By Praveen Thummaluru · Reviewed for accuracy · Updated 2026-06-28

If you send money to India from the US, UK, Australia or Canada, three names come up again and again: Remitly, Xoom (PayPal's transfer service) and Western Union. They all move dollars, pounds and Aussie dollars into rupees — but they price the same transfer differently, and the gap can be hundreds of rupees on a typical send. Here is how they actually compare, and how to tell which is cheapest for your transfer on any given day.

The only number that matters: rupees received

Every one of these services makes money two ways: a transfer fee (sometimes waived) and an exchange-rate margin — a markup added on top of the mid-market rate. A service can advertise "zero fees" and still be the most expensive, because the cost is hidden in the rate. So ignore the headline rate and the fee in isolation, and compare the single figure that lands in your recipient's account: how many rupees arrive. Our comparison tool ranks live quotes by exactly that.

Remitly

Remitly is a digital-first service built around app and web transfers to India. It typically offers two speeds:

• Economy — funded from your bank account. Cheaper, usually arriving in 1–3 business days.
• Express — funded by debit or credit card. Faster (often minutes), but it costs more.

Remitly supports bank deposit, UPI, IMPS and cash pickup in India, and it is known for aggressive first-transfer promotional rates for new customers. That promo can make your first send look unbeatable — just remember the rate usually normalises afterward, so re-compare on your second transfer.

Xoom (a PayPal service)

Xoom is PayPal's money-transfer arm, so you can fund a transfer from a bank account, debit/credit card or your PayPal balance. To India it supports bank deposit, UPI, debit-card deposit and cash pickup. Funding by card or PayPal balance is faster but usually carries a higher fee or margin than a bank-funded transfer. Because Xoom and Remitly compete head-to-head on the India corridor, they are frequently within a rupee or two of each other — which is exactly why comparing the received amount matters.

Western Union

Western Union's edge is its enormous cash-pickup network — useful when your recipient does not use a bank account or wants cash the same day. It also offers app and web transfers with bank deposit and UPI. Historically Western Union leaned on a wider exchange-rate margin, but its online rates are now competitive on many corridors, especially for bank-deposit transfers. If your recipient needs cash in hand in a smaller town, Western Union's reach is hard to beat.

How they stack up at a glance

All three add a margin and/or fee, all three are licensed and widely used, and none is reliably the cheapest — the winner rotates with promotions, the amount, and your funding method.

How to actually pick the cheapest one

1. Enter your real amount. Costs do not scale linearly — the cheapest service for ₹10,000 may not be cheapest for ₹2,00,000. Use the amount you are actually sending.
2. Compare the rupees received, not the rate or the fee alone. See exchange-rate margin vs transfer fee for why.
3. Match the speed to the need. Paying for card-funded "express" when a 1–2 day bank transfer would do is the most common way people overpay. See how long transfers take.
4. Re-check every time. Today's winner may not be next month's, especially once a first-transfer promo expires.

Compare all of them live for your corridor: USD → INR, GBP → INR, AUD → INR, CAD → INR, EUR → INR and SGD → INR. The table ranks Remitly, Xoom, Western Union and other providers by the rupees that actually arrive — updated continuously — so you can pick the best deal for the exact transfer in front of you.

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheapest to send money to India — Remitly, Xoom or Western Union?

There is no permanent winner. Each service sets its own exchange-rate margin and fee, and they run frequent promotions, so the cheapest one changes by day, by amount, and by how you pay. Always compare the amount of rupees that actually arrives — not the headline rate — right before you send.

Is Xoom cheaper than Remitly for India?

Sometimes. Xoom (a PayPal service) and Remitly are usually close, and which delivers more rupees depends on the amount, your funding method, and any first-transfer promotion. Compare both on the amount received for your exact transfer rather than assuming one is always cheaper.

How long does Remitly take to send money to India?

Remitly offers an Economy option (bank-funded, cheaper, typically 1–3 business days) and an Express option (card-funded, often within minutes to hours). Xoom and Western Union offer similar fast and economy choices.

Do Remitly, Xoom and Western Union use the real exchange rate?

Usually not. Most remittance services add a margin to the mid-market rate (the rate you see on Google) and may also charge a fixed fee. That combined cost is why two services quoting a similar rate can deliver different amounts of rupees.

Can I send to a UPI ID or bank account in India with these services?

Yes. All three support bank-account deposits to India, and several also support UPI, IMPS and cash pickup. Payout speed and cost can differ by method, so check the option you need before sending.