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

Trying to choose between Interactive Brokers 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 August 29, 2025

Interactive Brokers

Bitmart

⚠️ We look for what’s best for you.

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Available Countries

United States

Yes

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

United Kingdom

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Interactive Brokers is ideal if:

Perfect for global-active traders: Ideal if you want deep, real-time access to dozens of international markets and advanced trade execution tools.
Great for portfolio diversifiers: Excellent choice if you aim to build a diversified, multi-asset portfolio using an all-in-one platform.
Strong for research-driven investors: Tailored for those who rely on rich analytics, extensive market data, and customizable tools to inform their decisions.

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.

Interactive Brokers isn’t ideal if:

Not ideal for new investors: The platform’s advanced tools and steep learning curve can feel overwhelming to beginners.
Not ideal if you rely on high cash interest yields: Smaller account balances typically don’t earn meaningful interest on idle cash.
Not ideal if you need highly responsive support: Some users report challenges with support responsiveness and personalized assistance.

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

IBKR charges between 0.18% and 0.12% of trade value depending on your monthly crypto trading volume—fees decrease at higher tiers (≤ $100k = 0.18%, $100k–$1M = 0.15%, > $1M = 0.12%)—no additional discounts for holding 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

For CME cryptocurrency futures like Bitcoin or Ethereum, fees are fixed per contract (e.g., Bitcoin Micro Futures range from $0.20 to $5 per contract depending on type and volume), with no explicit maker/taker split or funding fee details disclosed for crypto derivatives.

Maker/Taker and Funding

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

IBKR applies no added spreads or markups on crypto spot pairs, so spreads reflect raw market pricing without hidden cost.

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

Fiat funding supports standard bank methods (ACH, wire transfers), with typical timing of same or next business day, and IBKR does not tack on extra fees beyond those charged by your bank or processor.

Methods, Fees, Times

On-chain Withdrawals

Crypto withdrawals incur network-based miner (gas) fees, dynamically set per blockchain network (e.g., BTC, ETH, TRX)—IBKR does not apply fixed withdrawal fees, only pass-through transaction costs.

Fixed vs. Dynamic by Network (BTC, ETH, TRX, etc.)

Hidden Costs

There are no inactivity fees or express-KYC surcharges, but costs may arise from currency conversion when trading non-USD balances, and VAT or GST may apply depending on your jurisdiction.

Currency Conversion, Inactivity, KYC Express, etc.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

You’d incur a fee of approximately ~0.18% (about €0.90) plus the market spread, and if you then withdrew on-chain you’d pay the dynamic network fee—so total cost is fee + spread + blockchain cost.

Buying €500 in BTC (Fee + Spread + Withdrawal)

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

Interactive Brokers currently enables trading in up to 11 cryptocurrencies (including BTC, ETH, LTC, BCH, ADA, SOL, XRP, DOGE, AVAX, LINK, SUI), but does not provide a full list of trading pairs by volume; generally, the highest-volume pairs are BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT given their market prevalence.

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

The platform supports spot trading, crypto futures via CME, and access to crypto-based ETPs, but does not currently offer margin crypto trading, perpetual swaps, crypto options, staking/earn, loans, copy trading, grid bots, or auto-DCA features.

You’ll find a full trading suite on BitMart

Liquidity

IBKR doesn’t publish specific liquidity metrics, though their access to major global markets and professional counterparties ensures deep liquidity and tight order book depth for Bitcoin and Ethereum, aligning with institutional-grade execution standards.

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

The platform integrates limit, stop, and OCO orders, real-time alerts, and advanced charting with analytics; it offers full API and WebSocket access for automation, but does not currently feature native TradingView integration within its interface.

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

Certain products are restricted by jurisdiction—for instance, crypto spot trading is unavailable to residents of the EU and UK under specific subsidiaries, and crypto derivatives are outright prohibited for UK retail clients.

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

Currently, the platform does not offer launchpad or launchpool programs, nor differentiated flexible or locked crypto-earn/yield products, though it is exploring innovations such as stablecoin funding and prediction-market tools for future updates.

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

Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. operates under U.S. jurisdiction, was founded in the late 1970s, and is headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut, with regional offices globally to serve a multi-national client base.

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

Licenses/Registration

Crypto execution and custody are provided via Paxos Trust Company or Zero Hash LLC, both regulated entities (for example, Paxos is overseen by the New York Department of Financial Services); IBKR does not self-custody crypto assets.

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

Custody is handled by Paxos or Zero Hash, not IBKR directly, and while there’s no public proof-of-reserves or cold storage ratio published, custody is managed through regulated third parties with institutional-grade controls.

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

There are no specific crypto insurance or protection funds advertised by IBKR; instead, asset protection relies on the compliance and safeguards offered by the regulated custodians (Paxos/Zero Hash).

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

The platform has not experienced major crypto-related hacks, but it has faced regulatory issues such as fines in Hong Kong over securities lending and U.S. sanctions violations—though these pertain to broader operations rather than crypto custody per se.

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

IBKR supports strong risk controls including two-factor authentication, whitelisting, anti-phishing measures, sub-accounts, and granular API permissions to help safeguard client accounts.

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

Transparency

Public transparency on crypto custody is limited—there are no monthly reports, open wallet addresses, or service level agreements (SLAs) disclosed for crypto—but overall regulatory reporting follows standard broker-dealer and custodian requirements.

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

IBKR accepts fiat deposits via ACH, bank wire, check (mail-in), direct debit, and bill-pay depending on your region; setup times and limits vary by method and your bank, typically ranging from same day to a few business days, with no universal minimum or maximum beyond what your bank imposes

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)

IBKR requires full standard KYC before allowing any fiat or crypto activity; there are no “limited” or “basic” tiers — only fully verified accounts can deposit, trade, or withdraw, as per their global customer identification protocols

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

Withdrawals

Fiat withdrawal limits are tied to your 2FA method (ranging from $50K/day without 2FA up to unlimited with advanced devices); ACH, wire, SEPA, BACS, etc., are supported, with processing times from same-day to a few business days

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

Support is available via email and a ticket system, with access to a comprehensive knowledge base and FAQs; while 24/7 live chat may not be universally offered, response times are generally within a few business hours depending on region and inquiry type

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

The platform supports multiple languages including native Spanish in some regions; fiat balances and fees are displayed in your account’s base currency (e.g., € for European accounts), and localized regulatory disclosures are provided based on your residency

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

IBKR’s mobile and desktop apps are known for their professional-grade stability and frequent updates, with rare crashes; while exact crash rates aren’t published, ongoing improvements and strong infrastructure ensure a smooth user experience.

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

The platform offers two distinct experiences—IBKR Lite with a simplified, intuitive interface ideal for casual investors, and IBKR Pro providing a richer, more sophisticated layout for seasoned users; this creates a steeper entry curve for Pro but delivers far greater customization once you acclimate.

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

Execution speed is highly efficient under normal conditions, yet during intense market swings, order latency may increase slightly; KYC processing can be slower during bull market surges due to high volume, though platform infrastructure remains stable with few interruptions.

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

There’s a rich learning ecosystem via IBKR Campus with structured lessons, webinars, and quizzes, alongside a paper trading simulator mirroring real market conditions; while most materials are in English, some Spanish-language content is progressively added.

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

The platform supports a structured referral program (with eligibility criteria), but lacks official social media groups like Discord or Telegram, and instead relies on educational forums and support channels to foster user interactions.

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

Powerful integration options exist via IBKR APIs, TWS, Web API, and FIX, enabling seamless connectivity with external platforms for execution, tax reporting, or accounting, even if native TradingView embedding isn’t available.

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

The setup shines for active, research-driven traders and institutional users who value automation and deep tools, while the Lite mode serves casual or cost-conscious investors who want straightforward access without complexity.

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.