Getting into cryptocurrency in 2022 is easier and more accessible than ever, but choosing the best platform to buy crypto on – or trade crypto you own already – can seem daunting.
Out of the many crypto exchanges available to investors and traders, two popular ones made it onto our top 10 list – Crypto.com and Coinbase exchange. Which is the better platform though?
Crypto.com vs Coinbase Summary
When it comes to crypto exchanges, Crypto.com and Coinbase are extremely popular amongst new and existing users.
The platforms are a great way to ensure that users have a safe and efficient way to buy, trade, and sell cryptocurrencies.
- Coinbase is a platform that’s a little on the expansive side of things. However, the added resources and extra security make up for those few extra bucks. Moreover, Coinbase turns out to be the preferred mode of investment by many beginners in the crypto space. It is also termed to have a better and easy-to-use interface.
- Crypto.com is considered to be more cost-effective by many users and hence is adopted by them to buy, sell and trade cryptocurrencies. It has a larger selection of cryptocurrencies, lower fees involved and a wide range of exciting and exclusive features. So someone, who might be a veteran in the crypto space can go for Crypto.com over Coinbase.
While both of them have their own sets of benefits, further on in this guide we’ll compare every aspect to see platforms stack up against each other.
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product.
| Features | Coinbase | Crypto.com |
| Currencies | 100+ | 250+ |
| Fees | Up to 0.50% spread per trade, 3.99% for credit card purchases, and 1.49% for Coinbase wallet or bank account purchases
|
0.04% to 0.4% maker fees, 0.1% to 0.4% taker fees; 2.99% for credit card purchases |
| Offline Storage | 98% | 100% |
| Supported Transactions | Buy, sell, send, receive, withdraw, and exchange | Buy, sell, send, receive, withdraw, and exchange |
| Demo Account | No Demo Account | No Demo Account |
| Wallet Specifications | AES-256 encryption wallets and multi-signature wallets are available | Private keys, locally encrypted, Multi-factor authentication (MFA), biometric |
What is Crypto.com?
Crypto.com has grown to become a popular and trusted crypto exchange platform, since launching in June 2016. The parent company of Crypto.com is Forix DAX Asia Pte Ltd. The platform currently consists of 3,000 employees and over 10 million users. The company was founded by Gary Or, Bobby Bao, Rafael Melo, and Kris Marszalek.
Crypto.com allows its clients the opportunity to buy, sell and trade different cryptocurrencies. Users can conduct cryptocurrency-related buying, selling, and trading activities at a relatively lower price than other crypto exchanges.
With over 250+ cryptocurrencies on its platform, it gives a wide array of choices to potential investors and users to buy cryptocurrency and trade.
Additionally, the exchange also offers features like cryptocurrency credit cards, a decentralized exchange, a standalone crypto wallet, and even an NFT marketplace. Users on Crypto.com also have an option to stake their Crypto and store it on the Crypto.com wallet, earning them a 14.5% interest.
The fees on the platform are lower and limited to 0.40% and decrease as the trading volume increases or a significant amount of CRO is held. All in all, Crypto.com serves as a good platform for those who want to do more with their cryptocurrency holdings rather than just investing and holding.
Features of Crypto.com
Crypto.com has a wide range of features, making it an exciting platform for investors. One of the biggest features of the exchange is its own native coin – Cronos (CRO), formerly known as Crypto.com coin. Users can directly purchase the coin from the platform (it’s also available on other exchanges).
What makes CRO unique and quite popular is that it can gain Crypto.com users some generous interests at around 10% APR daily.
Apart from this, if you pay your trading fees using CRO, you receive a rebate, and an additional cashback if and when Crypto Pay is used.
Staking CRO on the Crypto.com mobile app also helps you gain access to a premium metal Visa card, receiving up to 8% cashback on purchases paid using CRO, rebates on your Netflix and Spotify subscriptions and bookings through Expedia, Airbnb. Apart from that, there is an exclusive Airport Lounge access, and 2% extra interest on fixed deposits.
The premium-looking Crypto.com metal Visa card can be requested from the app, once you start staking CRO coin. This card can also be used as a normal card and loaded with fiat currency apart from your cryptocurrency.
Furthermore, investors can stake over 40+ different cryptocurrencies, apart from just CRO.
Some other product-based features of Crypto.com include
- Crypto Pay: This feature allows Crypto.com users to buy gift cards using crypto or select crypto pay at checkout at certain retailers to pay using cryptocurrencies.
- Crypto Earn: Users can earn up to 14.5% on crypto deposits on Crypto.com.
- Crypto Credit: Non-US-based users on Crypto.com can use this feature. It allows users to borrow up to 50% of their crypto collateral as a crypto loan.
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product.
What is Coinbase?
Coinbase is a cryptocurrency exchange platform used by crypto investors to buy, sell and trade cryptocurrencies. It consists of 100 plus cryptocurrencies that investors can look into. Major cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin are listed on the platform.
With over 89 million-plus users and $289 billion in assets, it is one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. Users which are beginning their journey into the crypto ecosystem will especially prefer Coinbase due to its ease of usage and simple user platform.
The company also has an option of Coinbase Pro for users who want to foray further into the advanced features. Anyone can use the Pro version once setting up a Coinbase account then use the same credentials to log in. It gives the users more trade types, limit orders and stop orders, which are otherwise absent on the Coinbase platform.
Coinbase was founded in 2012, as a space for sending and receiving Bitcoin. Since then, the company has exponentially expanded its list of cryptocurrencies available on the platform and has around 2,700 employees.
With operations in more than 100 countries and a trading volume of $327 billion per quarter, it holds the position of the second-largest exchange in the world, behind only Binance.
The company also runs two separate trading platforms, apart from a standalone cryptocurrency wallet service.
Features of Coinbase
Coinbase is a leading crypto exchange platform that consists of a list of user-friendly and beginner-friendly features.
Adding to the list of unique features on Coinbase is a feature that helps you earn crypto just by watching a short video. The users receive free crypto after viewing a 3-minute long educational video. These videos have dual benefits of helping you learn from the available educational resources while allowing you to earn anywhere between $3-$10.
Coinbase also has a mobile wallet available for iOS and Android devices. According to Google Play Store, there are over 1 million downloads, with a 4.3-star rating.
The Coinbase wallet allows users to look into a lot of innovations, apart from just cryptocurrencies. It allows users to participate in airdrops and ICOs, collect and trade NFTs, browse and explore decentralized apps (dApps), and send crypto to anyone around the world.
Similar to Crypto.com, Coinbase also has a Visa debit card- the Coinbase card, which was made public in the fall of 2021, allowing users to earn up to 4% in rewards on every purchase. Moreover, Coinbase has its own native coin too, called the USDC, or the USD Coin. Holding onto the USDC earns a 0.15% average percentage yield to the customers.
Available Currencies To Trade on Crypto.com & Coinbase
In recent years, Coinbase has been gradually expanding its list of cryptocurrencies available on the platform. However, Crypto.com provides a greater range of cryptocurrencies and assets on the platform.
Crypto.com supports 250+ cryptocurrencies, whereas Coinbase has 100+ of them. Both the platforms support major fiat currencies including USD, EUR, GBP as well as coin fractions.
Notably, Coinbase hasn’t listed Vechain, Avalanche, XRP or Binance Coin. Being SEC compliant to operated in the US, Coinbase didn’t list XRP as the outcome of the SEC vs Ripple lawsuit is still pending.
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product.
Types of Accounts Available
Crypto exchanges tend to provide different types of accounts to their users, depending on their utility and functionalities. In that manner, both the platforms, Crypto.com and Coinbase, provide access to different types of accounts.
In the case of Crypto.com, the primary account is available for every user on the platform with a whole set of different functionalities and features, including technical charts, DeFi access amongst other things. Furthermore, a list of advanced features can be accessed on the Crypto.com platform.
Among these are services for features like buying, selling and trading NFTs (non-fungible tokens), access to a DeFi wallet allowing investors to swap and farm promising DeFi tokens while maintaining ownership of their own private keys, and a “pay for business” feature that enables businesses to accept crypto as a form of payment.
Recently, Crypto.com released sub-accounts for margin and spot trading on the exchange platform. Sub-accounts allow users to create multiple accounts within their primary account, facilitating trade with independent balances, margins and positions.
Users can then diversify their trading strategies by isolating funds and exploring different cryptos. This feature is open to institutional and individual investors as well.
On Coinbase, most of the basic features that any crypto investor would require are present. Over time, the platform has added features like:
- Automatic staking services for some proof-of-stake coins
- Interest-earning wallets for the USDC and DAI stablecoins
- Crypto lending services
- Price alerts
- Educational materials regarding crypto
With many experts and users claim that the features of the platform aren’t advanced enough, Coinbase released the Coinbase Pro version. It allows Coinbase users to access the Pro version which gives them more trade types, limits and stop orders. Coinbase Pro also allows users the primary features at a lower price.
Crypto.com Fees vs Coinbase Fees
As with any other cryptocurrency exchange or platform, there is a fee involved when one uses Crypto.com or Coinbase.
However, what can be noticed straight away is the fact that Crypto.com is way more cost-effective than Coinbase.
Coinbase has a little more complex fees structure with flat and variable fees involved.
| Flat Fees | Coinbase |
| $10 or less | $0.99 |
| $10 to $25 | $1.49 |
| $25 to $50 | $1.99 |
| $50 to $250 | $2.99 |
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product.
Both the platforms follow the maker-taker fee structure and are to be paid once a transaction is completed. These fees are also variable to the volume of trades taking place.
On Crypto.com, market makers pay somewhere between 0.04% and 0.4%, whereas market takers pay between 0.1% to 0.4%. There are no additional debit or credit purchasing fees on Crypto.com involved.
Coinbase, on the other hand, charges fees upon the trade orders as opposed to complete trades. Market makers pay between 0.04% and 0.5%, and the market takers pay between 0% to 0.5%.
Coinbase has an additional 3.99% fee for using debit or credit cards to make a purchase. In order for a user to avail of the least Coinbase fees, they need to trade upwards of $500 million in a month.
Any user trading more than $500 million will be charged 0.05% in taker fees and no maker fees would be involved.
| Fees Type | Crypto.com | Coinbase |
| Bank Account | Free | 1.49% |
| Debit/Credit cards | 2.99% | 3.99% |
| Wallet Conversion Fees | Free | 1.49% |
| Wire Transfer | Free, with a minimum of $1,000 | $10 deposit, $25 withdrawal |
User Experience: Crypto.com vs Coinbase
Coinbase and Crypto.com have been working quite extensively on ensuring their customer experience is top-notch.
Coinbase has taken a simple approach in designing its app’s interface, which makes it pretty easy to use and navigate the website to figure out what to do next.
Crypto.com’s website might be a little overwhelming in the first go, with one too many elements involved at places. Experts usually mention Coinbase as the first exchange beginners should explore and get used to.
One of the most important factors, when taking user experience into consideration is accessibility. Coinbase is available in more than 100 countries including the U.S, Canada, and 39 European countries.
Although, the caveat here is that the residents of Hawaii (U.S) might not be able to use it and the residents of New York might face certain restrictions.
On the other hand, while New York residents can’t use Crypto.com, Hawaii residents can. However, in total. 27 coins aren’t available to the residents of the U.S.
Both the platforms offer web-based and app-based trading capabilities. See our review of the best crypto apps.
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product.
Mobile Apps: Crypto.com vs Coinbase
When it comes to mobile applications, both platforms have a robust mobile app in place.
The Coinbase mobile application is available on both Android & iOS. The application, overall, has an easy-to-use interface and promotes minimal clicks approach, with every buy, sell or trade action available in a few clicks.
Crypto.com’s mobile application is available on Android & iOS as well. With more technical features in place, the Crypto.com mobile application can turn out to be quite familiar to someone who regularly trades stocks through mobile apps.
Are demo Accounts Available on Crypto.com and Coinbase?
Demo accounts are a type of account offered by trading platforms, allowing prospective customers to experiment with the trading platform before investing their real hard-earned money into it.
Demo accounts are used by crypto exchanges as a promotional tool to involve more people on board and to help their potential users experiment with the platform.
Neither of the two platforms, Coinbase or Crypto.com provide a demo account option to their users.
However, if you’re someone who wants to test the waters before diving deep into the world of cryptocurrencies, and are sceptical to start investing before exploring, a demo account can be pretty helpful.
Crypto.com vs Coinbase – Minimum Deposit & Payment Methods
In the comparison between Crypto.com vs Coinbase, we found that both platforms accept a wide range of payment methods across various domains.
Talking about Coinbase first, the platform requires a minimum deposit of $2 to start trading, buying or selling on the platform. On the other hand, Crypto.com has a minimum deposit of $1 available.
Crypto.com & Coinbase, both offer a variety of payment platforms to their users.
| Payment Platform | Coinbase | Crypto.com |
| Bank Transfer | Yes | Yes |
| ACH | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Pay | Yes | No |
| Debit/Credit Card | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal | Yes | Yes |
| SWIFT | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency | Yes | Yes |
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product.
Customer service
When it comes to customer service, Crypto.com tends to have an upper hand. Customer service is one of the most significant issues that users have reported with Coinbase. The grievance redressal system for customers is such, that it is nearly impossible to get in touch with a real human.
Official Coinbase customer service options are the Coinbase help page, emailed supported tickets, an automated phone system and a chatbot.
Crypto.com on the other hand officially has a help page, email and a live chat. There is no phone support for Crypto.com customers available, similar to Coinbase and various other crypto exchange platforms.
Crypto.com vs Coinbase Regulation & Safety
With the onset of many security breaches and hacks taking place, crypto exchanges have the onus of having robust security systems in place to protect their users’ investments. Both, Coinbase and Crypto.com have deployed security features and measures.
Let’s look at the two platforms from a safety and security point of view.
| Security Feature | Coinbase | Crypto.com |
| Cold Storage Share | 98% | 100% |
| Multi-factor Authentication | Yes | Yes |
| Additional Measures | Background check on employees. No sensitive data is stored online | Compliances and security certifications are in place. External firms to conduct audits |
| Insurance | Up to $250,000 | Up to $250,000 |
Crypto.com Security
Crypto.com is a vastly secured platform and they store 100% of a user’s cryptocurrencies offline in cold storage, which is made possible by using Ledger Vault’s institutional-grade custody.
The exchange was even awarded the prestigious ISO/IEC 27701:2019 certification in 2020. This not only made Crypto.com a secure entity to conduct your cryptocurrency transactions but also the first crypto exchange in the world to do so.
Crypto.com still continues to carry forward its policies around security, stringent policies, procedures and controls. This makes Crypto.com the go-to cryptocurrency exchange for many enthusiasts and veteran investors alike.
Adding on to the security features and policies is the added benefit of insurance cover for its crypto assets in a scenario where a breach or hack might lead to customer losses.
Coinbase Security
Coinbase used a multi-layered system such as 2-factor authentication, biometric logins, and data encryption, with USB drives and paper backups. These drives and backups are distributed geographically around the world in safes and vaults.
In order to maintain an overall secure environment, the exchange also has a mandatory requirement to pass a criminal background check, and their hard drives are encrypted.
Coinbase stores 98% of its digital assets offline in cold storage and has a crime insurance cover to protect digital assets in the event of a cybersecurity breach or any other losses taking place.
Are Crypto.com or Coinbase the best Crypto Exchange in 2022?
If you want to both spot trade and margin trade on leverage Crypto.com is the clear winner over Coinbase, offering futures trading. It has also listed more altcoins than Coinbase so far in 2022.
US investors however may prefer Coinbase as it’s available to them and secure, being SEC compliant in the United States where it has a good reputation.
Crypto.com vs Coinbase – The Verdict
Choosing the best crypto exchange from a long list of available options can be confusing.
After evaluating all the features, the pros and cons of Crypto.com as well as Coinbase, the verdict at the end of the day comes down to your needs as an investor or trader. If you margin trade, the choice will be Crypto.com.
If you’re a new investor, a simple interface takes precedence over anything. Similarly, for someone who has been investing in cryptocurrencies for quite a while now, the number of cryptocurrencies available is imperative, to diversify their portfolio. Coinbase is easiest to use but Crypto.com has listed more coins.