Pionex vs Coinbase | Where Should You Buy & Earn Crypto?

pionex vs coinbase image
Jack Moreau
Feb 2024
9 min read
Fact checked

Pionex or Coinbase: Our team has deep dived into their respective product features, trading fees and much more to help you make the right choice. In this comprehensive comparison, you'll gain valuable insight into the pros and cons of Pionex and Coinbase!

Coinbase

Trade +240 Cryptocurrencies

Earn 5% Interest On USDC

Great UX & Beginner Friendly

Safest Crypto Exchange

Visit Coinbase
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
MEXC

1780 Cryptos & Deep Liquidity

Spot/Perps/Copy Trading

Low Fees & 200X Leverage

KYC Not Required

Visit MEXC
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.

Pionex vs Coinbase Comparison

Pionex
Coinbase
MEXC
Founded
2019
2012
2018
Registered
Singapore
United States
Seychelles
Countries N/A
OFAC countries
OFAC
OFAC
Users
1M
120M
6M
Cryptos
+370
+200
1780
Spot Fees
0.05%
0.4%-0.6%
0.2%
KYC Required
Yes
Yes
No
Best for
Cheap altcoin trading
Earning USDC Interest
Altcoins & 200X Leverage
Rating
Signup
Pionex
Your Capital is at risk.
Coinbase
Your Capital is at risk.
MEXC
Your Capital is at risk

Pionex is a relatively new player in the cryptocurrency exchange space having been launched in 2019.

Despite its young age, Pionex has quickly gained popularity for its unique use of trading bots which automate trading strategies for users.

Pionex trading bots
Pionex trading bots

The platform offers over 370 different cryptocurrencies including large caps like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cosmos as well as many lesser-known altcoins.

Pionex is estimated to have over 1 million users around the world with over 500,000 downloads on its Android app and an average rating of 4.2 stars.

Pionex app
Pionex app

Pionex offers a wide selection of over 370 cryptocurrencies to choose from, making it a great option for those looking for a diverse range of trading pairs.

Coinbase is one of the biggest players in the cryptocurrency exchange space with over 100 million users mainly based in the US and Europe.

Founded in 2012, Coinbase is known for being a secure, highly regulated and user-friendly exchange.

Coinbase exchange interface
Coinbase exchange interface

Coinbase provides support for over 200 cryptocurrencies which means that users will be able to find most well known cryptocurrencies on the platform.

Coinbase also offers a good range of products such as spot trading, recurring buys, staking, learn and earn and some custody solution for institutional investors.

Coinbase app
Coinbase app

The exchange caters to both retail and institutional investors with its advanced trading platform, Coinbase Pro, offering additional features and lower fees.

Coinbase has over 10 million downloads on both Android and IOS and an average rating of 4.1 stars based on over 750,000 reviews.

Pionex vs Coinbase Signup & KYC

There are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to signing up for a cryptocurrency exchange.

One of the most important quesions is if the exchange requires all of it's users to pass a Know Your Customer (KYC) process.

Pionex level 1 verification
Pionex level 1 verification

This is used to verify a user's identity. In this area, Pionex and Coinbase have taken a similar approaches as KYC is required by both exchanges.

To sign up for Pionex, all you need is an email address or phone number. Once you've logged in, you'll be prompted to complete the KYC verification process.

This can usually be done within 15-60 minutes which is quite fast compared to many other exchanges. In my case, once I uploaded my ID and conducted the face scan, the verification was completed within 2 minutes.

Like Pionex, KYC is required to trade on Coinbase. To sign up for Coinbase, you need to provide your full name, email and then verify your email in order to login to your account.

The verification process takes a few minutes to submit the required documents and can be verified in a few minutes to a few hours.

However, the verification process in most cases take longer than Pionex and is worst cases up to a business day or two.

Pionex vs Coinbase Products & Services

Coinbase as one of the leading exchanges in the world has strategically developed its offerings to accommodate both beginner investors and large-scale institutional clients.

Coinbase USPs
Coinbase USPs

Its adherence to stringent U.S. regulations has resulted in a more conservative product lineup compared to some offshore exchanges, particularly in terms of high-leverage trading options.

This approach, while potentially less attractive to seasoned traders seeking high-risk, high-reward opportunities, has made Coinbase a more accessible and simpler platform for those new to cryptocurrency trading.

Coinbase Dashboard
Coinbase Dashboard

Users on Coinbase have two main interfaces to choose from, the standard Coinbase interface ideal for beginners or the Advanced interface which offers more complex tools and features.

Coinbase Buy & Sell
Coinbase Buy & Sell

Coinbase supports a wide range of cryptocurrency transactions with over 240 digital currencies available for trade.

Users can engage in trading through a straightforward buy-and-sell feature or delve into spot trading in the Advanced section.

Coinbase Spot Trading
Coinbase Spot Trading

The platform also facilitates Dollar Cost Averaging through its recurring buy feature, allowing users to invest gradually over time.

Recently, Coinbase expanded its product range to include futures for BTC and ETH, as well as perpetual contracts.

Coinbase Futures
Coinbase Futures

Coinbase currently supports perpetual contracts for BTC, ETH, LTC, SOL, XRP, and AVAX, with leverage up to 5X.

And while Coinbase is a leading exchange in terms of spot trading volume, it currently has a more modest position in the futures market.

Coinbase Trading Volumes
Coinbase Trading Volumes

A notable offering from Coinbase is the attractive 5% interest rate on USDC, providing an opportunity for users to earn passive income.

Coinbase Earn
Coinbase Earn

Additionally, Coinbase has innovated with its learn-and-earn program where users can educate themselves about different blockchain projects and earn token rewards.

Coinbase Learn & Earn
Coinbase Learn & Earn

And those that want to access the world of NFTs, Coinbase users can easily mint, discover, and trade NFTs across various blockchains, including Ethereum, Base, and Polygon.

Coinbase NFTs
Coinbase NFTs

For more real world usages, Coinbase offers a Visa Card that allows users to spend their crypto or USD holdings and earn rewards from everyday purchases.

Coinbase Visa Card
Coinbase Visa Card

For users preferring to hold their digital assets in a non-custodial manner, the Coinbase Wallet is an ideal solution.

Coinbase Wallet
Coinbase Wallet

It allows for the secure storage and management of 10,000s of cryptocurrencies on blockchains like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Dogecoin, Polygon, Avalanche and many others.

The introduction of the Coinbase One Membership priced at $29.99 monthly is another new introduction that allow for benefits such as zero-fee trades, increased staking rewards, and prioritized support.

Coinbase One Membership
Coinbase One Membership

The platform's status as a U.S.-based public company ensures adherence to stringent regulatory standards, enhancing its appeal as a safe and reliable exchange.

This reliability is a key factor for large institutions like BlackRock and Grayscale, which use Coinbase for trading and custody services for a variety of cryptocurrencies.

Coinbase Institutions
Coinbase Institutions

With Coinbase Prime, high-net-worth individuals and institutional clients have access to an array of advanced trading tools, financing solutions, secure cold storage, and comprehensive staking services.

Coinbase Prime
Coinbase Prime

Pionex offers spot and leverage trading as well as an interesting derivative product called Lotto where users can bet on price direction with leverage.

Pionex Spot Trading
Pionex Spot Trading

In addition, they have 16 grid bots that let you automate different trading strategies. Plus, with daily spot trading volume frequently exceeding $1.5 billion, Pionex is a top 10 exchange in terms of liquidity.

Pionex trading bots
Pionex trading bots
Pionex
Coinbase
MEXC
Spot Trading
Yes
Yes
Yes
Futures
Yes
Yes
Yes
Perps
Yes
Yes
Yes
Margin
-
-
-
Options
-
-
-
OTC Desk
-
Yes
-
Copy Trading
-
-
Yes
Trading Bots
Yes
-
-
Staking
Yes
Yes
Yes
Lend & Borrow
-
Yes
Yes
NFTs
-
Yes
-
Web 3 Wallet
-
Yes
-
Debit Card
-
Yes
-
Signup
Pionex
Your Capital is at risk.
Coinbase
Your Capital is at risk.
MEXC
Your Capital is at risk

Pionex vs Coinbase Fees

One major factor to consider when deciding which exchange to choose is trading fees. Let's compare Pionex and Coinbase and see which one offers lower fees.

First up, let's take a look at Coinbase's trading fees. They charge a spot maker fee of 0.40% which is on the higher end compared to other exchanges like Binance and OKX which charge 0.1%.

Coinbase spot fees vs Pionex
Coinbase spot fees vs Pionex

Their spot taker fee is even higher at 0.60%. Unfortunately, Coinbase doesn't offer futures or margin trading so there are no fees to discuss there.

Now let's continue with Pionex. They offer the lowest spot trading fees on the market with a maker and taker fee of just 0.05%.

For leveraged products, the fee doubles to 0.1%, which is still much lower than Coinbase's fees.

While Coinbase doesn't offer futures trading, Pionex does, and they charge a futures maker fee of 0.02% and a futures taker fee of 0.04%.

Pionex spot fees
Pionex spot fees

Pionex trading fees are not only impressive compared to the higher fees of Coinbase but are actually some of the lowest trading fees on the market.

Pionex
Coinbase
MEXC
Spot (mkr)
0.05-0.1%
0.4%
0.2%
Spot (tkr)
0.05-0.1%
0.6%
0.2%
Futures (mkr)
-
-
0%
Futures (tkr)
-
-
0.02%
Signup
Pionex
Your Capital is at risk.
Coinbase
Your Capital is at risk.
MEXC
Your Capital is at risk

Pionex vs Coinbase Deposit Methods

In terms of deposit methods, Pionex and Coinbase offer different options for their users. Pionex only allows for bank deposits in EUR via SEPA. Pionex's deposit options may be limited but they do not charge any fees for deposits made via SEPA. Users on Pionex can also purchase crypto with credit and debit cards through third-party providers like Banxa, Simplex and AlchemyPay.

Buy crypto with card on Pionex
Buy crypto with card on Pionex

Meanwhile, Coinbase has a wider range of fiat currencies that can be deposited such as USD, EUR, and GBP. Deposits can be made via ACH, wire transfer (USD), SEPA (EUR), and Swift (GBP). Coinbase ACH deposits are free and wire transfers come with a fee of $10 USD.

Coinbase fiat deposits
Coinbase fiat deposits

Coinbase offers the convenience of having multiple fiat currencies and deposit methods, including bank transfers and various fiat currencies. Overall, both exchanges offer their own unique options for depositing funds. It ultimately comes down to the user's preference and the specific fiat currencies they want to use. Pionex may be more suitable for those who have EUR as their primary currency while Coinbase offers more flexibility with additional fiat currencies such as USD and GBP.

Pionex
Coinbase
MEXC
USD
-
ACH/Wire
-
EUR
SEPA (Free)
SEPA
-
GBP
-
SWIFT
-
Signup
Pionex
Your Capital is at risk.
Coinbase
Your Capital is at risk.
MEXC
Your Capital is at risk

Pionex vs Coinbase Withdrawal Methods

Let's continue by looking at the withdrawal methods offered by each exchange. Starting with Pionex, users are only able to withdraw cryptocurrencies from the platform. Withdrawing Bitcoin comes with a fee of 0.0004 BTC while withdrawing Ether comes with a fee of 0.0004 ETH. Withdrawing SOL incurs a fee of 0.01 SOL and withdrawing ERC-20 USDT comes with a fee of 10 USDT.

Coinbase also users have the option to withdraw fiat currencies as well as cryptocurrencies. Fiat withdrawals are available via ACH, wire transfer, SEPA, and Swift, with different fees depending on the method chosen. ACH withdrawals are free while wire withdrawals come with a $25 USD fee. SEPA withdrawals have a fee of 0.15 EUR and Swift withdrawals come with a 1 GBP fee.

As for cryptocurrency withdrawals, Coinbase charges a fee of 0.0001 BTC for Bitcoin withdrawals and $3 fee when withdrawing USDT. Both Coinbase and Pionex generally don't charge too high fees when withdrawing cryptocurrencies. The big downside of Pionex however is the lack of fiat withdrawals.

Pionex
Coinbase
MEXC
USD
-
ACH/Wire
-
EUR
-
SEPA
-
GBP
-
Wire/SWIFT
-
Signup
Pionex
Your Capital is at risk.
Coinbase
Your Capital is at risk.
MEXC
Your Capital is at risk
Pionex
Coinbase
MEXC
Bitcoin
0.0004 BTC
0.0003 BTC
0.0003 BTC
Ethereum
0.0004 ETH
0.003 ETH
0.0001 ETH
Solana
0.01 SOL
0.008 SOL
0.01 SOL
USDT (ERC-20)
10 USDT
2.9 USDT
$4 USDT
Signup
Pionex
Your Capital is at risk.
Coinbase
Your Capital is at risk.
MEXC
Your Capital is at risk

Is Pionex better than Coinbase?

In conclusion, Pionex is a relatively new player in this space but has quickly garnered popularity for its unique use of trading bots and its fast KYC verification process. With over 370 cryptocurrencies to to buy and sell, Pionex offers a wide selection of digital assets that will satisfy most users.

Moreover, Pionex has some of the lowest trading fees on the market with only 0.05% spot fees for makers and takers. This makes it a great option for those looking to save money on trading fees. Even more so when compared to Coinbase's high 0.4-0.6% maker and taker fees.

Coinbase is one of the biggest players in the industry with over 100 million users worldwide. They offer more traditional products and services as they are a highly regulated exchanged based in the US. These services include spot trading, staking, and educational programs. With over 200 cryptocurrencies supported, Coinbase caters to both retail and institutional investors.

One clear upside that Coinbase has compared to Pionex is that it offers much more flexibility when it comes both to the number of support fiat currencies but also deposit and withdrawal methods. In this regards, Pionex is best used by depositing cryptocurrencies to trade as opposed to buying crypto with fiat currencies.

Coinbase

Trade +240 Cryptocurrencies

Earn 5% Interest On USDC

Great UX & Beginner Friendly

Safest Crypto Exchange

Visit Coinbase
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
MEXC

1780 Cryptos & Deep Liquidity

Spot/Perps/Copy Trading

Low Fees & 200X Leverage

KYC Not Required

Visit MEXC
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
Author
Jack Moreau
Jack is a crypto writer and reviewer who has been active in the space since he caught the crypto bug in 2017. With a passion for trying out new shiny things, Jack is always eager to try the latest cryptocurrency exchanges, wallets or DeFi applications.

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