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

Trying to choose between IG and Bitmart 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

IG

Bitmart

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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

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Yes

Canada

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Maker/Taker and Funding

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.

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.

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, Times

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 by Network (BTC, ETH, TRX, etc.)

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.

Currency Conversion, Inactivity, KYC Express, etc.

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 in BTC (Fee + Spread + Withdrawal)

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.

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.

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.

You’ll find a full trading suite on BitMart

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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

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 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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 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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.