Webull vs Cex.Io: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Webull and Cex.Io 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 19, 2025

Webull

Cex.Io

⚠️ We look for what’s best for you.

₿ Getting into crypto? With eToro you can start in minutes: buy/sell top coins, set recurring buys, track markets, and use Social/CopyTrader features.

👉 Start here and explore the crypto offer.

Available Countries

United States

Yes

Europe

Latin America

India

Yes

China

Yes

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

Yes

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

Yes

China

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

Thinking about starting with crypto? This is for you.

In select regions, eToro offers a $10 welcome bonus when you open an account today.*

🎯 An account built to help you start with crypto—without the hassle.

➕ Buy and sell top cryptocurrencies in minutes

➕ Recurring buys, price alerts, and advanced charts

➕ Social/CopyTrader™ to follow experienced investors

➕ One of the largest and most trusted platforms worldwide

Limited-time promotion — still available.

*Offer subject to terms, eligibility and regional availability. Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest.

Webull is ideal if:

Best for hands-on, self-directed traders who want a sleek mobile-first experience with powerful charting tools, paper trading, and streamlined technical analysis.
Great for active or intermediate investors who appreciate commission-free access to stocks, ETFs, options, fractional shares, and even crypto on a responsive multi-platform setup.
Suitable for those seeking simple automation, thanks to Webull’s beginner-friendly tools like Smart Advisor (robo-advisory service), recurring investments, and digital portfolio guidance.

Cex.Io is ideal if:

Great for beginners seeking simplicity: Offers intuitive fiat-to-crypto access and easy navigation, making first-time buying or selling smooth and straightforward.
Useful for users valuing regulatory compliance: Holds multiple licenses and registrations, which adds credibility and reassurance for those prioritizing security.
Suited to flexible and evolving needs: Includes features like staking, margin options, and mobile trading—helpful as your crypto journey grows.

Webull isn’t ideal if:

Not great if you prefer mutual funds or bonds, since Webull doesn’t offer access to those traditional investment vehicles.
May overwhelm true beginners, as its platform leans heavily on technical tools and charting that can be complex for newcomers.
Limited customer support could frustrate you, especially if you expect fast, live assistance or chat options during crunch times.

Cex.Io isn’t ideal if:

Not suited for fee-sensitive traders: Deposit and withdrawal costs—especially from credit cards or SWIFT transfers—can be on the higher side.
Less ideal for altcoin hunters: Coin selection is solid for mainstream assets but may feel restrictive for those seeking niche or emerging tokens.
Not optimized for advanced traders: Lacks advanced order types and demo environments, and interface may feel cluttered during complex trading sessions.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

Webull applies a built-in price markup (spread) for crypto trades rather than standard maker/taker fees, with no public volume-tier discounts or token-based rebates available on their platform.

CEX.IO’s spot trading fees begin at 0.25% for taker orders and 0.15% for maker orders, and progressively decrease as your 30-day trading volume rises—reaching lower bands (like around 0.10%) at higher volumes, with no discounts tied to a native token.

Futures/Derivatives

For futures, Webull charges contract-based fees set by its exchange partners (like CME), and the platform does not publicly disclose maker/taker or funding-rate structures for these instruments.

CEX.IO separates its derivatives platform from spot trading and applies different fee structures, but publicly available information on specific maker, taker, or funding rates is limited (often requiring account access or direct inquiry for clarity).

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

Webull embeds typical spreads of around one percent on both buying and selling of major crypto trades, implicitly reflecting the cost rather than stating exact bid–ask spreads per pair.

Spreads for major pairs like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT on CEX.IO are generally tight and in line with competitive market norms, helping ensure that trading costs remain low for highly liquid assets.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

Users can deposit or withdraw via ACH, which is free but slower, or via domestic/international wire transfers, which are faster yet incur modest fixed fees set by the clearing firm; timing varies from same-day up to several business days.

You can fund your account using various options—credit/debit cards, bank transfers (SEPA, SWIFT, ACH), digital wallets, and alternative services—with timing and fees varying by method and region, and listed transparently during transaction setup.

On-chain Withdrawals

Webull currently does not support external crypto wallet transfers for most assets, so network and dynamic on-chain withdrawal fees do not apply for crypto; fiat wires are processed off-chain.

On-chain withdrawal fees differ depending on the blockchain (BTC, ETH, TRX, etc.) and are dynamically adjusted based on network conditions, rather than using a one-size-fits-all flat fee.

Hidden Costs

Webull does not charge inactivity or maintenance fees. Currency conversion may occur at your bank when funding with a different base currency, and there are no added charges for expedited identity verification services.

Beyond trading and transfer fees, there may be extra charges lurking in currency conversion margins, inactivity fees, or expedited KYC processing—but these are typically disclosed at the relevant step, not built into everyday trading.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

If you purchase €500 worth of Bitcoin, you’ll effectively pay a small percentage markup embedded in the trade price, then any fiat withdrawal back to your bank may incur a wire-transfer charge, while ACH withdrawal of fiat remains free.

If you were to convert €500 into BTC, your total cost would combine the spot maker/taker fee, the market spread, and any withdrawal or conversion fee—resulting in a composite cost slightly above the raw crypto amount, depending on your payment method and network chosen.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

Webull supports trading in approximately 36 cryptocurrencies directly through its platform, offering a well-rounded selection of both major and niche tokens, though the top 20 by trading volume typically include dominant pairs like BTC, ETH, Litecoin, and Dogecoin.

CEX.IO currently lists around 280 cryptocurrencies across approximately 829 trading pairs, with its highest-volume pairs including BTC/USD, ETH/USDT, ETH/USD, XRP/USD, LINK/USD—forming the bulk of daily activity.

Product Range

Webull provides spot trading for cryptocurrencies, recently expanded into futures contracts (e.g. Bitcoin and Ethereum) via its partnership with Coinbase Derivatives, and offers staking and stablecoin rewards through Webull Pay powered by Coinbase’s infrastructure; crypto options, crypto ETFs, margin, copy trading, bots, and auto-DCA are not part of its current crypto menu.

CEX.IO supports spot trading, margin trading with up to 10x leverage, crypto staking and savings, and lending services; however, it does not currently offer perpetuals, options, ETFs, automated DCA, grid bots, or copy trading tools.

Liquidity

While Webull itself doesn’t publish specific 24-hour volumes or order book depth for its crypto pairs, the Coinbase infrastructure backing Webull Pay provides access to institutional-grade liquidity and tight spreads, implying solid depth for major pairs like BTC and ETH.

Reported 24-hour trading volume on CEX.IO ranges in the tens to hundreds of millions of USD, with robust liquidity in major pairs like BTC and ETH—offering sufficient depth for swift execution without significant price impact.

Tools

Webull offers advanced trading tools including limit and market orders, and robust charting features across mobile and desktop (akin to TradingView-level interactivity), plus customizable alerts; however, advanced order types like OCO (one-cancels-other), public API/WS for crypto, and native TradingView integrations are not currently available.

The platform provides basic order types such as limit and stop (plus OCO where available), access to advanced charting via its trading terminal, real-time price tracking, alerts, and full-featured APIs (REST, WebSocket, FIX on Prime) ideal for automated strategies.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Crypto trading on Webull is seamless in most U.S. states, but there are regional exceptions—for instance, New York residents are limited to trading a narrower set of tokens; futures and expanded crypto offerings are currently available only to U.S. users, with global rollout in progress.

Certain features—including margin trading, staking, savings, and advanced product access—are restricted or unavailable in specific countries due to jurisdictional licensing and compliance requirements.

Innovation

While Webull doesn’t currently offer launchpad or launchpool events, it’s innovating in crypto yield products—through Webull Pay, users will soon access staking and USDC-based reward programs (with flexible terms) thanks to its Coinbase partnership, though locked-term options have not been specified.

CEX.IO offers flexible staking and savings options under its “Earn” program that allow on-demand access to funds; however, it does not currently support token launchpad or launchpool initiatives.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

Webull was founded in 2016 under a Chinese holding, with Webull Financial LLC established in Delaware in 2017, turning into a U.S.-based broker-dealer licensed by the SEC and FINRA by 2018, while Webull Corporation now sits as the Cayman-Islands-registered parent headquartered in Florida.

CEX.IO operates through several entities

Licenses/Registration

Webull operates under top-tier U.S. oversight (SEC, FINRA) with requirements for client fund segregation, though it does not publicly present itself as a VASP under MiCA or equivalent global crypto licensing frameworks at this time.

The exchange holds a U.S. Money Services Business registration with FinCEN and multiple state-level money transmitter licenses, a Gibraltar DLT provider license, Spanish VASP registration, and Lithuanian VASP status, reflecting a broad regulatory coverage across major markets.

Custody

Custody for crypto on Webull is handled through Coinbase’s Crypto-as-a-Service, leveraging institutional-grade security with encrypted systems and offline cold storage; there’s no public disclosure of proof of reserves, audit reports, or a cold-storage percentage.

CEX.IO maintains a layered custody model—hot wallets with PCI DSS-compliant security and cold wallets secured via multi-signature and manual controls; fiat is held in segregated bank accounts—though no formal public proof-of-reserves disclosures or third-party audits are noted.

Insurance & Protection Funds

Securities and cash in Webull Financial LLC accounts are SIPC-protected up to standard limits, with excess SIPC insurance via Lloyd’s of London or clearing firm Apex, but no specialized insurance for digital asset holdings.

While CEX.IO provides FDIC insurance for USD balances held within participating U.S. banks up to typical limits, there is no general insurance for crypto assets beyond its rigorous internal security protocols.

Incident History

Webull has not been involved in major crypto-exchange hacks; however, it has faced regulatory scrutiny such as a $3 million FINRA fine in 2023 over customer complaint handling and due diligence lapses, along with multi-state probes and a state-device ban in Tennessee due to concerns over ties to China.

The platform maintains a clean operational record with no major security breaches, public incidents, service suspensions, or regulatory penalties reported to date, underlining its reputation for reliability.

Risk Controls

Webull enforces industry standard safeguards like 2FA, encryption, and internal controls, with account security layers in place; however, advanced crypto-specific features like whitelists, sub-accounts, anti-phishing tools, or granular API permissions are not prominently available.

User protection is reinforced with mandatory KYC/AML procedures, two-factor authentication, address whitelisting, a proprietary transaction-monitoring system, and granular APIs aimed at enhancing security and user control.

Transparency

Webull does not currently publish monthly custody or audit reports, nor a publicly visible wallet or balance sheet for crypto assets, and service-level agreements (SLAs) for uptime or asset availability aren’t publicly disclosed.

CEX.IO does not publish monthly financial or operational reports, nor provide public wallet addresses or formal service-level agreements (SLAs), although its regulatory compliance and security stance contribute to overall trust.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

Webull supports funding via ACH transfers—free, with up to $50,000 per deposit and settlement in 3–5 business days, allowing around $1,000 of immediate purchasing power; wire transfers (domestic/international) are available with faster settlement (1–2 days for domestic, up to 5 for foreign), no formal deposit limits, and costs handled by the sending bank.

CEX.IO allows fiat deposits via bank cards (Visa/Mastercard), bank transfers (SWIFT, SEPA, ACH, Faster Payments), and e-wallets like Skrill and PayPal; limits depend on verification level—new users may be capped at around $1,000 daily and $3,000 monthly, with standard limits applied after three months—and deposits typically arrive instantly (for cards/e-wallets) or within 1–3 business days (for bank transfers) depending on the method and region.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

Webull requires standard identity verification upon account opening (name, bank linkage) and performs additional steps like micro-deposits through Plaid when needed; it does not advertise multiple KYC tiers or specific deposit/withdrawal limits tied to verification levels.

CEX.IO enforces at least identity verification for full access to fiat features like card and transfer services; preliminary verification allows limited use, while higher account tiers—such as Enhanced or Corporate—lift deposit/withdrawal limits and enable large-scale operations.

Withdrawals

Fiat withdrawals are possible via ACH (free, 1–3 business days, daily limit around $50,000) or wire transfers (domestic and international options, time ranging from next-day to several days); there’s no support for crypto-network withdrawals (e.g., ERC-20, TRC-20) from crypto holdings as Webull currently handles those internally.

Limits, Timing & Networks

Customer Support

Webull offers support primarily via email and an extensive online Help Center with FAQs and guides; there’s no indication of a 24/7 live chat, and response times vary; documentation is comprehensive, though interactive support may be limited.

Users have access to help via live chat (mobile and web), email support, and an extensive knowledge base containing guides and FAQs—but response times vary and are influenced by location and request complexity.

Languages & Localization

The platform tailors its services based on region—US users operate in USD, while European users access deposits and pricing in euros (via Webull Europe), with localized interfaces and regulatory compliance. However, Spanish-language localization isn’t broadly featured unless offered locally by a regional branch.

The platform is fully available in English (as its primary language), and shows amounts in USD or EUR depending on region; local regulatory compliance is reflected in the user’s jurisdiction which affects available payment methods and features.

App Quality & Stability

Webull is generally considered stable and has effectively weathered market surges and volatility since its 2016 launch, but users occasionally report UI crashes or performance hiccups, especially on mobile; regular updates and troubleshooting tips are available in its help guides.

The CEX.IO app boasts a solid level of stability with regular updates; while precise crash rates aren’t publicly disclosed, the platform emphasizes performance enhancements and bug fixes in app release notes to deliver a smooth user experience.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

Webull strikes a solid balance between sophistication and ease of use, featuring a streamlined interface for the everyday user while offering a “Pro-like” feel through customizable dashboards, advanced charting, and intuitive navigation—though there’s no true “Lite” vs “Pro” mode toggle.

CEX.IO offers a single unified interface rather than separate “Lite” or “Pro” views, relying on straightforward layout and intuitive navigation to help both new and experienced users pick up functionality quickly and seamlessly.

Performance

The platform generally delivers low-latency trade execution and holds up firmly during high-volatility periods; while user surges can cause interface lag, widespread “crashes” are rare and downtime is minimal even in bull markets.

The platform benefits from institutional-grade infrastructure designed to minimize order latency, but like many exchanges, occasional slowdowns can surface during extreme market volatility; onboarding generally remains efficient even during high-demand periods.

Education

Webull provides a rich educational ecosystem, including a structured learning section with tutorials, community-led lessons, in-app webinars, and a robust paper-trading simulator—though Spanish-language modules are limited outside select regions.

CEX.IO University delivers free, beginner-friendly crypto education with a comprehensive glossary and lessons ranging from basic to advanced levels—though it currently lacks a live demo or simulator, and content in Spanish is available through its educational portal.

Community

Webull fosters a lively investing community through in-app discussion boards where users share strategies, ask questions, and learn from each other; there’s engagement via feeds and idea-sharing, but no formal presence on Discord or Telegram for official support.

The ecosystem includes an affiliate and referral program to reward users for spreading the word, but it does not prominently feature official forums or active Discord/Telegram communities as part of its outreach.

Integrations

The platform now offers deep integration with TradingView—allowing you to trade directly from its rich charting interface—although integrations with external tax tools, accounting software, or third-party bots remain limited.

The platform integrates TradingView for charting, offers fully featured APIs for external bot support, and allows data export for tax and accounting purposes, making it viable for integration into broader trading and reporting workflows.

Who Each One Is Best For

Webull is ideal for self-directed and intermediate investors who value powerful visuals, flexible tools, and a vibrant peer community—less suited for those wanting lightweight simplicity, multi-platform integrations, or extensive multilingual support.

CEX.IO is particularly well-suited for users seeking a balanced and compliant entry into crypto—from beginners who want ease of use and educational resources to semi-advanced traders needing reliable tools and external integration capabilities.