Coinbase is primarily an online cryptocurrency exchange where people can conveniently buy and sell most popular digital coins such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. It is, in fact, one of the biggest such exchanges in the world right now.
Coinbase, however, has limitations ranging from operations in only a few countries to offering users only partial control of their digital coins. If Coinbase is not something you can, or want to, go for, there are some very good Coinbase alternatives available.
Top 5 Coinbase alternatives available
Here are the top 5 best Coinbase alternatives available.
1. CEX
CEX is a major exchange operating in most countries in the world and dealing with cryptocurrency exchange available in BTC, ETH, BCH and XRP. They support wire transfers in major fiat currencies such as USD, EUR, GBP and RUB. CEX has a maker-taker fee structure much like Coinbase. And while it charges makers unlike Coinbase, CEX offers lower charges for transactions, ranging from 0.1% to 0.2% (as compared to Coinbase’s 0.3%). Furthermore, CEX offers a mobile app, two factor authentication and 24/7 customer support.
2. Coinmama
Coinmama operates in over 180 countries around the world, and supports BTC, ETH, BCH, ADA, LTC and so on. It is a very reliable service trusted by millions of users. The only downside is the transaction fee, which is 5% in case of debit/credit card purchases with a minimum cap of $10, which can make small purchases quite expensive.
3. Kraken
Kraken is a major Bitcoin exchange with support for a lot of currencies, including ETH, XMR, DASH, LTC, XRP, XLM, ETC, REP, ICN, MLN, ZEC, XDG, USDT, GNO and EOS. That’s quite a list! Supported fiat currencies are USD, EUR, GBP, JPY and CAD. Unfortunately, the service doesn’t offer purchases through debit/credit cards, and you can only buy crypto coins using wire transfer.
4. LocalBitcoins
LocalBitcoins is a Finland-based Bitcoin startup that specializes in the P2P trade of Bitcoin alone. It operates in over 15,000 cities in the world. Buyers and sellers can meet online and then execute an offline trade. Payment is made based on whatever the two parties mutually agree. LocalBitcoins maintains a trust and rating system through which buyers and sellers can make sure that the trade they’re making will be safe.
5. ATMs
Did you know that you could head over to an ATM machine to buy Bitcoins? Well, not just any ATM machine. But some regions in the world are beginning to get Bitcoin ATMs, which allow users to deposit fiat currency (cash, in other words) and get Bitcoins in return in various forms. These ATMs are also expected to dispense cash against Bitcoins in the future.
Do you use any other Coinbase alternatives? Help us improve this list by commenting below!
