Comparison

CurrencyWise vs Rates

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

CurrencyWise

This app is a versatile unit converter that combines currency exchange rates for 158 global currencies with general unit conversions. It features a modern, minimalist design with customizable options, ideal for travelers, shoppers, and students abroad.

Highlights
  • 158 currency exchange rates
  • Unit conversion tool
  • Modern, minimalist design
  • Customizable homepage
  • Clear exchange rate trends
Features
Read full description

The new version of CurrencyWise, a unit converter tool, combines exchange rate calculation and unit conversion, making it a simple and versatile tool: Exchange Rate Calculator: Easily convert 158 legal currencies around the world. The exchange rate trends are clear and easy to understand, making it an essential tool for overseas travel, overseas shopping, studying abroad, and investment management; More youthful design: The new version of the interface design is more in line with the preferences of young people, with more illustrations and interactions applied in navigation pages, process pages, and account settings, and supports customization of service homepages; Minimalist experience: Continues to uphold a unique minimalist style, with both appearance and experience ahead of similar products.

About

Rates

Instantly convert currencies, stocks, crypto, and precious metals with live market data. Offers price alerts, camera-based price scanning, and offline access. Includes a built-in calculator and customizable widgets for quick access.

Highlights
  • 140+ live currency exchange rates
  • Price alerts for currencies, stocks, and crypto
  • Camera-based price scanning
  • Offline access to last cached rates
  • Interactive charts and sparklines
  • Control Center and Siri integration
  • Home and Lock Screen widgets
Features
Read full description

Rates turns live market data into one fast, glanceable list — 140+ currencies, stocks, ETFs, crypto, gold and silver. Enter an amount, tap any row to type in that currency, and every other row updates instantly. NEW • Price alerts for currencies, stocks and crypto — "tell me when USD/EUR drops below 0.85" or "when BTC tops 100,000". Rates checks every hour in the background and lets you know • Price scanner — point the camera at a price tag, and Rates reads the price and converts it into your currencies • Apple Watch — your list on your wrist, a Digital Crown converter, complications and a chart widget • Travel mode — land in another country and Rates offers its currency: one tap adds it, ready to type • 8 Premium app icons for your Home Screen • Now in 50 languages EVERYWHERE ON YOUR IPHONE • Control Center button — convert from anywhere, even on a locked iPhone • Ask Siri for any rate, or build one into your own Shortcuts • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets • Also on Mac, with live rates in the menu bar — one purchase covers both FEATURES • 140+ live currency exchange rates • Interactive charts and sparklines for every currency and ticker • Pick your main currency — it leads the list and prices everything else • Browse stocks, ETFs, crypto and metals by category • Works offline — your last rates are always cached • Built-in calculator — type 100+50 or 200*1.5 • Drag to reorder, swipe to delete • Dark, Light and System themes PREMIUM The free list holds 2 rows. Premium removes the limit and adds the full chart history from 1 day to 1 year, price alerts for currencies, stocks and crypto, and every app icon. Monthly, or pay once for life. All your rates, one tap away. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

CurrencyWise4 screens
Rates4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CurrencyWise at none against Rates's 3. CurrencyWise also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 17.0). Rates's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 11 months). On price and review sentiment there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Rates sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. CurrencyWise asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CurrencyWise ships an update every 11 months, Rates weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
CurrencyWise versus Rates: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCurrencyWiseRates
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.3 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 monthsWeekly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS9.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB53 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBeyond TradingSerhii Surzhykov

Customer experience

CurrencyWise

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Rates

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

CurrencyWise

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Rates

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Lifetime$24.99

Questions

Is CurrencyWise free?
CurrencyWise is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Rates free?
Rates is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do CurrencyWise or Rates have ads?
CurrencyWise shows ads; Rates does not.
Which is updated more often, CurrencyWise or Rates?
CurrencyWise ships an update every 11 months, and Rates weekly. Most recently, CurrencyWise was updated on November 3, 2026 and Rates on November 11, 2026.

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