Capital.com vs Ascendex: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Capital.com and Ascendex 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 5, 2025

Capital.com

Ascendex

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Available Countries

United States

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

Yes

China

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

Yes

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Yes

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

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Capital.com is ideal if:

For tech-savvy learners – Its intuitive, AI-powered platform and rich educational resources make it a great fit if you rely on smart tools to refine your trading strategy.
For traders across devices – With both proprietary web/mobile platforms and MetaTrader 4 support, it's ideal if you value flexibility in how and where you trade.
For internationally regulated users – Strong oversight from trusted authorities (FCA, CySEC, ASIC, and others) ensures you benefit from high-tier security and compliance.

Ascendex is ideal if:

Versatile trader tools – Offers both beginner-friendly and pro-grade interfaces for spot, margin, futures, staking, copy trading, and yield farming.
Passive-earning focus – Multiple earning paths available (staking, DeFi yield, OTC, Invest programs), ideal if you want crypto to work for you passively.
Robust performance engine – High-throughput tech, advanced analytics, and mobile support make it ideal for active or institutional traders needing speed and reliability.

Capital.com isn’t ideal if:

If you want direct ownership – It only offers CFD-based exposure, which means you don’t acquire the actual underlying assets.
If you need a wide variety of account types – Options beyond demo, retail, or professional are limited compared to some competitors.
If you're looking for copy trading or social features – It doesn’t support social trading or copy-trading capabilities.

Ascendex isn’t ideal if:

Regulatory uncertainty – Lacks formal licensing in many regions, meaning oversight and user protections may be limited.
Customer service concerns – Some users report slow or unhelpful support, particularly for withdrawals or issue resolution.
Past security breach – A significant hack occurred, which may worry users who prioritize platforms with a flawless security record.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

Capital.com does not use classic maker/taker fees for spot trading; instead, all trading costs are embedded in the dynamic spread, and there is no tiered volume-based discount or native token benefit.

Spot trading fees follow a tiered VIP structure based on your 30-day trade volume and holdings of the native ASD token; larger volume or ASD holdings unlock lower maker and taker rates, especially for major market-cap pairs.

Futures/Derivatives

Capital.com offers CFDs on derivatives rather than crypto futures, so there are no separate maker/taker or funding fees—rather, overnight financing charges apply depending on position leverage and duration.

Futures (perpetual) trading uses its own VIP-based fee tiers—maker fees can be as low as around 0.02%, takers around 0.05%—and funding payments occur every eight hours to align perpetual contract prices with spot.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

While exact numbers shift with market conditions, spreads on major crypto CFDs tend to be competitive and relatively tight during normal liquidity, reflecting a cost structure built into the quoted prices.

Liquid pairs like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT exhibit tight spreads thanks to deep order books and efficient matching, making execution cost minimal beyond standard fees.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

You can deposit via credit/debit cards, bank transfers, or e-wallets with no deposit fees; card or digital payments are typically instant, while bank transfers may take a few days. Withdrawals are also free but processing can take up to five business days depending on the method.

You can fund via credit/debit card or bank transfers through third-party processors; while deposits are quick, they may include a dynamic processing fee; withdrawal options and speeds depend on your local banking rails and chosen method.

On-chain Withdrawals

Capital.com does not support direct on-chain crypto withdrawals, as it operates using CFDs—so there is no blockchain withdrawal fee to consider because you can’t withdraw crypto into an external wallet.

BTC, ETH, TRX, etc.)

Hidden Costs

Hidden costs may include a currency conversion fee when trading in a currency different from your account base (around 0.7%), and an inactivity fee charged monthly after a year of dormancy; there are no express KYC fees.

Implicit costs may arise from conversion markups when buying crypto with fiat, inactivity penalties, or optional fast-track identity verification services, so even if explicit fees are low, these can add to your total cost.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

If you buy €500 in BTC (via CFDs), your cost would include the embedded spread on entry, possible conversion if your base currency differs, and if you withdraw funds later via bank transfer, you’ll incur no Capital.com fee—only standard bank or intermediary charges may apply.

When you convert €500 into BTC, costs include the processing spread from fiat to crypto, the trading fee on your spot purchase, and any withdrawal network fee—so the net BTC received will be noticeably less than the €500 equivalent due to layered transaction components.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

Capital.com offers CFD trading on around 400 crypto assets, with the most traded pairs including prominent names like BTC/USD, ETH/USD, SOL/USD, XRP/USD, DOGE/USD, SHIB/USD, and others that typically rank among the top 20 by volume.

AscendEX supports over 200 to 300 cryptocurrencies across more than 200 trading pairs, with the most liquid top 20 pairs typically dominated by BTC, ETH, USDT, and popular large-cap and DeFi tokens if ranked by volume.

Product Range

The platform focuses on spot-style CFD trading with leverage and margin; it does not support perpetuals, options, crypto ETFs, staking, lending, copy trading, grid bots, or automated DCA features.

The platform offers spot, margin, and perpetual futures, flexible staking and yield programs, copy-trading for futures, and supports automated strategies such as grid bots and DCA through its API and third-party tools—though options and crypto ETFs are not part of the current offering.

Liquidity

While exact figures vary with market conditions, BTC and ETH CFDs usually benefit from strong liquidity and tight order-book depth, ensuring that positioning in these flagship pairs remains fluid and responsive to market moves.

With a reported 24-hour trading volume ranging from hundreds of millions to a couple of billion dollars, BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT markets offer strong depth and tight order books, enabling efficient execution even for substantial orders.

Tools

Traders get limit, stop and OCO-like functionality, plus smart price alerts, richly featured charting powered by a native TradingView integration, and a full REST & WebSocket API for deep automation and data access.

AscendEX features a full suite of order types (limit, market, stop, OCO), advanced charting with customizable indicators, real-time alerts, and robust API/WebSocket access—although it relies on its proprietary charting tools rather than native TradingView integration.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Crypto CFD derivatives are broadly available, but notably not offered to UK retail clients, reflecting regulatory constraints that may apply depending on your residence.

Certain regions face limitations such as no access to futures or derivatives features—specifically, users in jurisdictions like the United States and China are restricted from using these products due to compliance considerations.

Innovation

The platform focuses on core CFD trading and charting infrastructure and does not currently provide features like launchpads, launchpools, or flexible vs blocked “earn” products.

AscendEX delivers early access to new token projects via its launchpool platform, and its Earn suite includes both flexible staking options—as well as programs with lock-up periods—giving users choice in how they deploy assets to generate yield.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

Capital.com operates through several legal entities—most notably Capital Com SV Investments Ltd in Cyprus (head office in Limassol), with regional arms like Capital Com MENA Securities Trading LLC in the UAE—established around 2016 and headquartered across jurisdictions like Cyprus, the UK, Australia, the Bahamas, and UAE.

AscendEX operates under AscendEX Technology S.R.L., legally established in Romania, while the broader group includes BMXDM Technology Pte. Ltd. founded in 2018, with headquarters primarily in Singapore.

Licenses/Registration

The broker is regulated by top-tier authorities including CySEC (EU), FCA (UK), ASIC (Australia), SCB (Bahamas), and SCA (UAE); it complies with MiFID standards in the EU but is not classified as a VASP under current crypto-specific regulatory frameworks.

The platform adheres to AML/CTF regulations where required, but does not currently hold formal regulatory licenses such as VASP in most jurisdictions nor EU MiCA authorization.

Custody

Client funds are held in segregated accounts with top-tier banks and not commingled with company assets, though there’s no public evidence of Proof of Reserves, audit reports, or specified cold-storage percentages specific to crypto holdings.

Users’ crypto assets are stored primarily in cold, offline wallets managed directly by AscendEX, supported by a defense-in-depth security model; there’s no publicly disclosed proof-of-reserves audit or specific percentage of assets held in cold storage.

Insurance & Protection Funds

Retail clients in the EU receive coverage through Cyprus’ Investor Compensation Fund (up to a certain limit), and UK clients through FSCS; there is also mandatory negative balance protection for retail users, but there appears to be no standalone private insurance for custody.

AscendEX maintains an internal insurance fund drawn from its own balance sheet to cover potential losses in the event of security incidents.

Incident History

There are no publicly reported major security breaches, trading suspensions, account freezes, or regulatory fines associated with the platform to date, indicating a clean historical safety record.

In December 2021, AscendEX suffered a hot-wallet exploit across several blockchains, but fully reimbursed all impacted users and rebuilt its infrastructure with stronger safeguards.

Risk Controls

Security features include 2FA, internal fraud and anti-phishing safeguards, and supported tools for risk management; however, there is no explicit mention of whitelisted addresses, sub-account structures, or highly granular API permission tiers.

The platform supports two-factor authentication, device monitoring, anti-phishing alerts, and offers API access with control options and sub-account structuring to help manage risk.

Transparency

The platform provides regulatory compliance transparency through standard policies, but does not offer monthly audit reports, public wallet listings, or formal service-level agreements (SLAs) as part of its disclosures.

While offering real-time monitoring and reporting tools, AscendEX does not publish monthly reserve statements, public wallet addresses, or formal service-level agreements.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

Capital.com lets you deposit via bank transfer, debit/credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Neteller, Skrill, and regional services like iDEAL, Trustly, SPEI or Lean; minimums vary by method (typically $20 or equivalent), and funds via card or e-wallet tend to arrive instantly, whereas bank transfers may take a few business days.

AscendEX supports depositing fiat through third-party providers such as Simplex, MoonPay, Mercuryo, and Banxa via card or bank transfer, offering fast funding for multiple regions, with specific minimums and maximums varying per provider and region.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

You must complete KYC before trading; basic verification covers deposits up to your initial funding, with advanced verification required for higher withdrawal amounts or accessing profits via bank transfer, but there’s no public tiered structure labeled “basic” vs “advanced” on their site.

AscendEX requires identity verification for full platform access; unverified accounts face strict withdrawal caps (such as 0.75 BTC daily), while verified users enjoy much higher limits, with further tiered levels unlocking even greater flexibility.

Withdrawals

Withdrawals must be made via the original deposit method up to that amount; profits require a verified bank account; minimums start around $20 or local equivalent, processing occurs within 24 hours (most within minutes), although it can take up to five business days depending on the provider.

Withdrawal limits depend on KYC status—unverified accounts are capped at around 0.75 BTC per day, verified users far higher—and users can withdraw via multiple networks (ERC-20, TRC-20, BEP-20, etc.), with processing speed tied to blockchain congestion.

Customer Support

Capital.com offers 24/7 chat support and email response through a help centre with quick turnaround, backed by a robust knowledge base covering deposits, tools, trading, and troubleshooting.

AscendEX offers round-the-clock support via live chat and email, with a comprehensive help center available for self-service; response times generally fall within reasonable hours though may vary based on query complexity.

Languages & Localization

The platform supports a wide array of languages including native-level Spanish, presents fees and pricing in local fiat formats like €, and is tailored and regulated per locale via regional subsidiaries.

The interface supports multiple languages including English, and displays prices in common currencies like EUR and USD; it also tailors functionality—and availability—to comply with regional regulations.

App Quality & Stability

Their mobile app is regularly updated to enhance performance and tools, showing strong stability with minimal reported crashes—though no specific crash rate or version history is publicly shared.

The AscendEX mobile and desktop apps deliver a polished and responsive experience, receiving regular updates to bolster stability and features, with no widespread reports of performance or crash issues among users.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

The interface is friendly for beginners, with a clean layout and intuitive navigation, while offering advanced charting tools that feel like a “Pro” experience—there’s no separate mode labeled Lite or Pro, but the design scales nicely with your growing skill.

The platform provides both a streamlined “Lite” interface optimized for newcomers and a feature-rich “Pro” mode tailored for experienced traders, offering intuitive navigation while allowing users to progress as their skills evolve.

Performance

The platform executes orders swiftly with minimal latency and holds up well even during volatile market conditions; account verification remains efficient without major backlogs, even when markets heat up.

Order execution is generally fast and stable, though sharp market spikes can occasionally lead to slight delays; during bull runs, KYC processing times may lengthen, though the platform scales verification capacity to mitigate backlogs.

Education

Capital.com features a strong educational ecosystem, including a richly featured demo account, live webinars, glossaries, articles, and full Spanish-language content to guide both new and intermediate traders.

AscendEX hosts an educational hub with articles, investment lessons, and futures tutorials, but it does not currently offer demo trading accounts or Spanish-specific learning modules.

Community

While it doesn’t host its own public forum or Discord, the platform encourages community via integrated social tools and offers a referral program that rewards users for inviting new traders.

Users can connect via numerous official Telegram channels across multiple languages and leverage an active referral program that rewards users for inviting others to the platform.

Integrations

The integration with TradingView is seamless and empowers deep charting and automation, but there are no built-in tools for external bots, tax reports, or accounting features—those must be sourced externally.

The exchange offers native TradingView charts and robust API access, enabling integration with third-party bots and tax/accounting tools like CryptoTaxCalculator for portfolio tracking and reporting.

Who Each One Is Best For

This setup works best for traders who value polished interfaces with pro-level tools, rich educational support, and solid integrations—making it ideal for both curious beginners and performance-oriented intermediate users.

Beginners benefit from the Lite mode and educational resources, active/pro traders gain from the advanced order tools and integrations, and those focused on passive strategies can leverage the automated tools and referral rewards.