Plus500 vs Altcoin Trader: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Plus500 and Altcoin Trader 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 27, 2025

Plus500

Altcoin Trader

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Available Countries

United States

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Canada

United Kingdom

Yes

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Yes

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

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Plus500 is ideal if:

Beginner-friendly simplicity — Plus500 offers an intuitive, uncluttered trading platform across web and mobile, making it easy to start trading even without prior experience.
Risk-safe practice — You get a free, unlimited demo account and essential risk-management tools, letting you gain confidence without risking real capital.
Versatile CFD access — Plus500 provides a broad selection of tradable instruments via CFDs, including cryptos, stocks, forex, and commodities—great if you want exposure across different markets.

Altcoin Trader is ideal if:

Ideal for newcomers seeking simplicity: Its intuitive interface and straightforward trading make onboarding smooth and stress‑free.
Perfect if you want seamless ZAR access: Supports direct South African Rand deposits and withdrawals tied to local banking systems.
Great for those who value passive earnings: Offers an interest‑bearing feature that lets you earn on crypto holdings without lock‑ins.

Plus500 isn’t ideal if:

Lacks advanced trading features — No support for expert tools like algorithmic bots, third-party platforms (MT4/5), or social/copy trading, so power users may feel constrained.
Not suited for high-frequency or scalping strategies — Accounts may be closed if rapid trades (under two-minute intervals) are used, limiting active day traders.
Platform focuses more on CFDs, not long-term investing — With a model centered on leveraged derivatives, it's less ideal for buy-and-hold investors or those seeking diversified asset management.

Altcoin Trader isn’t ideal if:

Not for multi-fiats or passive earners: Only accepts South African Rand and lacks earning tools like staking or interest accounts.
Not for advanced traders: Platform design is basic—missing advanced order types, robust charting, or professional trading tools.
Not optimal for large-volume traders: Lower liquidity and trading volume compared to big exchanges may affect execution of bigger trades.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

Plus500 does not follow a maker/taker fee model, nor does it offer volume-tiered discounts or native token reductions; instead, all costs are embedded in the platform’s floating buy-sell spreads, meaning you always pay whatever spread is quoted when executing spot trades.

AltCoinTrader applies a flat fee of 0.10% for both maker and taker spot trades, regardless of your trading volume; there are no volume-based tiers or discounts for using any native token.

Futures/Derivatives

Futures trading operates on a platform-fee-free basis, though there are specified contract commissions per side, while overnight funding (rollover) charges apply automatically if positions remain open past the funding cutoff time.

The platform does not offer any futures or derivatives trading—so there are no associated maker/taker fees or funding costs to consider.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

Spread values for crypto pairs like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT aren’t published as flat numbers and vary with market flux; Plus500 uses dynamic pricing that blends its own markup into quoted spreads, so you’ll see wider-than-raw-market spreads depending on volatility conditions.

AltCoinTrader does not publicly disclose average spreads for these pairs; given its focus on ZAR-based markets, spreads may vary, and the platform does not advertise this metric prominently.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

You can use methods like bank transfer, credit/debit cards, and e-wallets (e.g. PayPal, Skrill); Plus500 typically charges no internal deposit or withdrawal fees, although third-party provider or bank charges—and occasional exchange-related fees—may still apply; processing generally takes 1–7 business days depending on the method.

You can deposit and withdraw South African Rand via EFT, bank transfer, Capitec Pay, and similar local methods—with deposit fees around 0.5% (capped at R95), and withdrawal fees set at 0.5% plus a fixed R16 (also capped at R95); deposits are typically credited within one to three days, depending on your bank.

On-chain Withdrawals

On-chain withdrawals aren’t offered—Plus500 doesn’t support direct cryptocurrency withdrawals—so there are no fixed or dynamic network-based crypto withdrawal costs.

Withdrawal fees for cryptocurrencies are network-based and vary by coin—e.g., a BTC withdrawal costs approximately 0.00057 BTC—indicating a fixed fee per network rather than dynamic gas-based pricing.

Hidden Costs

Hidden or incidental costs include a currency conversion fee of up to approximately 0.7% when trading or transacting in currencies other than your account base, plus a monthly inactivity fee (e.g. around $10) after consecutive months without logging in; there are no express KYC or surprise platform charges.

Although there are no explicit inactivity or express KYC fees mentioned, non-ZAR conversions may involve indirect conversion costs, and fee transparency for different services (like instant processing) isn’t fully clear—so always check within your account before proceeding.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

If you buy €500 worth of BTC, you’ll implicitly pay for the spread markup, which might be in the range of a few percent over market price, but there’s no explicit commission; if you later attempt to withdraw funds (fiat), there’ll be no withdrawal fee from Plus500 unless limits or conditions are broken, though your bank or payment service may charge its own fee.

Suppose you purchase the equivalent of €500 in BTC via the market; you’d pay roughly 0.10% in trading fee plus a spread embedded in the quote, and if withdrawing immediately you’d incur the fixed BTC withdrawal fee—altogether reflecting trading, conversion, and withdrawal without outlining exact amounts to keep it evergreen.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

Plus500 offers around 20 cryptocurrency-related CFDs, including major coins and a “Crypto 10 Index” that tracks top cryptocurrencies, meaning its range is relatively limited compared to comprehensive exchanges.

AltCoinTrader supports approximately 37 unique cryptocurrencies across around 48 trading pairs, with the top 20 pairs by volume dominated by ZAR-based markets—including notable pairs like XRP/ZAR, BTC/ZAR, USDT/ZAR, and ETH/ZAR.

Product Range

Plus500 provides spot-style CFDs and crypto futures, but doesn’t offer traditional margin trading, crypto ETFs, staking, earning features, lending services, copy trading, grid bots, or automated DCA—its product set is streamlined around derivatives.

AltCoinTrader focuses on basic spot trading and includes a passive income product called “Easy Save,” but it does not offer margin or derivatives, crypto ETFs, lending, copy trading, grid bots, or automated DCA tools.

Liquidity

Liquidity and depth data for BTC/ETH aren’t disclosed publicly, but Plus500 typically operates as the counterparty to your trades rather than routing through public order books, so traditional volume or depth metrics are not directly applicable.

Liquidity is modest, with 24-hour trading volumes in the low-to-mid million-dollar range; although exact order book depth isn’t publicly shown, it’s likely thinner than on major global exchanges, especially for BTC and ETH markets.

Tools

The platform supports limit, stop-loss, trailing-stop, and conditional orders, offers price alerts and advanced charting with technical indicators, yet lacks external API access or native TradingView integration for algorithmic or programmatic trading.

The platform provides market and limit orders, slightly more advanced charting via TradingView Basic, and API access; however, features such as stop or OCO orders, price alerts, WebSocket data, or advanced charting tools are notably limited or absent.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Availability of key products like crypto CFDs and futures varies by jurisdiction—for instance, CFDs are not available to U.S. traders, and futures may be restricted or offered under a separate U.S. entity depending on local regulation.

Being South African-based, AltCoinTrader’s features are tailored mainly to ZAR-speaking regions, with no support for derivatives or advanced instruments—there are no explicit regional blackouts, but advanced products simply aren’t offered anywhere.

Innovation

Plus500 does not offer innovative features like launchpads, launchpools, or differential earn programs—its platform focuses on the core CFD experience without those DeFi-style utility or token launch functionalities.

AltCoinTrader doesn’t support token launch mechanisms or pools, but it does offer an innovative passive yield feature via Easy Save, which allows flexible, interest-like returns on idle crypto without lock-ins—offering a rare, flexible-earn option among regional exchanges.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

Plus500 Ltd is a publicly traded fintech company founded in 2008, headquartered in London (listed on the LSE as part of the FTSE 250), and operates via regional subsidiaries based in Cyprus, the UK, Australia, Singapore, Israel, the Seychelles, the UAE, Japan, the Bahamas, and others.

AltCoinTrader (Pty) Ltd, founded around 2015 and headquartered in South Africa, operates under South African law with a visible company registration—making it a locally regulated and established crypto service provider.

Licenses/Registration

The platform is licensed and regulated by multiple top-tier authorities including the UK FCA, CySEC (EU), ASIC (Australia), MAS (Singapore), ISA (Israel), along with recent additions such as the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization and UAE approval; not specifically under MiCA/EU frameworks.

AltCoinTrader is officially licensed by the South African Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) as a Category I/II Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP), and also registered as a Financial Service Provider (FSP), reflecting compliance with local and FATF-aligned regulatory standards.

Custody

Plus500 holds client funds in segregated accounts in compliance with regulations, but it does not support direct crypto custody—hence no public proof of reserves, cold storage statistics, or third-party wallet audits are offered.

AltCoinTrader manages its own custody of user assets, employs a statutory audit confirming that client reserves exceed liabilities, and holds a major portion of assets in cold storage—though it doesn’t publicly provide a full-proof of reserves report.

Insurance & Protection Funds

There is no mention of specific crypto or third-party insurance on holdings; however, regulated jurisdictions provide standard investor protections, such as compensation schemes in the UK and EU for client funds.

There is no publicly detailed insurance policy or external protection fund advertised—such coverage is either not offered or not transparently disclosed on the platform.

Incident History

There are no widely reported incidents of security breaches or hacks on record; past regulatory action includes an FCA fine in earlier years for AML-related deficiencies, but there have been no recent major operational interruptions.

There are no known reports of major hacks or regulatory fines, although a small number of users have complained about account issues or fund access delays on review platforms—no confirmed systemic security breaches.

Risk Controls

Plus500 employs standard security controls such as SSL encryption and protected logins; however, features like two-factor authentication, address whitelisting, anti-phishing tools, sub-account structures, or granular API access are not prominently highlighted as available.

The platform enforces standard risk controls like two-factor authentication (2FA) and OTP-based withdrawal verification; more advanced tools such as whitelisting addresses, sub-account management, anti-phishing measures, or granular API permissions are not prominently featured.

Transparency

Plus500 publishes regular financial and corporate reports, operates under UK corporate governance standards, and adheres to regulatory transparency; public blockchain wallet visibility or formal SLAs are not provided.

AltCoinTrader does not appear to publish monthly financial or transparency reports, does not offer publicly auditable wallet addresses, nor sets formal SLAs—though it does voluntarily participate in regulatory audits and maintains compliance processes under financial law.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

You can deposit via bank transfers, Visa/MasterCard, PayPal, Skrill, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. The general minimum is around $100, though wire transfers may require more depending on your region; maximum limits vary by country and payment method. Deposits are free on Plus500’s side but may incur charges from your provider, and processing typically takes between 1 to 7 business days depending on the method and your location.

AltCoinTrader accepts fiat deposits via local bank transfers and Ozow instant EFT, requiring a minimum of around R100 (approx. $6), with no stated maximum; processing usually happens within a few hours to one business day, depending on method and bank operations.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

Account registration is swift and includes mandatory identity verification (KYC/AML). Although Phases like “Basic” or “Advanced” are not explicitly categorized, funding and withdrawal capabilities may be restricted until you submit standard documents like government-issued ID and proof of residence; further verification may be requested depending on individual circumstances.

AltCoinTrader uses multi-tiered verification

Withdrawals

Plus500 does not support cryptocurrency withdrawals, only fiat. Withdrawal processing takes around 1 to 3 business days, though your bank or wallet provider may extend that to as much as a week. If you withdraw less than $100, a fee may apply, and exceeding a certain number of monthly withdrawals could also trigger additional charges.

Crypto withdrawals depend on the chosen network (ERC-20, TRC-20, etc.) and follow standard network protocols; fiat ZAR withdrawals offer a “near-instant” service (R250K max outside banking hours; R5M during) taking 5–15 minutes to process but up to 24 hours to reflect, and must be sent to a personal bank account in your name.

Customer Support

Support operates 24/7 via live chat and email, with quick response times and an accessible FAQ/Trading Academy for self-help. While response speeds can vary, most clients find support prompt and helpful, aided by a broad knowledge base covering deposits, trading, and platform navigation.

Support is available via email, tickets, and phone during South African business hours (typically weekdays, 9

Languages & Localization

The platform supports over 30 languages, including native Spanish, and displays prices in your account base currency (e.g., €). It operates under local regulatory regimes in multiple regions, ensuring that services are tailored to local rules and currency preferences.

The platform is presented in English, displays fees and balances in ZAR, and is fully oriented toward South African regulatory standards, offering smooth localization for users in that region while showing limited adaptability for others.

App Quality & Stability

Plus500’s app is widely rated as stable and user-friendly across both mobile and web platforms. While specific crash-rate figures and update logs aren’t published, ongoing enhancements and a clean operational record suggest consistent attention to performance and reliability.

AltCoinTrader’s mobile app is generally stable and feature-rich in terms of basic trading, earning a middling performance score; while it supports TradingView charts, APIs, and indicators, there’s no public data on crash rates—user feedback indicates reliable stability but limited advanced features.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

Plus500 offers a clean, minimalistic interface designed for quick onboarding—there’s no separate lite or pro mode, just one unified platform that scales from basic to advanced features as you explore it.

AltCoinTrader features a clean, beginner-friendly interface with a shallow learning curve and no separate Lite or Pro modes—making it simple and consistent for users of all levels.

Performance

Execution is generally smooth and low-latency in stable markets, though during extreme volatility the platform may slow down; KYC delays have been reported during bull runs, but such cases are rare and resolve quickly.

The exchange typically handles order submissions quickly and remains solid even during market swings, though occasional slowdowns or verification delays may occur during surges of activity or peak trading periods.

Education

Their Trading Academy includes ebooks, guided videos, and webinars plus a fully functional, unlimited demo account—while most resources are in English, some video subtitles and FAQs support Spanish.

While the platform offers helpful webinars, detailed FAQs, and guided support, it lacks a built-in demo or simulator and currently doesn’t provide structured educational content in Spanish.

Community

Plus500 does not prominently host community forums or manage official Discord or Telegram groups; referral options exist but are based on affiliate links rather than social investor networks.

AltCoinTrader does not host public forums or Discord/Telegram channels, but it does run a referral program alongside its support-driven community engagement through its helpdesk and email support.

Integrations

The platform runs its proprietary web and mobile interface and does not support native TradingView, bot integration, tax-report automation, or accounting tool sync.

The platform includes basic charting with TradingView Lite integration, but it doesn’t yet support external trading bots, tax tools, or accounting package integrations.

Who Each One Is Best For

Plus500 shines for traders seeking a straightforward, demo-supported CFD experience built around usability and risk tools—especially newcomers or those who prioritize simplicity over advanced automation or social features.

AltCoinTrader is ideal for South African beginners or casual traders seeking secure, straightforward ZAR-based buying and basic earning, but less suitable for advanced traders craving sophisticated tools or broader language and automation support.