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

Western Union vs MoneyGram® Money Transfers App

Western Union 4.8★ · Free to download 65
Winner MoneyGram® Money Transfers App
MoneyGram® Money Transfers App 4.9★ · Free to download 70

MoneyGram has a slight edge over Western Union due to generally faster transfers and better exchange rates, despite both apps facing similar issues with account suspensions and customer service.

Full reviews: Western Union · MoneyGram® Money Transfers App

Both Western Union and MoneyGram are popular money transfer apps with high lifetime ratings, but recent reviews highlight significant frustrations with reliability, fees, and customer support for both. MoneyGram appears to offer slightly better exchange rates and faster transfers for many users, though it also has a notable problem with sudden account suspensions.

Head to head

Features & Ease of Use tieR1R4R6R8
Western Union Western Union users appreciate the app's ease of use for sending money, with many finding it quick and convenient for transactions to various countries and banks R8. However, some report difficulties with card acceptance, managing transfers, and a slow, glitchy interface R1R4R6.
MoneyGram® Money Transfers App MoneyGram users also praise its ease of use and quick transaction process . Some users desire features like saving contact data and adding memos to transfers . A significant number of users, however, report the app closing their accounts during transactions or without notice R61.
Reliability & Speed edge: MoneyGram® Money Transfers AppR4R11R23R25
Western Union Western Union users report mixed experiences with transfer speed; some describe it as quick and instant R11R23R37, while others face significant delays, transfers not completing, or issues with status updates R4R25. There are also reports of inconsistent app performance .
MoneyGram® Money Transfers App MoneyGram users frequently praise its timely and fast transfers . However, a notable number of users complain about transfers taking days to deliver, or funds being deducted but transactions later cancelled . Account suspensions are a significant reliability concern R61.
Price & Value (Fees & Exchange Rates) edge: MoneyGram® Money Transfers AppR1R9R13R14
Western Union Western Union is frequently criticized for high fees and poor exchange rates, with users feeling they are 'double-dipping' by charging both fees and unfavorable rates R1R9R13R15. Some users report promo codes reducing the exchange rate, negating the fee discount R15. Conversely, a few users find the fees affordable and exchange rates competitive R14.
MoneyGram® Money Transfers App MoneyGram users also express concerns about high costs and low exchange rates compared to other apps . One user reported hidden fees, with a 2% charge applied to the recipient that was not declared upfront . However, some users find MoneyGram's rates low and competitive, even better than Western Union .
Customer Support & Account Issues tieR2R6R7R22
Western Union Western Union users report significant issues with customer service, including unhelpful staff, inability to resolve problems, and difficulty with password recovery R2R6R22R25. Some users also report being charged for no reason or having transactions cancelled without clear explanation R7R46.
MoneyGram® Money Transfers App MoneyGram faces severe criticism for its customer service, with many users stating that support is unhelpful or unable to provide reasons for account closures . The most prominent issue is the sudden and unexplained suspension or closure of user accounts, often during or after transactions, leading to frustration and loss of access to funds R61.
Pick Western Union if

You prioritize a widely recognized brand with a long history, and you have not experienced the recent issues with app performance or customer service that some users report .

Pick MoneyGram® Money Transfers App if

You are looking for potentially better exchange rates and generally faster transfer times, and you are willing to risk the possibility of account suspension issues that some users have encountered .

Evidence note: Both apps have high lifetime ratings, but a significant portion of recent reviews for both are negative, highlighting issues with reliability, fees, and customer service. The free nature of both apps means that negative reviews are not necessarily tied to 'free-tier friction' but rather core service problems.

Frequently asked

Which app has better exchange rates and lower fees?
MoneyGram appears to offer better exchange rates and lower fees for many users, with some specifically noting it's better priced than Western Union . However, both apps receive complaints about high costs, unfavorable exchange rates, and hidden fees R9R13R15R21.
Which app is more reliable for timely money transfers?
MoneyGram is frequently praised for timely and fast transfers, with many users reporting quick delivery . Western Union has mixed reviews on speed, with some experiencing instant transfers and others significant delays R11R23R25R37.
Do either of these apps have issues with account closures or suspensions?
Yes, both apps have users reporting issues with account closures or suspensions, but MoneyGram has a more pronounced and frequent problem with accounts being closed suddenly, often during or after a transaction, and without clear reasons from customer service R61. Western Union users also report transactions being cancelled and difficulty with account access R6R22R46.

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. [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.
  2. [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
  3. [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
  4. [R8] Western Union 5/5 · US I love: I love it because they make it easy
  5. [R11] Western Union 5/5 · US Muy buena: Es muy segura y muy rápida recomendada 100 por ciento
  6. [R23] Western Union 5/5 · US Me encanta: Mi dinero al instante
  7. [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.
  8. [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
  9. [R13] Western Union 2/5 · US Servicio carísimo: Lamentablemente, mi profe de piano usa este sistema que me mata con las comisiones. Usureros.
  10. [R14] Western Union 5/5 · US Awesome: Save me a lot. The highest exchange rate among others.
  11. [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
  12. [R7] Western Union 1/5 · US Fraud: They charged me $54.60 for no reason
  13. [R22] Western Union 1/5 · US No funciona: Nunca llega el correo para recuperar contraseña
  14. [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
  15. [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.
  16. [R37] Western Union 5/5 · US Easy and Fast: Good app and service thank you
  17. [R46] Western Union 1/5 · US Bad service: Cancel all my transactions
  18. [R61] MoneyGram® Money Transfers App 1/5 · US Account suspended: They have intentionally closed my account during the transaction and asked me to visit the stores to transfer money to make users use store process.

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