Upbit vs Bitmart: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Upbit and Bitmart This side-by-side comparison reveals total cost (fees + spreads), security & licenses, coins/derivatives, deposits/withdrawals, and app quality. In 2 minutes you’ll see who wins for beginners, active traders, and long-term holders. Clear pros/cons, a quick verdict, and safe links to get started.

Last updated on August 16, 2025

Upbit

Bitmart

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United Kingdom

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United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Yes

Canada

United Kingdom

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Upbit is ideal if:

Great for beginner-friendly trading: Offers a clean, intuitive interface and strong security, making it ideal if you're new to crypto and value simplicity.
Strong Asian market presence: Deeply localized in South Korea and Southeast Asia, with excellent liquidity and fiat integration in those regions.
Not suited for advanced instruments: If you're looking for margin, derivatives, or broad global fiat support, Upbit’s limited financial features may not fit your needs.

Bitmart is ideal if:

Wide crypto selection for altcoin enthusiasts — Great if you're exploring a broad range of tokens, including niche and newly launched assets.
Beginners and advanced users both catered to — Offers a simple Buy/Sell tool for newcomers and robust futures, spot, and charting interfaces for experienced traders.
Social and copy trading opportunities — Ideal if you want to mirror expert strategies or explore passive exposure through copy/social trading tools.

Upbit isn’t ideal if:

Limited product variety: Lacks margin, futures, copy-trading, loans, or crypto cards, restricting users seeking more advanced financial tools.
Geographically constrained: Primarily serves South Korea and select Asian markets; support and fiat options are limited for most global users.
Basic customer support: Relies mainly on ticket-based assistance with minimal tutorials or live help, which may not satisfy those wanting more hands-on guidance.

Bitmart isn’t ideal if:

No demo or practice mode — Beginners lacking a risk-free environment may find it harder to learn before committing real funds.
Security concerns persist post-2021 breach — Even with improved measures, the prior major hack may still cause hesitation around fund safety.
Limited fiat access and tools — Less ideal if you prefer direct fiat deposits/withdrawals or need features like bots, proof-of-reserves, or wallet insurance.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

Upbit applies a flat trading fee—typically around 0.20–0.25%—for both maker and taker spot orders across supported pairs, with no tiered discounts or native token rebates.

BitMart uses tiered spot fees based on trading volume and a pairing class system (Class A, B, C). You can also reduce costs by holding or using the BMX native token, which typically grants a sizable discount on maker/taker rates.

Futures/Derivatives

Upbit does not offer futures or derivative instruments, so there are no maker, taker, or funding fees to consider.

Maker/Taker and Funding

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

On major spot pairs like BTC/USDT or ETH/USDT, spreads are generally tight and reflective of high liquidity, though your precise rate depends on market depth at the time of execution.

For high-liquidity pairs like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT, spreads usually remain narrow and market-competitive, making them more cost-efficient for active traders.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

Upbit supports bank transfers for fiat, with deposit methods varying by region; fees and processing times vary according to local banking systems and verification levels.

Methods, Fees, Times

On-chain Withdrawals

Upbit charges fixed network fees per asset (e.g. a fixed amount in BTC or ETH), which do not adjust dynamically based on network congestion.

Fixed vs. Dynamic by Network (BTC, ETH, TRX, etc.)

Hidden Costs

You might encounter costs such as currency conversion spreads, speedier KYC processing, or cross-border banking charges; these are not labeled as explicit fees but can subtly add to your overall cost.

Currency Conversion, Inactivity, KYC Express, etc.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

If you purchase €500 in BTC, your total cost includes the platform’s flat trading fee plus the market spread; withdrawing that BTC would then incur the asset’s fixed network withdrawal fee.

Buying €500 in BTC (Fee + Spread + Withdrawal)

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

Upbit lists approximately 260-263 cryptocurrencies (depending on the data source) and over 540 trading pairs overall, with the top 20 by volume dominated by KRW pairs like ETH/KRW, XRP/KRW, and BTC/KRW, reflecting its regional liquidity strength.

BitMart supports a wide cryptocurrency catalog (1,400+ assets) and offers over 1,050 spot trading pairs; its top 20 by volume typically include the usual heavyweights like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT among others.

Product Range

Upbit focuses exclusively on spot markets and does not offer margin, perpetual futures, options, crypto ETFs, lending, copy trading, grid bots, or automated DCA; however, it does include staking/earn services for select assets.

You’ll find a full trading suite on BitMart

Liquidity

Upbit’s 24-hour trading volume typically ranges in the multi-billion-dollar bracket, and its order books for BTC and ETH pairs exhibit strong depth, especially for KRW-denominated pairs, ensuring tight spreads and reliable execution.

BitMart regularly achieves multi-billion-dollar daily volumes; its order books for liquid assets like BTC and ETH are deep and tight enough for efficient execution in most conditions.

Tools

The platform supports limit, market, and stop-limit order types, plus charting tools and dashboards, API and WebSocket access, but lacks native TradingView integration and any alerting capabilities.

The platform offers limit, stop, and OCO orders, alongside charting tools, alerts, a native API/WebSocket interface, and integration with TradingView for advanced analysis.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Derivatives and advanced instruments are unavailable across the board, and even spot trading is restricted in regions like the United States, Japan, China, and Taiwan due to regulatory limitations.

Product availability varies by region—certain jurisdictions may face restrictions, particularly around derivatives (e.g. perps and margin aren’t always available everywhere due to regulation).

Innovation

While Upbit does not host launchpads, launchpools, or flexible-vs-locked earn programs, it does offer staking options for select chains—but no advanced yield farming or investment pools.

BitMart continues innovating with features like a flexible vs. locked earn program, its in-house token launchpad, and expanded copy trading options that enhance user engagement.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

Upbit is operated by Dunamu Inc., a South Korean company founded in 2017, with its headquarters located in Seoul and expanding operations through entities such as Upbit Singapore.

BitMart is operated by GBM Global Holdings Ltd., founded in 2017, and headquartered in the Cayman Islands.

Licenses/Registration

Upbit Singapore holds a fully licensed status as a Major Payment Institution under Singapore’s Payment Services Act, enabling regulated digital token services, while its Korean operations continue under the Virtual Asset Service Provider framework.

It holds a Money Services Business (MSB) license from the U.S. FinCEN, indicating strong anti-money-laundering compliance—but lacks broader EU or MiCA-specific licenses.

Custody

Upbit maintains full custody of user assets, backed by recent audits confirming over-100 percent reserves for both digital assets and cash equivalents, alongside substantial cold-wallet holdings.

BitMart manages assets through a hybrid hot/cold wallet setup, with partial disclosures of hot wallet addresses as part of its transparency push; however, full proof-of-reserves or cold storage percentage data remains pending.

Insurance & Protection Funds

The exchange has set aside dedicated user protection reserves, in the order of tens of millions USD, specifically to shield user assets in case of unexpected events.

There’s no public information about dedicated insurance or user protection funds being in place to cover losses from hacks or other security incidents.

Incident History

In late 2019, Upbit experienced a significant hack that resulted in the loss of roughly USD 48 million in Ethereum; since then, it’s reinforced internal controls and transparency protocols.

In December 2021, BitMart suffered a high-profile security breach that resulted in around $196 million stolen; the team pledged reimbursements and has since reinforced security infrastructures.

Risk Controls

Upbit employs robust safety measures such as two-factor authentication, internal self-trading restrictions, a proprietary market-monitoring system, and auditing to prevent insider trading, plus granular permission controls for API access.

The platform includes standard safety features like two-factor authentication, anti-phishing codes, API key restrictions, and an institutional-grade sub-account system.

Transparency

The exchange publishes periodic transparency reports including audit results and trading-behavior monitoring; while it doesn’t offer public wallet addresses or formal SLAs, it follows regulatory guidelines and discloses operational compliance measures.

BitMart has taken steps toward openness by sharing hot wallet addresses and working on Merkle-tree based proof-of-reserves, although regular audit reports, SLA commitments, or full public reserve disclosures are not yet available.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

Upbit allows fiat deposits primarily via local bank transfers (e.g. KRW in Korea, SGD in Singapore) once you reach full verification; minimums vary, processing typically takes 1–3 business days.

BitMart supports fiat deposits via credit/debit cards (Visa, Mastercard), bank transfers, and integrated third-party gateways like Simplex, MoonPay, Banxa and others; minimums start around USD 30, and processing varies by provider—from instant to a few days.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

Upbit allows fiat deposits primarily via local bank transfers (e.g. KRW in Korea, SGD in Singapore) once you reach full verification; minimums vary, processing typically takes 1–3 business days.

KYC (Verification Levels)

Upbit uses a four-level KYC system—ranging from basic identity checks to full verification with bank linkage—and higher levels unlock larger deposit and withdrawal capacities.

BitMart offers non-KYC access, plus two personal levels—Starter and Advanced—that unlock higher daily withdrawal caps (Starter

Withdrawals

Crypto withdrawals are permitted across major networks like ERC-20 and TRC-20, with daily limits scaling by KYC level and typical processing within hours.

Crypto withdrawals support a broad range of networks (e.g., ERC-20, TRC-20, BEP-20), with limits and speeds depending on KYC level and network congestion; fiat withdrawals are also routed through select third-party gateways with similar variability.

Customer Support

Support is available through email and a robust FAQ/help center; users in Korea generally experience faster responses, while international users may wait longer and have less localized documentation.

BitMart offers 24/7 live chat, email/ticket support, and a help center; response speed is inconsistent by user feedback, and the knowledge base provides general guidance but may lack deeper troubleshooting.

Languages & Localization

The platform is available in native English and Korean, displays balances in local currencies (KRW or SGD), and adheres to the relevant local regulatory framework for each region.

The user interface is available in English (with fiat shown in EUR/USD based on user region), though localized regulatory disclaimers can vary depending on where you access the platform from.

App Quality & Stability

The Upbit mobile app is known for its stability and smooth performance, with regular updates, low crash rates, and quick feature rollouts aimed at both beginners and experienced users.

The BitMart mobile app is available for iOS and Android, offering a smooth trading experience overall; while occasional bugs or temporary crashes occur, regular updates aim to enhance stability and add new features.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

The Upbit interface strikes a smart balance between clarity and functionality—offering a simplified view for beginners while still providing comprehensive charts and real-time data for more experienced users, although it doesn’t explicitly label modes as “Lite” or “Pro.”

BitMart provides both “Lite” and “Pro” interface modes—“Lite” is clean and beginner-friendly, while “Pro” offers deeper charts and tools—so the learning curve remains gentle and scalable whether you’re new or advanced.

Performance

Order latency remains low even during high volatility, and there are no widespread reports of system crashes; however, during market peaks, KYC verification queues may grow noticeably longer, affecting access for new users.

The upgrade to Futures V2.0 halved order latency and boosted system stability and matching capabilities, delivering smoother performance even during surges, though occasional order connector quirks reported by bot users can emerge.

Education

While Upbit doesn’t offer demo accounts or a Spanish-language academy, it provides a detailed help center and tutorials that guide beginners through trading, deposits, and security.

BitMart Academy equips users with structured content from beginner to advanced levels, but there’s no live demo or simulated trading available, and Spanish-language materials are limited or mixed with machine translations.

Community

Official community channels such as forums or Telegram groups are limited; referral programs exist but are less central to the user experience compared to peer-driven groups and third-party platforms.

BitMart supports an affiliate/referral program, and while active user groups exist on Discord or Telegram unofficially, the platform doesn’t yet operate fully centralized forums or reward-based official communities.

Integrations

Upbit supports Open API and WebSocket for developer access and trading automation, but lacks native TradingView integration, external bot marketplaces, or built-in tax/accounting tool integrations.

With full TradingView charting access via the “BITMART:” prefix, plus a robust API and WebSocket support, BitMart integrates seamlessly with external bots and tools—though tax/accounting tool partnerships remain sparse.

Who Each One Is Best For

Upbit is best suited for traders who prioritize a clean, stable interface with transparent spot trading, high liquidity, and a regional focus—especially those located in supported Asian markets looking for reliable, everyday trading rather than highly automated or global multi-tool ecosystems.

BitMart suits traders seeking a quick-start experience with flexible interfaces and strong third-party integrations, while developers or algorithmic traders benefit from reliable API access and TradingView support.