M-PESA vs Alipay

M-PESA9.3Visit Alipay8.8Visit

Higher score M-PESA #1 in Digital Wallet Apps 9.3/10 Paid ✓ 0 of 3 features Visit M-PESA

vs

Alipay #5 in Digital Wallet Apps 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Alipay

• M-PESA fits best

  Mobile money with cash access

• Alipay fits best

  Broad everyday payments and transfers

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Side by side

Feature	M-PESA 9.3/10 Visit ↗	Alipay 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	8.8
Ranking	#1 in Digital Wallet Apps	#5 in Digital Wallet Apps
Best for	Mobile money with cash access	Broad everyday payments and transfers
Pricing model	Paid	Free
Starting price	Not checked yet	Free plan
Free plan	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Mobile	Mobile
Platforms	iOS, Android	iOS, Android
Support	Email, Docs	Email, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo
Features M-PESA 0/3 · Alipay 2/3
Virtual cards	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Peer transfers	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
International transfers	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
Asset scope	Not checked yet	Cards_and_fiat
Supported platforms	Not checked yet	iOS, Android
Transaction limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Cash deposits and withdrawals through agents and selected ATMs Supports bills, merchants, airtime, data and peer transfers Adds scheduled payments and international remittances	Covers QR, in-person, online and peer-to-peer payments Combines bills, phone top-ups, shopping and travel services Supports iOS and Android with international-transfer features
Cons	Availability is tied to Safaricom subscribers in supported markets Transfer fees vary by transaction band and service Not a standalone subscription product	Availability and functionality vary by country and account type Travel payments for Chinese users require a Chinese ID and bank account Visitors' linked cards work with participating merchants
Our verdict	M-PESA is Safaricom’s mobile money platform for sending and receiving money, paying bills and merchants, buying airtime and data, depositing cash, and withdrawing funds. It is designed for Safaricom subscribers in supported markets who… Read the review →	Alipay is a free mobile wallet and digital-services app focused on consumers in China. It brings together QR and in-person merchant payments, online payments, peer money transfers, bill payments, mobile phone top-ups, shopping, travel… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• M-PESA — where it wins

  • Cash deposits and withdrawals through agents and selected ATMs
  • Supports bills, merchants, airtime, data and peer transfers
  • Adds scheduled payments and international remittances

  Where it doesn't

  • Availability is tied to Safaricom subscribers in supported markets
  • Transfer fees vary by transaction band and service
  • Not a standalone subscription product

• Alipay — where it wins

  • Covers QR, in-person, online and peer-to-peer payments
  • Combines bills, phone top-ups, shopping and travel services
  • Supports iOS and Android with international-transfer features

  Where it doesn't

  • Availability and functionality vary by country and account type
  • Travel payments for Chinese users require a Chinese ID and bank account
  • Visitors' linked cards work with participating merchants

• M-PESA9.3/10 · Paid

  A broad mobile-money wallet with cash access, bill pay, remittances and scheduled payments.

  Visit M-PESAFull verdict →
• Alipay8.8/10 · Free plan

  A broad mobile wallet for everyday payments, transfers, bills, travel and shopping.

  Visit AlipayFull verdict →