Free online currency converter — 60 currencies

An exchange rate expresses the value of one currency against another and keeps moving under the effect of markets, central banks and international trade. The currency converter from Volade displays interbank rates in real time, caches them for offline use and runs every calculation in your browser, with no account and no request to our servers.

What is an exchange rate?

An exchange rate is the price of one currency expressed in another. On the foreign exchange market, it is continuously set by supply and demand: when a country exports more, its currency generally appreciates, and vice versa. Most major currencies float freely, known as floating rates, while others are pegged to a reference currency, such as the Saudi riyal or the UAE dirham against the US dollar.

What factors move currencies?

Four main drivers: interest rates set by central banks, which attract or repel capital, inflation that erodes a currency's value, the trade balance and economic growth, and geopolitical tensions that drive investors toward safe havens such as the Swiss franc or gold. A single event can move a pair by several percent in a few hours.

Why does your bank's rate differ?

Because a margin is added. Banks, exchange bureaus and credit cards generally apply 1 to 3 % above the interbank rate, sometimes more at ATMs abroad. On €1,000 exchanged, that easily amounts to €20 to €30 in hidden fees. This tool shows the interbank rate, the market benchmark, so you can measure exactly what each conversion costs you.

Why do some currencies have different decimals?

The euro and the dollar are divided into 100 cents, but this rule is not universal: the Japanese yen and the South Korean won have no decimals at all, while the Kuwaiti dinar, the Bahraini dinar and the Omani rial use three. The tool automatically applies the right number of decimals for each currency, so your conversions stay readable and true to local conventions.

What habits should you adopt before a trip?

Check the rate a few days before you leave, watch the pair if the amount is significant, and avoid the conversion offered at the ATM or checkout, which almost always hides a margin. Pay in the local currency whenever possible: the conversion applied by your bank is often cheaper than the merchant's. Keep this converter within reach to compare prices abroad in a single second.

What happens to rates offline?

After your first visit, the latest rates are stored in your browser's localStorage. With no connection, the tool reuses them and displays their date, so you always know how recent your figures are, handy on a plane, in a dead zone or abroad without a data plan. To complete your travel calculations, the unit converter converts 42 unit categories and the time zone converter keeps your flight schedules in sync.