-app implementation reflects on the bank rather than the vendor.

Pricing, plan by plan

Skrill

Free
  • Free AccountFree
    • Money transfers
    • Digital wallet
  • Premier Account$undefined/month
    • Higher limits
    • Special rates

Strands

On request
  • Strands AI Finance Suite$undefined/year
    • Licence scaled by end customers or active users
    • Modules licensed separately for personal, business and Lighthouse
    • Implementation and categorisation tuning charged as a project

Which should you pick?

Choose Skrill if

  • You need money transfers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want digital wallet.
Skrill review

Choose Strands if

  • You need transaction categorisation.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, REST API.
  • You also want personal financial management.
Strands review

Questions people ask

Is Skrill or Strands better?
Neither clearly leads. Skrill starts at Free and Strands at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Skrill or Strands?
Skrill has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Skrill and On request for Strands.
Does Skrill or Strands run on more platforms?
Skrill runs on Web, IOS, Android. Strands runs on Web, iOS, Android, REST API.
Can I use Skrill for free?
Yes. Skrill has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Strands starts at On request.
What is Skrill best used for?
Skrill is most often used for sending money internationally from a prepaid digital wallet, funding and withdrawing from online merchants and gaming sites, buying and selling cryptocurrency inside a wallet account. Of those, sending money internationally from a prepaid digital wallet and funding and withdrawing from online merchants and gaming sites are not what Strands is typically brought in for.
What can Skrill do that Strands cannot?
Skrill covers Money transfers, Digital wallet, Currency conversion, Prepaid card. Strands covers Transaction categorisation, Personal financial management, Business financial management, Lighthouse.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Skrill: Is Skrill free to use?

Skrill operates on a freemium model. The digital wallet is free to open and use for basic features. The site refers to a fees page where transfer, conversion, and service fees are disclosed.

Source
Strands: Who owns Strands?

CRIF, the Italian credit bureau and information services group, which acquired it to combine money management software with credit data.

Skrill: What are Skrill's fees for transfers and conversions?

Skrill lists transfer, conversion, and service fees but does not display the specific amounts on the homepage. Detailed fee structures are available on Skrill's dedicated fees page at /en/siteinformation/fees/.

Source
Strands: Is it sold to consumers?

No. It is licensed to banks and credit unions who embed it in their own applications under their own brand.

Skrill: What services does Skrill offer?

Skrill provides international money transfers, online payment processing, cryptocurrency buying and selling, loyalty rewards through the Knect points program, and a mobile app. These services are included in the free account.

Source
Strands: Does it include account aggregation?

It supports aggregated external accounts, with CRIF and partners such as Enable Banking supplying the open banking connectivity.

Skrill: Is Skrill regulated?

Yes. Skrill Limited is authorized by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011 for issuing electronic money and payment instruments. It is also registered with the FCA as a cryptoasset firm.

Source
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