What People Love About Xe
Before we get into where Start Page HQ goes further, credit where it's due.
- A trusted currency brand since the 1990s with deep institutional and consumer-grade rate data.
- A fully featured money-transfer service with regulated payment licences in many jurisdictions.
- Charts, alerts, and historical rate data going back decades, useful for invoicing and travel planning.
- Free conversion on the web and mobile, with a polished iOS and Android app.
- A travel-money expense tracker for trips and business reimbursements.
Where Start Page HQ Goes Further
Specific differences, not vague claims.
Lives on Every New Tab
Xe is a separate site you open and search in. Start Page HQ ships a Currency Converter widget that's already there every time you open a new tab — pinned to the currencies you actually use.
No Ads, Ever
Xe.com runs display ads around the converter and rate tables. Start Page HQ is paid software — the Currency Converter widget shows rates, nothing else.
Multiple Currency Pairs at a Glance
Track USD/EUR, USD/JPY, EUR/GBP, and your travel pair in parallel. No drop-down switching, no scrolling.
Sits Alongside 50+ Other Widgets
Pair the Currency Converter with Calendar, World Clock, News, Stripe Sales, and 45+ more on the same dashboard. The morning check-in for anyone with money in more than one country.
Multi-Page Dashboards
Build a "Finance" page with Currency Converter, Stocks, and News. Build a separate "Personal" page with weather, todos, and notes. Switch between them with a click.
Cross-Device Sync Built In
Pinned currency pairs and dashboard layout sync across every browser and device automatically.
Side-by-Side Comparison
An honest line-by-line look at how the two stack up.
| Feature | Xe | Start Page HQ |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free, ad-supported | $25/yr or $49 lifetime |
| Free tier | Yes, full converter | Free demo only |
| Live exchange rates | Yes | Yes |
| Currency conversion calculator | Yes | Yes |
| Historical rate charts | Yes | No |
| Rate alerts | Yes | No |
| Money transfer service | Yes | No |
| Travel expense tracker | Yes | No |
| No ads | No | Yes |
| Lives on every new tab | No | Yes |
| Multiple currency pairs on one screen | Limited | Yes |
| Chrome / Firefox / Safari / Edge | Web only | Yes |
| Native browser extensions | No | Yes |
| Cross-device sync | With account | Included |
| Multi-page dashboards | No | Yes |
| Other widgets (calendar, clock, news) | No | Yes |
Widgets That Replace Xe
Drop these onto your dashboard and you've covered Xe's core features — plus a lot more.
Frequently Asked Questions
For everyday "what is this in my currency" decisions, yes — the widget pulls daily reference rates that are accurate enough for travel, online shopping, and invoicing. For real foreign-exchange transactions or live FX trading, Xe (or your bank) remains the authoritative source.
No. The Currency Converter widget focuses on current rates and conversion. For historical analysis or rate alerts on specific moves, keep Xe in the toolbox.
No. Start Page HQ is a dashboard tool, not a regulated money-transfer service. For international transfers, use Xe Money or Wise.
As many as you like — drop multiple Currency Converter widgets onto a page, each pinned to a different pair. All visible at once.
There is a free public demo at startpagehq.com/demo where you can try the Currency Converter and every other widget without signing up. Full access requires a paid plan: $25/year or $49 one-time. Both plans include all 50+ widgets, cross-device sync, and AI credits.
Yes. Start Page HQ has native extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, plus a hosted web app at startpagehq.com that works in any modern browser.