Trade Republic vs Bit: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Trade Republic and Bit 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 September 3, 2025

Trade Republic

Bit

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Available Countries

United States

Europe

Yes

Latin America

India

China

Canada

United Kingdom

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Yes

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

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Trade Republic is ideal if:

Perfect for mobile-first, long-term investors, offering automated savings plans and a clean, intuitive app for easy investing across stocks, ETFs, bonds, and crypto.
Well-suited for cost-conscious beginners, thanks to its ultra-transparent pricing—low flat fees or commission-free ETFs—and interest on idle cash for more consistent value preservation.
Reliable and secure choice, operating under strong German regulation with a full banking license and EU deposit protection, making it a trustworthy platform for building your portfolio gradually.

Bit is ideal if:

You want access to a professional-grade platform with advanced derivatives and options for major cryptocurrencies.
You prefer a unified margin account that simplifies collateral management across spot, futures, and options.
You value institutional-level liquidity and infrastructure backed by a reputable global crypto finance group.

Trade Republic isn’t ideal if:

Not suited for active or technical traders — lacks advanced charting tools, desktop platform, algorithmic functions, and sophisticated order types.
Mobile-only design can be limiting — web interface is simplified, and recent app updates have frustrated users with reduced intuitiveness.
Customer support has known weaknesses — historical delays and limited responsiveness during critical market moments can disappoint when you need help quickly.

Bit isn’t ideal if:

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

Trade Republic applies a flat fee per crypto trade rather than calculating traditional maker or taker fees by volume, and there are currently no discounts tied to a native token.

BIT uses a tiered fee structure where maker and taker rates decrease as your 30-day trading volume increases, and some users benefit from additional discounts by using the platform’s native token to pay fees.

Futures/Derivatives

Trade Republic currently focuses on spot instruments and does not support futures or derivatives trading, so these fee categories aren’t applicable.

Futures trades follow a similar tiered model with both maker and taker fees declining as your volume grows; funding rates are dynamic and reflect real-time market demand but are transparently displayed on the trading interface.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

Trade Republic incorporates a modest spread built into the quoted prices for crypto trades, meaning the market’s buy/sell difference serves as an implicit cost rather than a separately disclosed spread.

On highly liquid pairs like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT, typical spreads are very tight, thanks to strong liquidity and professional market infrastructure—even though exact values aren’t publicly listed, they remain consistently narrow.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

Fiat deposits and withdrawals are generally routed through bank transfers or debit/credit options, with minimal or no platform fees, and typically process within a couple of business days depending on your region.

BIT’s fiat support is limited, and where offered (e.g. via partners), deposit and withdrawal options—such as bank transfers—exist but with general processing times of hours to days and no fixed fee details publicly disclosed.

On-chain Withdrawals

Trade Republic does not allow direct blockchain withdrawals of crypto—meaning there is no mechanism to withdraw on-chain and no associated network fees.

Crypto withdrawals incur network-based fees that adjust dynamically per blockchain (e.g., BTC, ETH), instead of a flat rate—this means actual costs vary in real time according to network congestion.

Hidden Costs

Trade Republic maintains transparency, with no inactivity charges or surprise costs; currency conversion may apply if trading in a different base currency, and express KYC options aren’t separately priced.

There may be subtle costs like currency conversion when trading non-supported stablecoins, inactive account fees, or expedited KYC processing—but BIT emphasizes transparency, and these are minimal or avoidable through regular activity.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

If you place a €500 crypto order, you’ll incur the flat execution fee and a small built-in price gap from the spread; since crypto cannot be withdrawn on-chain, there’s no actual withdrawal cost, keeping the transaction clear of extra recurring charges.

A €500 BTC purchase would include the spot fee (based on your VIP tier), a tight spread typical for Bitcoin, and an on-chain withdrawal fee that fluctuates with network conditions—all combined to present a total cost that remains competitive and transparent.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

Trade Republic offers over 50 cryptocurrencies for direct trading, including all major assets like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cardano, Solana, and others; the top 20 by volume approximate include these leading names plus others like XRP, TRX, LINK, DOT, and LTC.

BIT lists over 130 cryptocurrencies and around 160+ trading pairs overall, with the top 20 by volume including BTC/USDT, ETH/USDT, SOL/USDT, PEPE/USDT, XRP/USDT and others leading daily activity.

Product Range

Trade Republic supports only straightforward spot trading of real crypto assets, with automated investment plans (DCA-style) available—margin, perpetuals, options, lending, copy trading, grid bots, staking, and crypto ETFs aren’t offered.

The platform supports spot, perps (futures), US dollar–settled options, convert/swap, savings/earn, copy trading, block trades, and automated rebalance strategies— all unified under their single account model.

Liquidity

Liquidity on Trade Republic is moderate—enough for retail-sized crypto purchases in BTC and ETH—but it doesn’t cater to high-volume trading or offer transparent order book depth like institutional-grade exchanges.

BIT provides high liquidity and deep order books in major pairs like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT, backed by institutional infrastructure, yielding tight spreads and strong execution even under heavy volume.

Tools

The platform supports basic order types such as market, limit, and stop, along with price alerts, but lacks advanced charting, API/WebSocket access, or native TradingView integration for algorithmic or technical-heavy traders.

Traders can use limit, market, and OCO orders, set alerts, access advanced charting, leverage TradingView integrations, and connect via robust API/WebSocket endpoints.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Crypto trading is available only in certain European markets and is limited to spot; derivatives and advanced instruments are simply unavailable in most regions, and there are no special terrains where alternative products are accessible.

Certain products such as derivatives (futures and options) are restricted in several jurisdictions—including the United States and parts of Asia—depending on local law and platform policy.

Innovation

While Trade Republic brings ease and innovation through automated savings plans and a clean mobile interface, it doesn’t offer features like launchpads, launchpools, or staking/earn programs—whether flexible or locked—so innovation remains focused on usability rather than asset-side experimentation.

BIT continuously launches new offerings like launchpad-style products, evolving earn features with flexible and locked staking options, and expanding USD-settled options across various assets.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

Trade Republic operates under Trade Republic Bank GmbH, a German company founded in 2015 with headquarters in Berlin, fully integrated as a banking institution.

BIT is operated by a Seychelles-registered entity established around 2020, headquartered in that jurisdiction, leveraging offshore incorporation to serve a broad global clientele.

Licenses/Registration

The platform holds full banking licenses in Germany and has obtained a MiCA crypto-assets license via BaFin, enabling compliant crypto custody and trading across the entire EEA.

It’s registered under the Seychelles Financial Services Authority (FSA) as a crypto-service provider, though it does not hold equivalent licenses under EU MiCA or major markets like the U.S.

Custody

Crypto assets are securely held by BitGo Europe GmbH in cold storage under BaFin regulation, ensuring that client holdings remain separated and fully owned by the user.

Client funds are predominantly held in multi-signature cold storage across multiple continents with institutional-grade encryption; BIT is working toward combining both proof of reserves and proof of liabilities using Merkle-tree verification to enhance transparency.

Insurance & Protection Funds

Fiat deposits are safeguarded via the German deposit guarantee scheme up to €100,000 per client, while crypto assets are kept segregated in custody, though not formally insured by an additional fund.

The platform maintains an internal insurance fund—designed to absorb losses in extreme market conditions and support its liquidation system as a layer of fund protection.

Incident History

Trade Republic has maintained a clean incident record with no reported hacks, account freezes, or regulatory penalties tied to its operations or crypto services.

BIT has maintained a clean track record with no publicly reported hacks, service suspensions, asset freezes, or regulatory penalties to date.

Risk Controls

Security measures focus on core protections like two-factor authentication and awareness of phishing threats; advanced features such as whitelisting, subaccounts, and sophisticated API permissioning are not offered.

Security measures include mandatory two-factor authentication (2FA), IP and withdrawal whitelists, anti-phishing safeguards, and support for sub-accounts and granular API permissioning to manage operational risk.

Transparency

While Trade Republic delivers clear regulatory disclosures and maintains user ownership clarity, it does not publish monthly proofs of reserves, operate public wallets, or provide service-level agreements in crypto.

While BIT does not publish monthly audit reports or public wallet lists, it provides insurance fund status updates and aims to establish tools for verifying reserves and liabilities, offering growing transparency to users.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

Trade Republic accepts fiat deposits via bank transfer only—no card or e-wallet options—which ensures security and simplicity; there’s no minimum deposit requirement, processing typically takes a few business days, and there are no platform fees.

BIT supports fiat deposits via bank transfer, credit/debit cards, and e-wallets depending on your region, with minimums and maximums and processing times clearly shown on the deposit screen once you initiate the flow.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

You must complete full KYC upon registration—there are no tiered or anonymous levels; the app handles identity verification through ID and photo checks, enabling full trading access without low-volume restrictions.

The KYC framework includes levels like “Basic” and “Advanced” (or equivalent), where unverified users face strict limits or no fiat access, and completing higher KYC tiers unlocks full deposit, withdrawal, and product access.

Withdrawals

Fiat withdrawals are executed via SEPA bank transfer—fees are zero and funds typically arrive within one to two business days; crypto withdrawals to external networks are not permitted at all.

Limits, Timing & Networks

Customer Support

Support is available through in-app chat and email, with response times generally ranging from one to two business days, complemented by a self-help knowledge base—no telephone hotlines or 24/7 live chat available.

BIT offers 24/7 live chat and email support, with a comprehensive help center filled with FAQs and guides; response times vary but generally are prompt—especially for basic queries.

Languages & Localization

The app supports Spanish (among other languages) depending on your device settings, displays all fees in euros, and operates under local compliance frameworks—offering a well-localized experience for Spanish-speaking EU users.

The platform is native in English (and often other major languages), shows pricing and fees in local currencies like USD/EUR, and tailors certain services according to regional regulatory compliance.

App Quality & Stability

The mobile app is highly rated for stability and ease of use, with a smooth interface and regular updates; user-reported crash instances are rare and generally tied to extreme market conditions.

The BIT mobile app is regularly updated on both iOS and Android, designed for smooth performance with minimal crashes, and offers a clean interface that mirrors the web experience.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

Trade Republic offers a clean, intuitive mobile-first interface ideal for newcomers, with no separate Lite or Pro modes—every user sees the same simple layout, making it easy to start investing quickly.

The interface is clean and beginner-friendly, offering an intuitive experience without overwhelming the user—advanced options are accessible but smoothly integrated, helping you transition as you grow.

Performance

Orders execute swiftly under normal conditions, though there have been occasional glitches during high-volatility periods; the streamlined mobile app keeps the user flow smooth, and KYC queues remain minimal—even during bull markets, new users typically onboard quickly.

BIT’s matching engine delivers ultra-low latency (under 50 ms), ensuring fast order execution; systems remain stable even during volatility spikes, with KYC processes generally unaffected by market surges.

Education

While the platform includes helpful in-app guides and tooltips, it lacks a formal academy, demo account, or simulator; however, many UI elements and descriptions are available in Spanish to assist native speakers.

While BIT doesn’t have a dedicated academy or simulator, it offers in-platform guides and multilingual content (including Spanish), helping users understand features without external research.

Community

Trade Republic doesn’t maintain its own public forums or chat channels, but offers a user-friendly referral program within the app, encouraging word-of-mouth growth over open community engagement.

Users can connect via BIT’s official Telegram and referral programs, enabling peer interactions and rewards, though there’s currently no full-fledged forum or Discord hub.

Integrations

The platform doesn’t support external integrations—no TradingView, bots, tax tools, or accounting systems—so all activity is contained within the app’s native ecosystem.

Charts on BIT include TradingView integrations, and the platform supports external tools like copy trading strategies and some basic tax/accounting exports, though comprehensive third-party bot support is limited.

Who Each One Is Best For

This tool shines for cost-conscious, long-term investors who value simplicity and automation—especially beginners or casual users looking for a fuss-free, mobile-first way to build a diversified portfolio over time.

BIT is ideal for those seeking a straightforward yet powerful trading platform—great for beginners who appreciate clarity and for intermediate users who want solid tools without a steep learning curve.