Updated September 29, 2026 · HodlCue Editorial Team
Bitpanda vs Gate.io
Bitpanda
Gate.io
Higher score in this comparison
Bitpanda vs Gate.io: the differences
| Compare | BitpandaReviewVisitVisit | Gate.ioReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Coins listed | from 650 | 1,510 |
| Regulators | FMA (Austria), BaFin (Germany), Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA), Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) | Malta Financial Services Authority (MiCA, crypto asset service provider), Malta Financial Services Authority (payment institution under PSD2), Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), Dubai, Japan (licensed exchange acquired 2024, regulator not named), Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) |
| Taker fee | Not confirmed | 0.1% |
| Fiat deposit methods | Not confirmed | Card, SEPA, Apple pay |
| Maker fee | Not confirmed | 0.1% |
| Proof of reserves | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Derivatives | Not confirmed | Yes |
Same on both: Exchange type (Cex).
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Key differences
- Gate.io scores higher overall: 9.4 vs 9.1.
- Regulators: only Bitpanda offers FMA (Austria), BaFin (Germany), Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA).
- Regulators: only Gate.io offers Malta Financial Services Authority (MiCA, crypto asset service provider), Malta Financial Services Authority (payment institution under PSD2), Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), Dubai.
- Features: only Bitpanda offers Crypto, Multi currency, Travel.
Our verdict on each
Bitpanda
Bitpanda suits people who want one crypto exchange and one debit card with no monthly charge and no currency conversion markup. The catch is how the money is held: the card is custodial, so the provider keeps the crypto rather than the holder. Regulated entities sit in Austria, Germany and Malta.
Gate.io
Gate.io suits traders who want a very long coin list alongside spot and derivatives trading, and it is licensed in Malta and Dubai. Trading fees of 0.1% sit below the 0.2% site taker fee median, while 1,510 coins listed puts it well ahead of most rivals.
Score breakdown
| Area | Bitpanda | Gate.io |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.4HigherMonthly fee of €0 and currency conversion fee of 0%, so card spending costs nothing on either count. | 9.0Fees of 0.1% taker and 0.1% maker on spot sit under the 0.2% site median. |
| Offer | 8.8 | 9.5Higher |
| Trust | Not confirmed | 9.6 |
How they place
| Ranking | Bitpanda | Gate.io |
|---|---|---|
| Crypto exchanges | 6 of 297 | 41 of 297 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Bitpanda | Gate.io |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Crypto, Custodial, Multi currency, Travel, Virtual cardCovers more | Custodial |
| Legal entity | Bitpanda GmbH | Gate Technology Limited |
| Headquarters | Austria | Malta |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 2013 |
| Support channels | Not confirmed | Email, Community |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Bitpanda | Gate.io | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taker fee | Not confirmed | 0.1%below the median | 0.15% |
| Coins listed | from 650highest quarter | 1,510highest quarter | 76 |
| Maker fee | Not confirmed | 0.1%at the median | 0.1% |
Median across 219 listed providers.
Pros and cons
Bitpanda
Pros
- Monthly fee of €0 and a currency conversion fee of 0%, which beats the card comparison set where the typical figure is 1%
- A debit card on the visa network, so it works in the same terminals and apps as other Visa cards
- Cashback of 1% on spending, money that stays in the account rather than being spent twice
Cons
- Custody is custodial, so the provider holds the crypto and the holder does not control the keys
- A currency conversion fee of 0% leaves no room to cut costs elsewhere, unlike Wise where spending money abroad is the point
- The card is a debit card, so a crypto balance cannot be moved into a self-custody wallet the way it can from a non-custodial provider
Gate.io
Pros
- 1,510 coins listed against a 62 site median, with derivatives trading on the same platform.
- A Malta Financial Services Authority MiCA licence with id MiCA CASP 984500D6A0F945BB5A15, plus a VARA registration in Dubai.
- Deposits by card, sepa and apple pay let European buyers fund the account from a card, a SEPA transfer or a phone.
Cons
- Support runs on email and community only, so help arrives by email or through the community rather than a live agent.
- Accounts are custodial, so the exchange holds the keys to your assets rather than you.
- Taker fees of 0.1% rank 34 on the site, well above the 0% charged by ActivTrades.
Who each suits
Bitpanda
Who it suits
- Anyone who wants a single regulated European exchange with a spending card attached
- People who spend in euro and rarely need to convert, given the currency conversion fee of 0%
- Holders who prefer a custodial setup run by a licensed company rather than managing keys themselves
Who should look elsewhere
- Self-custody holders, since custody here is custodial and the keys stay with the provider
- Anyone whose main need is cheap international spending, where Wise is the better fit
- Credit users, since the card is a debit card and Monzo Flex or the BMW Card from American Express are built around borrowing
Gate.io
Who it suits
- Active traders who want spot and derivatives in a single custodial account.
- European buyers who want a named regulator and a published licence id.
- Long tail traders: 1,510 coins listed, against from 650 at Bitpanda.
Who should look elsewhere
- Bitpanda, if a curated euro retail list suits better than 1,510 coins.
- ActivTrades, if you trade heavily and would rather pay 0% in taker fees.
- bunq, if paying fees of 0.25% to 1.99% per trade suits your volume better than 0.1%.
Country by country
| Country | Bitpanda | Gate.io |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | Yes | No |
| Belgium | Yes | No |
| Croatia | Yes | No |
| Cyprus | Yes | No |
| Estonia | Yes | No |
| Finland | Yes | No |
| France | Yes | No |
| Germany | Yes | No |
8 of 20 countries where either is available.
Questions about each
Bitpanda
How much does the Bitpanda card cost to hold?+
The monthly fee is €0, so there is no recurring charge for keeping the card and using it. The typical monthly fee across the site is €0, with a highest figure of €99, so this card sits at the free end of the range.
Does the card charge for spending in another currency?+
The currency conversion fee is 0%, so there is no conversion markup on top of the exchange rate. For comparison, the typical conversion fee across the site is 1% and the spread runs from 0% to 10.5%.
Gate.io
What do Gate.io charge for trading?+
Gate.io charges 0.1% for taker trades and 0.1% for maker trades on its standard schedule. Both sit below the 0.2% site median for taker fees, so regular trading keeps costs on the cheaper side of the market for most users.
Which regulators license Gate.io?+
The Malta Financial Services Authority lists Gate.io as a crypto-asset service provider under MiCA and as a payment institution, with licence id MiCA CASP 984500D6A0F945BB5A15. Gate.io is also registered with the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority in Dubai and holds a licensed exchange in Japan, and the full list of entries sits under Malta Financial Services Authority (MiCA, crypto asset service provider), Malta Financial Services Authority (payment institution under PSD2) and Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), Dubai.
Other options to compare
Other matchups
Bitpanda
Gate.io