Coinbase vs. Crypto.com: 2023 Comparison
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Coinbase and Crypto.com are among the most popular places to buy cryptocurrencies, but they each have unique offerings. Coinbase, for example, has several features intended to create an onramp for beginners to learn about buying and selling cryptocurrencies. In addition, Coinbase makes it easy to trade one cryptocurrency for another or buy cryptocurrencies with fiat. However, with Coinbase, you'll pay a higher fee for this convenience.
Crypto.com, on the other hand, may have lower fees (depending on how you purchase your crypto), but you won't be able to trade one cryptocurrency for another. Crypto.com does, however, have a more extensive selection of cryptocurrencies to choose from than Coinbase.
It's also worth noting that Coinbase is headquartered in the United States, and all of its services and offerings are available to U.S. users. Crypto.com, based in Singapore, has a range of offerings, but not all are available in the U.S.
Coinbase is best for:
Cryptocurrency traders looking for convenience.
Traders who want to easily convert one cryptocurrency to another.
Coinbase at a glance
Minimum trade | $2. |
Trading and transaction fees | Varies depending on payment method, cryptocurrency type, transaction size and platform. $2.99 for $200 Bitcoin purchase, or about 1.5%. |
Number of cryptocurrencies | More than 250 |
Crypto-to-crypto trading pairs | More than 500. |
Website transparency | Important information, including investment minimums, supported assets and how to close the account, can be easily found on the website. |
Storage offering | Customers can use their own crypto wallets, and Coinbase has some insurance against cybercrime. |
Staking offering | Rewards on a handful of coins, with rates up to about 6% |
Mobile app | Coinbase's highly rated apps have options suited to both beginners and advanced users. |
Customer service | Phone, email and chat. |
» Read our full review of Coinbase
Crypto.com is best for:
Mobile-first users.
Transactions with fiat, or traditional, currency.
DeFi, or decentralized finance, tokens.
Crypto.com at a glance
Minimum trade | $1 or less for Bitcoin; other cryptocurrencies vary. |
Trading and transaction fees | No trading fee, but transactions using credit/debit cards cost up to 4%. |
Number of cryptocurrencies | More than 275. |
Crypto-to-crypto trading pairs | Crypto.com doesn't offer an official list, but Bitcoin and other major assets have dozens. |
Website transparency | Crypto.com's website is helpful, but sometimes fails to distinguish effectively between services offered by its U.S. and overseas services. |
Storage and security | Crypto.com has a handful of features such as insurance for assets. It did suffer a breach in 2022. |
Staking and rewards | Rewards can range up to 12.5% for high rollers, but earnings don't compound. |
Mobile app | Crypto.com's main app is available on iOS and Android, with an average rating around 4 stars. |
Customer service | Crypto.com offers only chat-based help for most issues. |
» Read our full review of Crypto.com
Want to compare more platforms? View our list of the best crypto platforms and apps.
How do we review cryptocurrency platforms?
NerdWallet’s comprehensive review process evaluates and ranks platforms and companies that allow U.S. customers to buy and/or sell cryptocurrency. Our aim is to provide an independent assessment of providers to help arm you with information to make sound, informed judgments on which ones will best meet your needs. We adhere to strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
We collect data directly from providers through detailed questionnaires, and conduct first-hand testing and observation through provider demonstrations. The questionnaire answers, combined with demonstrations, interviews of personnel at the providers and our specialists’ hands-on research, fuel our proprietary assessment process that scores each provider’s performance across more than 10 factors. The final output produces star ratings from poor (one star) to excellent (five stars).
For more details about the categories considered when rating brokers and our process, read our full methodology.
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