Bitflyer vs Simpleswap: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Bitflyer and Simpleswap 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

Bitflyer

Simpleswap

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Available Countries

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

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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Bitflyer is ideal if:

Great for cautious starters – Offers a clean, beginner-friendly interface with strong regulation and security, especially suited if you value peace of mind and a guided experience.
Smart for professionals too – Its Lightning platform and API support advanced trading styles while remaining within a trusted, compliant ecosystem.
Best for mainstream assets – Focuses on the core major cryptocurrencies rather than obscure altcoins—ideal if you're after simplicity, not a sprawling asset list.

Simpleswap is ideal if:

Great for quick, no-registration swaps: Ideal if you want to exchange coins swiftly and privately, without creating an account or going through KYC.
Perfect for privacy-focused users: Its non‑custodial design helps you maintain full control over your assets throughout the transaction.
Suited for users exploring a wide range of coins: Offers an expansive selection of crypto assets—from mainstream to lesser-known altcoins—making it handy for flexibility and experimentation.

Bitflyer isn’t ideal if:

Not for altcoin hunters — Offers only a small selection of mainstream cryptocurrencies, limiting your options if you're looking to explore lesser-known tokens.
Limited advanced trading tools — Lacks robust derivatives, futures, lending, and staking features that active or margin traders often need.
Less competitive for cost-focused users — May involve higher spreads or fewer deposit options compared to more versatile, low-cost exchanges.

Simpleswap isn’t ideal if:

Not for beginners needing fiat on-ramps: If you don’t already own crypto, SimpleSwap doesn’t support seamless fiat-to-crypto purchases without extra partner steps.
Limited for advanced traders: No margin, futures, charting tools, or sophisticated order types—only basic instant swaps.
Less suitable during network congestion: Transactions can slow when blockchains are busy, affecting speed and predictability.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

On bitFlyer’s Lightning Spot, maker and taker fees decrease progressively as your 30-day trading volume grows—from about 0.10 % at lower volumes down to roughly 0.03 % for very high turnover, with potential bespoke discounts for particularly active users or sizeable trades.

SimpleSwap doesn’t distinguish between maker and taker fees—instead, all costs are embedded within the quoted exchange rate, so there are no separate fee tiers or native-token discounts to worry about.

Futures/Derivatives

bitFlyer offers Bitcoin futures and crypto CFDs with margin, where trading fees fall in the same low double-digit-basis-point range, plus a funding cost applied at fixed intervals based on price divergence from spot—creating a small rollover cost for open positions.

SimpleSwap does not offer futures or other derivatives at all, so there are no associated maker, taker, or funding fees to consider.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

Spread information isn’t explicitly disclosed on bitFlyer, but based on its exchange design, liquid pairs typically carry modest spreads that are embedded in prices, especially via the Easy Exchange interface where the buy/sell price includes conversion margin rather than a separate fee.

Spread details aren’t openly published, but market comparisons suggest a mark-up hovering around 1.2%, meaning the price you see already includes a slight premium over market rates.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

methods, fees, timing

Fiat transactions are handled via a partner (like Mercuryo), typically using Visa or Mastercard, with fees built into the exchange rate and shown upfront—there’s no platform-stated flat rate or set timing for processing.

On-chain Withdrawals

fixed vs dynamic fees

There’s no separate withdrawal fee charged by SimpleSwap—only the blockchain’s own network (gas) fees apply, which vary by network and reflect real-time congestion levels.

Hidden Costs

There are no apparent idle-account or express-KYC charges; however, minor implicit costs can stem from currency conversion spreads if you’re using a non-native fiat, and any third-party wire or bank fees—which vary regionally—can affect your overall cost.

There are no inactive-account fees or express-KYC charges; any currency conversion or rate-related cost is already baked into the exchange price, so you face no surprises beyond the displayed rate.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

Buying €500 worth of BTC would entail a small embedded spread (via Easy Exchange) or low Lightning fee, plus the flat withdrawal charge (e.g., ~0.0004 BTC) if you choose to withdraw—resulting in a modest overall impact relative to the value but with no hidden or percentage-based surprises.

If you exchange €500 to BTC, the platform displays the rate including a small mark-up (around 1–2%) at the time, and then the final BTC received reflects that pricing, minus network fees; there are no extra line-item charges added afterward.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

bitFlyer supports around 7–8 core cryptocurrencies with roughly 10–12 trading pairs, mainly focused on major assets like BTC, ETH, LTC, BCH, ETC, LSK, MONA, and a few fiat pairings—its offering remains intentionally compact.

SimpleSwap supports over 1,500 cryptocurrency assets for instant swaps; while there’s no public list of the top 20 by trading volume, it’s safe to infer that mainstream heavyweights like BTC, ETH, USDT-based pairs, and other popular altcoins lead the most frequently exchanged.

Product Range

The platform offers spot trading, margin trading (up to around 2×–4× leverage depending on region), Bitcoin futures (derivatives), Ethereum staking (upcoming), and OTC for large volume trades—but lacks more exotic features like options, ETFs, lending, copy-trading, automated bots, or full DCA tools.

SimpleSwap is designed solely for instant, spot crypto-to-crypto swaps and staking through integrated programs; it does not offer margin, futures/perps, options, crypto ETFs, lending, copy trading, grid bots, or automated DCA features.

Liquidity

bitFlyer handles daily trading volumes in the low-hundreds of millions USD (with top pairs like BTC/JPY and ETH/JPY dominating), while its order book depth on main pairs remains modest compared with major global exchanges—sufficient for moderate trades but not for ultra-large orders.

Exact liquidity metrics like 24-hour trading volume or order-book depth aren’t published, but SimpleSwap sources liquidity from multiple partner exchanges, enabling smooth execution for BTC and ETH swaps via aggregation rather than a unified internal book.

Tools

Advanced users benefit from a Lightning platform offering standard order types (limit, stop), custom alerts, charting, API and WebSocket access, and a native professional interface—but there’s no built-in TradingView integration or OCO orders.

The platform is minimalist—neither limit nor OCO orders are available beyond fixed-and-floating rate swaps; it lacks advanced charting or alerts, though it does offer integration tools like APIs and widgets rather than a native TradingView interface.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Derivatives and margin capabilities vary by region, with limited pairs available in the U.S. (e.g., BTC/USD, ETH/USD, BCH/BTC) and broader altcoin access in Europe and Japan, reflecting regulatory constraints across jurisdictions.

Since SimpleSwap doesn’t offer derivatives, there are no region-based limitations on those products specifically, but its fiat-to-crypto service is restricted in a set of countries flagged by regulatory or partner limitations.

Innovation

Recent enhancements include ETH staking (pending launch) and ongoing CFD asset expansions. However, bitFlyer does not currently offer launchpads, flexible vs locked Earn products, or structured innovative financial instruments.

While SimpleSwap doesn’t run launchpads or launchpools, it does innovate in passive earning via its loyalty and affiliate programs, offering flexible cashback and staking-like benefits rather than locking funds into fixed-term products.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

bitFlyer, Inc. was founded in 2014 and is based in Tokyo, Japan; it has extended operations internationally through regulated subsidiaries such as bitFlyer Europe to serve multiple regions globally.

SimpleSwap is operated by SimpleSwap Limited, established in 2018 and based in George Town, Cayman Islands, functioning under that jurisdiction while also listing a U.S. office in San Francisco for support operations.

Licenses/Registration

It holds Virtual Asset Exchange licensing under Japan’s FSA, and its European arm is a fully regulated payment institution in Luxembourg, holds the first VASP registration there, and undergoes annual audits by a Big Four firm.

The platform operates under money transmitter licenses where applicable, respecting relevant regulatory frameworks without explicitly holding licensing such as VASP registration or MiCA compliance, though its services may vary regionally to meet local requirements.

Custody

Customer assets are stored offline in proprietary cold wallets (often over 80–100%), with multilayer physical security; while specific Proof of Reserves disclosure isn’t public, financial statements undergo external audit and assets are held separately from company funds.

As a non-custodial exchange, SimpleSwap never holds user assets, reducing exposure to custodial risks; the platform does not currently offer public Proof of Reserves, cold reserve percentages, or external audit disclosures.

Insurance & Protection Funds

There’s coverage for unauthorized withdrawal via encrypted authentication and secure wallet infrastructure, but no widely advertised comprehensive insurance fund for hacks or exchange-level failures.

There is no public program offering insured coverage or asset protection funds—security relies on infrastructure practices like SSL encryption and secure transaction channels rather than third-party insurance.

Incident History

Apart from regulatory enforcement fines (e.g., levied by New York DFS), bitFlyer does not have public records of hacks or fund losses, reflecting a clean operational history with no major security breaches or customer fund suspensions.

SimpleSwap has maintained a clean record—no documented security breaches, funds seizures, or regulatory enforcement actions appear in public sources, reflecting a history free from major incidents.

Risk Controls

The platform enforces strong password policies, two-factor authentication, account lockouts, encryption, and segregates client and company funds; features such as whitelists, sub-accounts, anti-phishing, and granular API permissions enhance security.

The platform enforces strong security protocols including SSL encryption, optional two-factor authentication for added account safety, and compliance-driven KYC escalation in higher-risk cases; however, features like address whitelists, sub-accounts, granular API controls, or anti-phishing mechanisms are not prominently offered.

Transparency

While bitFlyer doesn’t publish monthly reserve reports or wallet addresses, it provides audited compliance, segregated custodian practices, encryption standards transparency, and maintains clear regulatory and operational SLAs via its regional legal frameworks.

SimpleSwap does not provide regular reporting like monthly reports or SLAs, nor does it maintain public wallet addresses; its transparency relies on its non-custodial structure and clear service terms rather than open reserve disclosures or performance metrics.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

Bank transfers (like SEPA, ACH, Fedwire) are available (sometimes free), with PayPal accepted in Europe; credit/debit card options depend on region, and deposit limits lift with full Trade Pro verification, while processing ranges from instant (cards) to 1–3 business days (bank transfers).

SimpleSwap supports fiat deposits exclusively through its partner Mercuryo, typically via Visa or Mastercard, including virtual, debit, and credit cards, zero stated minimums or maximums, and instant payment processing, though processing limits are influenced by third-party policies.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

Accounts start at a basic (Standby) level with entry-only access, upgrade to Trade Class to deposit and trade within limits, and finally Trade Pro unlocks unrestricted activity—requiring progressively more ID documentation during verification.

SimpleSwap enables anonymous crypto-to-crypto swaps without KYC, but using fiat services or large transactions may trigger partner-enforced identity verification (e.g., basic KYC via Mercuryo) depending on risk assessments, without predefined tiers disclosed.

Withdrawals

Crypto withdrawals have fixed minimums (e.g., 0.001 BTC plus fee), fiat withdrawals via bank take about 1–3 business days, and supported networks include the standard ones like BTC and ETH—no TRC20/BEP20 options mentioned.

Since SimpleSwap is non-custodial, withdrawals simply reflect on-chain transfers to your wallet, with no platform-imposed limits; completion typically takes between several minutes up to an hour depending on network load and chosen blockchain.

Customer Support

Support is accessible via email and contact form (weekdays during business hours), with response typically within that timeframe; a FAQ/help center exists, but there’s no live 24/7 chat available.

SimpleSwap offers 24/7 live chat and email support with generally fast response times, backed by a detailed FAQ and blog guides that serve as a robust self-help resource.

Languages & Localization

The platform offers native-level English (and other EU languages like French); pricing and fees are shown in local fiat (€/USD/JPY), with region-specific regulatory compliance embedded per locale.

The platform is available in around 10 languages on the website (with app support in 6), displays pricing and rates in common fiat like EUR or USD based on your region, while service availability is tailored to local regulatory environments.

App Quality & Stability

The mobile app supports core functions, is generally stable, though users report some limitations in advanced trading features, occasional minor bugs, and mixed ratings—recent updates aim to improve usability and reliability.

SimpleSwap’s mobile app is designed for smooth, user-friendly crypto swaps and applies the same core functionalities as the web platform; while precise crash rates aren’t published, user feedback reports high stability and ongoing updates to expand asset availability and app performance.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

bitFlyer strikes a balance between accessibility and power—casual users will find the Lite interface intuitive with a gentle learning curve, while experienced traders can switch to a Pro mode that offers deeper functionality without overwhelming novice users.

SimpleSwap’s interface shines with its minimalist design—there’s no “Lite” or “Pro” toggle, but the intuitive layout makes the learning curve nearly nonexistent, allowing users of all levels to initiate swaps quickly and effortlessly on both desktop and mobile.

Performance

Order execution is generally responsive during normal conditions, but like many exchanges, there can be brief latency or slight slowdown during high-volatility spikes; KYC queues may also lengthen during strong bull runs, potentially delaying onboarding.

The platform generally executes instant swaps with low latency by sourcing multiple liquidity providers; while it doesn’t face order system overloads, swaps may take slightly longer during high blockchain congestion—there’s no bulk KYC process since accounts aren’t required.

Education

The bitFlyer Academy provides beginner-friendly articles and guides to help users understand crypto fundamentals, though there’s no live demo or simulator, and educational content in languages other than English is limited.

SimpleSwap offers robust educational support via its blog, guides, and FAQs—but lacks demo or simulator tools; however, it caters to Spanish speakers with translated articles and interface options for enhanced accessibility.

Community

bitFlyer maintains an official help center and blog for updates, but lacks public community forums like Discord or Telegram; it does offer a referral program to incentivize bringing new users—but no broad peer-to-peer community space is currently provided.

Community engagement thrives through its ambassador and affiliate programs, offering users access to private Telegram groups, content support, and cashback incentives—though public forums or Discord channels aren’t prominently advertised.

Integrations

The platform supports API and WebSocket access for automated trading, yet does not offer native TradingView charts, external bot marketplaces, or integrated tax/accounting tools—so users typically rely on external systems for advanced analytics or bookkeeping.

SimpleSwap doesn’t embed TradingView charts or offer native bot support, but it does provide a transparent API and widget for smooth integration with external tools and developer workflows; no built-in tax or accounting tools are included.

Who Each One Is Best For

bitFlyer is ideal for traders who want a secure, regulated platform with a choice between streamlined and professional UIs, while those who prefer community-driven tools, extensive integrations, or a learning sandbox may find more options on other platforms.

SimpleSwap is ideal for both newcomers and seasoned crypto users who value instant, no-account swaps with strong privacy and multi-language support—especially useful when speed, simplicity, and broad coin access matter more than advanced trading tools.