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

Trying to choose between Bitmart 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 16, 2025

Bitmart

Altcoin Trader

⚠️ We look for what’s best for you.

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Available Countries

United States

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

Yes

China

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Yes

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

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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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

Maker/Taker and Funding

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

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.

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

Methods, Fees, Times

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

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

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

Currency Conversion, Inactivity, KYC Express, etc.

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

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

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

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.

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

You’ll find a full trading suite on BitMart

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

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.

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

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

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).

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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)

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

AltCoinTrader uses multi-tiered verification

Withdrawals

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.

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

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.

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

Languages & Localization

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.