The short answer
Airwallex gives local account details in 20+ currencies, with cards, expense management, bill pay and accounting integrations on one platform. It's a strong choice if your company is registered in one of its 69 eligible countries and works in fiat.
Companies look for an alternative when they're registered outside that list, when the monthly plan and FX markup cost more than the features are worth to them, or when they're paid in stablecoins, which Airwallex can't yet receive. Wise Business, Revolut Business, Payoneer, Mercury and Align each fix one of those. Align gives named USD, EUR, GBP and AED accounts in your company's name and holds your balance in USDC or USDT. Its AED accounts are for companies outside the UAE.
Why businesses look for an Airwallex alternative
As of October 2026, Airwallex's help center and UK fee schedule list:
| Airwallex | As of October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Who can open | Businesses registered in 69 listed countries and territories |
| Account details | Global Accounts in 20+ currencies |
| UK plans | Explore £19 a month (£0 if you deposit or hold £10,000 a month), Grow £49, Accelerate on request |
| FX | 0.50% markup on major currencies, 1.00% on others |
| Receiving | 15 USD per incoming Fedwire; 0.60% on KRW, VND, BRL and MYR; free in other currencies |
| Stablecoins | USDC payouts on Ethereum, in early access; no documented receiving |
Where your company is registered. Airwallex decides eligibility by the country your business is registered in. Its list covers the UK, the US, the EU, Canada, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and much of Southeast Asia, plus India, Brazil and Mexico. It doesn't include Pakistan, Nigeria, the UAE, Türkiye, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Kenya, Argentina, Colombia or South Africa.
What it costs to run. If you don't deposit or hold £10,000 a month, the UK Explore plan costs £19 a month. Every conversion carries a markup over the market rate. For a company that mostly receives USD by wire and converts it, the 15 USD per Fedwire and the FX markup are the costs to compare.
Stablecoins. Airwallex's documented stablecoin feature is USDC payouts on Ethereum, switched on by an account manager. In August 2026 it said it was "working to add stablecoin support for customers in the markets where regulators allow it". Until then, a company paid in USDT or USDC can't receive that money into Airwallex. Our Align vs Airwallex comparison covers this in detail.
Five alternatives compared
As of October 2026, from each provider's own pages:
| Alternative | Who can open | Account details | Published pricing | Stablecoins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wise Business | Sole traders, freelancers and companies; 21 countries not supported | 22 currencies; hold 40+ | UK: one-time 50 GBP; 6.11 USD per USD wire received; no monthly fee | Businesses that exchange or trade crypto aren't supported |
| Revolut Business | Companies registered in the UK, the EEA, Switzerland, the US, Australia or Singapore | 25+ currencies; local GBP, EUR and USD details depending on where you're registered | UK plans from £10 a month | Buy, sell and hold crypto; its help center conflicts on sending and receiving |
| Payoneer | Freelancers and businesses in 190+ countries and territories | Receiving details in 13 currencies, including USD, EUR, GBP and AED | Free to receive in your local currency; 1% in other currencies | USDC and USDT wallet powered by Bridge, rolling out in phases |
| Mercury | Companies formed in the US or a US territory | US accounts in USD | $0 a month plan; free USD ACH and wires | Fiat only |
| Align | Registered companies, after a KYB review; not companies based in the UAE | Named USD, EUR, GBP and AED accounts (AED for companies outside the UAE) | Quoted on request | Balances held as USDC or USDT; receives USDC, USDT and EURC |
Wise Business has no monthly fee and publishes its fees, which suits a small company that sends and receives occasionally. It doesn't issue USD account details for addresses in several countries Airwallex also leaves out, and it doesn't serve businesses that trade crypto. See Align vs Wise Business.
Revolut Business is the closest like-for-like swap for a UK or European company: cards, spend tools, accounting integrations and monthly plans from £10. It serves fewer countries than Airwallex. See Align vs Revolut Business.
Payoneer covers 190+ countries and territories and serves freelancers and marketplace sellers. Its receiving accounts only accept payments from business accounts, and you can't send from them. See Payoneer alternatives.
Mercury suits a company already formed in the US, including one whose founders live abroad. A company registered elsewhere can't open an account. See Align vs Mercury.
Align holds your balance in USDC or USDT behind named USD, EUR, GBP and AED accounts, and accepts USDT on Tron, the network that carries about half of all USDT.
Which one to choose
| Your situation | Look at |
|---|---|
| UK or European company that wants cards and a monthly plan | Revolut Business |
| Small company that wants no monthly fee and published per-payment pricing | Wise Business |
| Freelancer or marketplace seller, or registered outside most providers' lists | Payoneer |
| Company already formed in the US | Mercury |
| Paid in USDT or USDC, or need named GBP or AED accounts alongside USD and EUR | Align |
If you're registered in one of Airwallex's countries and need many currencies and integrations, Airwallex may still be the best fit.
Where Align fits
Align is a business account built on stablecoins, for registered companies that get paid and pay across borders:
- Named accounts. A USD account for ACH, Fedwire and SWIFT, with USD SWIFT reaching more than 180 countries; a EUR IBAN for SEPA and SEPA Instant; a GBP account for Faster Payments; and an AED account for IPP and UAEFTS, for companies outside the UAE. Each is in your company's name.
- One balance in stablecoins. Money you receive lands as USDC or USDT. You pay out in USD, EUR, GBP or AED, converted as part of the payment, or send USDC and USDT to wallets.
- Onboarding. You upload documents in 5 to 10 minutes, and Align's compliance team reviews them in 1 to 5 business days. ACH and wire access is requested separately, and Align's US banking partner runs its own review, which can decline or set limits.
It isn't a fit if you need cards, accounting sync, more than four fiat currencies, or published pricing. Align quotes pricing on request: contact us.
Align Payments Ltd. is registered with FINTRAC in Canada as a money services business (registration no. N300000203), and regulated services are provided through licensed financial institutions. Align isn't a bank and doesn't issue stablecoins. It doesn't onboard companies based in the UAE or in the 19 jurisdictions on its prohibited list.
Sources
- Airwallex, Eligible countries and territories and UK fee schedule (effective 17 October 2026; accessed 29 October 2026)
- Airwallex, Global Account currencies, Stablecoin wallet payouts and Acceptable use policy (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Airwallex, Why Airwallex customers didn't need stablecoins, and why we're building for them now (August 2026)
- Wise, Business pricing and coverage (UK), Can I get USD account details?, Which countries can I use Wise in? and Understanding Wise's position on cryptocurrency (accessed 29 October 2026)
- Revolut, Business account plans (UK) and Eligible countries and territories (accessed 23 October 2026)
- Payoneer, Pricing, Receiving accounts - FAQ and Stablecoin payments (accessed 23 October 2026)
- Mercury, Pricing and Eligibility and requirements (accessed 23 October 2026)
- DefiLlama, Tether (21 October 2026)
- Align docs, Countries and currencies, Blockchains and stablecoins and Prohibited countries (accessed 29 October 2026)
Common questions
- Which countries can't open an Airwallex account?
- Airwallex opens accounts for businesses registered in the 69 countries and territories on its list. As of October 2026, the list includes the UK, the US, the EU, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brazil and Mexico, but not Pakistan, Nigeria, the UAE, Türkiye, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Kenya, Argentina, Colombia or South Africa.
- What's the best Airwallex alternative for a company outside its eligible countries?
- Payoneer covers 190+ countries and territories and serves freelancers too. Wise Business supports most countries but doesn't issue USD account details for addresses in several that Airwallex also leaves out, including Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Türkiye and the UAE. None of those countries is on Align's prohibited list, but Align doesn't onboard companies based in the UAE, and every company goes through a KYB review.
- Does Airwallex support stablecoins?
- Partly. As of October 2026, Airwallex's docs describe USDC payouts on Ethereum, in early access and through the API only, and no way to receive stablecoins or hold a stablecoin balance. Its acceptable use policy lists activities involving cryptocurrencies and stablecoins as restricted, needing its approval. Align holds your balance in stablecoins, in USDC or USDT.
- How much does Airwallex cost compared with the alternatives?
- On Airwallex's UK fee schedule, effective 17 October 2026, the Explore plan is £19 a month, or £0 if you deposit or hold at least £10,000 a month, and Grow is £49. FX carries a 0.50% markup on major currencies and 1.00% on others, and each incoming Fedwire costs 15 USD. Wise Business has no monthly fee, Revolut Business starts at £10 a month in the UK, and Mercury lists a free plan. Align quotes pricing on request.
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and providers' terms change; check the sources linked above and take advice on your own situation.