Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Western Union vs Remitly

Western Union 4.8★ · Free to download 60
Winner Remitly
Remitly 4.9★ · Free to download 85

Remitly generally offers a more reliable and faster transfer experience with better exchange rates and lower fees compared to Western Union, despite both apps facing occasional issues with delays and customer service.

Full reviews: Western Union · Remitly

Remitly is praised for its speed, ease of use, and competitive rates, making it a strong choice for international money transfers. Western Union, while also offering convenience, frequently draws criticism for high fees, poor exchange rates, and app glitches.

Head to head

Features edge: RemitlyR4R11R39R43
Western Union Western Union users appreciate the convenience of sending money from their phone and the security of transfers R11R39R43. However, some report issues with editing or canceling transfers, and the app's status updates can be unreliable R4.
Remitly Remitly users value the multiple fast and economical sending options available . The app is also praised for being easy to navigate and providing updates throughout the transfer process .
Ease of Use edge: RemitlyR1R3R6R8
Western Union Many Western Union users find the app easy and convenient for sending money R8. However, others describe it as difficult to manage, slow, glitchy, and frustrating, especially with card acceptance and password resets R1R3R6.
Remitly Remitly is widely praised for being very easy to use, fast, and convenient . Some users, however, find the document verification process overly demanding or experience incorrect error messages .
Reliability tieR4R11R16R23
Western Union Western Union's reliability is inconsistent; some users report quick and secure transfers R11R23R37, while many others experience delayed transfers, unsuccessful transactions, and issues with the app freezing or requiring constant updates R4R16R25.
Remitly Remitly is often described as reliable, fast, and secure . However, a significant number of users report transfers getting stuck in processing for days or weeks, especially for larger amounts, and accounts being blocked without clear reasons .
Price/Value edge: RemitlyR1R7R9R13
Western Union Western Union users frequently complain about high fees and poor exchange rates, noting that the company often takes money through both transaction fees and unfavorable exchange rates R1R7R9R13. Some users, however, find the fees affordable and exchange rates competitive .
Remitly Remitly is praised for being cheaper than alternatives, having competitive exchange rates, and offering low commissions . There are some requests for lower interest rates on transfers .
Support tieR2R6R22R25
Western Union Western Union's customer service receives significant criticism for being unresponsive, unhelpful, and sometimes even dishonest R2R25R42. Users report difficulties with password recovery and resolving transfer issues R6R22R25.
Remitly Remitly's customer service is a major point of contention, with many users reporting extremely poor experiences, including unhelpful responses, conversations being shut down, and funds being held for extended periods without clear answers R67. Some users, however, have positive experiences with support, including successful cancellations .
Pick Western Union if

you prioritize a long-established brand with a wide network and occasionally find their app easy for simple, direct transfers R8.

Pick Remitly if

you are looking for generally lower fees, better exchange rates, and a user-friendly app that often provides fast and reliable transfers for international remittances .

Evidence note: Both apps have a mix of positive and negative reviews, with recent negative reviews for both focusing on transfer delays and customer service issues. Remitly has a higher volume of reviews and a slightly higher lifetime rating, suggesting a broader base of satisfied users despite the reported problems.

Frequently asked

Which app offers better exchange rates?
Remitly generally offers better exchange rates and lower commissions compared to Western Union, with users frequently praising its competitive rates . Western Union users often complain about unfavorable exchange rates and hidden costs R9R15R21R34.
Are transfers faster with Western Union or Remitly?
Remitly is frequently praised for its fast and instant transfers, with many users reporting money arriving quickly . Western Union transfers can also be fast R23R37R43, but many users experience significant delays, sometimes for days or weeks R25.
Which app has better customer service?
Both apps receive significant criticism for their customer service, making it difficult to definitively say one is better. Western Union users report unresponsive and unhelpful staff R2R42R48, while Remitly users frequently describe poor customer service, including conversations being cut off and funds held without clear answers R67.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R4] Western Union 1/5 · US The app is trash: I cannot cancel a edit the transfer or edit the receiver name anymore, even the receipt says the money is ready to pick up, on the app it shows the transfer status it’s not ready or completed The app is trash now, I don’t what changed
  2. [R11] Western Union 5/5 · US Muy buena: Es muy segura y muy rápida recomendada 100 por ciento
  3. [R39] Western Union 5/5 · US Best of the best!: Easy and secure way to take care of what I really care!
  4. [R43] Western Union 5/5 · US Safe and secure: Been using WU for a while now and super happy with the speed of transfer. They communicate timely. They are trustworthy and keep me at peace when transmitting money regardless of the amount. thank you!
  5. [R1] Western Union 1/5 · US Frustrating: Cannot get it to accept my debit card so charged way more fees. Looking for new way to send money.
  6. [R3] Western Union 3/5 · US Unresponsive: It seems like you may be experiencing some difficulty on the chrome browser. I got tired of waiting so I went to my app to complete the transaction
  7. [R6] Western Union 3/5 · US Not easy: I dropped my phone. It broke. I’m in a foreign country. I’m transitioning from Android to iOS. I forgot my passwords. If you can’t get your bank account, they can’t help you. Everything else you can reset your password word. Not here. Make sure you have what you need if everything goes bad. Now it dropped my card that has been used several times. I had to resubmit my card twice. It to
  8. [R8] Western Union 5/5 · US I love: I love it because they make it easy
  9. [R16] Western Union 1/5 · US Garbage: Doesn’t work. Another day, another unnecessary update. Complete piece of garbage that needs to be updated over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over every single day and every single
  10. [R23] Western Union 5/5 · US Me encanta: Mi dinero al instante
  11. [R7] Western Union 1/5 · US Fraud: They charged me $54.60 for no reason
  12. [R9] Western Union 3/5 · US Rates: Exchange rate is incorrect! So makes money of the exchange rate and transaction fees. Been using this service for over 7 years
  13. [R13] Western Union 2/5 · US Servicio carísimo: Lamentablemente, mi profe de piano usa este sistema que me mata con las comisiones. Usureros.
  14. [R2] Western Union 4/5 · US Visa: CAN YOU GET VISA TO STOP SECURITY CHECK WITH A CODE?! Visa WONT SEND OT TO MOBILE AND WHEN BISA SENDS TO EMAIL IT GOES TO JUNK MAIL. I CALLED MY BANK COMPLAINING TO THEM BUT THE PROBLEM WAS VISA
  15. [R22] Western Union 1/5 · US No funciona: Nunca llega el correo para recuperar contraseña
  16. [R25] Western Union 1/5 · US No resuelven rápido: Tuve una experiencia muy poco agradable realicé un envío el viernes y no se ha completado no me pueden decir cuál es el motivo por el cual la persona a la que envío no puede recibir el dinero esto es por tarjeta bancaria. Deberían solucionar más rápido. A veces los envíos son urgentes y las personas necesitamos el dinero rápido. Muy insatisfecha con el servició.
  17. [R15] Western Union 3/5 · US Beware of the "discount" promo code trick!: I noticed something shady while sending money. When I applied their promo code to waive the $1.99 transfer fee, the app quietly dropped the exchange rate from 94.0515 INR to 93.2008 INR per USD. My family would have received 255 INR less, which is actually more than the $1.99 fee I "saved." So the promo code is not actually a discount. They simply shift
  18. [R21] Western Union 3/5 · US Don’t Send Money to Japan: Do not send money to Japan via WesternUnion. They will rip you off on a incredibly horrible exchange rate. I thought I was paying about a $12 fee but I lost another $300 in the terrible exchange rate they gave me.
  19. [R34] Western Union 1/5 · US Rate: Your Phillipine peso to dollar rate is P2.00 pesos lower than the real western union
  20. [R37] Western Union 5/5 · US Easy and Fast: Good app and service thank you
  21. [R42] Western Union 1/5 · US The staff are hard to work with. I can’t send money.: I can’t send money and the staff have lied to me when I call to ask why things are not going through. The tech and it help are clueless. That company may be good. Until you have a problem that needs to be fixed. Then you are going to have to endure rude and at times , staff that lies.
  22. [R48] Western Union 1/5 · US Poor customer service: Poo
  23. [R67] Remitly 1/5 · US Extremely disappointed with Remitly’s customer service.: I’ve been a legitimate customer using Remitly for 2 years to send money to people I’ve personally met while traveling internationally. Out of nowhere, my account was suspended pending additional review. I fully cooperated and provided every piece of information they requested. What was most disappointing wasn’t the review itself, it was ho

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store