Which Is Better? (Fees & Wallets)

You’re standing at the Crypto.com vs. Coinbase crossroads—which crypto app will take you on the path to success?

Just like how a reliable compass can help you navigate uncharted territory, a top-notch crypto app can keep you on track toward your financial goals. Choose the wrong one and you’ll lose your sense of direction (and some money along the way). 

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Crypto.com vs. Coinbase 

Crypto.com

Crypto.com is a leading cryptocurrency exchange that allows users to buy and sell over 250 cryptocurrencies, more than 20 fiat currencies, and a range of NFTs. 

The crypto platform is used by over 80 million users and experienced a 39% increase in global crypto owners in 2022.  The exchange comes with a crypto wallet where you can manage more than a thousand tokens across 30 different blockchains. 

You also get a pat on the back for your efforts, as you can earn up to $2,000 for inviting a friend. And if you apply for a Crypto.com Visa Card, you’ll get 5% back on spending (paid in Cronos). 

Pros

Cons

Coinbase

Coinbase is one of the top cryptocurrency exchanges in the US, giving you access to over 170 cryptocurrencies and more than 500 crypto-to-crypto trading pairs. 

The platform is great for beginners and has an “Earn to Learn” feature where you can earn a few dollars worth of crypto by watching their video classes and learning the ins and outs of trading. 

Advanced users can also benefit from Coinbase’s charting functions and wallet, which support thousands of tokens and let you store all your crypto and NFTs in one place. 

Pros

Cons

Fees

Fees are always something to keep an eye on when comparing crypto exchanges. After all, the aim is to make money, not lose half of it to pesky hidden charges.

Both Coinbase and Crypto.com use the maker-taker fee model for trading fees. It’s pretty common across exchanges—makers create the market and add liquidity, while takers take orders and remove liquidity. 

In simple terms, maker and taker fees are types of transaction fees that cryptocurrency exchanges charge for executing trades. 

We’ll let the numbers speak for themselves—

• Crypto.com maker fees: Up to 0.075%
• Crypto.com taker fees: 0.05%–0.075%
• Coinbase maker fees: Up to 0.40%
• Coinbase taker fees: 0.05%–0.60%

The fees are based on the size of the transaction, which both exchanges break down into levels and tiers. 

Here are some more fees to be aware of, starting with Coinbase:

• 1% transaction fee on all cryptocurrency transactions.
• Varied fees for adding cash, cashing out, and buying or selling crypto.
• 5% recovery fee for accounts valued over $100.

And here are the Crypto.com fees:

• Varied withdrawal fees (2% fee for amounts over the monthly ATM limit).
• 1% for debit cards and 2% for credit cards in top-up fees.
• 3% foreign transaction fee.

On the bright side, both platforms have a $0 account minimum and neither charges fees for depositing fiat currency through bank transfers. 

Currencies 

Both Crypto.com and Coinbase have hundreds of cryptocurrencies to choose from, so if you’re after the top coins, you’ll be spoilt for choice on both platforms. 

But if you’d rather dive into some more alternative coins (alt-coins), Crypto.com is leading the way with over 250 cryptocurrencies to buy, trade, and sell. 

Popular cryptocurrencies available on both platforms include:

• Bitcoin (BTC) 
• Ethereum (ETH)
• BNB (BNB) 
• Cardano (ADA) 
• Polygon (MATIC)
• Dogecoin (DOGE)
• Binance USD (BUSD) 
• Ethereum 2 (ETH2)

And going back to more familiar territory, both Crypto.com and Coinbase support fiat currency, such as USD, GDP, EUR, and other coin fractions. 

Wallets

Crypto wallets work like real wallets, except online. Sounds simple, but there’s more to it than just storing your cash away for safekeeping.

Your crypto wallet stores the private keys to all your crypto and other assets, such as NFTs. There are two different types of wallets to choose from—

• Non-custodial wallet: Gives you total responsibility over your keys and password (which can make it safer but also riskier if you forget your password and lose access to your crypto). 
• Custodial wallet: The crypto company controls your keys (which is easier to use but less secure as everything is managed by a third party). 

Since 2019, the MIMF (Market Integrity and Major Frauds) Unit has charged crypto fraud cases involving $2 billion worth of financial losses from across the world. So choosing the right wallet with top-notch security features is essential to keeping your assets under lock and key. 

So what types of wallets do Coinbase and Crypto.com offer? 

Coinbase comes with a non-custodial wallet, so you have all the power (and responsibility) in your hands. 

And all that power lets you store thousands of coins and NFTs in one place. Your Coinbase wallet is also your ticket to the decentralized web—you can use DeFi liquidity pools to supply or borrow crypto and swap assets on decentralized exchanges. 

Crypto.com also offers a non-custodial wallet that’s connected to the decentralized web and lets you browse Dapps and make Dapp transactions. 

Their DeFi Wallet also lets you store and swap over a thousand tokens across over 30 blockchains with their in-app bridging feature. 

You can keep all NFTs in one place and share them on social media. The DeFi wallet also gives you the chance to earn rebates on over 25 tokens. 

Both apps have a 12-word recovery phrase (seed phrase) if you need to recover your account. But if you forget or lose access to your recovery phrase, you’ll have to start your account from scratch. 

Security

Security is fast becoming one of the top priorities when choosing where to store and trade crypto, with many exchanges stepping up to protect their users from cyber threats. 

And for good reason—the value of crypto lost to security threats grew over nine times between 2020 and 2021, with the largest hacks in 2021 totaling $1.81 billion in stolen funds. 

Because of this, both Crypto.com and Coinbase have a bunch of top-notch security measures to keep your cash and assets under lock and key. 

Security features on both platforms include:

• Two-factor authentication
• Damage and theft insurance
• Whitelisting

Coinbase uses industry-leading security and encryption to protect your assets, with auto-enrolled two-factor authentication. 

They also require multi-approval when you withdraw from the Coinbase Vault and have all passwords protected on their database with a bcrypt algorithm (a random string of information to disguise passwords). 

Crypto.com uses Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), which helps to protect your transactions, passwords, and other personal information. They’ve also made it mandatory to whitelist external addresses to protect withdrawals. 

After the FTX (Future Exchange) crashed in November 2022, Crypto.com had a 333% increase in Google searches and a 232% increase in trading volume—meaning many turned to the platform despite shock waves being sent throughout the crypto industry. 

User Experience

Navigating the world of crypto can be like taking a walk in the park during an earthquake—many beginners find themselves on shaky ground. 

Hence the crypto platforms need to find the balance between newbies seeking simplicity and advanced users looking to maximize their expertise. 

Both Coinbase and Crypto.com give you the option to trade on the web or through the app (with both being easy to use, depending on your experience level). 

First, let’s see what customers rated the app—

• Crypto.com iOS: 4.5 
• Crypto.com Android: 4.6 
• Coinbase iOS: 4.7 
• Coinbase Android: 4.1 

If you’re a beginner, Coinbase stands out for its simple approach and easy navigation. You can sign up in a matter of minutes and get started immediately. 

Those new to trading can also watch educational videos and easily keep track of their portfolios. But if you’re not-so-new to crypto, Coinbase also has a bunch of advanced charting functions to get stuck into.

Marius Grigoras, CEO of BHero, gives advice for those just starting out:

While Crypto.com is also easy to navigate, it’s probably more suited to intermediate or advanced users, as there are a lot of products, features, and terminology that beginners might find overwhelming. 

Advanced features on Crypto.com include futures trading, volume discounts, and perpetual contracts. Crypto.com also makes it easy to keep track of your crypto with price movement alerts. 

Access 

Crypto is a global market, crossing borders and not being restricted to independent currencies. So it only makes sense that crypto platforms are also available for users across the world. 

Crypto.com first opened its doors in Singapore but has now expanded to over 100 markets, including the US, the EU, Canada, and Australia. 

Within the US, Crypto.com is available in 49 states, excluding New York (as Crypto.com doesn’t have a regulatory license for this state).

You can also use the platform across US territories, such as Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa—but this access is limited to the platform and not the Crypto.com Visa Card. 

Coinbase is available in all US states (except for Hawaii) and also supports over 100 countries around the globe:

• North and Central America: 14 countries.
• South America: 10 countries.
• Europe: 41 countries.
• Asia Pacific: 16 countries. 
• Africa and the Middle East: 25 countries. 

For both Crypto.com and Coinbase, certain cryptocurrencies could be restricted depending on the state you’re in—so it’s worth checking that out before deciding which platform to use. 

And if traveling is your thing, delve into our list of top travel credit cards. 

How Do Crypto.com and Coinbase Work?

Crypto.com and Coinbase are crypto exchange platforms where you can buy and sell a wide range of cryptocurrencies—from Bitcoin to less popular coins. 

You can keep your funds stashed away in an online account or transfer them to a personal account through different methods, such as:

• Credit card
• Debit card
• Wire transfer
• ACH withdrawal

To set up an account, you need to provide your personal details and go through the verification process. Once you’ve opened your account, you can deposit your funds and start trading. 

Here are steps you can follow to begin crypto trading on Crypto.com: 

1. Go to the Markets page.
2. Choose the coin you want to trade. 
3. Decide the amount you want to purchase.
4. Select “Trade”. 

Coinbase follows a similar process: 

1. Select “Get Started”. 
2. View the list of crypto assets. 
3. Decide which crypto to trade. 
4. Confirm how much you want to purchase. 

Both apps offer educational features so you can learn the basics of investing and how to boost your chances of success. Just keep an eye on hidden fees, especially when transferring or withdrawing your funds. 

Other Crypto Platforms

Crypto.com and Coinbase are heavyweights in the world of crypto exchanges, but they aren’t the only ones. 

Doing your research is key to finding the best crypto app for you, so here are some other exchanges worth considering—

Crypto.com vs. Coinbase vs. Binance 

Binance has 150 cryptocurrencies to trade In the US—which is slightly fewer than Crypto.com and Coinbase, but there’s still plenty to choose from.

Unlike Crypto.com and Coinbase, though, the platform can be more difficult to navigate for beginners and is probably better suited for more experienced investors. 

Binance stands out for its low fees and has a maker/trader model based on trading volume and the Binance coin. 

They also don’t charge anything for ACH transfers and only 0.00%–0.1% for trades, but they do charge $15 for wire transfers.

Coinbase vs. Gemini vs. Crypto.com

Like Coinbase, Gemini is beginner-friendly with an easy-to-use interface but only has around 100 cryptocurrencies to trade (over 100 less than Crypto.com). 

Gemini’s fees are pretty standard, with their ActiveTrader platform with taker fees from 0.03% to 0.40% and maker fees ranging between 0.00% and 0.20%. 

However, Gemini falls behind when it comes to trust and reliability. Earlier this year, the US Securities and Exchange charged Gemini with raising money illegally to fund the Gemini Earn program, which has since been frozen for months—preventing customers from accessing their money.

Blockchain vs. Coinbase vs. Crypto.com

Blockchain Exchange was founded in 2019, so is relatively new to the market compared to Coinbase (2012) and Crypto.com (2016). But the exchange was launched by Blockchain.com, which has been around since 2011. 

Blockchain only has 90 crypto trading pairs—that’s one of the main differences between Crypto.com, Coinbase, and Blockchain. 

The exchange offers maker fees between 0.40% and 0.20% and taker fees of 0.06%–0.45%. 

Blockchain Exchange could be beneficial for those who don’t like to be overwhelmed, as they also have a simple, aesthetically pleasing interface. 

They also pride themselves on extra speedy trading and delivering market prices in real time. 

Key Takeaway 

So which one is it going to be for you—Crypto.com or Coinbase? 

The answer depends on what you’re looking for. 

Marius Grigoras highlights the key differences between the apps:

If you want plenty of choices when it comes to choosing your cryptocurrencies, Crypto.com takes the lead with over 250 crypto coins and access to more than 20 fiat currencies along with a range of NFTs. 

But if usability is at the top of your list, Coinbase has a beginner-friendly interface and educational videos that will help you learn the basics while earning a few dollars’ worth of crypto. 

Both apps are great choices if you want a non-custodial wallet and prefer to keep the keys to your assets in your own hands. 

The two contenders also boast advanced security features, with funds insured up to $250,000. 

If you’re still scratching your head, there’s no harm in trying both apps and seeing which one catches your attention. 

Good luck!