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Bitbuy vs Netcoins: What Works Better For Canadians in 2024

Oleg Galeev

Last updated September 20, 2024

Bitbuy and Netcoins are two popular cryptocurrency exchanges in Canada. Both platforms are designed for ease of use, with Bitbuy known for its transparency and reliability, while Netcoins is recognized for its excellent customer service and high mobile app ratings.

Description

Bitbuy was founded in 2016 and it offers nine of the most popular cryptocurrencies. It has an Express platform for beginners and a Pro platform for more experienced traders.

Netcoins is a Canadian crypto exchange owned by a publicly-traded company called Bigg Digital Assets. Netcoins was founded by Mitchell Demeter who created the world’s first Bitcoin ATM in 2013.

Coins

Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, EOS, Stellar, LINK, AAVE, Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA), Polkadot (DOT), Dogecoin (DOGE), Uniswap (UNI), Sushiswap (SUSHI), Polygon (MATIC), MANA and USDC

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Stellar, EOS, USDC, Algorand, XRP, Avalanche, Ethereum Classic, SHIB, DOGE, MATIC, AXS, Cardano, Solana, Polkadot

Fees

1.5% CAD withdrawal fees for e-Transfer
0.5% fee for wire transfer
0.79% spread
0.1% Maker 0.2% Taker fees
Wire transfer 0.50% ($20k min)
0.00025 BTC crypto withdrawal fee

Free deposits
Free fiat withdrawals
0.5% trading fees

Pros

Offers seven of the world’s most popular cryptocurrencies
Express Trade and Pro Trade makes it suitable for beginners and advanced traders
OTC Desk available
Digital assets held in cold storage
$20 referral bonus
Interac e-Transfer available
Industry leader in compliance and security

Free fiat and crypto deposits
Free fiat withdrawals
Interac e-Transfer available
Phone support
Instant verification
Licenced and regulated in Canada
Educational resources available
Great customer service

Cons

Deposits can take a few hours
1.5% Interac e-Transfer fee (both in and out)
Low Android app rating
Low rating on Trust Pilot

Few cryptocurrencies available
No credit/debit card purchases
CAD only
High trading fees

Account Limits

Deposit $100 - $10,000 via Interac daily
$50 minimum e-Transfer withdrawal
$20,000 minimum for wire transfers

$10 min for Interac e-Transfer
$500 min for wire transfer
$50 min for online bill payment

App

Methods to buy

Debit card
Interac e-Transfer
Wire transfer

Interac e-Transfer
Bank wire
Online bill payment

Security

Up to 98% of digital assets are held in cold storage
Users can withdraw crypto to private wallets
Bitcoin backed 1:1 with Knox insurance policy

2FA available
Registered with FINTRAC

Mobile and Desktop Trading

Both Bitbuy and Netcoins have user-friendly mobile apps, each scoring high on respective app stores. Bitbuy's app has a rating of 4,6 on the Apple App Store, whereas Netcoins boasts a 4.0-star rating. Both platforms also offer robust desktop interfaces for more comprehensive cryptocurrency trading experiences.

Bitbuy

The Bitbuy app has a 4.6-star rating and 6,000 ratings on the Apple App Store. It has a 2-star rating with 1,000 ratings on Google Play. According to reviewers, the Android app has bugs that prevent them from logging in and verifying their account. They also claim customer support is poor.

The iOS app is easy to use and offers a modern interface like the desktop platform. There is live charting where you can find volume and order book data. Easily deposit funds to your account, and click on your profile tab for your referral details.

Bitbuy’s Express Trade is suitable for beginners or anyone seeking a quick market trade. The Pro Trade platform is geared toward more experienced traders who wish to place advanced order types.

Express trade view

Pro trade view

Bitbuy app interface

Bitbuy app interface while trading

Netcoins

Netcoins’ trading platform is simple to use with a sidecar offering all you need including options to buy, sell and trade. Your dashboard has two big options to either deposit funds or deposit crypto.

Buying crypto with Netcoins is easy thanks to its simple trade feature.

The Netcoins app has a 4.1-star rating from 171 reviews on the Apple App Store. It has a 3.6-star rating on Google from 127 reviews.

The app is easy to use and beginner-friendly. It is almost an exact copy of the desktop platform but optimized for mobile.

Netcoins Desktop App (trading screen)

Netcoins Desktop App (funding account)

Netcoins Mobile App (balances)

Netcoins Mobile App (trading)

Security Compliance

Bitbuy is one of the safest crypto exchanges for Canadians. The Blockchain Intelligence Group has completed its third annual proof of reserves and due diligence report confirming that Bitbuy exceeds its mandate requiring 95% of customer funds to be held in cold storage. Bitbuy keeps 98% of Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum funds in cold storage, which is one of the highest percentages we’ve seen.

Netcoins utilizes the services of Bitrank and QLUE to stay compliant by monitoring wallet addresses and transactions for fraud and connections to criminal enterprises.

Two-factor authentication is available to help keep your account secure.

Both platforms prioritize security. Bitbuy maintains a 95% cold storage policy and is partnered with a major Canadian bank, assuring users of its security protocols.

Netcoins, on the other hand, is owned by BIGG Digital Assets, a publicly traded company, which adds a level of credibility and transparency. However, specific information about how Netcoins stores customer funds is unclear.

Regulatory Compliance

Bitbuy is an industry leader in Canadian regulatory adherence and compliance. In addition to being a Virtual Asset Service Provider and registered Money Service Business with FINTRAC, Bitbuy’s leadership team is a member of the IIROC Crypto-Asset Working Group, which helps to set high-quality regulatory standards and strengthen Canadian markets.

Netcoins is fully regulated in Canada. It is registered as a Money Services Business (MSB) with FINTRAC. Since Netcoins is also owned by Bigg Digital Assets, a publicly traded company, you can be sure that Netcoins is a safe exchange.

Bitbuy is fully registered with FINTRAC as a Money Services Business and complies with Canadian anti-money laundering laws.

Netcoins is also registered as a Money Services Business with FINTRAC, making it fully compliant with Canadian regulations.

Customer support

Binance has FAQs and a knowledge centre on their website. They make it easy to submit a support ticket but the reply might take a while.

Netcoins has excellent customer support with an impressive 85% excellent customer service reviews on Trustpilot with a 4.5-star rating. Netcoins offers email support, live chat and phone support, which is rare for crypto exchanges.

Both Bitbuy and Netcoins offer extensive customer support services. Bitbuy provides support via email, live chat, and a detailed FAQ section on its website. Netcoins goes a step further by offering phone support in addition to 24/7 live chat and email support.

Conclusion

While both cryptocurrency exchanges offer good services and are compliant with Canadian regulations, Bitbuy emerges as the winner due to its transparency, the clarity of its security measures, and its partnership with a major Canadian bank. However, Netcoins should not be overlooked, especially for beginners, due to its high app rating and excellent customer service.

We recommend choosing Bitbuy over Netcoins for your cryptocurrency trading needs. By opting for Bitbuy through our referral link, you support us in conducting comprehensive independent analyses of crypto trading options for Canadians.

If you find that neither Bitbuy nor Netcoins meets your requirements, we encourage you to explore our monthly-updated list of the best exchanges for Canadians to trade crypto. This list provides a range of alternative options that may better suit your specific needs and preferences.

Author

Oleg Galeev

Cryptocurrency Specialist

Oleg is a Canadian citizen & crypto expert who has been trading since 2016. He started out with Coinbase, Kraken and Peer-to-Peer exchanges. After some time, centralized exchanges started charging crazy fees to their users.

He decided to review different crypto exchanges that operate in Canada and start a Youtube channel in order to educate Canadians on what kinds of things are going inside each one while giving them unbiased advice. On top of that, Oleg also has experience with NFT, airdrops, and crypto staking and he is constantly checking on new crypto assets.

His writing has been featured in popular Canadian media sources such as Toronto Sun and Ottawa Citizen.