Coinbase is one of the most recognisable crypto exchanges, having gone public in 2021 and sponsoring the Super Bowl in 2022. This makes it a popular choice for investors new to cryptocurrency, but there are several other options out there that could be a better match for your needs.
Read on for our guide to the best Coinbase alternatives in 2023 and find the right platform for you.
Looking for a quick answer? Here are our top 3 recommended Coinbase alternatives to use for buying and selling cryptocurrency.
eToro - Overall Best Coinbase Alternative
Binance - Best Alternative for Altcoins
Kraken - Best Alternative for Customer Experience
Nexo - Best Alternative for Staking
bitFlyer - Best Alternative for Small Budgets
eToro is our top alternative to Coinbase owing to its excellent performance across the board. Its simple, intuitive interface makes it a great choice for first-time traders, whereas a wide range of coins and a complete trading toolkit make it suited to pro traders too.
eToro offers fee-free trading and has very competitive spreads (under 1% on Bitcoin), but its main advantage is arguably its CopyTrader feature. This allows complete beginners to copy the trades of professionals, which is an unbeatable learning tool in our books. You can check out our full eToro review for more information.
Pros
Trade 63 coins, with more added regularly
Fee-free trading
Low minimum deposit ($10 in UK/USA)
Learn from the best with CopyTrader
Intuitive interface is perfect for beginners
Secure and regulated
Use credit/debit card, PayPal, and more
Trade stocks and shares as well as crypto
Cons
Not available in all countries (see eToro’s list of unavailable countries)
Not as many obscure coins available as Coinbase
Binance allows users to trade over 600 coins, and this range is far superior to Coinbase’s 100 or so. Binance’s interface has had a facelift in the last year or so, meaning that beginners will feel at home as well as experienced traders.
Binance also offers futures trading, staking, crypto earning, and DeFi options, as well as an NFT marketplace, making it better than Coinbase for those looking for a wider range of both coins and features. You can learn more from our full Binance review.
600+ coins available
NFT, staking, and futures services
Professionally-geared trading tools
Low trading fees
Binance Academy offers educational resources
24/7 chat support
The full trading interface can be too technical for beginners
Regulatory issues in some countries
Kraken is an excellent option for large-scale investors, with around 150 major coins, a selection of crypto indices and futures available to trade, and market-leading OTC and bespoke services. If you’re looking to invest big bucks, Kraken is probably your best bet, and it has the reputation to match.
Even if you are on a smaller budget, Kraken is a good option if you are serious about crypto investing. Kraken Pro, the advanced version of the exchange, offers lower fees than Coinbase, and Kraken’s educational materials beat Coinbase’s in our books.
OTC and white-glove services available
Kraken Pro has strong features and low fees
150+ coins on offer
Excellent reputation & well-respected CEO
Top-tier educational resources
Advanced and beginner “modes” available
Fees are not quite as low as Binance
Verification can take a while in some countries
Nexo is arguably the best service out there for growing your crypto portfolio passively. Through staking and lending options, you can earn up to 17% annual interest on your crypto, with some limited-time yields hitting as high as 42%.
Nexo’s staking and earning offering dwarfs that of Coinbase and virtually every other exchange, while its Bitgo custodian and $375 million worth of insurance make it a clear choice for safety-minded investors. 40 coins are available to trade, lend, and stake.
40 coins available to trade
Exchange fees reduced for NEXO token holders
Staking/earning rewards trounce Coinbase's
Military-grade security and insurance
Borrow money against your crypto
Crypto credit card available soon
Other exchanges offer more coins to trade
Fees can be higher than other options
bitFlyer offers zero fees for buying and selling crypto with euros, and trading fees on the more advanced Lightning exchange are also very low. Users can buy as little as €1 worth of crypto to "get off zero" more easily - a term that refers to buying your first bit of cryptocurrency.
bitFlyer Lightning caters to advanced traders with a range of trading tools, whereas the regular version’s interface rivals Coinbase’s in terms of ease of use. Verification and KYC are fast as well, meaning it’s easy for newbies to get started quickly.
Low fees
Beginner-friendly
Start with as little as €1
Verification takes less than 5 minutes
Advanced traders can use Lightning mode
Only a handful of coins are available
Limited number of currency pairs
When choosing an alternative to Coinbase, it’s important to consider the features and factors that you value the most. We’ve outlined the headline features of each platform in the list above, so you can quickly choose the best platform according to your needs.
Other factors you may want to consider are:
Fees - If you want maximum value for money, Binance and bitFlyer are great Coinbase alternatives.
Customer support - Coinbase has good customer support, but Kraken has arguably the best customer service offering.
Security - Security across most major exchanges is strong, so any option should serve you well.
Ease of use - eToro is extremely easy to use and is our favourite option for beginners, but Coinbase is a solid choice for new investors.
Coins - Binance is the best Coinbase alternative for altcoin traders hands-down, with over 600 coins on offer.
Advanced features - Nexo offers some of the best extra features for lending, borrowing, and staking, but Binance is also a good alternative to Coinbase given its NFT platform and earnings mechanics.
Payment methods - Most alternatives to Coinbase offer a range of payment methods. eToro offers PayPal, making it a popular choice for beginners.
Privacy - Most exchanges are beholden to fairly stringent KYC rules these days, so if you value privacy, you may want to use a P2P exchange.
Coinbase is a “jack of all trades” platform that does a good job at satisfying most needs for crypto traders and investors, but there is probably a platform out there that suits your specific needs better.
Yes. Coinbase is a reputable and safe platform, as are all of the alternatives recommended on this page.
The best Coinbase alternative for you depends on your needs. Consult our list at the top of this page to find the right platform for you.
Coinbase is a decent choice for beginners due to its friendly interface and strong reputation, although we believe that other platforms such as eToro and Kraken are potentially better options due to extra features and strong customer service.
Yes. Coinbase only operates in countries where it is legally allowed to do so.