Coinbase vs Gemini – Comparison Guide 2025

What this Coinbase vs Gemini review covers are topics that matter to investors. Buy and hold, scalping, exchanging and spending are the features these modern investors look for. 

You’ll find both platforms with a unique twist, but we’re also focused on making a decision. The financial industry is headed in the direction of autonomy, and it can’t be escaped. Coinbase is doing wonders in that direction, and Gemini is thriving as it expands to invite new investors.

By the end of this guide, you will be able to understand the differences and amke a clear decision between Gemini vs Coinbase.

Coinbase vs. Gemini: Which Platform Offers the Most Cryptocurrencies?

Gemini

Get ready to discover and trade over 70-crypto tokens on the Gemini platform. Its online platform offers three perspectives on its crypto offering, and these categories include, “top trending, top movers and new releases.” 

For each asset the platform ticks, you also get access to in-depth research to learn about and analyze cryptocurrency. After buying or converting cash into crypto, you then get access to Gemini’s portfolio dashboard where you’ll see the price change of what you own. 

Here’s a list, based on market cap, of the top 10 tokens Gemini offers:

• Bitcoin
• Ether
• Tether
• Solana
• USD Coin
• XRP
• Lido Staked ETH
• Dogecoin
• Cardano
• Wrapped Bitcoin

Coinbase

Hands down, Coinbase offers, though not all as crypto, 16,003 blockchain assets, including cryptocurrencies. The exchange also tracks each major token in the market, and you can watch these tickers at the homepage. For the exact amount, you’ll find 243 individual coins to trade. 

Each gets managed alongside 589 pairs that match with other tokens or your native, fiat currency. As of 2024, Coinbase accepts just over 60 fiat currencies and offers an exchange for each also. The top 10 tokens hosted by Coinbase, regarding market capitalization, are:  

• Bitcoin
• Ethereum
• Tether
• BNB
• Solana
• USDCoin
• XRP
• Dogecoin
• TRON
• Toncoin

Comparing Crypto Selection 

In this aspect, we fell in love with Coinbase’s selection. 

As far as accessing the blockchain industry and even doing personal spending, what Gemini offers is still a worthwhile handful. What Coinbase does in comparison is more decentralized. You get access to a far stretch of the most legit market in crypto history.

Coinbase vs. Gemini: Who Offers the Most Attractive Fees? 

Here’s where we cover Coinbase vs Gemini fees.

Gemini

The Gemini fees vs Coinbase schedule is based on the asset you trade and the frequency in which you trade them. From the onset, it’s clear that Gemini has a complex schedule for managing fees. There’s a takers fee that triggers when your order is executed immediately. 

Other orders under $10 are charged .99 cents, which is practically a dollar. Orders over $10 are charged a set fee of $1.49. This model continues to adjust based on the amount of your transaction, reaching up to $4.90 per $75 you exchange. 

If you store your crypto on Gemini servers, there’s a monthly Custody Fee of roughly $30. The one reasonable rate we found was for the Gemini ActiveTrader platform, which charges .10% to .20% per transaction. It is free to transfer money except for a wire transfer or when using PayPal. 

Mobile fees, which incur during instant mobile orders, are also charged .99 cents to $1.49.

Coinbase

The exchange’s fees, according to Coinbase, depend on your, “… payment method, order size, market conditions, [location], asset, and other costs we incur to facilitate your transaction.” We think it initially appears to be a hefty list, but your cost is ultimately based on use.

The upside is that Coinbase is still transparent about fees. Before any transactions get completed, you’ll be presented with your final cost. What traders will want to look for are spreads, which is the difference between the buy and sell prices. 

Coinbase One is available for traders to pay a monthly subscription to avoid trading fees. 

This won’t, however, bypass network and transaction fees. Operating your wallet on a separate blockchain comes with a fee the blockchain charges. Transferring money and crypto from different wallets will also be charged based on the tokens or fiat being exchanged. 

*Staking incurs a fee but only on the rewards. You can stake or unstake without extra costs. 

Comparing Transaction Fees

Some might say that Gemini has a very niched sector of the financial markets. The platform’s brothers and founders are well-connected. It attracts some impressive developers, and the fee structure reflects that. With your oversight, both platforms can work by knowing your order type. 

Though Coinbase is overall cheaper, it is also more democratized as a global platform.

Comparison of the Functionalities Offered by Coinbase and Gemini

Gemini

Gemini makes crypto trading as seamless as possible.

Relying on both a mobile and desktop platform, the exchange gives you some flexibility and great transparency in trading. Its mobile platform is adjusted to give mobile phones a unique engagement but tablets their own. 

Gemini hopes to take trading even further through its ActiveTrader platform.

This proprietary extension was built by actual traders and designed to give day traders the charts and order types they need. From Japanese candles to position hedging, ActiveTrade is fairly dynamic. 

Coinbase

The overall functionality of Coinbase is quite impressive.

It’s diverse, meaning that you can store crypto, trade crypto, buy NFTs and even use the platform’s wallet to make purchases. In holding true to its own motto, Coinbase is truly setting the future of money. 

It offers all of the connections you’ll need to enter the crypto world, which cover gaming, content creation and common, daily spending. If you’re also trading crypto via price charts, you can still get the platform’s additional functions and features. Instructional content is available. 

As an investor, opening an institutional account will offer you better fees for high-volume trading. On the other hand, if you’re a developer, then Coinbase will empower you to connect with blockchains, manage digital projects and fund your ventures into the future. 

Comparing Functionalities

Gemini’s ActiveTrader is really impressive. It’s clear to grasp, sleek and helpful to the eyes. 

Yes, it’s a trader’s platform, so user beware and risk only what you’re capable of. Now, there’s more to Gemini than entries and exits, but it handles those operations well. Gemini is also attractive when using it as a base for your development projects.

Coinbase also has some appeal overall in functionality, but often basic and neutral in design. 

Which Exchange Offers the Best User Experience?

Gemini

Gemini’s ActiveTrader platform is very all-inclusive, but the exchange integrates with TradingView, giving you even more flexibility. You decide on which platform is ideal, but both are powered by the same exchange, Gemini. 

Its algorithm will execute orders within milliseconds, and this is partly due to liquidity partners Gemini relies on. These partners keep Gemini loaded with enough cash to exchange orders extremely fast. You can rely on the platform executing your orders at your exact price. 

Coinbase

The dynamic approach taken by Coinbase means you can interconnect with the larger world. This doesn’t, however, mean that you will navigate its technology in the manner you prefer. It’s always best to open demo accounts before going live with any type of broker. 

What you’ll find on Coinbase starts with your personal account and its dashboard.

From there, the agency does a reasonable job of leaving all of the toggles you’ll need on a single screen. You have a mobile format of its platform as well as a desktop one that’s just as flexible. 

As the site clearly boasts, your transactions are also completed instantly—with no delay.    

Comparing User Experience

Asking Gemini or Coinbase was easy in this case.

When you think in terms of a cultural revolution due to blockchain, Coinbase really makes it easy for global citizens. Those who aren’t developers or traders will still be using crypto. Coinbase appeals to them AND investor markets. 

Who Is More Reliable: Gemini or Coinbase?

Here’s where we cover a decision on reliability. Is it Gemini or Coinbase?

Gemini

We were highly impressed with Gemini’s interface, which provides crypto traders with sufficient data to keep them as strategic as possible. One area that might frustrate investors deals with the agency’s fee schedule. 

There are so many ways to incur fees that you might find charges being made without knowing how. Aside from this, Gemini is ideal for new traders even with such an advanced interface to use.  

*Keep in mind that Gemini is currently paying $1 billion back to customers after improperly handling accounts related to its lending services. 

Coinbase

Coinbase is uniquely reliable because of how it manages its fees.

The fee structure is genuinely straightforward. Each transaction will show you those fees before finishing, and this isn’t something that many platforms offer. The Coinbase wallet is also fairly reliable. 

With the tokens you store, you get a choice of a custodial or noncustodial option. The exchange’s reliability has also come under question in recent months. However, Coinbase maintains a rank among the top crypto exchanges around the world.  

Comparing Reliability

It goes without saying that having a flexible wallet is a big plus in the financial markets now. This is the sole reason we choose Coinbase over Gemini. Coinbase is highly accessible and offers at least 60 different currencies from countries around the globe.  

Which Platform Is the Most Secure?

Gemini

Gemini keeps its platform secure by first requesting that you register.

Americans must provide a “state ID, driver’s license, passport or Green Card.” Each account on the exchange is vetted and offered a suite of services for optimal security. Included on the site is a section called Trust.

Here is where users are coached on how to protect their crypto assets and individual accounts. The Trust and Safety teams are human beings who add a layer of security to the exchange. 

Its ambition for safety has made it the first exchange to offer SOC1 Type 2 and SOC 2 Type 2 certifications.

Hardware keys and 2FA security measures are both available. To make things even more secure, Gemini keeps $75 million in crypto reserves to hedge its accounts.

*In 2022, Gemini experienced a data breach where 5.7 million accounts were hacked, and it was also sued for $36 million as result of being hacked.     

Coinbase

Coinbase is among the best exchanges to get started with due to its security measures.

You must actually live in the specific country from which you’re registering. This extra measure of security protects account users from scammers and other fraudulent activity on the website. 

In its own words, “We’re the most trusted place for people and businesses to buy, sell, and manage crypto.”

You get a 1:1 management ratio on your assets, which means only you will move, use, spend or convert your capital. Coinbase operates under U.S. regulations also.

The platform and your personal account get encrypted with proprietary codes. Choose between an 2FA authentication or not. For more security measures, Coinbase support is available to respond to concerns or educate you on your account use. 

*In late 2021, hackers accessed 6,000 Coinbase accounts, but the lost money was reimbursed. Coinbase’s public statement suggests that the users were victims of a phishing scam. 

It might help to consider this Coinbase alternative. 

Comparing Security

We realize that both platforms have endured a few attacks in the past.

This really has more to do with the nature of a new crypto market. We don’t see these hacks, entirely, as a result of the actual infrastructure the platforms have. Overall, however, Coinbase does a much better job at servicing its user accounts.

Who Has the Best Customer Service?

Gemini

Your platform assistance on Gemini comes in a number of forms.

They include the individual sections as follows—“Help Center, Contact Us, System Status and Areas of Availability.” The help center is ideal for questions that you believe you can answer with a quick search. 

Contacting customer service, directly, is done through Gemini’s portal, which is an emailing service. You can also click “Support” on the same page to begin an online chat. The System Status section is where site updates are posted. 

In Areas of Availability, you’ll find more details on which countries have access and how. 

Coinbase 

On Coinbase’s support page, you’ll find a library of articles to answer your research questions. The topics are trading, account settings, staking, taxes and security. Further support is offered through chat but is based on the product you choose. 

You can reach support through email tickets also.

Overall, we admire the robust platform created by Coinbase, but users often complain about the delayed responses they get. Others suggest that the more urgent their needs are, the less they hear back from the support team.  

Comparing Customer Service

Needless to say, both platforms have had its share of hacks and ruins with consumer sentiment.

On this front, you’re at risk, yet the overall service provided by Gemini and Coinbase are reliable for the financial world that’s evolving. Both cases of concern with these exchanges were fixed and even paid back. 

Conclusion: Coinbase or Gemini?

Coinbase or Gemini is always a central question. 

We like the lifeline of both platforms, seeing as though they have scaled alongside Bitcoin. Both names have been the target of legal issues, yet both continue to thrive. They have survived attacks and are building the security crypto needs right now.

For the everyday use of cryptocurrencies, web3.0 and gaming, Coinbase is certainly more flexible. Gemini is great for investors and even a few scalp trades. 

All levels of investors will enjoy Coinbase’s security measures, however.

The exchange has never been accused of mishandling consumer funds like Gemini, and Coinbase keeps growing.