Disclaimer: This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of cryptocurrency or any specific
provider, service or offering. It is not a recommendation to trade.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Disclaimer:
This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of cryptocurrency or any specific provider,
service or offering. It is not a recommendation to trade. Cryptocurrencies are speculative, complex and
involve significant risks – they are highly volatile and sensitive to secondary activity. Performance
is unpredictable and past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Consider your own
circumstances, and obtain your own advice, before relying on this information. You should also verify
the nature of any product or service (including its legal status and relevant regulatory requirements)
and consult the relevant Regulators' websites before making any decision. Finder, or the author, may
have holdings in the cryptocurrencies discussed.
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.
Canadian cryptocurrency exchange NDAX allows you to trade Bitcoin, Ethereum and other major digital currencies with Canadian dollars. Find out more about the platform’s fees and features in this comprehensive review.
Your guide to Canadian-based bitcoin buying service MyBTC.ca, including its fees and features and any other pros and cons new users should be aware of.
With head offices in New York, Gemini is a regulated digital currency exchange offering trading and storage services for your Bitcoin and Ethereum tokens.
Changelly is a popular crypto-to-crypto exchange service that offers access to over 35 cryptocurrencies.
Feedback
How likely would you be to recommend finder to a friend or colleague?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very UnlikelyExtremely Likely
Required
Thank you for your feedback.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
Advertiser Disclosure
finder.com is an independent comparison platform and information service that aims to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions. While we are independent, the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which finder.com receives compensation. We may receive compensation from our partners for placement of their products or services. We may also receive compensation if you click on certain links posted on our site. While compensation arrangements may affect the order, position or placement of product information, it doesn't influence our assessment of those products. Please don't interpret the order in which products appear on our Site as any endorsement or recommendation from us. finder.com compares a wide range of products, providers and services but we don't provide information on all available products, providers or services. Please appreciate that there may be other options available to you than the products, providers or services covered by our service.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
