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Uphold vs. Coinfield: What Works Better For Canadians in 2024

Oleg Galeev

Last updated September 20, 2024

As of July 15th, 2023, Coinfield's website stopped operating properly for Canadians. Also, their registration status of MSB has been ceased by FINTRAC. As a result, we would recommend avoiding this crypto exchange at the moment. Feel free to check alternatives e.g. Bitget or BitBuy. The comparison below is outdated, but we have retained it in the event that the crypto exchange resumes proper operations in Canada. More information here. The comparison below is outdated and kept for educational purposes. Apparently, if you pick between Uphold and Coinfield, go ahead with Uphold.

In this comparison, we examine Uphold and Coinfield, two prominent cryptocurrency exchanges that cater to the Canadian market. Both platforms offer unique features: Uphold supports a wide range of cryptocurrencies and precious metals, while Coinfield stands out with its strong referral program and the launch of its upcoming native token.

Description

Uphold is a multi-asset platform that allows you to trade more than 66 cryptocurrencies, 50 US stocks and four precious metals. You can trade crypto for stocks or stocks for crypto, instantly.

CoinField is an EU-based cryptocurrency exchange that is Canada-friendly. It was a secure crypto exchange with a robust verification process.

Unfortunately, CoinField is no longer active in Canada. The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) has stated that the exchange does not have adequate assets to satisfy withdrawal requests.

Coins

70+

While it offers the usual digital currencies such as bitcoinEthereum and Litecoin, it does not offer popular coins such CardanoSolana, or Dogecoin. The full list of coins available are: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Stellar, EOS, TRON, Sologenic, BAT, Mimblewimble, USDT, USDC, Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin Gold, DigiByte, Golem, OMG, Augur, 0x, Zilliqa, Civic, and Loom.

Fees

  • 1.8% spread on crypto for Canadians
  • 3% spread for precious metals
  • 1% spread for US equities
  • 3.99% credit card fee
  • $3.99 withdrawal fee to US/EU/UK banks
  • Free deposits from US/EU/UK banks
  • Free debit card purchases

When it comes to fees, CoinField has many. It charges a 2% deposit fee for Interac e-Transfers with a minimum deposit of $100. US dollar wire transfers are free. CoinField charges a 2.5% withdrawal fee using Interac and its maker/taker trading fees are 0.15%/0.25% if your trading volume is less than $50,000 over 30 days. 

Pros

  • Wide range of cryptocurrencies
  • Trade stocks and precious metals 
  • Swap crypto for stocks or metal in seconds
  • Recurring buy/sell orders
  • 50 simultaneous Limit orders allowed
  • Free debit card purchases
  • Secure and compliant exchange
  • CAD Interac e-Transfers available
  • Advanced trading features available
  • Easy-to-use app
  • Accepts many fiat currencies and deposit methods
  • Staking rewards and referral program

Cons

  • High spreads
  • Uphold debit card not available to Canadians
  • Bank deposits/withdrawals not available for Canadians 
  • 3.99% credit card processing fee
  • Lack of search filters for equities
  • High deposit and withdrawal fees
  • Desktop platform can be confusing for beginners
  • Some of the most popular coins not available 
  • Slow customer service 

Account Limits

Low

Only limits at your local financial institution may apply

Methods to buy

Debit card

CoinField accepts six fiat currencies including CAD, USD, EUR, GBP, AED, and JPY.

  • Interac e-Transfer
  • Credit/debit where accepted
  • Bank transfer

Security

  • Cold storage
  • Secret vaults
  • Multi-signature wallets
  • Encryption and isolated servers
  • 2FA

Mobile and Desktop Trading

Both Uphold and Coinfield offer robust mobile and desktop applications for trading. Uphold has received higher ratings on both iOS and Android, suggesting a more user-friendly and reliable app. However, Coinfield isn't far behind with solid app ratings and the promise of having its app pre-installed on new mobile phones in Africa. On the desktop side, both platforms offer an intuitive interface designed to cater to both beginner and experienced traders.

Uphold

Uphold’s app has a 3.5-star rating from 5,000 reviews on the Apple App store and a 3.2-star rating from 18,000 reviews on Google Play. Some reviewers have said the app is slow and buggy, with the verification process being particularly slow.

Uphold is easy to use for beginners. There is a quick trade option called “Anything to Anything”. All you need to do is enter the asset you want to trade, the amount, and the asset you wish to swap it for. You can trade crypto to stocks, stocks to metal etc. in just a few clicks. 

Uphold desktop trading app screenshot

Uphold desktop app

Uphold mobile app screenshot

Uphold mobile app while trading

Reviewing Uphold crypto exchange app and asset types for trading

Uphold main screen app

Coinfield

On the Apple App Store, the CoinField app has a 4.3-star rating with almost 500 reviews. On Google Play it has a 3.4-star rating with over 1000 reviews. Some of the worst reviews are people lamenting the high fees and slow processing times. 

Reviewing CoinField's features

Coinfield trading view

Reviewing CoinField's usability from desktop version

Coinfield view with selecting coins

One of the pages on CoinField's app

Coinfield app main screeen

Reviewing CoinField's mobile app interface

App view while trading

Security Compliance

To secure your Uphold account, you can enable two-factor authentication.

Uphold trading platform utilizes cold storage for your safety.

CoinField is one of the safest crypto exchanges in Canada. It has never been hacked. While CoinField may receive bad reviews for their slow customer service, CoinField is certainly a safe and compliant exchange. With CoinField you can have peace of mind knowing you are dealing with an exchange that prides itself on its security and privacy. The exchange utilizes cold storage, secret vaults, multisignature wallets, encryption and isolated servers. Users can enable two-factor authentication on their accounts for extra protection, and users must confirm all withdrawals via email. Signing in on a new device or with a new IP address also triggers a verification email. 

Both exchanges emphasize security. Uphold uses two-factor authentication (2FA) and biometric recognition on mobile devices, and stores user assets in secure offline storage. Coinfield also employs 2FA and email confirmations for withdrawals. It boasts of never having been hacked, and it uses cold storage, secret vaults, multisignature wallets, encryption, and isolated servers for enhanced security.

Regulatory Compliance

Uphold is fully regulated in the USA. They are compliant with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and record keeping regulations with the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA). It's Canadian-friendly as well.

Coinfield used to be a FINTRAC-regulated crypto exchange in Canada but recently their registration status was ceased. It's hard to tell at this point how compliant it is but many Canadians still use it.

Uphold is registered with the FINTRAC

Coinfield is an EU-based exchange but it operates in Canada, adhering to local regulations and guidelines.

Customer support

Uphold has good reviews about their customer service teams. They offer help centres on their website and within the app. 

You can contact Uphold’s customer support via their online ticketing system on their website. 

CoinField allows users to submit support tickets either online or via email. It does not offer phone support. Customer support is available on weekdays and weekends, but CoinField does not have the fastest customer support – in some cases it can take days for an answer. You can, however, also get in touch via Twitter if you need urgent support.

Unfortunately, CoinField has a poor 2.2-star rating on Trustpilot with 62% bad reviews.

A lot of customers say that they have been waiting weeks to receive their crypto withdrawals.

Uphold offers support via email and a comprehensive FAQ section, with a reputation for responding promptly. Coinfield, in contrast, has been criticized for slower response times, despite offering support via email, online tickets, and Twitter. Both platforms could benefit from offering phone support for urgent issues.

Conclusion

As of July 15th, 2023, Coinfield's website stopped operating properly for Canadians. Also, their registration status of MSB has been ceased by FINTRAC. As a result, we would recommend avoiding this crypto exchange at the moment. Feel free to check alternatives e.g. Bitget or BitBuy. The comparison below is outdated, but we have retained it in the event that the crypto exchange resumes proper operations in Canada. More information here. The comparison below is outdated and kept for educational purposes. Apparently, if you pick between Uphold and Coinfield, go ahead with Uphold.

While both Coinfield and Uphold are strong contenders in the cryptocurrency exchange arena, the title goes to Uphold. Uphold offers a wider selection of cryptocurrencies, metals, and national currencies. Its higher mobile app ratings, strong security measures, and prompt customer service make it an appealing choice for Canadian crypto enthusiasts. Coinfield does have its unique features and is undoubtedly a strong competitor, but it falls short in a few critical areas, including a limited selection of popular cryptocurrencies and slower customer service response times.

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

If you find that neither Uphold nor Coinfield 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 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.