Coinbase vs. Crypto.com: Which crypto platform is right for you?

Bottom line: Both Coinbase and Crypto. com both offer hundreds of cryptocurrencies, but Coinbase is best for those who value ease of use (plus its institutional services are hard to beat). Crypto.

com best serves traders who want higher interest-earning potential and token-swapping services. Coinbase vs. Crypto.

com: The biggest differences Coinbase and Crypto. com are two popular cryptocurrency exchanges offering hundreds of assets for individuals and institutions across the globe. Both allow for staking (a process whereby users earn crypto rewards for holding certain assets for a set period of time), spending perks, wallet services, and much more.

But Coinbase is the best choice for beginners or institutions who want to get the most out of their crypto. Crypto. com, on the other hand, better serves traders who want to earn higher staking rewards and use DeFi services.

Coinbase Crypto. com Account types Personal investment Institutional Account types Personal investment Institutional Investment choices Cryptocurrencies Investment choices Cryptocurrencies Account perks 170+ cryptocurrencies Coinbase Earn pays you in crypto for watching educational videos about different assets Staking rewards of up to 5. 75% Digital wallet services Beta version of NFT platform offers charges 0% Coinbase Card offers crypto spending perks Account perks 250+ cryptocurrencies No fees to send crypto to other users through mobile app Staking rewards of up to 14.

5% for more than 40 cryptocurrencies Crypto Visa card offers up to 5% cash back NFT platform Several DeFi services, including a non-custodial DeFi wallet, DeFi Earn, and DeFi token swapping Human advisors available? No Human advisors available? No Robo-advice? No Robo-advice? No Is Coinbase right for you? Formed in 2012, Coinbase is a cryptocurrency exchange serving individuals and institutions across the globe. To date, the platform serves roughly 98 million users in more than 100 countries. Pros More than 170 cryptocurrencies available Users can take advantage of several products, including Coinbase Earn, Coinbase Borrow, Coinbase NFT, and much more Staking rewards of up to 5.

75% Users can spend USD anywhere and earn crypto back on purchases with Coinbase Card Cons Lower balances result in higher fees No futures or margin trading Coinbase’s investment selection includes more than 170 cryptocurrencies, making it an ideal platform for crypto traders who value flexibility. Plus, the crypto exchange offers a plethora of services for institutions, including the Coinbase Prime brokerage platform, Coinbase Institutional, commerce services, and institutional-grade offline storage. But when it comes to individuals, Coinbase’s key investment products include Coinbase Earn (a feature that pays you in crypto for watching educational videos about the cryptocurrencies it lists), the Coinbase Card, Coinbase Borrow, a self-hosted crypto wallet, and its recently launched NFT platform.

The Coinbase card is a Visa ® debit card that has no fees and offers users crypto back on every purchase. And as for Coinbase Borrow, you’ll be able to use your bitcoin as collateral to get a loan of up to $1 million. You’ll have to pay back at a 8.

7% APR, though. Plus, the crypto exchange gives more advanced users the option of setting up a Coinbase Pro account. Coinbase Pro includes separate web and mobile platforms, and both platforms offer access to charting tools, trading APIs, and additional order types (e.

g. , limit orders and stop orders). See how the Coinbase and Coinbase Pro accounts compare .

Coinbase also offers up to 5. 75% interest in staking rewards for individuals who prefer more of a passive approach to building crypto wealth. Coinbase Account Minimum $2 Fees 0.

50% spread for buy/sell transactions; transaction fee from $0. 99 to $2. 99; up to 0.

50% for Coinbase Pro Investment Types Cryptocurrencies 4. 22 /5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star 4. 22 out of 5 Stars Editor’s Rating Learn More Coinbase 4.

22 /5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star 4. 22 out of 5 Stars Editor’s Rating Learn More Account Minimum $2 Fees 0. 50% spread for buy/sell transactions; transaction fee from $0.

99 to $2. 99; up to 0. 50% for Coinbase Pro Investment Types Cryptocurrencies Pros & Cons Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.

Pros Buy, sell, or store more than 170 cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and dogecoin Educational investment resources, mobile access, digital storage, and customer support Low account minimums Can earn rewards for certain cryptocurrencies Coinbase card lets you spend crypto or USD anywhere and earn crypto rewards; can deposit your paycheck into your account and convert from USD to crypto with no fees Cons No crypto futures or margin accounts Pay more for lower balances Not for users who want external storage wallets crafted by personal wallet companies High trading and transaction fees Read Our Review Read Our Review A looong arrow, pointing right Details Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. More Information Promotion: Get $5 of bitcoin when you join Coinbase Features: Coinbase Earn rewards, Coinbase Pro advanced account, user-controlled storage, stablecoins, staking, and institutional trading tools. App store rating: 4.

7 iOS/ 4. 3 Android Is Crypto. com right for you? Crypto.

com is also a global cryptocurrency exchange. The platform was founded in 2016 in Hong Kong, and it currently serves 50 million users in 90 countries. Pros Low account minimum More than 250 cryptocurrencies and support for 20+ fiat assets DeFi products include a non-custodial wallet, interest-earning perks, and token swapping Users can earn up to 14.

5% interest for staking; Crypto. com Visa Card offers 5% cash back Cons Lower balances cost more Institutional services are limited compared to Coinbase You’ll gain exposure to a much larger investment selection at Crypto. com .

The exchange currently provides more than 250 cryptocurrencies, with products like Crypto Earn, Crypto. com NFT, decentralized finance (DeFi) features, and much more. Plus, Crypto.

com allows for “true cost” transactions, meaning that — as long as you use a credit/debit card on transactions within the first 30 days of opening your account — you’ll pay 0% in fees. Like Coinbase’s staking offerings, Crypto Earn gives you the option to generate rewards on different cryptocurrencies. The platform currently allows this option for more than 40 assets, and you can earn up to 14.

5% interest on crypto and up to 10% on stablecoins. But Crypto. com’s DeFi offerings separate it from Coinbase.

DeFi basically involves public blockchain transactions that allow for peer-to-peer exchanges by removing third parties like banks and other financial institutions. Its DeFi products — which are best for advanced users — include a DeFi non-custodial wallet, interest-earning perks for more than 35 tokens, and a token-swapping service through its DeFi wallet app. Finally, if you’re looking to make the most out of your spending, the Crypto.

com Visa Card gives you up to 5% back on purchases. And its other service — Crypto. com Pay — lets you pay with crypto at more than 300 brands and 300,000 shops.

Crypto. com Account Minimum $1 Fees Maker/taker fees 0. 04% – 0.

40%; 0% credit/debit card purchases for first 30 days of opening account Investment Types Cryptocurrencies 4. 11 /5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star 4. 11 out of 5 Stars Editor’s Rating Learn more Crypto.

com 4. 11 /5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star 4. 11 out of 5 Stars Editor’s Rating Learn more Account Minimum $1 Fees Maker/taker fees 0.

04% – 0. 40%; 0% credit/debit card purchases for first 30 days of opening account Investment Types Cryptocurrencies Pros & Cons Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Pros 250+ cryptocurrencies; support for more than 20 fiat currencies No fees to send crypto to other users through mobile app; separate NFT platform Earn up to 8% cash back on purchases with Crypto.

com Visa Card You can set up price alerts and price movement alerts to stay updated on more than 200 assets No fees to deposit crypto in mobile app or exchange crypto-to-crypto Earn up to 14. 5% per year on certain crypto assets Cons Pay more for lower balances Crypto. com isn’t available to residents of New York Limited customer service for US platform Read Our Review Read Our Review A looong arrow, pointing right Details Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.

More Information Promotion: Get up to $2,000 for every friend you refer and 50% of their trading fees. Coinbase vs. Crypto.

com — Frequently asked questions (FAQ) Is Crypto. com better than Coinbase? That depends on what you’re looking for. Crypto.

com certainly has a much larger investment selection than Coinbase, and it also offers multiple DeFi products for advanced users. You’ll get access to more than 250 assets at Crypto. com.

Coinbase offers more than 170. But Coinbase offers more educational resources for beginners, and its institutional services outperform Crypto. com’s.

In addition to staking (Coinbase offers up to 5. 75%), the Coinbase Earn feature incentivizes users to learn more about cryptocurrency by offering courses that pay you in crypto rewards. How much money do you need to use Coinbase? You only need a minimum of $2 to get started with Coinbase.

Each cryptocurrency minimum will vary based off of its current market value. Can you trust Coinbase? Yes. Coinbase is a legitimate exchange that has been in business for years.

It also has Money Transmitter licenses in numerous states ( see more about its licenses here ). Plus, you can also visit the Better Business Bureau to see its rating for Coinbase . Is Crypto.

com legitimate? While Crypto. com doesn’t have a Better Business Bureau profile at this time, the platform has several licenses. In fact, it says it was the first global cryptocurrency exchange to earn a Class 3 Virtual Financial Assets License from the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA).

As for its US services, Crypto. com currently serves users in 49 states. Rickie Houston, CEPF Wealth-Building Reporter Rickie Houston is a wealth-building reporter for Business Insider, tasked with covering brokerage products, investment apps, online advisor services, cryptocurrency exchanges, and other wealth-building financial products.

He is also a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF). Previously, Rickie worked as a personal finance writer at SmartAsset, focusing on retirement, investing, taxes, and banking topics. He’s contributed to stories published in the Boston Globe, and his work has also been featured in Yahoo News.

He graduated from Boston University, where he contributed as a staff writer and sports editor for Boston University News Service. Learn more about how Personal Finance Insider chooses, rates, and covers financial products and services » Read more Read less.