Wirex vs Exmo: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Wirex and Exmo 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

Wirex

Exmo

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Available Countries

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

Yes

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Yes

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

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Wirex is ideal if:

Seamless multi-currency spending: Manage both crypto and fiat in one app, with real-time conversions and no FX charges whenever you use the Wirex debit card—even abroad.
Simple yet rewarding daily use: Tap into automated rewards like crypto cashback and easy-to-use savings tools, all wrapped in an intuitive, user-friendly interface built for everyday transactions.
Straightforward crypto access: Buy, store, exchange, and spend top cryptocurrencies—all in a unified, mobile-first platform that minimizes complexity for regular users.

Exmo is ideal if:

Effortless for beginners — EXMO shines with a clean and intuitive interface that makes entering the crypto world straightforward, even for newcomers.
Strong foundational tools — It offers essential order types (market, limit, stop), solid security layers, and mobile access—delivering the essentials without overcomplicating things.
Reward-friendly experience — If you enjoy added incentives, EXMO’s ecosystem includes perks via its native token and Earn program, enriching your engagement beyond standard trading.

Wirex isn’t ideal if:

Not for heavy institutional users: Transaction and ATM withdrawal caps may frustrate those handling large volumes or needing high-limit flexibility.
Limited appeal for advanced traders: The platform focuses on simplicity and lacks deep trading tools or broad asset variety for seasoned crypto professionals.
Potential support or availability hurdles: Region-based restrictions and occasional delays in resolving account issues could hinder seamless access and smooth customer service.

Exmo isn’t ideal if:

If you need advanced trading tools, EXMO may feel limiting due to the absence of high-end features favored by professional traders.
If rapid customer support matters, response times can lag behind competitors, which might frustrate users seeking instant help.
If you're after aggressive margin use, EXMO offers modest leverage, so it’s not the best choice for high-risk, high-reward strategies.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

Wirex applies a flat trading fee—both maker and taker orders on spot are charged the same rate of approximately 0.20 % per trade, with no tiered volume discounts or token-based reductions.

EXMO applies a tiered fee structure where both maker and taker fees decrease as your 30-day trading volume rises—from standard spot levels down to zero or even negative rates at very high volumes—while EXMO-Coin-backed Premium packages offer additional, fixed discounts ranging from modest savings to full fee waivers.

Futures/Derivatives

Wirex does not offer futures or derivatives trading, so maker, taker, or funding rate data are not applicable.

EXMO currently focuses exclusively on spot and margin trading and does not support futures or derivative products, so maker/taker and funding fees for such instruments are not applicable.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

Wirex sources liquidity via over-the-counter or interbank channels, offering exchange rates that reflect market-leading rates with competitive—but variable—spreads depending on live liquidity.

While precise spreads aren’t publicly listed, EXMO’s tight pairing on major BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT markets suggests they remain competitive in line with typical centralized exchange benchmarks.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

Fiat funding methods include free SEPA (EUR), Faster Payments (GBP), ACH (US), and PIX (Brazil), with fast processing time and no fees, while card top-ups typically incur around a 1 % charge depending on region.

You can deposit and withdraw fiat by card, bank transfers (SEPA, wire), and e-channels; deposit fees and limits depend on your chosen method, with processing times ranging from under an hour to up to three business days for traditional transfers.

On-chain Withdrawals

Wirex does not charge its own fee; however, external wallet transfers are subject to network fees only, which fluctuate based on blockchain congestion.

Crypto withdrawals follow dynamic, network-based fees—varying by coin and network congestion—rather than flat fees, and the specific fee for each asset is shown at the time of withdrawal.

Hidden Costs

Potential indirect costs include exchange rate margins on OTC conversions, fees for card top-ups from credit/debit cards, and an administrative fee (around GBP 30) for account closures that violate terms—these are not always obvious upfront.

Although EXMO avoids surprise charges, users should note possible currency conversion margins, low inactive-account charges, and potential priority processing fees for expedited verification or transfers, depending on circumstances.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

For a €500 BTC purchase, you’d pay a spot trading fee of ~0.20 %, plus live OTC spread embedded in the rate—if you then withdraw BTC on-chain, you’d pay only the blockchain’s variable fee (Wirex doesn’t add extra charges).

Suppose you buy €500 worth of BTC via fiat—your cost includes a starting trading fee (based on spot or fiat tiers), the market spread embedded in the execution price, and a dynamic crypto withdrawal charge when you transfer BTC out—which together form the total effective cost of the transaction.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

Wirex supports around 30–37 cryptocurrencies globally (and about 9 on its dedicated exchange), including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dai, Nano, XRP, Stellar, Waves, and WXT; the top 20 pairs by volume would naturally include those with major liquidity like BTC/USD, ETH/USD, and other mainstream tokens.

EXMO supports around 90–100 different cryptocurrency assets and approximately 150–235 trading pairs, while its top 20 by volume include major names like BTC, ETH, ADA, DOT, LINK, XRP, SOL, LTC, AAVE, UNI, XLM, BCH, EOS, ATOM, FIL, VET, ZEC, XMR, TRX, and more.

Product Range

The platform is built around spot trading, flexible earning products like X-Accounts and DUO (short-term fixed-return pools), crypto-to-fiat spending via its debit card, and multi-currency wallets—but it does not offer margin, perpetuals, options, ETFs, copy trading, grid bots, or DCA automation.

The platform offers spot trading (including margin with up to ~30× leverage), staking via the Earn program, OTC services, and automated features like copy-trading and third-party grid or trading bots—however, it does not support derivatives such as perpetuals, options, ETFs, or crypto loans.

Liquidity

Wirex uses OTC and interbank channels for liquidity, offering live market rates with generally smooth execution—but it does not publicly publish 24-hour trading volume or detailed order book depth for BTC or ETH.

EXMO’s daily trading volume generally ranges from tens to a few tens of millions of dollars, with BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT among its most liquid pairs—indicative of a mid-tier liquidity exchange offering reasonable depth for retail and many pro traders.

Tools

Users get a mobile-optimized interface with basic order types (market, limit), real-time charts, price alerts, but there’s no advanced charting like native TradingView, nor official API or WebSocket endpoints for automation.

Traders can place market, limit, and stop orders; enjoy basic charting and alerts; and leverage web and mobile APIs—and while advanced tools like native TradingView charts aren’t built in, external integrations via API are possible.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Derivatives and advanced trading features are limited or unavailable in certain regions—for example, U.S. users have access only to basic crypto buying/selling and wallet functions; higher-tier products remain restricted based on local regulatory allowances.

While spot and staking are widely available, margin trading may be restricted or unavailable in certain jurisdictions—particularly the US and other regions where regulations limit leverage products.

Innovation

Wirex offers investment innovations like X-Accounts for flexible interest and DUO for fixed-return digital pair products; it also integrates cashback with its card and live OTC rates, but it doesn’t feature launchpads, launchpools, or staking in the traditional sense.

EXMO’s Earn offering includes flexible staking that allows daily rewards and instant withdrawals, enabling compounding without locking funds; though it doesn’t currently offer launchpad or launchpool-style token launch features, its flexible earn model is a standout.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

Wirex’s legal structure includes distinct entities such as Wirex Limited (established in the UK), Wirex USA Inc. (Delaware), Wirex Australia Pty Ltd (Sydney), and others; the original parent company dates back to 2014.

EXMO operates under its legal entity EXMO EXCHANGE LTD., established around 2013–2014 and headquartered in the UK, functioning within British jurisdictional frameworks including AML/KYC mandates and the EU’s Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (5AMLD).

Licenses/Registration

Wirex is regulated for fiat services—for example, Electronic Money Regulation permissions via the UK’s FCA and registration with AUSTRAC in Australia—while crypto service operations adhere to AML and fraud prevention norms even when crypto licensing is not applicable.

While EXMO is registered in the UK and complies with AML and KYC obligations, it does not hold formal licenses such as VASP or MiCA—operating without formal regulatory approvals from major bodies like the FCA or SEC, though it aligns with regional compliance best practices.

Custody

Funds are held using Fireblocks’ MPC-based wallet infrastructure with multi-signature and time-locked withdrawals; most crypto assets are kept in secure cold storage; although formal Proof of Reserves or detailed audit reports are not publicly disclosed.

The platform uses a hybrid custody model—hot wallets for daily transactions and cold storage for the bulk of assets—with routine security audits to bolster safety; however, there’s no public proof of reserves or explicit percentage breakdown of cold vs. hot holdings.

Insurance & Protection Funds

No public insurance scheme is mentioned for digital assets, nor a segregated compensation fund; protection stems largely from internal fraud detection systems and robust custody protocols.

EXMO maintains an internal insurance fund to provide some level of user asset protection against unforeseen events, though this is not comparable to coverage offered by major traditional financial insurers.

Incident History

There are no public records of successful hacks or major service suspensions; Wirex has maintained a clean security track record without regulatory fines or platform-wide freezing incidents.

EXMO has experienced operational challenges—such as platform downtimes and withdrawal delays—and notable events like the 2017 kidnapping of its Managing Director, leading to heightened scrutiny; no major security breaches have been publicly confirmed since.

Risk Controls

Security tools include mandatory 2FA, strong customer authentication, device whitelisting, biometric and PIN locks, multi-signature approval on large transfers, dark web monitoring, and automated fraud risk detection systems.

The platform offers strong security tools like 2FA (now moving toward Google Authenticator and passkeys), trusted IP whitelisting, anti-phishing email measures, and granular notification settings, enhancing account protection and risk mitigation.

Transparency

While Wirex regularly undergoes third-party security audits and maintains compliance standards like ISO 27001 and PCI DSS, it doesn’t publish monthly proof-of-reserve statements or public wallet addresses, and there’s no explicit SLA visible for uptime or service responsiveness.

EXMO emphasizes user data security and transaction integrity but does not offer frequent public reports like monthly transparency statements or live wallet addresses, and it lacks a formally published SLA for uptime or service levels.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

Wirex allows fiat funding through bank transfers (including IBAN for EUR and SEPA, Faster Payments for GBP), debit/credit cards, and select e-wallets—amount thresholds and processing times vary by region, with card top-ups processed instantly and bank transfers typically completing within 1–2 business days.

You can deposit fiat via bank transfers (SEPA, wire), Visa/Mastercard cards, and various e-wallets; minimum and maximum limits vary by method and currency, can be found in your account, and deposits typically arrive within 1 minute to around an hour depending on the channel.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

Wirex uses a tiered verification approach—unverified accounts offer minimal functionality, while verified users (identity verified) gain access to higher transaction and funding limits aligned with regional regulatory standards.

New users must complete identity verification to access core features; additional levels like address or card verification unlock higher deposit/withdrawal methods and limits, with processing typically done within a few hours.

Withdrawals

Fiat withdrawals are subject to regional limits and processing speeds, while on-chain crypto withdrawals utilize standard blockchain networks (e.g., BTC, ETH via their native chains), with processing time and fees set by the network and no added Wirex fee.

Crypto withdrawals depend on the network chosen (e.g. TRC20, ERC20) and are subject to dynamic network fees; there are high upper limits (e.g. up to $500k or £10k) and actual processing times vary with method and network congestion.

Customer Support

Support is available via email and an in-app help center; response times vary by inquiry but typically range from a few hours to a business day, complemented by an extensive knowledge base for self-service. (No direct citation possible but based on platform structure)

EXMO offers 24/7 support via chat, email, and ticketing, though response times may vary; there’s also a comprehensive knowledge base to help with common questions.

Languages & Localization

Wirex operates primarily in English but displays amounts and communicates in local currencies (€, $, £, etc.), and the platform adapts to regulatory requirements per region to ensure compliance and clarity for local users.

The platform fully supports English and displays fees in major currencies like EUR and USD; localization extends to fiat support and regulatory considerations in regions where it operates.

App Quality & Stability

The mobile app is polished and stable—no widespread outage or crash issues reported recently—with active maintenance and updates, and real-time system health monitoring indicating consistent operational performance.

EXMO provides both mobile and web apps for trading, with a long-standing reputation, though users sometimes report downtimes and slower support responses—indicating a solid but not flawless user experience.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

Wirex delivers a clean, mobile-first interface that’s intuitive for beginners; it doesn’t offer distinct “Lite” or “Pro” modes, instead keeping a single streamlined layout that balances simplicity with access to core tools.

EXMO delivers an intuitive and beginner-friendly interface with a “Simple” or “Advanced” trading view that lets users choose between a clean, streamlined flow or a more detailed layout—facilitating a smooth learning curve from novice to experienced levels.

Performance

Order execution is generally swift with low latency under normal conditions, though during sudden market surges the simplistic UI may lag slightly; identity verification queues can become longer when crypto markets heat up, potentially delaying account activation.

Users note that EXMO handles typical order latency well under normal conditions, although heavy volatility can slow response times, and during crypto bull runs, KYC queues can lead to delays in verification that hold up trading access.

Education

Wirex doesn’t offer a dedicated academy or trading simulator, but supports learning through blog guides, help articles, and statement exports to feed into tax platforms—though resources in Spanish remain limited compared to English.

While EXMO doesn’t offer a full-fledged demo account, it does provide educational material—including guides and blog posts—and supports Spanish-language resources to help users learn trading basics and platform features.

Community

Wirex fosters engagement through its built-in referral program—users earn rewards when referred contacts deposit into X-Account Plus—and maintains active presence via its blog and help center, but it lacks a branded Discord or Telegram community forum.

EXMO maintains an active presence on channels like Telegram and focuses on referral incentives to build community engagement, though it lacks a dedicated forum or Discord server for deeper user interaction.

Integrations

While Wirex doesn’t embed TradingView or support external trading bots, it enables export of transaction data and supports seamless integration with tax tools like Koinly and Blockpit for accounting and tax filing.

EXMO has embedded native TradingView charting directly into its platform for technical analysis, and supports external bot integrations via API—but does not yet offer formal integration with tax reporting or accounting tools.

Who Each One Is Best For

Wirex suits everyday users who want crypto integrated into daily finance—spending, saving, and simple investing—rather than power users seeking advanced charting, bots, or simulation tools.

EXMO is ideal for traders seeking a user-friendly, approachable platform with flexible UX modes and integrated charting—especially beginners and casual users—while power-user traders may find it less adequate due to limited simulator tools and backend integrations.