Upbit vs Safetrade: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Upbit and Safetrade 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

Upbit

Safetrade

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United Kingdom

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Yes

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

Yes

China

Yes

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

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Upbit is ideal if:

Great for beginner-friendly trading: Offers a clean, intuitive interface and strong security, making it ideal if you're new to crypto and value simplicity.
Strong Asian market presence: Deeply localized in South Korea and Southeast Asia, with excellent liquidity and fiat integration in those regions.
Not suited for advanced instruments: If you're looking for margin, derivatives, or broad global fiat support, Upbit’s limited financial features may not fit your needs.

Safetrade is ideal if:

Great for altcoin explorers If you're keen to trade lesser-known or emerging cryptocurrencies, SafeTrade offers a broad variety of altcoins alongside popular ones, making it a good match.
Ideal if low fees matter With a straightforward, flat trading fee structure that’s competitively lower than many industry standards, it's a smart choice for cost-conscious traders.
Suited for users valuing interface and support The platform features a beginner-friendly design and offers responsive support via channels like email and Discord, simplifying your trading journey.

Upbit isn’t ideal if:

Limited product variety: Lacks margin, futures, copy-trading, loans, or crypto cards, restricting users seeking more advanced financial tools.
Geographically constrained: Primarily serves South Korea and select Asian markets; support and fiat options are limited for most global users.
Basic customer support: Relies mainly on ticket-based assistance with minimal tutorials or live help, which may not satisfy those wanting more hands-on guidance.

Safetrade isn’t ideal if:

Regulatory safety is a must If you need the legal protection of a regulated exchange, SafeTrade’s lack of oversight may leave you exposed to unnecessary risk.
You prefer fiat trading options If entering via your local currency is important, SafeTrade’s predominantly crypto-only pairs can be limiting for newcomers.
You trade large volumes or need liquidity For high-volume trades or deep order books, SafeTrade’s thinner liquidity may result in unfavorable price slippage or delays.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

Upbit applies a flat trading fee—typically around 0.20–0.25%—for both maker and taker spot orders across supported pairs, with no tiered discounts or native token rebates.

SafeTrade applies a flat trading fee of around 0.1 % for both maker and taker orders regardless of volume, with no tiered discounts or benefits tied to holding a native token like SAFE.

Futures/Derivatives

Upbit does not offer futures or derivative instruments, so there are no maker, taker, or funding fees to consider.

SafeTrade does not offer futures or derivative contracts, so there are no associated maker/taker or funding costs to consider.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

On major spot pairs like BTC/USDT or ETH/USDT, spreads are generally tight and reflective of high liquidity, though your precise rate depends on market depth at the time of execution.

While SafeTrade uses direct crypto-to-crypto pairs, spread data isn’t formally published, and anecdotal experience shows reasonable execution on major pairs with moderate slippage for small to mid-sized trades due to lighter liquidity.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

Upbit supports bank transfers for fiat, with deposit methods varying by region; fees and processing times vary according to local banking systems and verification levels.

SafeTrade does not support fiat deposits or withdrawals; you must deposit using cryptocurrencies only, so there are no fiat-based funding channels, fees, or timeframes to manage.

On-chain Withdrawals

Upbit charges fixed network fees per asset (e.g. a fixed amount in BTC or ETH), which do not adjust dynamically based on network congestion.

Withdrawal costs on SafeTrade follow variable blockchain network fees depending on the asset (e.g. BTC, ETH, TRX), so these on-chain charges are dynamic and not fixed by the platform itself.

Hidden Costs

You might encounter costs such as currency conversion spreads, speedier KYC processing, or cross-border banking charges; these are not labeled as explicit fees but can subtly add to your overall cost.

There are no hidden penalties; SafeTrade doesn’t charge for account inactivity, KYC speed upgrades, or fiat conversion—most extra costs are simply the blockchain fees for crypto withdrawals.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

If you purchase €500 in BTC, your total cost includes the platform’s flat trading fee plus the market spread; withdrawing that BTC would then incur the asset’s fixed network withdrawal fee.

If you deposit €500 worth of BTC via another platform and transfer it in, you’d pay SafeTrade’s ~0.1 % trading fee when buying BTC, incur standard spread/slippage in the BTC/USDT pair, and finally pay only the normal network withdrawal fee—no additional markup.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

Upbit lists approximately 260-263 cryptocurrencies (depending on the data source) and over 540 trading pairs overall, with the top 20 by volume dominated by KRW pairs like ETH/KRW, XRP/KRW, and BTC/KRW, reflecting its regional liquidity strength.

SafeTrade lists approximately 44–50 cryptocurrencies across about 70–80 trading pairs, with the top 20 by volume typically featuring assets like QUBIC/USDT, QTC/USDT, BTC/USDT, ETH/BTC, and others—reflecting modest but focused coverage.

Product Range

Upbit focuses exclusively on spot markets and does not offer margin, perpetual futures, options, crypto ETFs, lending, copy trading, grid bots, or automated DCA; however, it does include staking/earn services for select assets.

The platform offers spot trading only, with no support for margin, perpetuals, options, ETFs, copy trading, or bots—though it does provide staking in a simplified form, earning users passive rewards on holdings.

Liquidity

Upbit’s 24-hour trading volume typically ranges in the multi-billion-dollar bracket, and its order books for BTC and ETH pairs exhibit strong depth, especially for KRW-denominated pairs, ensuring tight spreads and reliable execution.

SafeTrade logs sub-1 million USD daily trading volume, led by a few pairs like QUBIC/USDT; its liquidity remains light, meaning deeper trades may face noticeable slippage due to limited order book depth.

Tools

The platform supports limit, market, and stop-limit order types, plus charting tools and dashboards, API and WebSocket access, but lacks native TradingView integration and any alerting capabilities.

You’ll find basic limit and market orders, with no margin, OCO, advanced charting, alerts, API/WebSocket, or native TradingView support—simplifying the interface at the cost of advanced functionality.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Derivatives and advanced instruments are unavailable across the board, and even spot trading is restricted in regions like the United States, Japan, China, and Taiwan due to regulatory limitations.

There are no specific geographic restrictions disclosed per region, but given the absence of regulated derivatives and full licensing, complex products like futures likely remain unavailable regardless of your location.

Innovation

While Upbit does not host launchpads, launchpools, or flexible-vs-locked earn programs, it does offer staking options for select chains—but no advanced yield farming or investment pools.

SafeTrade does not currently support launchpads, launchpools, or differentiated staking structures—staked assets earn simple rewards, with no flexible vs. locked variations or new token launch mechanisms.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

Upbit is operated by Dunamu Inc., a South Korean company founded in 2017, with its headquarters located in Seoul and expanding operations through entities such as Upbit Singapore.

SafeTrade operates under a centralized corporate entity founded around 2018, officially headquartered in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, with some references also linking it to Canada.

Licenses/Registration

Upbit Singapore holds a fully licensed status as a Major Payment Institution under Singapore’s Payment Services Act, enabling regulated digital token services, while its Korean operations continue under the Virtual Asset Service Provider framework.

The platform operates without licensing from major financial authorities and lacks formal VASP or MiCA regulation, meaning it is essentially unregulated by top-tier or regional crypto oversight frameworks.

Custody

Upbit maintains full custody of user assets, backed by recent audits confirming over-100 percent reserves for both digital assets and cash equivalents, alongside substantial cold-wallet holdings.

User assets are primarily held in cold storage with internal custody; there’s no public proof of reserves or third-party audit reports verifying holdings or cold-storage percentages.

Insurance & Protection Funds

The exchange has set aside dedicated user protection reserves, in the order of tens of millions USD, specifically to shield user assets in case of unexpected events.

There is no mention of insurance coverage or dedicated protection funds to compensate users in case of loss, hack, or operational failure.

Incident History

In late 2019, Upbit experienced a significant hack that resulted in the loss of roughly USD 48 million in Ethereum; since then, it’s reinforced internal controls and transparency protocols.

There are no widely confirmed reports of large-scale hacks, platform suspensions, or regulatory penalties, though user complaints exist; however, no official incident disclosure or transparency report is available.

Risk Controls

Upbit employs robust safety measures such as two-factor authentication, internal self-trading restrictions, a proprietary market-monitoring system, and auditing to prevent insider trading, plus granular permission controls for API access.

SafeTrade supports standard two-factor authentication (2FA), and employs cold storage and encryption; there’s no indication of advanced measures such as withdrawal whitelists, anti-phishing tools, sub-accounts, or granular API permissions.

Transparency

The exchange publishes periodic transparency reports including audit results and trading-behavior monitoring; while it doesn’t offer public wallet addresses or formal SLAs, it follows regulatory guidelines and discloses operational compliance measures.

The platform does not publish regular transparency reports, dedicate a public wallet explorer, or offer service-level agreements; overall visibility into operations and system integrity remains limited.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

Upbit allows fiat deposits primarily via local bank transfers (e.g. KRW in Korea, SGD in Singapore) once you reach full verification; minimums vary, processing typically takes 1–3 business days.

SafeTrade does not currently offer fiat deposit options—no transfers, cards, or e-wallets are supported; you’ll need to deposit cryptocurrency instead, and specifics on deposit thresholds or timing are not outlined on platform.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

Upbit allows fiat deposits primarily via local bank transfers (e.g. KRW in Korea, SGD in Singapore) once you reach full verification; minimums vary, processing typically takes 1–3 business days.

KYC (Verification Levels)

Upbit uses a four-level KYC system—ranging from basic identity checks to full verification with bank linkage—and higher levels unlock larger deposit and withdrawal capacities.

SafeTrade requires KYC verification to activate trading, but details on tiered verification levels, or account limits tied to KYC status, are not clearly laid out—so expect a single-step process without published thresholds for trading limits.

Withdrawals

Crypto withdrawals are permitted across major networks like ERC-20 and TRC-20, with daily limits scaling by KYC level and typical processing within hours.

Withdrawals are processed on-chain with support for networks like BSC, Tron, and Ethereum—with BSC and Tron being faster and cheaper; exact daily limits or withdrawal lead times vary by asset and are not standardized publicly.

Customer Support

Support is available through email and a robust FAQ/help center; users in Korea generally experience faster responses, while international users may wait longer and have less localized documentation.

They offer support through email, support tickets, Telegram, and occasionally live chat; there’s an FAQ and announcements hub, but response times vary according to user feedback—some praise responsiveness on Discord, while others report delays.

Languages & Localization

The platform is available in native English and Korean, displays balances in local currencies (KRW or SGD), and adheres to the relevant local regulatory framework for each region.

The interface and customer communications are primarily in English, fees are displayed in crypto or US dollars, and there’s no strong indication of local regulatory alignment or multi-currency display beyond that.

App Quality & Stability

The Upbit mobile app is known for its stability and smooth performance, with regular updates, low crash rates, and quick feature rollouts aimed at both beginners and experienced users.

SafeTrade offers mobile-friendly access without native iOS or Android apps, and while the web interface is generally smooth and stable, there are user-reported occasional bugs and no public data on crash rates or recent update frequency to assess overall app reliability.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

The Upbit interface strikes a smart balance between clarity and functionality—offering a simplified view for beginners while still providing comprehensive charts and real-time data for more experienced users, although it doesn’t explicitly label modes as “Lite” or “Pro.”

SafeTrade delivers a clean and minimalistic interface with a very gentle learning curve—no Lite/Pro toggle, just a straightforward, uncluttered trading view that makes it feel welcoming for newcomers and efficient for casual users.

Performance

Order latency remains low even during high volatility, and there are no widespread reports of system crashes; however, during market peaks, KYC verification queues may grow noticeably longer, affecting access for new users.

Trading on SafeTrade generally sees fast order execution and prompt deposit/withdrawal processing, even during spikes; there are no widely reported system crashes or KYC bottlenecks, suggesting functional resilience under load.

Education

While Upbit doesn’t offer demo accounts or a Spanish-language academy, it provides a detailed help center and tutorials that guide beginners through trading, deposits, and security.

SafeTrade doesn’t currently offer a dedicated academy, demo environment, or Spanish-language educational materials; its support comes through FAQs and announcements rather than structured learning or simulation tools.

Community

Official community channels such as forums or Telegram groups are limited; referral programs exist but are less central to the user experience compared to peer-driven groups and third-party platforms.

SafeTrade fosters an active community presence via its official Discord channel and supports an affiliate referral program, allowing users to engage directly and participate in platform discussions or growth initiatives.

Integrations

Upbit supports Open API and WebSocket for developer access and trading automation, but lacks native TradingView integration, external bot marketplaces, or built-in tax/accounting tool integrations.

Integration options are minimal—SafeTrade does not embed TradingView charts or support third-party bots or tax/accounting tools; its ecosystem remains lightweight and self-contained.

Who Each One Is Best For

Upbit is best suited for traders who prioritize a clean, stable interface with transparent spot trading, high liquidity, and a regional focus—especially those located in supported Asian markets looking for reliable, everyday trading rather than highly automated or global multi-tool ecosystems.

SafeTrade is well-suited for a casual or beginner trader seeking a clean, no-frills interface for spot trading of familiar cryptocurrencies—less ideal for professionals, power users, or those needing advanced tools or rich educational resources.