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

Trying to choose between IG and Bitflyer 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 29, 2025

IG

Bitflyer

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United States

Europe

Yes

Latin America

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India

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China

Canada

United Kingdom

Yes

United States

Yes

Europe

Latin America

India

China

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

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IG is ideal if:

Strong for serious traders – Offers a wide array of professional-grade platforms (like ProRealTime, L2 Dealer, MT4, and TradingView) that support advanced and even algorithmic strategies—great if you're tech-savvy and value sophistication.
Excellent for educational growth – Delivers rich learning resources, demo account options, and intuitive interfaces, making it appealing if you’re building foundational skills or seeking a smooth learning pathway.
Optimal amid market volatility – With deep market access and robust systems, IG stands out if you thrive in fast-moving markets and want reliable execution during turbulent trading sessions.

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.

IG isn’t ideal if:

Platform limitations – If you rely on MT5 or cTrader, know that IG offers only its proprietary platform and MT4, so those alternatives aren’t available.
Limited account styles – No Islamic (swap-free), social/copy-trading, or fixed/spread-only accounts, which may restrict options for certain strategies or preferences.
Payment and inactivity restrictions – Fewer deposit/withdrawal methods and inactivity fees may frustrate infrequent traders or those needing flexible funding.

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.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

IG does not use maker/taker pricing for spot crypto trading—instead, they apply a single flat percentage spread on all trades, with no discounts tied to volume or use of a native token.

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.

Futures/Derivatives

IG’s derivatives (CFDs and futures) are priced purely through the spread—there is no separate maker or taker fee, and funding costs for cash CFDs are embedded in the spread rather than added separately.

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.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

While specific BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT spreads aren’t publicly listed, IG applies a flat spread of approximately 1.49% across all crypto trades, implying similarly consistent spreads for major pairs across the board.

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.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

You can fund and withdraw via bank transfer, credit/debit cards, and e-wallets like PayPal; these methods typically carry no fees from IG and settle instantly for most deposits, with withdrawals usually completed within 1–3 business days.

methods, fees, timing

On-chain Withdrawals

IG does not support direct crypto wallet withdrawals—crypto is traded via CFDs only, so there are no on-chain withdrawal fees of any kind.

fixed vs dynamic fees

Hidden Costs

IG’s fee structure is generally transparent; there are no hidden costs. Currency conversion fees may apply if your deposit isn’t in your account base currency, an inactivity fee kicks in only after prolonged dormancy, and enhanced KYC services—if any—are presented clearly.

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.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

If you invest €500 in BTC CFDs, the only cost would be the flat crypto spread—so you’d effectively receive the equivalent of €500 minus 1.49% as your notional position, with no separate commission or withdrawal fee applied.

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.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

IG now offers access to over 35 cryptocurrencies via its partnership with Uphold, spanning everything from major assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum to more niche tokens—though specific rankings for the top 20 by trading volume aren’t publicly detailed.

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.

Product Range

IG mainly supports spot crypto investing and CFDs, but does not currently offer standalone margin, perpetual futures, options, crypto ETFs, staking, lending, copy-trading, grid bots, or automatic DCA tools.

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.

Liquidity

IG leverages Uphold’s infrastructure for liquidity, ensuring reasonable access and execution—but public figures for 24-hour volume or order-book depth on BTC and ETH aren’t shared directly on its platforms.

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.

Tools

IG’s platform offers basic order types like market, limit, and stop-loss; price alerts and interactive charts are included, though advanced conditional orders, APIs/WebSocket access, and native TradingView integration are not part of the current crypto toolkit.

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.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Crypto investing through IG is currently limited to eligible regions—such as the UK rollout for retail clients—with some derivatives offerings either restricted or unavailable depending on local regulatory constraints.

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.

Innovation

IG’s latest crypto launch focuses on streamlined access and integrates directly into its platform, but it doesn’t offer token launchpads, yield farming, staking pools, or flexible vs locked “earn” product structures at this time.

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.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

Crypto trading via IG is provided through its partnership with Uphold—a U.S.-based platform—while IG Group Holdings plc (founded in 1974) remains the UK-listed parent company headquartered in London, though the crypto offering technically operates under Uphold’s custody infrastructure.

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.

Licenses/Registration

IG itself offers crypto access in the UK via Uphold, which is regulated as a crypto platform in both the U.S. and U.K.; IG Group operates under its existing FCA and Bermuda Monetary Authority permissions, but crypto-specific licenses like MiCA or VASP registrations in the EU are not publicized for IG directly.

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.

Custody

Crypto assets bought through IG are held by Uphold under a third-party custody model; IG does not manage wallets itself, and there’s no public evidence of proof-of-reserves, independent audits, or data on the percentage held in cold storage.

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.

Insurance & Protection Funds

Cryptocurrency holdings via IG (through Uphold) are not covered by the UK’s Financial Services Compensation Scheme, and there’s no mention of alternative insurance or protective reserve mechanisms designed for crypto assets.

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.

Incident History

While IG Group has experienced system outages, refund errors, and a past regulatory fine in France, no reported crypto-specific hacks or custody breaches have occurred in connection with the new crypto service to date.

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.

Risk Controls

Basic security best practices are encouraged—such as secure device use and phishing awareness—but features like mandatory two-factor authentication, withdrawal whitelists, sub-accounts, or granular API permissioning tied specifically to crypto use are not currently highlighted in IG’s offering.

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.

Transparency

IG does not appear to provide public wallets, proof-of-reserve transparency, or specific service-level agreements tied to crypto custody, nor are there dedicated monthly crypto custody reports available for clients.

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.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

IG supports bank transfers, credit/debit cards, and PayPal or other local e-wallets depending on your region; deposits are usually instant for cards and e-wallets, and 1–3 business days for transfers, with minimums varying by region (e.g. ~£10 for crypto funding) and upper limits often governed by your provider’s terms.

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).

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

IG requires identity verification before enabling withdrawals; while they don’t label tiers publicly, a basic verified account grants full functionality, and advanced documentation may be needed for higher-volume transfers, though explicit tier definitions aren’t displayed.

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.

Withdrawals

Withdrawals are processed via the same method used to fund (card, bank, PayPal); limits include daily card maximums (e.g. £ or $25,000) and no set caps on bank transfers, with processing ranging from instant (PayPal) to 1–5 business days depending on method; IG does not support on-chain crypto withdrawals via any network.

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.

Customer Support

IG offers robust customer service through live chat, email, and phone across many regions, with prompt response times and a comprehensive help center covering deposits, withdrawals, platform use, and troubleshooting.

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.

Languages & Localization

IG provides multilingual support including Spanish; clients in euro zones can see pricing in euros, and services are adapted under local regulators like the FCA (UK) or BMA, ensuring localized compliance and presentation.

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.

App Quality & Stability

IG’s mobile and web platforms are known for their stability and regular updates, resulting in smooth user experience with minimal crashes—specific crash-rate data isn’t published, but continuous enhancements and high availability are emphasized.

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.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

While IG doesn’t label modes as “Lite” or “Pro,” its platform balances clean design with professional depth—new users often find the interface intuitive to navigate, while more advanced traders can adopt MT4 or ProRealTime for a deeper feature set.

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.

Performance

IG’s platform is generally responsive with fast order execution, though like many brokers, it may face brief slowdowns during extreme volatility; KYC processing is uninterrupted but may take longer during surges in new account demand.

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.

Education

IG offers an extensive educational ecosystem—including IG Academy, live webinars, and a robust demo account—many of which are available in Spanish, supporting both novices and more advanced learners.

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.

Community

While IG has an active support community with forums and a rich help center, it does not currently maintain dedicated Discord or Telegram groups, nor does it focus on referral incentives for crypto users.

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.

Integrations

IG supports integration with charting platforms like TradingView (via third-party platforms), but does not offer native trading bots, tax reporting tools, or built-in accounting integrations within its crypto offering.

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.

Who Each One Is Best For

IG is particularly well-suited for multi-asset investors who value trading under a regulated, centralized broker that combines stocks, forex, and crypto in one platform—but may not suit those seeking self-custody, deep customization, or community-driven features.

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.

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