You already know why Coinbase sucks bad. So tell it to kiss your rear part. For this reason, please check out 5 best GDAX and Coinbase alternatives now.
I hated godforsaken exchange Coinbase and felt grumpy. So I found better alternatives that didn’t make me feel grumpy. I describe them below.
I also give you links to their comprehensive reviews. You can read these reviews before making a final decision. Or if you’re in a hurry, you can click on buttons that lead to their websites.
Besides links to comprehensive reviews, you’ll find tables that compare these alternatives. You can examine them to have a bird’s-eye view of alternatives.
As a bonus, I tell you important information about credit card purchases at the end of this article. This important information applies to credit card cryptocurrency purchases from every single company.
Disclosure: You should know three things. First, none of this content is an investment advice. Second, this page has affiliate links that may make me money. Third, I recommend these companies because I think that they’re better than the bitcoin joke known as Coinbase.
2019 Update Of This Coinbase Alternatives List You Better Know
Binance has started supporting fiat to cryptocurrency transactions. So ignore the part of this article that says it doesn’t. To learn the details, you can read the review of Binance exchange.
1) Binance Exchange: The Best Trading Alternative
Out of all cryptocurrency exchanges, Binance is by far the best. It’s the best exchange in terms of trading platform, fees, deposits, withdrawals, and ease-of-use. So it goes without saying that it’s the best GDAX alternative.
However, it has one signification disadvantage: you cannot deposit fiat money; you can only deposit cryptocurrency. So if you want fiat to crypto exchange, move on to second item in this list. If not or if you want to trade altcoins, continue reading this section.
Binance has fast, intuitive, and easy-to-use trading platform. It’s much better than trading platform of Kraken bitcoin exchange. It goes without saying that it’s much better than Coinbase and GDAX. Unlike them, it’s reliable. So you can trade there without fear of an outage error-free and Coinbase can suck it.
Deposits and withdrawals of cryptocurrencies are fast. I never had a single problem with them. They work smooth like butter, even when other exchanges are experiencing problems. I was surprised to find that out. They are secure too because you’re sent emails to confirm withdrawals.
Another layer of defense Binance offers is two-factor authentication. Please turn it on if you decide to trade on Binance. You’ll sleep better at night knowing that your account is secure.
However, you should store most of your crypto wealth in a hardware wallet. It’s recommended by cryptocurrency experts because it’s much more secure than an app wallet. So please do yourself a favor and check out the best hardware wallet right now. Please see how affordable it is right now.
By the way, this link is the official manufacturer website. So you can be sure that a third party seller won’t scam you by selling you a pre-configured wallet and then taking your cryptocurrency (this happened). So please visit and bookmark this link right now.
Trading Pairs And Another Exchange Worth Considering
On top of all the above, Binance has many altcoins. It offers 270 trading pairs. The only crypto exchange with a higher number of trading pairs is Livecoin exchange, which offers 379 trading pairs.
Coinbase doesn’t have even one tenth of cryptocurrencies that Binance or Livecoin offers. While many of them are little-known scams, some are gems waiting to be discovered. These gems can be yours.
Livecoin exchange is also a great crypto exchange by the way. However, Livecoin trading fee for 30 day trading volume of less than 100,000$ is 0.18%. At Binance, that fee is always 0.1%, regardless of trading volume. You can even halve that fee to 0.05% by buying Binance Coin (BNB) and using it to pay fees.
Binance is available in every US state, including Hawaii. It’s also available in Canada, Australia,
and Singapore, not to mention all of Europe. Furthermore, it’s available in every other country. So you can use it wherever you are.
How To Get Started On Binance Today
All you need to provide Binance exchange to start trading there is your email address. Unlike all other major crypto exchanges, it allows you to trade without verification. You’d be limited to 2 BTC per day in withdrawals though.
You can raise that limit to 100 BTC per day by uploading your ID and a selfie with your ID and a note. They can raise that limit even higher if you contact them.
On average, it takes them just 3 days to process your documents and raise your limit to 100 BTC. So getting started on Binance is fast and easy even if you intend to trade large volumes.
For all of these reasons, Binance is growing much faster than any of its competitors. So feel free to sign up for Binance because you have good reasons for that.
If you want to trade like a boss
2) CEX.IO Bitcoin Exchange: Good GDAX Alternative With Free Bank Transfer Deposits But No Fiat Money Withdrawals In The United States
CEX.IO trading platform isn’t as good as Binance trading platform. But it converts fiat money into crypto. So you can use it to get ethereum or bitcoin for trading on Binance. That’s a perfect way to do trading if you’re dealing with big amounts of cryptocurrency.
If you do that, keep in mind two things listed below.
- Bank transfer minimum is $1,000 and may take 2 to 60 days.
- ETH transaction fees are lower. So it’s cheaper to buy and transfer ETH to Binance rather than to do the same with BTC. You wouldn’t need to convert ETH into BTC once your funds are in Binance. All altcoins there can be bought for ETH.
Unavailability
CEX.IO is unavailable in the US states and territories listed below.
- New York
- Illinois
- Hawaii
- New Mexico
- Oregon
- Iowa
- Mississippi
- Guam
- Texas
- Nebraska
- Michigan
- Vermont
- Maryland
- Idaho
- Georgia
- Colorado
- Tennessee
- North Dakota
- New Hampshire
- Kansas
- Washington
- Alabama
- Louisiana
- Alaska
- New Jersey
- Arkansas
- Ohio
- Virginia
- Florida
- Arizona
- North Carolina
- U.S. Virgin Islands
If you live in one of these states or territories, skip this section and move to the next alternative.
3 Disadvantages Of CEX.IO
- They require verification for all activity. That includes crypto to crypto trading.
- If you live in the USA, it’s impossible to withdraw fiat money. But you can transfer your cryptocurrency to Bitquick. There, you can sell it for 0% fee plus a small bitcoin network fee.
- CEX.IO trading fees are relatively high. They are higher than either Livecoin or Binance fees (these are compared in a table below the next section). This is one of the reasons I recommend Binance for day trading. The fees at CEX.IO are also more convoluted because they are different for makers and takers.
While disadvantages of this GDAX alternative are significant, it does have a few advantages that make it worthwhile.
6 Advantages Of CEX.IO
- Bank transfer deposits are free. But the deposit amount has to be at least one thousand USD. Euros and British Pounds have the same minimum limit. Also, your bank would probably charge you a fee.
- It accepts bank transfer deposits in multiple fiat money currencies. US Dollars, Euros, British Pounds, and Russian Rubles are the accepted currencies. Not many exchanges accept all of these fiat money currencies. And some that do convert them all into USD. CEX.IO, on the other hand, is different. It allows trading in both USD and EUR. So you can save money on conversion fees.
- CEX.IO bitcoin exchange is the cheapest way to buy cryptocurrency with a card. It charges 2.99% for a card purchase, lower than 4% Coinbase charges.
- It has fast customer support. They replied to each of my last six emails in less than one hour. But they’d probably take longer to reply to yours. This is especially likely if you’re contacting them when BTC is skyrocketing. In short, refrain from expecting such quick reply.
- CEX.IO has 28 trading pairs. This number is higher than what Coinbase offers.
- CEX.IO bitcoin exchange has stable trading engine with easy-to-use interface. It’s perfect for beginners and seasoned pros alike. So you can trade there without problems.
They Addressed Common Complaint
Some people complained that their cryptocurrency prices are higher than market average. But they have been slashed. Now they are in line with market average.
Conclusion Of This Section
Overall, CEX.IO is a decent alternative if you’re willing to wait for a couple weeks to be verified. But if you intend to trade, you can check out the comparison table below first.
However, keep in mind that CEX.IO temporarily disabled new user registrations in December 2017. They may disable them again because of bitcoin’s popularity and its growing user base. So it’s probably a good idea to sign up for CEX.IO today.
If you want a good exchange with free bank transfer deposits
Trading Fees: Binance Vs. CEX.IO Vs. Livecoin
Livecoin and CEX.IO trading fees are based on a 30 trading volume. Binance trading fees also depend on the trading volume. Keep in mind that Binance has nine tiers of trading fees, though the table below shows only two tiers. Check out some of the details in the table below.| Exchange | Taker Fees | Maker Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Binance | < 50 BTC 0.075% using BNB for fees 0.1% not using BNB for fees ≥ 50 BTC 0.075% using BNB for fees 0.1% not using BNB for fees | < 50 BTC 0.075% using BNB for fees 0.1% not using BNB for fees ≥ 50 BTC 0.0675% using BNB for fees 0.09% not using BNB for fees |
| CEX.IO bitcoin exchange | ≤ 5 BTC: 0.25% ≤ 30 BTC: 0.23% ≤ 50 BTC: 0.21% ≤ 100 BTC: 0.20% ≤ 200 BTC: 0.18% | ≤ 5 BTC: 0.16% ≤ 30 BTC: 0.15% ≤ 50 BTC: 0.13% ≤ 100 BTC: 0.12% ≤ 200 BTC: 0.1% |
| Livecoin exchange | 0 - 100,000$: 0.18% 100,001 - 200,000$: 0.16% 200,001 - 400,000$: 0.14% 600,001 - 800,000$: 0.10% 800,001 - 1,000,000$: 0.08% 1,000,001 - 1,500,000$: 0.06% 1,500,001 - 2,000,000$: 0.04% | the same as taker fees |
3) Bitquick: Only BTC But Extremely Fast And Cheaper Than All Coinbase Alternatives In This List Except For Two Exchanges Above
It’s the most well-reviewed bitcoin company I found. I checked to make sure that those reviews weren’t written by shills. So you can be confident that you can trust this company.
If you read my review of Bitquick, you’re going to learn process I used to check whether it hired shills to write reviews. Or if you don’t have time to read my full review of this company, I’ll give you the basic details about it here.
Unlike other Coinbase alternatives on this list, you’re buying bitcoin from a person, not a company. For this reason, you’re depositing cash into the person’s bank account. Meanwhile, Bitquick keeps the seller’s bitcoin in escrow to make sure you get it. In short, it’s a peer-to-peer bitcoin marketplace.
Bitquick is available in all US states, except for New York. So it’s available in Hawaii. It’s also available in Europe and Canada. Plus, there are other countries in which it’s available.
With Bitquick, you can buy bitcoin without ID verification if you’re buying less than $400 of BTC. It’s one of the few companies that provides such high limit to non-verified customers.
While the above sounds good, Bitquick doesn’t sell ethereum. But bitcoin and bitcoin cash transactions are fast and smooth. They complete in less than 3 hours.
Plus, the fee is only 2% if you’re a buyer. It’s 0% plus a small bitcoin network fee if you’re a seller. So feel free to sign up for Bitquick today.
If you want to buy bitcoin fast and easy without verification
4) Coinmama: No Trading Platform And High Fees But Both BTC And ETH Are Available
“So why are you recommending it if it has high fees?” You may be asking yourself. Well, there aren’t many legitimate companies that sell both bitcoin and ethereum for card and SEPA payments.
In short, Coinmama is a viable alternative to Coinbase if you’re willing to pay higher fees for a company with better user reviews. If not, skip this section and move on to the next one. The next alternative has lower fees for card payments.
If you live in Europe, use SEPA bank transfer. It carries a 5% fee. So it’s twice cheaper than a card payment of 10.9%. But this payment method isn’t available to people outside of Europe.
Customer support at Coinmama is better and faster than customer support at Coinbase. However, it should come as no surprise. It’s not easy to screw up customer support as much as Coinbase. Apparently, Coinbase management have worked hard to accomplish that feat.
Plus, verification is much faster. Furthermore, it’s just as easy-to-use, if not easier, than Coinbase. And you can trust it because it has been in business since 2013.
Availability
Coinmama is available in Singapore, Canada, Australia, all of Europe, and many other parts of the world. It’s also available in the US states listed below.
- Louisiana
- Arizona
- Virginia
- Tennessee
- Illinois
- Indiana
- North Carolina
- Kansas
- Maryland
- California
- Wisconsin
- Kentucky
- Florida
- Colorado
- Massachusetts
- Texas
- South Carolina
- Montana
- Pennsylvania
- Michigan
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- Missouri
- Idaho
If you don’t live in one of these states, scroll down to the next alternative.
Complaints Against Coinmama
Like almost every bitcoin company, it has many complaints. But the vast majority of them are from the time when bitcoin was skyrocketing faster than ever before. So they are explainable by a surge of interest in cryptocurrency and the resulting backlog.
Next alternative on this list, however, has better user reviews. But feel free to check out the comparison table below first. Or you can sign up for Coinmama now.
If you want to deal with an established company
Coinmama Vs. Bitquick
If you're on a mobile device, place your finger on this table and slide it to the right to see all of the table content.| Company | Fees | Support | Maximum Limits | Verification | Privacy Record | User Reviews | Average Purchase Time From Verification To Bitcoin Receipt | Conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coinmama | 5.9% - 10.9% | Good | One million dollars per month | Always required | Good | Excellent | 1 hour - 1 day | You can use it if you're okay paying high fees to an established company. |
| Bitquick | 2% | Excellent | $9,999 in one transaction. You can place a few separate orders to get more cryptocurrency. | Not required for purchases of less than 400 dollars | Excellent | Excellent | 2 - 3 hours | Two thumbs up. Excellent way to buy cryptocurrency. So here's the link to Bitquick website. |
5) Bitit: No Trading Platform But Extremely Easy-To-Use And Fast
It’s a viable alternative to Coinbase even though its name sounds like a big tit.
Its fees for card transactions are much lower than Coinmama fees. Bitit charges 3.9%, while Coinmama charges 10.9%. These estimates don’t include a cash advance fee sometimes charged by the bank. This fee is explained in the section that follows comparison table.
While Bitit card fees (3.9%) are higher than CEX.IO card fees (2.99%), Bitit has much better user reviews. Plus, its verification is much faster. It’s on average 8 hours, compared with 2 weeks on CEX.IO. So if you think BTC will skyrocket again soon, Bitit is preferable.
Bitit is available in Singapore, Canada, Australia, United States, and most of Europe, including United Kingdom. In short, it’s a company that serves people worldwide.
Plus, it accepts not only US Dollars but also Euros, Canadian Dollars, Australian Dollars, British Pounds, and many other currencies.
If you want to diversify your crypto assets, you should know that Bitit sells twenty seven different ones.
Diversification, by the way, is the cornerstone of all modern investment strategies. Plus, all of the smart rich people have their assets diversified. That includes Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. But obviously, they don’t have just one type of assets. They have many different ones.
Regardless of diversification, you can check out the table below that compares Coinmama to Bitit. Then if you made up your mind you can sign up for Bitit here or below.
If you want to buy bitcoin with a card from a reputable company in less than 24 hours
Coinmama Vs. Bitit
If you're on a mobile device, place your finger on this table and slide it to the right to see all of the table content.| Company | Fees | Support | Maximum Limits | Privacy Record | User Reviews | Average Purchase Time From Verification To Bitcoin Receipt | Conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coinmama | 5.9% - 10.9% | Good | One million dollars per month | Good | Excellent | 1 hour - 1 day | You can use it if you're okay paying high fees to an established company. |
| Bitit | 0.4% - 8.75% | Excellent | 100,000 EUR per week | Excellent | Excellent | 2 hours | Great way to safely buy cryptocurrency. So here's the link to their website. |
Important Information About Credit Card Cryptocurrency Purchases
There are two important things to keep in mind when buying cryptocurrency with a credit card.
- There are banks that block this type of purchases. Debit cards aren’t affected though. You can Google “blocks cryptocurrency purchases” plus the name of your bank to find out if you’re affected.
- There are banks that charge a cash advance fee. It’s the greater of $10 or 5%. This fee is applied only to credit cards, not debit cards.
Conclusion Of This List Of Best GDAX & Coinbase Alternatives
I hope this list of GDAX and Coinbase alternatives helped you make a decision. The companies listed here are the best 2019 alternatives I found during many hours of research. While they aren’t perfect, they are definitely much better than GDAX and its parent company Coinbase.
If you’re still not sure, visit my website homepage. There you can get free personalized bitcoin exchange recommendation by answering 10 questions.
Related Links
1) Reddit: Discussion Of Alternatives
2) MakeAWebsiteHub.com: List Of Alternatives
3) BitcoinTalk: Forum Thread About Best Alternative
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