Updated September 29, 2026 · HodlCue Editorial Team
ChangeNOW vs Coinbase
Coinbase
ChangeNOW
Higher score in this comparison
What sets them apart
| Compare | ChangeNOWReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives | CoinbaseReviewVisitVisit |
|---|---|---|
| Coins listed | 1,000Higher | 405 |
| Derivatives | No | YesHas it |
| Taker fee | 0% | Not confirmed |
| Regulators | Not confirmed | Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) |
| Fiat deposit methods | Card, Apple pay | Not confirmed |
| Maker fee | 0% | Not confirmed |
| Withdrawal fee | 0 | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Exchange type (Cex).
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Key differences
- ChangeNOW scores higher overall: 9.4 vs 9.0.
- Founded is lower at Coinbase: 2012 vs 2017.
- Coins listed is higher at ChangeNOW: 1,000 vs 405.
- Derivatives: only Coinbase.
- Support channels: only ChangeNOW offers Chat, Community.
- Support channels: only Coinbase offers Phone.
- Features: only ChangeNOW offers Self custody, Staking.
- Features: only Coinbase offers Crypto, Virtual card.
Our verdict on each
ChangeNOW
ChangeNOW suits UK buyers who want a wide catalogue and fee-free trading: 1,000 coins are listed, and the account set spans custodial, self-custody and staking. The company behind it is CHN Group LLC in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, so weigh what you leave on the platform before you fund it.
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 | ChangeNOW | Coinbase |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.8HigherNothing is charged to trade, with a taker fee of 0% and a withdrawal fee of 0, against an exchange median taker fee of 0.2%. | 9.2Monthly fee is $0, loading is free for direct deposit and free ATM withdrawals are $0. |
| Offer | 9.3HigherA catalogue of 1,000 coins, with custodial and self-custody accounts plus staking, covers both long-tail buyers and holders who want a balance working. | 9.1 |
| Trust | 9.1Higher | 8.8 |
How they place
| Ranking | ChangeNOW | Coinbase |
|---|---|---|
| Crypto exchanges | 38 of 297 | 21 of 297 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | ChangeNOW | Coinbase |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Custodial, Self custody, Staking | Crypto, Custodial, Virtual card |
| Legal entity | CHN Group LLC | Coinbase Luxembourg S.A. |
| Headquarters | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Luxembourg |
| Founded | 2017 | 2012Lower |
| Support channels | Email, Chat, Help centre, Community | Phone, Email, Help centre |
Crypto wallets
| Fact | ChangeNOW | Coinbase |
|---|---|---|
| Wallet type | Not confirmed | Mobile |
| Custody | Not confirmed | Custodial |
| Coins supported | Not confirmed | 405 |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | ChangeNOW | Coinbase | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taker fee | 0%lowest quarter | Not confirmed | 0.15% |
| Coins listed | 1,000highest quarter | 405highest quarter | 76 |
| Maker fee | 0%below the median | Not confirmed | 0.1% |
Median across 219 listed providers.
Pros and cons
ChangeNOW
Pros
- A catalogue of 1,000 coins sits well past Bitpanda at from 650 and ActivTrades at 9.
- Fiat deposits run through card and apple pay, so a UK reader can fund a buy from a card or a mobile wallet.
- Support covers email, chat and help centre, putting a help centre and live chat in front of email and the community.
Cons
- Derivatives are listed as no, so there is no leveraged product here for anyone sizing positions beyond their cash.
- Support runs on email, chat and help centre, and a phone line is not part of that list for urgent account or withdrawal problems.
- The operator is CHN Group LLC in VC rather than a UK company, which matters for anyone leaving a balance on the platform.
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
ChangeNOW
Who it suits
- UK buyers who want the longest catalogue and a taker fee of 0%.
- Readers who want to choose their holding setup, since custodial, self custody and staking covers custodial and self-custody accounts.
- Holders who want staking alongside trading on the same venue.
Who should look elsewhere
- Not bunq, which charges a taker fee of 0.25% to 1.99%, so ChangeNOW wins for anyone who trades often and watches the order book cost.
- Not Bitpanda, whose from 650 coins cover a smaller catalogue than the 1,000 listed here.
- Not ActivTrades, where the coin list is 9 and readers after long-tail tokens will find too little choice.
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
ChangeNOW
Current offer
Bonus
ChangeNOW Pro cashback on exchange transactions: 0.1% to 0.2% of exchange turnover
Free VIP level gives 0.1% cashback with a 1000 NOW monthly cap, Emerald 15 USD/month and Brilliant 100 USD/month plans, Brilliant gives 0.2% with a 50000 NOW cap; paid plans billed in NOW tokens
Source, checked September 26, 2026
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
ChangeNOW
What does it cost to trade on ChangeNOW?+
Nothing at the order book. The taker fee is 0% and the maker fee is 0%, so both sides of the book are free on spot orders. Withdrawals are listed at 0. Anything your card issuer or the chain you send to charges sits outside those numbers.
Who runs ChangeNOW?+
The legal entity is CHN Group LLC, registered in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and the company has been running since 2017. Being an overseas entity is worth factoring in for a UK reader who wants to know exactly which company stands behind the balance.
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
ChangeNOW