Revolut: Spend, Save, Trade

Review by eFreeware

If you want one place to handle everyday spending, sending money and a bit of saving, Revolut is built for exactly that. The developer says more than 80 million people use it worldwide, and with over 50 million installs and a 4.5 average from more than four million ratings, it clearly appeals to a broad audience. The app is free to download, carries no ads and offers no in-app purchases, which keeps the entry point simple.

What you get is a set of tools that cover several financial habits at once: cards you can pay with, transfers in dozens of currencies, savings with recurring transfers and round-ups, budgeting notifications, and optional stock trading. Rather than being a single-purpose tool, it tries to be the hub where your money moves. That breadth is the main reason to consider it, and also the reason to think about whether you want that much in one app.

A fit for everyday spenders and frequent travelers

I'd expect this to suit people who want their daily card spending, bill splitting and savings visible in one place. The app links external bank accounts so you can keep an eye on other balances, and instant notifications flag every payment, which is useful if you like knowing immediately what left your account. If you already send money to friends or family in different currencies, the P2P transfers between Revolut users and the ability to request or send more than 25 currencies cover a lot of ground.

Travelers have a clear reason to look at it too. The developer says you can spend abroad with favorable exchange rates, though additional fees beyond the rate may apply, and there is access to more than 55,000 in-network ATMs worldwide without fees. Parents may also find the Revolut <18 account interesting, since it gives kids their own card and a way to learn about money.

Someone who only wants a basic card with a single balance might find the range of features more than they need. The app is broad by design, and its value comes from using several parts of it rather than just one.

Cards, payments and the controls around them

Revolut gives you physical cards, virtual cards and single-use virtual cards, the last of which generates fresh details each time you use them. You can pay through Google Pay or Apple Pay, and the developer notes that you can design a physical card, with fees possibly applying. The flexibility here is the point: different card types for different situations, all managed from the app.

Security controls are part of the same package. You can freeze and unfreeze your card with a tap, set spending limits, and receive notifications when something happens. The app flags high-risk transactions and alerts you, verifies your identity during sign-up, and protects the account with passcodes and biometrics. These are the kinds of features I'd want in an app that holds this much of my financial life, and they are treated as core to the product rather than add-ons.

Support is available around the clock through the app. For anyone who has ever been stuck with a card issue while traveling, that availability matters more than most feature lists.

Sending money and splitting bills

Transfers are a central part of the app. The chat feature lets you send and receive money in the same place you talk, and bill splitting is handled inside the app, with the option to share a GIF alongside the request.

That combination of messaging and payments is practical for shared dinners, trips or household costs, where you want the request and the conversation together. It also means the app can serve as a lightweight social tool for money, not just a ledger.

The trade-off is that the smoothest experience is between people who all use Revolut.

Savings, budgeting and staying on top of spending

You can reach your savings whenever you want, and the developer says there are no penalties or fees. Automatic transfers and spare-change rounding can grow a balance with little effort. That automatic approach is what makes savings stick for a lot of people, and it is one of the more straightforward parts of the app.

Budgeting tools and analytics sit alongside the spending side. Instant notifications tell you when a payment happens, and the app notifies you before upcoming payments or subscription charges, which helps avoid surprises. If you have ever wondered where your money went at the end of the month, the analytics are meant to answer that question directly.

For anyone who wants a clearer picture of their habits without a spreadsheet, this is the area where Revolut does the most work.

Stock trading inside the same app

Revolut includes stock trading, which you can start from $1, with other fees possibly applying. There are more than 2,000 stocks to choose from, covering many well-known companies, with no commission within a monthly allowance, though other fees may apply. This is a self-directed brokerage product, and the developer makes clear that capital is at risk and that investments can lose value.

Having trading in the same app as your spending and savings is convenient, but it also means the line between everyday money and invested money is thin. I'd treat this as a feature for people who already understand that distinction. The developer provides the disclosures and the framework, but the decisions remain yours.

The trading side is not the same as a dedicated brokerage, and the monthly allowance structure means frequent traders may want to look closely at how the fees apply to them.

What it costs and what the plans include

That is the straightforward part. Beyond that, the developer offers paid plans, Premium and Metal, which come with subscription fees and are described as adding exclusive cards, more benefits and additional perks. If you want those extras, the cost is a recurring one, and the terms apply.

Some features carry their own costs regardless of plan. The developer describes the exchange rates abroad as favorable, though extra fees may apply on top of the rate. Designing a physical card may also involve fees, and stock trading has its own fee structure outside the monthly allowance. None of these are hidden, but they are the kind of details worth reading before you rely on a particular feature.

For most people, the free version covers the core spending, sending and saving tools. The paid plans are for those who want the extra card designs and benefits, and the decision comes down to whether those extras are worth a monthly charge.

How it compares with other ways to manage money

A dedicated money transfer service might beat Revolut on a specific corridor, but you would still need something else for daily spending and savings.

Revolut's position is as a combination of these things, which is convenient if you value having them together. The trade-off is that you are trusting one app with a lot of your financial activity, and the breadth means some parts will be deeper than others. If you prefer separate, specialized tools for each job, that is a legitimate alternative approach.

For travelers, the combination of card payments, ATM access and currency transfers is hard to match in a single app.

A broad financial hub for people who want one app to do more

Revolut is worth considering if you want spending, transfers, savings and optional investing in one place, and you are comfortable with a free app that offers paid upgrades. The 4.5 average from millions of ratings suggests it works well for a large number of people, and the feature set covers a lot of everyday financial ground.

The paid plans and the various fees that can apply to specific features are things to weigh against the convenience.

For frequent travelers, people who split bills often, or anyone who wants budgeting and savings nudges built into the same app they pay with, this is a strong fit.

What's new in version 10.150.2

Welcome to Revolut. We’ve made some tweaks and improvements under the hood in this version to make your Revolut experience even smoother.