Bitbuy vs. Coinbase: Which crypto exchange is better?

Coinbase is one of the most recognizable names in the crypto market, with over 98 million verified users and is known for its beginner-friendly platform. Bitbuy, meanwhile, is a smaller operation with only 400,000 Canadian customers. Its focus on catering only to Canadians makes it a good option for funding your account with Canadian dollars. But with both having relatively complex fee structures, who wins out when it’s BitBuy vs Coinbase?

Round 1: Bitbuy vs. Coinbase on vital statistics

Looking at vital statistics, Coinbase stands out purely for its size and maturity. While it’s not regulated, it is one of the most popular platforms on the market and has been operating since 2012. However, it is not currently available to residents of Ontario. Although smaller in size when compared to Coinbase, BitBuy takes a compliance-focused approach to regulators. It’s not regulated, but it is FINTRAC-registered as a money services business and is federally approved as a restricted dealer for digital assets in Canada.

Both exchanges are beginner-friendly, but also have Pro versions for more experienced traders. However, Coinbase goes one step further and gives users the opportunity to earn free crypto when they complete learning modules on its platform.

Overall rating	★★★★★	★★★★★
Costs rating	★★★★★	★★★★★
Registered
Exchange location	Canada	Wilmington, Delaware (United States)
Offers a debit card
	More info	More info

Winner: Coinbase

Round 2: Supported coins

Coinbase dominates when it comes to the number of supported coins. Not only do users have access to BTC and ETH, but they can also trade in a large variety of altcoins. Bitbuy is more limited in the number of coins it supports. But if you are purely looking to trade with the most popular cryptocurrencies, then Bitbuy has you covered.

Number of tradeable crypto assets	53	288
	More info	More info

Winner: Coinbase

Round 3: Supported fiat currencies

If you are a Canadian user who is not particularly interested in using other fiat currencies, then Bitbuy keeps things streamlined by only supporting the Canadian dollar. However, if you think there is a scenario where you may want access to more than just the Canadian dollar, Coinbase has a good range of supported fiat currencies.

Number of supported fiat currencies	1	1
	More info	More info

Winner: Coinbase

Round 4: Fees

Bitbuy has fees for fiat withdrawals, as well as trading fees and crypto withdrawal fees. With Coinbase, depending on what method you use, you will be charged fees for deposits and withdrawals. Trading fees are also hard to pin down as they can vary. However, Coinbase has an advanced trading platform, Coinbase Pro, which offers lower fees and is free once you sign up.

Minimum deposits	$50 (Interac e-Transfer) or $10,000 (wire)	$0
Deposit Fees	Crypto: 0% (network fees apply) Interac e-Transfer: 0% Wire transfer: 0%	Interac e-Transfer: free Transfers from another Coinbase account: free EFT: variable
Trading Fee	Bitbuy trade: 0.5% - 1.85% spread Bitbuy Pro: 0%-0.5% maker & taker fee	Maker fee: 0% and 0.4% Taker fee: 0.05% - 0.6%
Withdrawal Fees	Crypto: varies Interac e-Transfer: 0% Bank deposit: 1.5% Wire transfer: 1.5%	Interac e-Transfer / EFT / PayPal: variable Transfers to another Coinbase account: free
Deposit methods	Cryptocurrency, Interac e-Transfer, Wire transfer	Debit card, Electronic Funds Transfer, Interac e-Transfer, PayPal
	More info	More info

Winner: Bitbuy

Round 5: Wallets

Coinbase has a versatile self-hosted wallet that supports hundreds of thousands of tokens and gives you complete control over your crypto. It allows you to store crypto and NFTs, as well as dApps. In contrast, Bitbuy’s wallet seems relatively basic. It is fairly limited in terms of features and the number of cryptocurrencies you can withdraw. But it does have insurance in place through BitGo to cover up to the full price of your assets.

Winner: Coinbase

Round 6: Security

Although smaller in size than Coinbase, Bitbuy has a serious approach when it comes to the security of client assets. It is a federally approved restricted dealer for digital assets in Canada. It also holds 95% of all its digital assets in cold storage and has a comprehensive insurance policy with BitGo. Coinbases’ size and scale mean that it regularly undertakes security audits and also has insurance in place. It has experienced hacks in the past but all affected customers were reimbursed.

Winner: Bitbuy

Round 7: Ease of Use

Coinbase is known for its beginner-friendly platform You can buy, sell or convert a large range of cryptocurrency instantly with the easy-to-use options available through the main platform. Bitbuy also has an approachable UI that is easy to navigate for both new and experienced traders.

Winner: Draw

Bitbuy vs. Coinbase Winner: Coinbase

While Bitbuy has some good features and advantages by being solely focused on Canadians, Coinbase’s size and experience win out overall. The whole investor journey on Coinbase is slick and easy to navigate, plus you get the added bonus of earning free crypto for completing educational courses. Its fees can be confusing, but overall, Coinbase is a versatile and well-established crypto exchange which is suited to most crypto investors.

Written by

Kate Steere

Editor

Kate Steere is an editor at Finder, specialising in fintech, banking and cryptocurrency. She has previously written for The Motley Fool UK and Fitch Solutions, where she covered a wide range of personal finance topics and kept a close eye on market trends. Kate has a Bachelor of Arts in Modern History from the University of East Anglia. When not working, she can usually be found curled up with a good book or heading out for a run. See full bio

Kate's expertise

Kate has written 10 Finder guides across topics including:

• Fintech
• Banking
• Cryptocurrency
• Mortgages
• Payments