Updated September 29, 2026 · HodlCue Editorial Team
Bitfinex vs Coinbase
Coinbase
Bitfinex
Higher score in this comparison
What sets them apart
| Compare | BitfinexReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives | CoinbaseReviewVisitVisit |
|---|---|---|
| Coins listed | 63 | 405Higher |
| Regulators | Digital Assets Service Provider El Salvador | Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) |
| Taker fee | 0% | Not confirmed |
| Fiat deposit methods | Card, Bank | Not confirmed |
| Maker fee | 0% | Not confirmed |
| Proof of reserves | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Withdrawal fee | Bank wire 0.1% (min 100 USD/Euro) | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Derivatives (Yes), Exchange type (Cex).
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings. Partners with a live offer in your country come first, then every other brand by score.
Key differences
- Bitfinex scores higher overall: 9.4 vs 9.0.
- Regulators: only Bitfinex offers Digital Assets Service Provider El Salvador.
- Regulators: only Coinbase offers Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF).
- Coinbase is licensed in 2 more countries.
- Coins listed is higher at Coinbase: 405 vs 63.
- Support channels: only Bitfinex offers Chat, Community.
- Support channels: only Coinbase offers Phone, Email.
- Features: only Bitfinex offers Staking.
- Features: only Coinbase offers Crypto, Virtual card.
Our verdict on each
Bitfinex
Bitfinex is a custodial exchange built for active traders and long-term holders who want a low cost on every fill rather than a very long coin list. It scores 7.3 overall on HodlCue, trading 63 coins, publishing proof of reserves and adding staking on the same account.
Coinbase
Coinbase suits buyers who want a free card attached to a large custodial exchange rather than a plain spending account. The monthly fee is $0, the free ATM allowance is $0 and the coin list is far wider than the site median of 62.
Score breakdown
| Area | Bitfinex | Coinbase |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.8HigherSpot taker fee of 0% and maker fee of 0%, so trading costs sit at the floor. | 9.2Monthly fee is $0, loading is free for direct deposit and free ATM withdrawals are $0. |
| Offer | 9.2HigherDerivatives and staking with a yield of 3% to 6%, but a coin list of only 63. | 9.1 |
| Trust | 9.2Higher | 8.8 |
How they place
| Ranking | Bitfinex | Coinbase |
|---|---|---|
| Crypto exchanges | 37 of 297 | 21 of 297 |
| Crypto futures exchanges | 21 of 78 | 14 of 78 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Bitfinex | Coinbase |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Custodial, Staking | Crypto, Custodial, Virtual card |
| Legal entity | iFinex Inc. | Coinbase Luxembourg S.A. |
| Headquarters | Virgin Islands, British | Luxembourg |
| Founded | 2012 | 2012 |
| Support channels | Chat, Help centre, Community | Phone, Email, Help centre |
Crypto earn
| Fact | Bitfinex | Coinbase |
|---|---|---|
| Yield | 3% to 6% | Not confirmed |
| Supported assets | TRX, SOL, ADA, DOT, ETH | Not confirmed |
| Lock-up terms | Soft staking, no lock except ETH2 which needs unstaking (weeks to months) | Not confirmed |
| Custody | Custodial | Custodial |
Crypto wallets
| Fact | Bitfinex | Coinbase |
|---|---|---|
| Wallet type | Not confirmed | Mobile |
| Coins supported | Not confirmed | 405 |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Bitfinex | Coinbase | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taker fee | 0%lowest quarter | Not confirmed | 0.15% |
| Coins listed | 63below the median | 405highest quarter | 76 |
| Maker fee | 0%below the median | Not confirmed | 0.1% |
Median across 219 listed providers.
Pros and cons
Bitfinex
Pros
- Proof of reserves is published, which gives you something concrete to check before you deposit.
- Card and bank fiat deposits are both supported, and help runs on chat, help centre and community when something goes wrong.
- Staking is soft, so coins are not locked, except the ether position, which has to be unstaked first over weeks to months.
Cons
- A list of 63 coins puts it at 89 of the 172 brands we track, below the 344.5 the widest lists reach.
- Custody is custodial, so the exchange holds your coins rather than a wallet you control.
- Support runs on chat, help centre and community only, with no email or phone line for urgent cases.
Coinbase
Pros
- No monthly cost: fees are $0 and free for direct deposit
- The exchange lists 405 coins, well past the site median of 62
- The card runs on visa, the most common card network in this ranking at 57.4%
Cons
- Custody is custodial, so keys sit with the provider rather than with you
- Free ATM withdrawals are $0, which is lower than most cards here
- The card is prepaid rather than a debit card, so it draws on a balance you fund first
Who each suits
Bitfinex
Who it suits
- Traders who trade often enough for the taker fee to matter more than the coin list.
- Holders who want a staking yield without locking up access to most of their coins.
- Traders who want spot and derivatives handled from a single account and one fee schedule.
Who should look elsewhere
- Bitpanda, if the coin list matters most to you: it lists from 650 coins against 63 on Bitfinex.
- bunq, if you would rather see a stated taker fee of 0.25% to 1.99% than trade at 0%.
- ActivTrades, if a short list of 9 coins covers everything you want to trade.
Coinbase
Who it suits
- Buyers who already hold a balance on the exchange and want to spend it directly
- People who want one app for buying, holding and card spending
- Traders who value a long coin list over holding keys themselves
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who wants a debit card that draws straight from a bank balance, where Monzo Flex is the better fit
- Self-custody holders who will not leave keys with a provider, where Bitpanda suits comparing self-custody options
- People who want free cash machine withdrawals, where Wise is the stronger alternative
Current offers
Coinbase
Current offer
Bonus
Crypto rewards on every purchase with the Coinbase Card (rotating reward selection)
US Card users only, excluding Hawaii; reward rate is variable; reward offers expire and a new reward can be chosen monthly
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Questions about each
Bitfinex
What are the trading fees on Bitfinex?+
Spot trading is charged at 0% for takers and 0% for makers, so both sides of the book sit at the same figure. That places Bitfinex at 1 on taker fee among the 118 brands we compare, while the site median sits at 0.2%.
How much does it cost to withdraw?+
A bank wire withdrawal costs Bank wire 0.1% (min 100 USD/Euro), and that is the figure published in the exchange's fee table. Because the charge includes a stated minimum, a small transfer can cost more to move than the rate alone suggests, so fewer larger withdrawals usually make more sense than a run of small ones.
Coinbase
What does the Coinbase card cost to hold?+
The monthly fee is $0, and free for direct deposit for direct deposit. That puts it at the joint top of the field on monthly fee, 1 of 379 brands compared. The cost of using it is really in currency conversion and cash machine withdrawals.
Are there free ATM withdrawals with the card?+
Free ATM withdrawals are $0, so cash machine use is charged rather than included. That sits low in this ranking, 38 of 104 brands compared. Readers who take out cash often should weigh the site allowance median of €0 against other cards.
Other options to compare
Other matchups
Coinbase
Bitfinex