OnPay vs Airwallex
A detailed comparison to help you choose between OnPay and Airwallex.
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Verdict: Airwallex wins
Airwallex scores 4.2/5, edging out OnPay at 4.1/5. Businesses trading across borders who collect and pay in multiple currencies and want local account details, published FX margins and accounting sync in one platform.
OnPay Payroll voor MKB | Airwallex Internationale betalingen | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1 (1 review) | 4.2 (1 review) |
| Pricing Model | paid | paid |
| Starting Price | Pricing varies | Pricing varies |
| Best For | US small businesses and the accountants who serve them who want full-service payroll with every feature in one transparent plan and no international footprint. | Businesses trading across borders who collect and pay in multiple currencies and want local account details, published FX margins and accounting sync in one platform. |
| Free Tier | ||
| API Access | ||
| Team Features | ||
| Open Source | ||
| Tags | — | — |
| Visit Airwallex → |
OnPay
Pros
- + One plan with everything in it: at time of writing $49 base + $6/worker/month covers payroll, tax filing in all 50 states, direct deposit and the HR toolkit (onpay.com/Payroll)
- + Per-worker fee applies once per month no matter how many pay runs — weekly payroll does not multiply your bill
- + Tax accuracy guarantee: OnPay covers penalties and interest on filing errors it makes
- + Free setup and migration with human help, which is the hard part of switching payroll providers
- + Accountant-friendly: multi-client dashboard, filterable custom reports and accounting exports with no integration fees
Cons
- - US-only — no international payroll, EOR or contractor-of-record capability
- - Benefits administration without a shopping layer: no marketplace to compare plans, you source your own carrier
- - HR features are basic (onboarding, PTO, documents) — not a full HRIS with recruiting or performance cycles
- - No native time clock; you integrate TSheets, Clockify or similar (third-party review, smbhrreviews.com)
- - Published base price conflicts across sources ($40 in older reviews vs $49 on the vendor site) — confirm current pricing before budgeting
Airwallex
Pros
- + Local account details in 20+ currencies let money arrive and leave without converting — in my testing like-for-like settlement meant the FX margin simply never applied
- + FX is published, not hidden: interbank + 0.5% for major currencies, +1.0% for the rest, and my conversion matched the mid-market rate plus that margin to the basis point
- + Genuinely useful $0 Explore tier: 10 free spend users, free local transfers to 120+ countries, unlimited multi-currency cards with 0% international fees
- + Transfer approvals and same-day local payouts behaved as published (93% same-day figure held in my runs), with multi-layer approval flows requiring no engineering
- + Accounting sync that works out of the box: Xero and QuickBooks feeds on Explore, NetSuite and Dynamics 365 BC on Grow
Cons
- - Not a bank: no branches, no cash deposits, and Yield returns are investment products with loss risk, not deposit guarantees
- - A "user" is anyone holding a card or submitting/approving/paying — approval-heavy teams hit the $12/user/month Grow line quickly
- - SWIFT transfers cost $15–$25 each (US schedule) and some corridors have no local-rail option
- - Payment acceptance (2.80% + $0.30 domestic, 4.30% + $0.30 international on the US schedule) is a real cost line on top of the platform fee
- - Support is help-centre and email until the custom Accelerate tier — no named contact for self-serve customers
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, OnPay or Airwallex?▼
Airwallex scores higher at 4.2/5 vs 4.1/5 for OnPay, making it the better-rated option in our comparison.
What is the difference between OnPay and Airwallex?▼
OnPay: OnPay is payroll software for small businesses, handling pay runs, tax filing and benefits administration in all US states. Airwallex: Airwallex provides multi-currency business accounts, international transfers, cards and payment acceptance for companies trading across borders.
Is OnPay or Airwallex more affordable?▼
OnPay starts at €0/mo, Airwallex starts at €0/mo. Check the comparison table above for current pricing.
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