eToro vs Coinbase – Which is Best in April 2025?

This eToro vs Coinbase guide offers a side-by-side comparison of the two best crypto exchanges in the US. Here, you will learn about the products they offer. You will also learn about their similarities as well as their core differences. We will tell you which exchange has higher fees, which is more user-friendly, and which integrates more trading tools and features.

By the end of this guide, you will be better positioned to decide where to buy Bitcoin or any of the best cryptos to buy right now.

eToro vs Coinbase Summary

eToro and Coinbase are two of the most popular crypto exchanges. They are famed not just for their appeal to beginner investors but also because of their commitment to the security of client funds. Both crypto exchanes host many of the best beginner cryptos. They also provide their platform users with free and secure crypto wallets.

• eToro: A number of factors help eToro stand out among peers and even give it an edge over competitors like Coinbase. For starters, it has a more transparent fee model. When buying cryptos on the exchange, the transaction charge is fixed at 1% of the trade volume. It is also more secure, evidenced by the fact that it has never been hacked.

Plus, it features superior trading tools, especially its copy trading and copy smart portfolio features.

• Coinbase: Coinbase takes the most pride in its deep liquidity as it is the most liquid exchange in the US. It also lists more digital assets, from the most promising to the most undervalued cryptos. Here, you can trade 100+ digital currencies against 60+ available on eToro. Unlike eToro, however, Coinbase has a more complex fee structure and only integrates basic trading tools and indicators.

In summary, we believe eToro to be the best place to buy both established and new cryptos. It works well for both novice and pro-crypto traders and investors. Coinbase comes in a close second as the best place to buy cryptos that are not yet available on the eToro crypto exchange.

 

What are eToro and Coinbase?

eToro and Coinbase are both crypto trading platforms. They rank highly on most lists of the best crypto exchanges for beginners and the top altcoin trading platforms. They have many similarities and a fair share of their core differences. In this section, we help you gain a better understanding of either exchange and take a closer look at its core features.

What is eToro?

eToro started off as an online forex brokerage in Israel in 2007. Over time, however, it has morphed into one of the most popular multi-asset trading platforms. It currently has more than 30 million users and an established presence in 140+ countries.

Here, you can invest in conventional assets like stocks, indices, bonds, and ETFs. You may also buy 80+ cryptocurrencies on eToro. The exchange is regulated by the likes of the SEC in the US and FCA in the UK.

Below, we look at some of the key features that help it stand out.

eToro Key Features

A number of factors help eToro gain a competitive advantage over most of its peers. In this section, we look at the four features that help make eToro a better exchange than Coinbase.

• Multi-asset platform: eToro, unlike Coinbase, is a multi-asset trading platform. In addition to the best top trending cryptos, you can buy conventional assets on the trading platform. Plus, it doesn’t charge a trading commission when you buy or sell conventional assets.
• Copy trading: eToro actively encourages social investing through copy trading and social trading. Copy trading makes it possible for its platform users to earn passively. Social investing, on the other hand, allows for seamless interactions for all crypto exchange users. They get to collaborate on research, analysis, and even trading strategy formulation.
• Transparent fees: eToro is popular because it is transparent and clear with the trading costs on the platform. It charges a fixed fee for all crypto trades. You also get to see the total cost of the trade before hitting the buy/sell button.
• Demo account: eToro is one of the few crypto trading platforms that offer a free demo account to their clients. Here, you will have access to a demo account loaded with rechargeable $10,000 in virtual funds.

What is Coinbase?

Coinbase is the second most liquid crypto exchange in the world. It also has some of the deepest Bitcoin reserves. Coinbase exchange was founded in 2012 in the US, making it one of the most successful and highly reputable crypto exchanges. It is a pro-regulation exchange and is currently regulated by the SEC and licensed in 42 US states. The platform stands out as one of the most beginner-friendly exchanges.

It also has one of the best crypto exchanges for beginners. First, because it lists all the best cryptos to buy for beginners, and second, because of its user-friendly interface. In addition to facilitating the buying and selling of cryptos, you can also buy NFTs on Coinbase.

Coinbase Key Features

Here are some of the key factors that help Coinbase stand out and give it an edge over the competition.

• Publicly traded: In 2021, Coinbase was listed with NASDAQ under the ticker symbol COIN. This made it the first and only publicly traded crypto exchange in the world.
• Coinbase PRO: Coinbase then launched Coinbase PRO, dedicated to expert crypto investors. It is one of the best crypto trading platforms for day traders as it is home to many advanced trading and analysis tools. It also charges more competitive fees and features more trading pairs.
• Coinbase earn: Coinbase earn program makes it possible for you to earn passively on the platform. It supports staking with competitive rewards for the best altcoins. You also earn free coins and tokens when you learn about different projects and blockchains on Coinbase.

Tradeable Assets at eToro and Coinbase

We have already established that Coinbase and eToro are both crypto exchanges. They are also similar in the sense that they support all the popular cryptocurrencies. They, however, differ slightly when it comes to the number of cryptos supported by either platform. eToro, for example, lets you interact with 80+ cryptos (60 for eToro.US users). Coinbase, on the other hand, supports 100+ cryptos.

eToro makes for a great platform when you want to buy the popular coins. These are established cryptos like Bitcoin and Ethereum, as well as meme coins like Dogecoin and Shiba Inu. You can also buy the best DeFi coins here, from Aave to Maker and even Compound.

Coinbase, on the other hand, makes for a great exchange if you are looking for niche cryptos. It, for instance, is a good place to buy the best Arbitrum tokens. Its decent collection of cryptos also means you can buy the most sustainable cryptos here.

Both eToro and Coinbase regularly add cryptos to their lists – often based on popularity and community support. The two are, therefore, some of the best places to buy the most searched cryptos.

Account Types

eToro presents all its platform users with a standard account. The commission-free account is available to crypto traders and conventional financial instrument investors. It has a minimum deposit/trade requirement of $10.

Coinbase, on the other hand, presents its platform users with two types of accounts. First of the regular crypto trading account. This is dedicated to beginner traders and has all the basic trading features. Here, you can buy cryptos instantly with PayPal and other popular payment options.

In its quest to appeal to expert crypto traders, the altcoin exchange introduced Coinbase PRO. This is slightly different from the regular Coinbase account because it lists more crypto trading pairs. It also maintains a maker/taker fee model and integrates more advanced trading and analysis tools.

eToro Fees vs Coinbase Fees

One of eToro’s key strengths is its transparent fee model. It already maintains highly competitive crypto trading fees. It then lets you know the fees charged on every trade before you hit the buy or sell button. Crypto trading fees are fixed at 1% of the trade volume. It also charges a market spread for all crypto trades.

Coinbase, on the other hand, maintains a rather complex fee structure. When using regular Coinbase, you will pay two types of fees. First is the volume-based fee trading fee.

You will also pay another fee of between 1.49% and 3.99% when buying crypto instantly on Coinbase – depending on the payment method used. Coinbase pro fees are volume-based and range between 0.60% and 0%.

In addition to the trading fees, eToro imposes a $5 withdrawal processing fee. They have also set the minimum withdrawal limit at $30. Coinbase, on the other hand, doesn’t charge withdrawal fees.

The table below compares the cost of buying cryptos on eToro and Coinbase:

 

eToro vs Coinbase User Experience

eToro and Coinbase maintain some of the most user-friendly and highly navigable trading interfaces. This explains why they feature prominently on most crypto lists of where to buy cryptocurrencies.

The navigable interface is one of the primary reasons why eToro has consistently featured among the best crypto exchanges for beginners. For starters, its trading interface is easily navigable, with the key features carefully placed on the personalized user dashboard.

The list of all the cryptos supported by eToro is easily accessible. The exchange then tags a market sentiment analysis report against each crypto. The color-coded metric tells you whether the larger market is buying, holding, or selling the crypto asset.

Coinbase has an equally user-friendly trading interface. The list of supported crypto assets is easily navigable. The chart is elaborate and lets you rank assets based on different metrics. These include price performance in the last hour, 24 hours, 7 days, a month, or all time. You may even rank these assets based on their market cap.

Both altcoin exchanges feature a price chart for each of the supported crypto assets. They also have a straightforward client onboarding process. The crypto buying process on either platform is also quick. They both make it possible to buy cryptos with PayPal, cards, and banks.

eToro and Coinbase Mobile Apps

eToro and Coinbase are multi-platform trading platforms. In addition to the web platforms, they also operate some of the best crypto trading apps. These apps are free and available for download on Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store. You can deposit, buy, and sell cryptos directly using the mobile app.

Note, however, that just as is the case with trading accounts, eToro only has one crypto trading app. Coinbase, on the other hand, presents you with two types of accounts.

The regular Coinbase app is dedicated to beginner traders and lets you buy and sell cryptos instantly. The Coinbase PRO app is, on the other hand, dedicated to pro investors. This has more advanced analysis and charting tools.

Trading Tools & Features on eToro & Coinbase

eToro and Coinbase differ significantly when it comes to integrated features and tools. Below, we look at the popular tools and features integrated on either platform.

Technical indicators

Both eToro and Coinbase integrate technical tools into the trading platform. But while eToro supports limited charting tools, Coinbase is more in-depth. It is easy to say that eToro is designed for use by beginners, while Coinbase appeals to expert traders.

eToro presents you with a limited type of charts – candlestick, bar, and line charts. It then integrates a decent range of drawing and technical analysis tools. These range from RSI, MACD, Bollinger bands, and moving averages. It also makes it possible to compare the price action of two cryptocurrencies on the same chart.

You will, however, note that eToro lacks some critical tools. You also can’t initiate the buy or sell process from the charts page. The simple explanation for this is that the altcoin exchange is designed to appeal to beginner investors, not active traders.

Coinbase, on the other hand, especially Coinbase PRO, is home to 100+ advanced trading tools and indicators. It hosts virtually all the charting tools and indicators integrated into eToro and some more. For example, in addition to candlesticks, bar, and line charts, Coinbase also integrates the depth chart.

The Coinbase PRO trading platform also makes it possible to initiate a buy or sell order on the charting page. It also gives you access to the real-time price history of the crypto. Plus, it lets you set price alerts for the digital currency.

In the table below, we compare the features and tools integrated by the two crypto exchanges.

Research and analysis

Both eToro and Coinbase integrate a growing range of research and analysis tools into their exchanges. These include the most common, especially industry news and the economic calendar. But eToro takes this a step further and injects a lot of proprietary research content.

These include personalized research and analysis reports by popular investors shared on the social investing forum. Plus, for each of the listed cryptos, eToro provides you with a detailed breakdown of everything you need to know about the coin. It then analyzes the market and marks every crypto with buy, sell, or hold indicators reflecting the overall market sentiment.

Crypto learn

Both eToro and Coinbase are home to one of the most comprehensive user education tools. They both integrate a comprehensive user education page on their website. These are dedicated to crypto beginners and teach them everything one needs to know before going into crypto. Beginners learn how to invest in cryptos and how to keep their assets safe.

Social and copy-trading

eToro is wildly popular because of its social and copy-trading features. This helps set it apart from Coinbase and virtually any other altcoin exchange out there. It has a social investing forum where anyone can share their analysis and market research reports. You can also comment on other investor’s opinions and reports or share your ideas about specific cryptos.

Copy trading, on the other hand, is the largest passive investing program championed by the crypto brokerage. It lets you mirror the trade settings of the most successful crypto traders into your account. This is especially helpful for beginner traders as it lets them profit from the crypto market while they learn how to trade. Popular investors also receive a commission for allowing others to copy their trades.

However, the copy trading feature extends beyond individual cryptos to crypto portfolios. If you are looking to diversify your crypto investing portfolio, eToro has come up with smart portfolios that you can copy. These are highly customizable and take into account not just your investing goals but also your risk tolerance. And you only need $200 to start copy trading on the exchange.

Demo accounts

Demo accounts are also commonly referred to as practice accounts and serve multiple purposes. For starters, they help newbies familiarize themselves with a crypto trading platform. Secondly, they help pro traders come up with and test new investing strategies. eToro is one of the few top crypto exchanges that provide its platform users with a free demo account.

eToro vs Coinbase Payments & Minimum Deposit

Both eToro and Coinbase accept deposits from a wide range of payment processors. Coinbase, for example, accepts both crypto and fiat deposits. It supports all the popular fiat payment methods, making it one of the best places to buy Bitcoin with credit cards and debit cards. In addition to cards, it accepts bank deposits as well as eWallets like PayPal and Apple Pay.

eToro, on the other hand, doesn’t accept crypto deposits but processes all the popular fiat payment processors. You, therefore, can easily buy Bitcoin with PayPal on eToro. Other supported payment methods include bank deposits, ACH transfers, and eWallets like Skrill and Neteller.

eToro has an edge over Coinbase when it comes to deposits because it doesn’t deposit processing fees. When buying cryptos instantly with fiat on Coinbase, you will be paying higher fees of between 1.49% and 3.99% – depending on the payment method. We must also add that, unlike eToro, Coinbase doesn’t charge a withdrawal processing fee.

Customer Service

Both eToro and Coinbase maintain highly responsive customer support teams.

To access help, you are advised to first consult their FAQs on the website. Here, you will find multiple how-to guides and video tutorials. These explain how to solve the most common challenges facing crypto traders.

If unable to resolve your issue, contact the support team by raising a support ticket on the website. A customer service agent will reach out to you via email in less than 24 hours.

Help at Coinbase also starts with their comprehensive FAQs page. If unable to resolve your issue, you may contact the Coinbase customer support team via live chat. You will first interact with a chatbot, but you can always ask for human help. Alternatively, you can call the Coinbase support team.

eToro vs Coinbase Regulation & Security

Both eToro and Coinbase are pro-regulation exchanges. They have subjected themselves to licensing and oversight by different financial regulators and government agencies across the world.

eToro is, for example, one of the most regulated crypto exchanges in the world. It is regulated by the SEC in the US, FCA in the UK, CySEC in Europe, ASIC in Australia, and FSCA in South Africa. Coinbase, on the other hand, is regulated by the likes of SEC in the US, it is also regulated in 42 US states, and the FCA in the UK.

eToro Security

eToro is one of the safest crypto exchanges in the world today, as evidenced by the fact that it has never been hacked. It is also a safe exchange because it has put in place multiple safeguards aimed at keeping your data and assets secure. For starters, eToro doesn’t share client information with third parties. Secondly, it [presents users with two free crypto wallets.

First is the exchange-based wallet that holds 90%+ of client assets in offline vaults. You also get a free non-custodial crypto mobile app for iOS and Android – eToro Money Wallet. eToro also insures client deposits of up to $250,000 with the FDIC. It also requires you to come up with a secure password for accounts and supports two-factor authentication.

Coinbase Security

Coinbase has also put in place multiple security safeguards aimed at making client funds and data safe. For starters, it also provides users with two free crypto wallets. First is the exchange-based wallet that holds 98% of client assets in offline vaults while insuring the remaining 2%. You also get a non-custodial Bitcoin wallet mobile app for iPhone and Android.

Coinbase, like eToro, claims that it doesn’t share sensitive client data with third parties. It also insures client deposits of up to $250,000 with the FDIC. Further, it requires a strong password for your crypto trading and wallet apps. It also supports multi-factor authentication.

eToro vs Coinbase – Which is the best option for beginners?

Both eToro and Coinbase are held in high regard as the best exchanges for beginner investors. Both have oversimplified the crypto investing process on their platforms. They also have comprehensive education tabs and support beginner-friendly payment options.

We must, however, observe that eToro has positioned itself as the best place to buy the hottest cryptos. Coinbase, on the other hand, can be said to be the best place to buy new cryptos.

That said, there are a few reasons why we believe eToro has a slight edge over Coinbase:

First, eToro is more transparent and competitive with the trading fees on its platform. We have already mentioned that the price of buying at eToro is fixed at 1%, while fees at Coinbase are close to 4%.

Secondly, the eToro platform is easier to use. Coinbase integrates many advanced crypto trading and analysis tools that may confuse novice investors. eToro has, on the other hand, made the crypto buying process as simple as possible.

Thirdly, eToro has an edge over Coinbase because it integrates social investing and copy trading features. These not only simplify the crypto trading process on eToro but also help all the platform users earn passively.

Verdict – eToro vs Coinbase

After going through this eToro vs Coinbase comparative guide, you will note that the two exchanges have a lot of similarities. They, for instance, are truly beginner-friendly, are easy to use, and give free wallets to users. But they also have some core differences. eToro, for example, charges more competitive fees and supports social/copy investing.

Our verdict is that eToro has demonstrated to be the better crypto trading platform.

Ready to start buying the next coins to explode on eToro? Read this crypto investing guide that teaches you how to buy cryptos like Bitcoin and Shiba Inu on eToro.

Reviewed and Fact Checked by Kamal Masri, Crypto Writer and Investment Analyst.