Pdax vs Flipster: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Pdax and Flipster 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 16, 2025

Pdax

Flipster

⚠️ We look for what’s best for you.

₿ Getting into crypto? With eToro you can start in minutes: buy/sell top coins, set recurring buys, track markets, and use Social/CopyTrader features.

👉 Start here and explore the crypto offer.

Available Countries

United States

Europe

Latin America

India

China

Canada

United Kingdom

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Yes

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

Thinking about starting with crypto? This is for you.

In select regions, eToro offers a $10 welcome bonus when you open an account today.*

🎯 An account built to help you start with crypto—without the hassle.

➕ Buy and sell top cryptocurrencies in minutes

➕ Recurring buys, price alerts, and advanced charts

➕ Social/CopyTrader™ to follow experienced investors

➕ One of the largest and most trusted platforms worldwide

Limited-time promotion — still available.

*Offer subject to terms, eligibility and regional availability. Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest.

Pdax is ideal if:

Locally integrated experience Enables seamless PHP deposits and withdrawals through banks and e-wallets, making it highly convenient for users in the Philippines.
Regulated and secure Operates under the supervision of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, with features like two-factor authentication and cold storage to protect your assets.
User-friendly and inclusive Offers an intuitive interface, low minimum deposits, and access to crypto, bonds, and collectibles—perfect for both beginners and everyday investors.

Flipster is ideal if:

For active perp futures traders: Built for speed and precision, Flipster boasts ultra-fast execution, deep liquidity, and zero-fee perpetual contracts—ideal if you thrive in fast-moving markets.
If you value capital efficiency on the go: You can trade and earn simultaneously—your USDT balance works as margin and earns rewards—adding flexibility and impact to every trade.
Looking for a seamless, intuitive experience: With features like Instant Flip (one-click position reversal) and a clean, responsive interface across web and mobile, Flipster caters to both beginners and seasoned traders.

Pdax isn’t ideal if:

Not ideal for advanced traders Lacks access to derivatives, margin trading, staking, or passive income tools—so seasoned traders may find its offerings too limited.
Highly localized to the Philippines Designed for Filipino residents with PHP-only support and local IDs, making it inconvenient for international users.
Potential technical hiccups Historical reports of service outages during peak activity suggest possible reliability concerns for time-sensitive trades.

Flipster isn’t ideal if:

You're looking for fiat convenience: Flipster doesn’t support fiat deposits or on-ramps—crypto-only funding may be inconvenient for new users or those transitioning from traditional banking.
Spot trading simplicity is your priority: Spot trading options are very limited—just half-a-dozen cryptocurrencies—making it less suitable for casual or passive traders.
You prefer anonymity or instant access: KYC (identity verification) is mandatory before accessing any trading features, which may be a barrier for privacy-conscious or speed-seeking users.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

Maker orders cost around 0.4 % while taker orders are about 0.5 %, and there are no volume-based discount tiers or native-token rebates.

Flipster applies a flat taker fee for both spot and perpetual futures, starting at around 0.05%, with tiered VIP discounts reducing rates further for high-volume or high-balance users—making its maker/taker model very cost-competitive across both markets.

Futures/Derivatives

PDAX currently does not offer derivatives or futures trading, so maker/taker fees and funding rates are not applicable.

Perpetual futures follow the same fee structure as spot (starting ~0.05% with VIP reductions), and funding occurs roughly every eight hours—fees are simply exchanged between longs and shorts without additional platform markup, rewarding those who time entries well.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

Specific spread data isn’t publicly listed, though local liquidity suggests competitive spreads similar to other regional spot-only platforms.

Flipster offers zero spreads on major perpetual pairs like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT, delivering highly efficient execution with minimal slippage for active traders.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

Fiat transactions are available via bank transfers, e-wallets, and over-the-counter options; PDAX itself charges little to no platform fee, though third-party processing fees may apply, and settlements typically complete within hours to a day.

The platform doesn’t support any fiat deposit or withdrawal methods, operating exclusively in crypto—so no fiat-related delays or costs, though that means a crypto-to-fiat conversion must happen elsewhere and externally.

On-chain Withdrawals

Withdrawal fees vary by cryptocurrency and blockchain—for example, BTC withdrawals cost around 0.0004 BTC, while other tokens each have set blockchain-based fee rates adjusted dynamically by network conditions.

Crypto withdrawals incur fixed network-based fees—varying by network and token (for example, BTC or TRX)—reflecting actual blockchain costs rather than platform surcharges, with some networks even offering zero internal fees.

Hidden Costs

There are no known inactivity or express KYC fees, but users should account for potential currency conversion charges and third-party processing fees that may not be explicitly itemized.

Flipster is transparent with minimal hidden expenses—there’s no inactivity fee, no express-KYC cost, and no internal currency conversion charges; users only face standard blockchain network costs or any external exchange fees if they bridge between platforms.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

If you were to convert €500 (equivalent to PHP), you’d incur roughly a 0.5 % trading fee plus any spread embedded in the quote, and then pay a blockchain withdrawal fee—like 0.0004 BTC—if you choose to withdraw, though exact totals depend on the real-time exchange rate and network conditions.

Let’s assume converting €500 via an external fiat gateway into USDT before buying BTC on Flipster

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

PDAX offers over 64 cryptocurrencies overall, including the top 20 by volume—major names like BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, BNB, SOL and ADA—paired primarily with PHP for easy access.

Flipster offers over 300 total trading pairs across its spot and perpetual markets, with the top 20 by volume dominated by major names like BTC/USDT, ETH/USDT, XRP/USDT, SOL/USDT, TRX/USDT, and TON/USDT.

Product Range

The platform focuses on spot trading and also provides tokenized government bonds, collectibles, and access via an OTC desk for Prime users, but does not support margin, perps, options, ETFs, staking, lending, copy trading, grid bots, or automated DCA.

The exchange supports spot trading (limited to the six major coins noted), a wide range of perpetual futures with up to 100× leverage, plus yield products via its Earn Campaign and Launchpool—but it does not currently offer options, ETFs, copytrading, staking, lending, grid bots, or fully automated DCA.

Liquidity

While exact 24-hour volumes and order-book depth data aren’t public, PDAX is known to maintain solid local liquidity, especially for major pairs like BTC/PHP and ETH/PHP, backed by visible order-book depth in Pro mode.

Flipster delivers deep liquidity and tight execution for BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT pairs, with 24-hour volumes often exceeding $100 million on top pairs and robust order-book depth, ensuring minimal slippage even for large trades.

Tools

PDAX supports basic tools such as limit, market, and stop-limit orders, Pro mode with order book and depth chart, advanced TradingView charts (with indicators like RSI and MACD), and offers API/WebSocket access for developers.

Users benefit from a full suite of advanced tools—including limit, market, trigger (stop/stop-limit/OCO), and recurring buy orders (enabling basic DCA), plus charting with built-in analytics, Instant Flip for position reversal, and a smooth API/websocket infrastructure—though TradingView isn’t natively integrated.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

All trading services, including spot markets, are strictly limited to the Philippines—there is no availability for residents elsewhere, and derivative products are not offered in any region.

Certain features, especially derivatives, are restricted in specific countries—Flipster is completely unavailable to U.S. residents and likewise limits access in various jurisdictions under regulatory constraints.

Innovation

PDAX includes features like an OTC Prime trading desk for institutional-level access, tokenized “Hold & Earn” bonds, and collectible offerings, but does not currently feature launchpads, launchpools, or flexible vs locked earn programs.

Flipster stands out with its Launchpool feature for early access and rewards, and its Earn campaigns which offer flexible, non-locked APR rewards on USDT balances—all delivered without interrupting trading capabilities.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

Operated by Philippine Digital Asset Exchange, Inc., founded in 2017 and headquartered in Taguig (Greater Metro Manila), the platform is incorporated under Philippine law.

Flipster is legally structured under Flipster Corp, with its operational headquarters in Warsaw, Poland, and was founded in 2021—positioning itself within a well-regulated European tech environment.

Licenses/Registration

PDAX is licensed by and fully compliant with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas as a virtual currency exchange, operating under BSP Circular guidelines.

Flipster is registered and recognized as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) and holds ISO/IEC 27001 certification, aligning with international data security standards; additionally, it holds an AA rating from CER.live, signaling strong institutional-grade security practices.

Custody

PDAX uses custodial wallets (holding private keys for users), and while there’s no public proof-of-reserves or audit reports, they emphasize internal security protocols for asset protection.

The platform uses institutional-level custody powered by Fireblocks with MPC and cold storage, ensuring robust asset protection; it publishes daily, independently verifiable Proof of Reserves via Merkle tree snapshots, confirming a full 1

Insurance & Protection Funds

Digital assets on PDAX are not insured under any deposit protection scheme, as crypto holdings are not classified as insured deposits by Philippine regulators.

Flipster maintains an insurance fund and adheres to enterprise best practices like penetration testing and continuous security audits, creating multiple defense layers to safeguard user assets.

Incident History

There are no publicly known major hacks, platform-wide freezes, or regulatory penalties affecting PDAX.

Flipster has demonstrated proactive incident response—blocking deposits associated with known hacks and reinforcing defenses using Chainalysis—without any reported major hacks or regulatory penalties to date.

Risk Controls

The platform supports strong security features such as two-factor authentication, anti-phishing measures, and a dedicated risk and compliance team to enforce AML and safeguard operations.

Security features include mandatory two-factor authentication (2FA), dynamic whitelists, anti-phishing mechanisms, and granular API permissions, all supported by a zero-trust internal model and real-time threat detection infrastructure.

Transparency

PDAX does not currently publish monthly proof-of-reserve reports or maintain publicly visible wallets, though they do communicate via their Help Center and Learning Hub on security topics.

Flipster emphasizes transparency through publicly accessible daily reserve reports, frequent audits, and visible wallet proof-of-reserve data—though it doesn’t currently provide formal monthly transparency reports or a public SLA.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

Deposits in PHP are available via bank transfers, e-wallets, online channels, and OTC partners; minimums and fees vary by channel, and processing times range from near-instant to a few hours or up to a day depending on method.

Flipster does not support fiat deposits—no bank transfers, cards, or e-wallets are available. All funding must occur via cryptocurrency, so there are no fiat minimums, maximums, or processing times to consider.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

PDAX offers four account tiers—Basic, Verified, Premium, and Prime—with escalating daily, monthly, and annual transaction limits tied to each level.

Flipster enforces a multi-level KYC verification process—from basic personal info to ID, proof of address, and source of funds—with each level unlocking full access to trading, deposits, and withdrawals; no tiered trading is allowed without KYC completion.

Withdrawals

Crypto withdrawals are subject to tiered daily limits based on your account level, typically processed within minutes but occasionally taking up to an hour; networks such as ERC-20, TRC-20, and others are supported with fees assigned per token.

Withdrawals are capped at a maximum of $1,000,000 per day or per transaction, and support multiple networks like ERC-20, TRC-20, BEP-20, etc.; processing times depend on network congestion, and increasing your limit triggers a mandatory 24-hour security hold.

Customer Support

Support is available by email and support tickets with variable response times; there is no live 24/7 chat, but users can access a knowledge base for self-help.

Flipster offers responsive 24/7 support via live chat and email, along with a comprehensive Help Center and FAQs—users experience generally quick replies alongside self-service resources to resolve common questions.

Languages & Localization

The platform is fully localized for the Philippines, with a native English/PHP interface, showing fees only in PHP and tailored to compliant local regulation.

The platform is primarily in English, displays values in USD/crypto, and lacks localized fiat pricing or regulatory messaging tailored to specific countries—reflecting its crypto-native global orientation.

App Quality & Stability

The PDAX mobile app is generally stable and user-friendly, with regular updates visible in app stores and few reports of crashes among regular users.

Flipster’s mobile apps for Android and iOS are stable, mirror the desktop experience seamlessly, and are frequently updated—user reviews highlight their smooth performance and intuitive interface with minimal crashes.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

PDAX offers a gentle learning curve with its toggleable Lite (Convert) mode for beginners and Pro mode showcasing order books and depth charts, enabling users to seamlessly transition from simplified to more advanced tools

Flipster delivers a sleek and intuitive interface that’s easy for beginners to pick up, yet powerful enough for pros—though it doesn’t offer separate “Lite” or “Pro” modes, its uniform design balances simplicity and advanced functionality in one accessible layout.

Performance

Users generally enjoy responsive order execution under normal market conditions, though occasional reports hint at brief downtime or slower processing during sharp volatility spikes—typical of regional exchanges with growing demand

Engineered for speed, Flipster provides ultra-fast, sub-millisecond order execution with zero spreads on major perp pairs—even during volatile spikes—and although high-demand periods may slow KYC, trading performance remains reliably smooth for approved users.

Education

The platform includes a rich “PDAX Learn” section featuring crypto basics, market insights, and educational content; however, there’s no dedicated demo or simulated trading environment, and Spanish-language content is currently absent

While Flipster doesn’t offer a demo or simulator, it makes up for it with a helpful blog, glossary, and educational guides in its Help section—though content is primarily in English, with no dedicated Spanish-language academy or tutorials yet available.

Community

PDAX maintains official presence on Discord, Telegram, and Facebook, and runs engaging referral and reward programs—like PDAX Quests and influencer promos—to encourage peer participation and user-driven growth

Flipster fosters a strong community through its official Telegram channel and social features—users can set up profiles, share trades, mirror others, and participate in referral and affiliate programs that reward engagement and exposure.

Integrations

The platform comes equipped with TradingView-powered charts but currently lacks direct integrations for external trading bots, tax tools, or accounting services, limiting advanced automation and financial tracking options

The platform doesn’t include native TradingView or tax tool integrations, but it supports external bot access via robust API/websocket infrastructure, enabling power users to connect and automate strategies with external tools.

Who Each One Is Best For

PDAX is ideal for everyday Filipino users and crypto newcomers seeking a familiar, regulated, PHP-based experience; seasoned traders seeking derivative trading or deep automation may find its ecosystem less aligned with their advanced strategies.

Flipster suits active perpetual traders and volatility chasers who prize execution speed and deep liquidity, while passive earners and social traders benefit from Launchpool and referral tools—less ideal for those seeking fiat, derivatives beyond perpetuals, or localized learning content.