Bitvavo vs Bitso: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Bitvavo and Bitso 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

Bitvavo

Bitso

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Available Countries

United States

Europe

Yes

Latin America

India

China

Canada

United Kingdom

Yes

United States

Europe

Yes

Latin America

India

China

Canada

United Kingdom

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Bitvavo is ideal if:

Europe-based beginners: Bitvavo’s clean design, intuitive mobile and web platform, and supportive onboarding make it a strong match if you're new to crypto in the EU.
Security-conscious traders: With regulated operations, cold-storage protection, multi-signature transfers, and a clear regulatory standing in Europe, it’s a solid pick for those prioritizing safety.
Passive holders: Features like built-in staking or “Earn” options give you a straightforward way to generate passive income from your crypto holdings (without complexity).

Bitso is ideal if:

Latin America–centric users: Tailored for users in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia with local currencies, payments, and regulatory coverage, offering a seamless regional crypto experience.
Beginners who value simplicity: Its intuitive interface and easy onboarding make it a solid entry point for anyone new to crypto trading.
Crypto holders seeking flexible future options: Features like Bitso+ (earnings on your holdings with no lock-ups) and a growing suite of tools make long-term crypto use more rewarding.

Bitvavo isn’t ideal if:

Outside EU? Bitvavo only serves SEPA-zone residents, so if you live outside Europe, you won’t be able to register or use the platform.
Advanced traders only? If you're into derivatives, margin, futures, or algorithmic (bot) trading, Bitvavo lacks those features.
Prefer full 24/7 support? Customer support isn't available round-the-clock, so off-hours support might be delayed.

Bitso isn’t ideal if:

…you live outside Latin America: Access and services are focused mainly on countries like Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia, limiting availability elsewhere.
…you need a wide range of cryptocurrencies: Bitso’s portfolio is effective for mainstream assets, but lacks the extensive variety offered by larger global exchanges.
…you value fast, hands-on support: Customer service primarily relies on tickets and digital channels, which can result in slower response times when urgent help is needed.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

Maker/taker fees are tiered based on your 30-day trading volume across Euro markets, with rates decreasing as volume increases; makers pay less than takers, and trading pairs involving USDC generally offer slightly lower fees.

Bitso applies a tiered maker–taker structure where fees decrease as your 30-day trading volume increases; for instance, in the USD (USDC) market, maker rates range from ~0.25% at low volumes to ~0.04% at the highest tiers, with taker rates starting around 0.30% and dropping to about 0.05%—there’s no native token discount program.

Futures/Derivatives

Bitvavo does not support futures or derivatives trading in any form, so maker, taker, or funding fees for such instruments are not applicable.

maker/taker and funding

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

In instant (spot) trades, there is a modest spread for liquid pairs like BTC/EUR or ETH/EUR (around a small fraction of a percent), though this is eliminated when using advanced limit orders on their pro interface.

While Bitso doesn’t publish exact spread figures, available data and reviews suggest it maintains competitive spreads on major, liquid pairs, though not necessarily as tight as ultra-high-volume global platforms.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

You can deposit and withdraw euros via SEPA and popular local methods—for example, iDEAL or Bancontact—with no charges and typical settlement in a few business days; card or PayPal options are faster but carry a small percentage-based cost.

methods, fees, timings

On-chain Withdrawals

Crypto withdrawals carry a dynamic, network-based fee that aligns with blockchain conditions to ensure timely processing, and may include a markup compared to a private wallet to cover infrastructure and security.

fixed vs dynamic fees per network (BTC, ETH, TRX, etc.)

Hidden Costs

Bitvavo maintains transparent pricing with no inactivity fees, no hidden charges, and no premium for expedited KYC; indirect costs may stem from fiat conversion if your account currency differs or from wider spreads during volatility.

currency conversion, inactivity, expedited KYC, etc.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

For instance, a €500 purchase of BTC via market order would incur a small combined effect of a liquidity fee plus a minimal spread, and later withdrawing that BTC would require paying a network-based withdrawal fee—altogether still relatively modest compared to industry norms.

“Buying €500 in BTC” (fee + spread + withdrawal)

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

Bitvavo supports over 200 crypto assets in more than 400 trading pairs, with its top-20 by volume typically including high-liquidity EUR pairs such as BTC/EUR, ETH/EUR, XRP/EUR, SOL/EUR, ADA/EUR, and others.

Bitso offers around 100 trading pairs and supports roughly 55–100 cryptocurrencies, with top-volume instruments like BTC, ETH, XRP, SOL, and USDC featuring prominently among the top 20 by liquidity.

Product Range

Bitvavo offers spot trading, recurring buys (automatic DCA), staking and lending (“Earn”), but it does not support margin, derivatives, options, crypto ETFs, copy trading, grid bots, or similar advanced instruments.

Bitso provides spot trading plus a flexible staking/earn product (Bitso Earn) and fiat-crypto remittances (via Bitso Shift), but it does not offer margin, derivatives (futures/options), ETFs, lending, copy trading, grid bots, or automated DCA strategies.

Liquidity

Bitvavo’s daily spot trading volume can reach into the high hundreds of millions to over a billion USD, with deep order book depth in BTC/EUR and ETH/EUR enabling tight spreads and smooth execution in large orders.

Daily volumes for major pairs like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT run into the tens of millions USD, offering sound liquidity and stable order-book depth, though not as deep as global mega-exchanges.

Tools

You can use market, limit, stop-limit, and “price guarantee” orders, with advanced time-in-force options; the platform includes native TradingView charts, REST and WebSocket APIs for live data and trading, though no OCO or conditional chains.

Bitso supports market, limit, stop-loss, and stop-limit orders, integrates with TradingView for advanced charting, offers price alerts, and provides robust API/WebSocket access through its Bitso Alpha platform.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Certain features—like lending (earn)—are restricted in select jurisdictions (for example, Germany), and advanced products like derivatives are globally unavailable, reflecting regional regulatory limits.

Certain advanced features like staking and fiat on-ramps are limited to Latin American residents; derivatives and margin aren’t offered at all, and access is restricted outside these primary markets.

Innovation

Bitvavo continually enhances its Earn program with both Flex (on-demand access) and Fixed (locked, higher-return) staking and lending structures, though it doesn’t currently offer launchpad or launchpool-style token events.

Bitso excels with its flexible-earn staking (withdraw anytime, weekly rewards) and has broadened coverage into emerging DeFi space by adding new tokens like HYPE, though it doesn’t currently run launchpads or locked-pool offerings.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

Bitvavo is operated by Bitvavo B.V., founded in 2018 and headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Bitso operates under the legal entity Badger Technology Company Ltd, incorporated in Gibraltar, with operations stretching across Latin America since its launch in 2014 out of Mexico City.

Licenses/Registration

Bitvavo holds a Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) license granted by the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets, allowing it to offer regulated crypto services across the European Economic Area.

The platform holds a pioneering DLT license from the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission and operates in Mexico under the local Fintech law as an authorized payment institution (IFPE).

Custody

Assets are held with external, insured custody providers like Coinbase Custody and Copper; Bitvavo publishes quarterly independent Proof of Reserves attestations showing assets are fully backed, with a significant majority stored in cold, multi-signature custody.

Bitso uses its own custody infrastructure, reinforced with multi-signature controls and disaster recovery via CoinCover, and offers transparency through real-time security metrics via its Trust Center.

Insurance & Protection Funds

User funds in custody are covered by a large insurance policy held by custodial partners, and Bitvavo offers an internal “Account Guarantee” that may reimburse eligible users up to €100,000 in cases of unauthorized access.

Bitso has complemented its digital-asset protection by partnering with CoinCover to provide additional risk mitigation and recovery mechanisms for user funds.

Incident History

Bitvavo has had no known hacks, but did experience technical outages and a brief data exposure incident, all resolved transparently, with no loss of assets or fines reported.

To date, Bitso has not experienced any known hacks or security breaches, and it has a track record of uninterrupted service without suspensions or major compliance penalties.

Risk Controls

The platform supports strong security controls including mandatory 2FA, anti-phishing codes, API key restrictions with granular permissions, but does not offer sub-accounts or address whitelisting.

The platform enforces robust risk safeguards including two-factor authentication (2FA), phishing prevention, transaction whitelists, and granular API permissions for institutional users.

Transparency

Bitvavo promotes transparency through quarterly Proof of Reserves attestations and clear regulatory disclosures—though it does not publish public wallet addresses, detailed monthly reports, or formal SLAs.

In the interest of openness, Bitso shares live security and compliance metrics in its Trust Center, though it does not produce regular reserve or transparency reports or public wallets.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

You can deposit euros via SEPA bank transfers, local options like iDEAL or Bancontact, as well as card payments and PayPal; SEPA and iDEAL support high maximums with no fees and settle in 1–2 business days, while PayPal and card top-ups are instant but carry percentage-based charges.

Bitso accepts fiat deposits via local bank transfers (e.g., SPEI in Mexico, Pix in Brazil), digital dollars through Payoneer, and in some markets, card deposits; minimum and maximum deposit amounts vary based on local regulations and bank systems, and transfer times generally align with domestic banking hours.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

Full identification is mandatory to use the platform—there is no basic or limited mode; until you complete KYC (uploading ID and a short selfie video), deposits, trades, and withdrawals are blocked, while enhanced limits and quicker large transfers may require further compliance documentation.

There are typically three KYC tiers

Withdrawals

Daily withdrawal capacity is capped (around €25,000 combined fiat and crypto) unless you provide source-of-funds documents; crypto withdrawals use only one approved network per asset—typically the native chain (e.g., ERC-20 for Ethereum)—and are processed as blockchain confirmations allow.

Limits, Timing & Networks

Customer Support

You can reach support via email and access a comprehensive Help Center for documentation; while there’s no guaranteed 24/7 live chat, response times are reasonable and often backed up with detailed FAQ articles covering common scenarios.

Bitso provides support through live chat and an extensive Help Center ticket system, with response times typically within 24–48 hours and a rich knowledge base to guide users.

Languages & Localization

The interface is fully localized in multiple languages including English, displayed in euros by default, and aligned with EU/EEA regulations to ensure local compliance and intuitiveness for European users.

The platform operates natively in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, displays fees in relevant local currencies, and tailors its services to comply with regional legal and regulatory frameworks.

App Quality & Stability

Bitvavo’s mobile and web apps are known for smooth stability with minimal crashes, and they receive regular updates to improve performance and roll out pro features, maintaining a solid user experience across devices.

Bitso’s mobile app (available for iOS and Android) mirrors the web platform in functionality and offers a smooth trading experience with strong user reviews, suggesting stability and regular updates.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

Bitvavo offers a user-friendly “Lite” mode for beginners and a powerful “Pro” interface tailored for advanced users, featuring resizable dashboards, keyboard shortcuts, and integrated TradingView charts—making adoption smooth whether you’re new or experienced.

Bitso caters to different skill levels by offering a stripped-down classic mode for newcomers and the more advanced Alpha Pro interface for serious traders—both seamlessly blend intuitive design with enhanced charting and order tools, making the learning curve manageable yet scalable.

Performance

Bitvavo Pro is optimized with faster chart interactions and order execution, scaling well even during high-volatility spikes; while onboarding may slow slightly during bull markets, the platform remains reliable under load.

Bitso’s Alpha Pro is optimized for fast trade execution and generally maintains uptime even during busy periods; however, during bull markets, KYC queues can lengthen, occasionally delaying full access for new users.

Education

Bitvavo Learn delivers structured, multilingual educational modules—from beginner to intermediate—covering crypto fundamentals and trading concepts, although there are currently no live simulators or Spanish-specific demo environments.

Although Bitso doesn’t offer a trading simulator or demo, it does provide educational content—including guides and insights—in Spanish across its blog and Help Center, making it accessible for Spanish-speaking users seeking self-guided learning.

Community

Bitvavo maintains an active help center and a referral program that rewards users for inviting others, but does not run its own public forums, Discord, or Telegram community channels.

Bitso fosters community engagement through active channels like official Telegram groups and a referral program, though it doesn’t operate a public forum or Discord server specifically for user discussions.

Integrations

The platform integrates seamlessly with TradingView for chart-based trading and offers REST/WebSocket APIs for developers—supporting external bots and connection to third-party tax or accounting tools.

Bitso integrates directly with TradingView, enabling charting and analysis of its full spot-pair range; it also supports external integration via its robust API, though it lacks built-in tax tools or direct accounting integrations.

Who Each One Is Best For

Bitvavo Lite is ideal for casual and new crypto users, while Bitvavo Pro is built for active or professional traders needing advanced analysis and execution tools—giving each group the right balance of simplicity or sophistication.

Bitso offers an ideal blend of simplicity and capability for Latin American users—from beginners enjoying the clean interface to intermediate traders accessing Alpha Pro—making it less suited for algorithmic traders, simulator users, or those needing integrated financial tooling.