Eightcap vs Pancakeswap: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Eightcap and Pancakeswap 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 1, 2025

Eightcap

Pancakeswap

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United States

Europe

Yes

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India

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China

Canada

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United Kingdom

Yes

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Yes

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

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Eightcap is ideal if:

Strong for technical traders — supports MT4, MT5 and TradingView with advanced charting and code‑free automation, perfect for hands‑on, strategy-driven trading.
Regulated & cost‑efficient — overseen by multiple top-tier authorities and offers tight spreads plus no deposit or inactivity fees, appealing for safety‑ and budget‑conscious users.
Less ideal for beginners — wide instrument offerings and advanced tools may overwhelm newer traders seeking simpler platforms or built‑in educational guidance.

Pancakeswap is ideal if:

Low-cost, high-speed Swaps – PancakeSwap runs on BNB (formerly Binance Smart Chain), offering fast token swaps with notably lower gas fees—perfect if you prioritize efficiency over cost.
Secure, non-custodial control – Trades occur directly from your own wallet, so you retain full custody of your crypto at all times—a strong choice if self-sovereignty matters to you.
Rich DeFi features with a playful vibe – Beyond swapping, you can explore yield farming, staking, lotteries, and gamified tools—great if you enjoy a dynamic, engaging DeFi experience.

Eightcap isn’t ideal if:

Not for long-term investors — only CFD-based trading is supported, so you can’t actually own real stocks or crypto assets.
Modest educational resources — lacks extensive learning materials or in-depth investor education, which can be a hurdle for newcomers.
Some transparency gaps — limited public disclosure of financials and occasional regulatory complexity may make due diligence harder.

Pancakeswap isn’t ideal if:

If you prefer regulated, fiat-onramps – PancakeSwap lacks fiat support and formal oversight, making it unsuitable if you rely on traditional trading channels.
If mobile convenience matters most – There’s no dedicated mobile app, so seamless mobile access isn’t available.
If you’re new to DeFi security risks – The open nature of BSC can expose you to scam tokens, and smart-contract risks like impermanent loss or protocol vulnerabilities require careful navigation.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

Eightcap offers two account types: Standard (spread-only, no commission) and Raw (very tight spreads plus fixed commission of $3.50 per standard lot, per side). There are no volume-tier pricing or native token discounts—pricing remains flat regardless of trading volume or token holdings.

PancakeSwap applies a flat 0.25% fee for both maker and taker swaps across all volume tiers, with no tiered discount structure or fee reduction tied to holding its native token. The fee remains consistent regardless of trade size or loyalty incentives.

Futures/Derivatives

Eightcap specializes in CFDs (including futures-like products) but does not publicly provide maker/taker fee tiers like traditional futures exchanges. Costs are embedded in bid/ask spreads and overnight financing (swap rates), which vary by asset class and are automatically applied when positions are held past daily cut-off.

On PancakeSwap’s perpetual futures, the maker fee is 0.02% and the taker fee is 0.07% of the trade value; funding rates apply periodically to maintain contract price alignment, though those rates fluctuate based on market conditions.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

Crypto trading as CFDs is offered, but spreads vary by instrument. According to recent data, they start around 170 pips for Bitcoin (BTC) and 20 pips for Ethereum (ETH), reflecting typical broker-wide CFD markups—not tight like spot crypto exchanges, but acceptable for leveraged derivatives access.

While PancakeSwap doesn’t display traditional order-book spreads, its AMM-based design delivers tight effective spreads on highly liquid BEP-20 token pairs like BTCB/USDT and ETH/USDT—typically minimal when routed through smart liquidity pools.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

Eightcap supports a wide array of fiat deposit and withdrawal methods—bank transfers, credit/debit cards, e-wallets (e.g., PayPal, Skrill, Neteller), and others—with no internal fees charged by Eightcap. Deposits can be processed instantly or within 24 business hours; withdrawals generally process within one day, though third-party or banking intermediaries may apply their own charges or delays.

PancakeSwap supports fiat on-ramps through partners like MoonPay, Mercuryo, and Transak, allowing credit card, debit card, or bank transfer purchases; fees vary per provider (usually with a modest minimum), and timing depends on each provider’s onboarding and processing standards.

On-chain Withdrawals

Eightcap does not support withdrawing cryptocurrencies “on-chain”, as all crypto exposure is via CFDs. You cannot withdraw actual BTC, ETH, TRX, or other tokens—so there are no network fees, fixed or dynamic.

There are no withdrawal fees charged by PancakeSwap itself—you only pay the network (miner) fees, which are dynamic and vary by blockchain (e.g. BNB Chain, Ethereum, Tron) depending on congestion and supply.

Hidden Costs

While Eightcap is transparent on major fees, some additional costs may apply: currency conversion fees if your deposit/withdrawal currency differs from your account’s base currency; a $10 inactivity fee after three months of no trading or funding for certain entities; and possibly expedited KYC or handling charges, depending on jurisdiction or service tier—though these are uncommon and not prominently advertised.

PancakeSwap doesn’t impose inactivity, express-KYC, or platform-specific hidden fees, but third-party on-ramp providers may charge markup or conversion fees, so true costs can vary based on the provider you choose.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

If you use €500 to “buy” BTC via CFD: First, your Standard account would incur a spread cost (embedded in the price), or with Raw you’d pay a minimal spread plus about €3.50 commission per side. Since it’s a CFD, there’s no actual BTC to withdraw, so no withdrawal fees or network charges apply. Any currency conversion (EUR to account base) may add a small FX cost—so your total cost includes spread + commission (if Raw) + potential FX conversion, but no actual blockchain or custody expenses.

If you input €500 via an on-ramp, you’ll likely pay a provider fee (often a few percent or a fixed minimum), receive slightly less BTC due to the quoted rate, and later pay only the on-chain network fee when withdrawing—PancakeSwap itself adds no extra fees beyond the AMM swap and network cost.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

Eightcap offers over 250 crypto derivatives that include a wide range of coins, crosses, and indices—way beyond the top 20 by volume, though it doesn’t break down exactly which are most popular.

The total number of assets on PancakeSwap fluctuates frequently, but there are roughly 2,400+ cryptocurrencies and nearly 3,800 trading pairs; the top-20 pairs dominate most daily trading volume.

Product Range

Eightcap exclusively provides CFD-based crypto instruments, which function like margin or perpetuals but underestimate ownership—you won’t find options, ETFs, staking, loans, bots, or DCA tools directly on the platform.

PancakeSwap enables spot swaps, perpetual futures (including crypto and new stock perps), staking via Syrup Pools and farms, plus gamified features like lottery and NFTs—no margin, options, ETFs, copy trading, grid bots, or auto-DCA are supported.

Liquidity

While specific 24-hour volumes and order-book depths aren’t publicly listed, Eightcap leverages NDD/ECN execution through professional liquidity providers, offering comparatively deep liquidity for major crypto CFDs like BTC and ETH.

Daily trading volume sits in the tens of millions; for liquid pairs like BTCB/BNB or WETH, AMM pool depth ensures smooth swaps with tight effective liquidity rather than traditional order-book depth.

Tools

You get a full suite of limit, stop, OCO orders, price alerts, advanced charting across MT4, MT5, and TradingView (with native integration), plus access to APIs and WebSockets—ideal for custom trading or automation.

The platform supports limit orders and simple advanced modes for perpetuals, though lacks native alerts, full-fledged charting, or built-in TradingView; developers can leverage API/WS integrations instead.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

There are regional limitations: for example, UK-based retail clients cannot trade crypto derivatives due to FCA rules, and similar restrictions may apply elsewhere depending on local regulation. Eightcap doesn’t currently offer launchpads, pools, or staking/earn products, so there’s no innovative token launch or flexible/locked earn feature—its focus remains strictly on regulated CFD derivatives.

As a decentralized protocol, PancakeSwap generally offers all features everywhere, though it may be geo-blocked in select regions (e.g., Belarus, Syria, Cuba), limiting access to certain products in those areas.

Innovation

Eightcap doesn’t currently offer launchpads, pools, or staking/earn products, so there’s no innovative token launch or flexible/locked earn feature—its focus remains strictly on regulated CFD derivatives.

PancakeSwap showcases ongoing innovation through features like launchpool/launchpad style farms, native-token liquidity pools, and both auto-reinvesting farms and flexible Syrup Pool staking options.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

Eightcap is operated by several legal entities across jurisdictions—most prominently Eightcap Pty Ltd in Australia, and others in the UK, Cyprus, and the Bahamas—with founding traces around 2009 and reported operational headquarter roots in Melbourne.

PancakeSwap was launched in 2020 by an anonymous development team, operates as a decentralized protocol, but a corporate entity named PancakeSwap Inc was incorporated in New York in June 2021; the protocol itself is often associated with Japan (Hiroshima) as its development hub.

Licenses/Registration

Eightcap holds licenses under multiple regulators including ASIC (Australia), FCA (UK), CySEC (Cyprus) and SCB (Bahamas); it does not specifically operate under VASP or MiCA frameworks for crypto, as it offers CFDs rather than spot crypto services.

PancakeSwap does not hold any formal licenses or registrations such as VASP or MiCA, reflecting its nature as a permissionless DeFi protocol without centralized licensing oversight.

Custody

Eightcap uses third-party segregated bank accounts to hold client funds separately from corporate capital; it does not offer Proof of Reserves or cold storage audits, as it doesn’t custody actual cryptocurrencies.

PancakeSwap uses a non-custodial AMM model—users retain control of their funds; it does not publish proof of reserves or reserve percentages, but its smart contracts have undergone multiple third-party audits covering various modules.

Insurance & Protection Funds

Depending on the regulatory entity, clients may benefit from protections like the UK’s FSCS coverage (up to £85,000) or the EU’s equivalent; however, there is no blanket crypto-insurance or industry-wide protection fund.

PancakeSwap does not have built-in insurance or protection funds for user losses—security depends on its audited contract code and user vigilance.

Incident History

Eightcap’s public incident record includes self-reported compliance breaches with ASIC (regarding leveraged CFD limits), and abrupt service cuts to proprietary trading firms—not hacks or technical breaches.

The protocol itself hasn’t been hacked, but in March 2021 it faced a phishing-based DNS hijack that exposed users to risk; operational services remained intact but highlighted importance of user-side safeguards.

Risk Controls

Security controls include SSL encryption, optional two-factor authentication (2FA), negative balance protection, and advanced platform-level features (e.g., in MT4/MT5). Whitelists, anti-phishing tools, sub-accounts, or granular API permissions are not explicitly noted.

PancakeSwap lacks centralized account-level controls like 2FA, whitelists, or sub-accounts; users are advised to rely on external wallet-level security and phishing awareness.

Transparency

Eightcap publishes regulatory disclosures and periodic financial reports (like Pillar III disclosures for its EU entity), supports regulatory transparency, but does not offer public crypto wallet addresses or express service-level agreements (SLAs).

While PancakeSwap is open-source and auditable, it does not publish monthly transparency reports, make reserve wallets public, or offer formal service-level agreements—it relies on community trust and on-chain visibility.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

Eightcap supports more than 15 deposit options—including bank transfers, credit/debit cards, UnionPay, POLi, BPay, Skrill, Neteller, and more—processing most deposits within 24 business hours, with some methods instant; deposit minimums and maximums vary by payment provider and region.

PancakeSwap doesn’t accept direct fiat deposits—it relies on partner platforms like MoonPay or Transak for credit card, bank transfer, or e-wallet purchases, which typically enforce minimums (around $30-50) and maximums (up to ~$10,000), with funds arriving in a few minutes to an hour depending on provider speed.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

KYC is mandatory before trading or withdrawing; there’s no anonymous tier—users must complete basic identity verification (photo ID, proof of address), with advanced checks possibly required for larger withdrawal volumes or specific payment methods.

The exchange itself doesn’t manage KYC; any verification requirements are imposed by the fiat partners, with basic KYC often sufficient for smaller limits and advanced verification required for higher-tier purchases.

Withdrawals

Withdrawal times depend on method—e-wallets and cards typically process within 1–2 business days, bank transfers up to 3–7 days; crypto (if supported) allows instant withdrawals with minimums often starting around $10–$50 depending on currency and method.

Withdrawals from PancakeSwap refer to token swaps to your wallet—there are no platform limits, and timing is near-instant (subject to blockchain confirmation). Supported networks depend on the token (e.g. BEP-20 for BNB Smart Chain, ERC-20 via bridging, etc.), and ONLY network transaction fees apply.

Customer Support

Support is available through email and live chat, with a comprehensive FAQ and knowledge base for common queries; while exact SLA response times aren’t listed, support is generally responsive and available across operational hours.

PancakeSwap does not offer dedicated customer support like live chat or email; instead, users rely on its extensive FAQs, official documentation, and community support via Telegram or Discord.

Languages & Localization

The interface and support materials are localized for multiple regions, including Spanish and euro-denominated clients, with regional configurations to reflect appropriate compliance and fee presentation in local context.

The platform interface supports multiple languages—including Spanish—and while fees are shown in crypto units (not currencies like €), regional regulatory compliance depends on the user’s location and the fiat partner’s policies.

App Quality & Stability

Eightcap’s mobile and desktop platforms (via MT4/MT5 or proprietary portals) are known for polished functionality and regular updates; while no formal crash-rate metric is published, user feedback suggests solid reliability and steady performance.

The PancakeSwap web app is lightweight, highly stable, regularly updated, and suffers minimal downtime; there’s no public data on crash rates but user reports suggest smooth performance in recent months.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

Eightcap offers a responsive and consistent trading interface across desktop, web, and mobile, crafted using a scalable design framework for seamless cross-device usability—though it doesn’t present clearly segmented “Lite” or “Pro” modes, the choice of platforms (MT4, MT5, TradingView) naturally scales based on experience and preference.

PancakeSwap offers an approachable interface inspired by familiar DEX designs, making it simple for new users to grasp—there’s no Lite or Pro toggle, but the interface balances clarity and functionality through structured menus and intuitive labeling.

Performance

Eightcap delivers fast order execution with low latency and no major reported platform outages during volatile periods; some users note that high demand environments can stretch KYC processing slightly, but overall it remains efficient and reliable.

Its AMM model ensures almost instant swaps, keeping performance strong even during volatile periods; there are rare reports of brief latency or congestion spikes, but there’s no central KYC queue to slow trades.

Education

The platform includes a robust demo environment—accessible via MT4/MT5—typically lasting 30 to 35 days, enabling realistic, risk-free practice; educational materials are available though comprehensive academy-style resources or content in Spanish appear limited.

PancakeSwap maintains a well-organized how-to guide section in multiple languages—including Spanish—with deep walkthroughs of features, but it lacks a formal demo or simulator for practice trading.

Community

There’s no strong evidence of active community forums, Discord, or Telegram channels officially hosted by Eightcap, and details around a structured referral program are not prominently displayed—suggesting community engagement is more organic or via broader social and review platforms.

A lively ecosystem thrives through its official Telegram, Discord, and forums in various languages—including Spanish—and while there’s no formal referral scheme, community engagement and peer support are strong.

Integrations

Eightcap shines in integrations, offering seamless TradingView connectivity, support for automated strategies via MT4/MT5 environments, and accessibility through API/WebSocket channels—though dedicated tax tools or accounting integrations don’t appear to be offered.

The platform doesn’t include native charting like TradingView or integrated tax/accounting tools, though it supports external API access, making it possible to connect third-party bots or portfolio tools with some technical know-how.

Who Each One Is Best For

This platform is ideal for active and technically minded traders who value speed, integration flexibility, and advanced charting—especially those comfortable navigating MT4/MT5 or TradingView—while casual or education-focused users seeking built-in community tools or localized learning may find it less tailored to their needs.

PancakeSwap works best for users seeking fast, wallet-controlled swaps and those interested in DeFi yield opportunities—beginners get straightforward guides, while more advanced users benefit from deeper functionality and developer flexibility.