Coinbase Review: Is It the Best Crypto Platform for You?

Coinbase is one of the most popular cryptocurrency platforms, offering users a straightforward option for buying, selling, converting, and managing digital assets. Our Coinbase review is designed to help you understand what Coinbase offers you as a trader and whether you should consider using it.

There are several factors that should be part of your decision process, including:

  • Security
  • Reputation
  • Trading fees
  • User experience
  • Supported cryptocurrencies and trades
  • Safe storage for digital assets (Coinbase Wallet is an example)

While there are plenty of cryptocurrency exchanges that offer all of the above, Coinbase consistently rates near the top and has the best security overall. Keep reading our Coinbase review to learn what we think of Coinbase and get the details you need to make an educated decision about whether it’s the right crypto trading platform for you.

Get up to $200 free in any crypto when you join Coinbase today

What Is Coinbase?

Coinbase is one of the largest and most popular cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. Founded in 2012 by Brian Armstrong and Fred Ehrsam, the company was started in a two-bedroom apartment at a time when Bitcoin was trading for just $6.

The company’s original mission was to “make crypto easy to use” and we think they’ve succeeded in attaining and sustaining that mission.

As of February, 2025, Coinbase has a market cap of $66.04 billion. They don’t often update their user statistics, but the latest numbers we’ve seen indicate they have more than 10.8 million active monthly users and over 105 million total registered users.

In the world of cryptocurrency trading, there aren’t many companies that have long histories. At 12 years and counting, Coinbase is well-known and widely respected. The exchange’s user-friendly platform, large selection of cryptocurrencies, and top-notch security have made it one of the most popular cryptocurrency exchanges.

Get up to $200 free in any crypto when you join Coinbase today

Key Features of Coinbase

Each cryptocurrency change has its own features. Coinbase is no exception. Here are some of the most important features you’ll find if you sign up for Coinbase.

  • 360+ cryptocurrencies to trade plus over 400 unique trading pairs
  • Cryptocurrency staking
  • Free ACH deposits and withdrawals
  • Buy, sell, trade, and convert cryptocurrency
  • Free crypto transfers to other Coinbase users
  • State-of-the-art security
  • Access to advanced charting, additional pairings and trade options, and tiered fees that reward high volume with Advanced Trades
  • In-depth knowledge base
  • 24/7 support via email, phone, and live chat

We’ll get into a lot more detail about Coinbase security in the next section, and after that, we’ll walk you through the fee structure and other important details.

Is Coinbase Safe?

You might be wondering if Coinbase is the safest crypto exchange. We think it is, and here’s our rundown of their security measures.

  • State-of-the-art encryption on the Coinbase website and mobile app
  • End-to-end encryption for all trades and transfers
  • Most user assets are kept in cold storage, where they’re safe from hacking
  • USD deposits made by US citizens are insured by the FDIC up to $250,000
  • Coinbase carries crime insurance to protect users’ assets against failures in Coinbase security. It’s important to note that this insurance will not protect you if you give out your password to a third party.
  • Password protection, two-factor authentication (2FA) and security key enablement
  • Coinbase holds all assets 1:1
  • Compatible with multiple crypto wallets, including the Coinbase Wallet

We feel that the combination of security measures with FDIC and crime insurance makes Coinbase extremely safe for users. Provided you don’t make the mistake of sharing your log-in information with anybody else, there’s very little risk that your digital assets will be compromised or stolen.

To dive deeper into Coinbase’s safety measures, read our article: IS COINBASE SAFE?

Who Should Use Coinbase and Coinbase Wallet?

Is Coinbase right for you? Our take is that the target audience for Coinbase is beginning cryptocurrency traders and casual traders. People who want to start small and get started with crypto trading will be well served by Coinbase’s user-friendly dashboard and interface, 24/7 customer service, and straightforward trades. There are plenty of cryptocurrencies available for trading.

We’d also note that it’s very easy to transition from Coinbase to Advanced Trade (formerly known as Coinbase Pro) or even Coinbase One, a premium subscription that includes zero-fee trades, as you increase your crypto holdings.

Advanced traders may be better off with a different platform, or could even get their start with Coinbase One to take advantage of free trading at higher volumes.

What about Coinbase Wallet? You don’t need to be a Coinbase user to download and use Coinbase Wallet. Our Coinbase Wallet review is that it’s ideal for people who are interested in decentralized apps (DApps) and want a secure self-custody option for their cryptocurrencies and other digital assets, including NFTs.

Get started today on Coinbase

User Experience

One of the most impressive things about the Coinbase user experience is how straightforward and intuitive it is.

On both the website and the mobile app, new users can jump right in and start trading once their account is approved. Keep in mind that Coinbase is regulated by the SEC and the approval process may take a few days for US residents.

The process to make a simple trade on Coinbase takes just a few minutes. 

  • Choose the cryptocurrency you want to buy and click it.
  • Enter an amount
  • Click “Buy”
  • Review fees
  • Finalize your transaction

Coinbase will display all fees in the window before the trade is complete. They use a maker/taker fee structure. These fees may range from 0.05% up to 0.60% of the transaction. There’s also a spread, which is there to allow for price volatility that may lead to changes while the trade is being processed.

If you want more complex trades, you can simply switch to Coinbase Advanced Trade and use their interface instead.

Conclusion

Our overall take at the end of this Coinbase review is that it’s a good choice for beginners and casual traders who don’t plan on making high volume trades. Coinbase’s fees are a little higher than some of the other crypto trading platforms out there, but the user experience is excellent and so are the security measures.

Since it’s free to set up a Coinbase account and you can get started with trades as low as $1, we think beginners will be well served by giving Coinbase and Coinbase Wallet a try.

FAQs

How trustworthy is Coinbase?

Coinbase has a good reputation and takes security seriously. We think that overall, they’re very trustworthy and a good choice for crypto investors.

How much are Coinbase’s fees?

Coinbase uses a maker/taker framework for fees, and fees vary by trade. It’s difficult to say exactly how much you’ll pay, but trading fees range from 0.05% to 0.60% if you use the basic Coinbase exchange and may be significantly lower if you trade at high volume using Advanced Trade. ACH deposits and withdrawals are free. Incoming wire transfers incur a fee of $10 and outgoing wires cost $25. There’s a spread that applies to new trades to allow for price fluctuations and Coinbase has the right to keep the difference between the final price and the spread. Total fees are displayed before a trade is final and you can back out if necessary.

Is there a downside to Coinbase?

Coinbase is reliable and user friendly. The main downside for experienced and high-volume traders is that the fees are higher than they are for other exchanges. However, using Advanced Trading or Coinbase One can save you money on fees.

Does Coinbase really pay you?

Yes! Coinbase offers up to $200 in free cryptocurrency to new users who sign up, and they do make good on that promise. To learn more, read: HOW TO GET FREE CRYPTO ON COINBASE! Users may also get paid an APY for staking cryptocurrency and rewards for everyday spending with a Coinbase card.

What is the risk of Coinbase?

Using any digital or mobile platform comes with some risks. Coinbase does a great job with security, including 2FA, password protection, encryption, security key enablement, cold storage, and insurance. You can increase your protection by using a crypto wallet that you don’t share with anybody, choosing a strong password, and enabling 2FA. 

Get started today on Coinbase

The Best Stock Newsletters as of June 29, 2025

Ranking of Top Stock Newsletters Based on Last 3 Years of Stock Picks

We are paid subscribers to dozens of stock newsletters. We actively track every recommendation from all of these services, calculate performance, and share the results of the top performing stock newsletters whose subscriptions fees are under $500. The main metric to look for is "Excess Return" which is their return above that of the S&P500. So, based on last 3 years ending June 29, 2025:

RankStock NewsletterStock
Picks
Average
Return
Excess
Return
Percent
Profitable
Max %
Return
1.Seeking Alpha logo
Alpha Picks
7663%40%73%969%
Summary: 2 picks/month based on Seeking Alpha's Quant Rating; Retail Price is $499/yr. See details in our Alpha Picks Review.July, 2025 Promotion:
Save $50
2.Moby logo tiny
Moby.co
30843.3%12.3%74%1764%
Summary: 60-150 stock picks per year, segmented by industry; Retail Price is $199/yr. Read our Moby Review.July, 2025 Promotion:Next pick free!
3.Motley Fool logo
Stock Advisor
7241.2%6.9%78%258%
Summary: 2 picks/month and 2 Best Buy Stocks lists focusing on high growth potential stocks over 5 years; Retail Price is $199/yr.
Read our Motley Fool Review.
July, 2025 Promotion: Get $100 Off
4.Zacks logo
Value Investor
3917.5%6.1%38%410%
Summary: 10-25 stock picks per year based on Zacks' Quant Rating; Retail Price is $495/yr. Read our Zacks Review.July, 2025 PROMOTION:$1, then $495/yr
5.Motley Fool logo
Rule Breakers
6640.0%4.7%61%311%
Summary: 2 picks/month focusing on disruptive technology and business models; Lifetime average return of 355% vs S&P500's 149% since 2005; Now part of Motley Fool Epic. Read our Motley Fool Epic Review.Current Promotion: Save $200
6.TipRanks logo
TipRanks SmartInvestor
12110.6%3.7%55%340%
Summary: About 1 pick/week focusing on short term trades; Lifetime average return of 355% vs S&P500's 149% since 2015. Retail Price is $379/yr. Read our TipRanks Review.Current Promotion: Save $180
7.TheStreet logo
Action Alerts Plus
39420.0%3.4%57%220%
Summary: 100-150 trades per year, lots of buying and selling and short term trades. Read our Jim Cramer Review.Current Promotion: None
8.Motley Fool logo
Stock Advisor Canada
3632.3%0.5%69%378%
Summary: 1 pick/month from the Toronto stock exchange; Retail Price is CD$199/yr. Read our Motley Fool Canada Stock Advisor Review.July, 2025 Promotion: Save $100
Top Ranking Stock Newsletters based on their last 3 years of stock picks' performance through May 31, 2025 as compared to S&P500. S&P500's return is based on average return of S&P500 from date each stock pick is released. NOTE: To get these results you must buy equal dollar amounts of each pick on the date the stock pick is released. Investor Business Daily Top 50 based on performance of FFTY ETF.