Are you looking for a cryptocurrency exchange for your crypto investment and trading requirements? With hundreds of exchanges to choose from, finding the one that best suits your needs can be challenging.
We have made things easier for you. Today, we’ll compare two of the leading cryptocurrency exchanges in the world: KuCoin and Gate.io. Both crypto exchanges are among the top exchanges when it comes to the 24h spot and derivatives trading volume.
So, which exchange is better and why? Let’s find out.
KuCoin vs. Huobi: Supported Cryptocurrencies
KuCoin and Gate.io both support hundreds of cryptocurrencies and trading pairs. KuCoin has over 300 cryptocurrencies and 600+ trading pairs, whereas Gate.io has 400+ cryptocurrencies and 800+ cryptocurrencies.
Both Gate.io and KuCoin support futures trading. KuCoin supports perpetual futures and leveraged tokens. Gate.io supports perpetual futures, flash swaps, and CBBC contracts.
Additionally, the two exchanges offer margin trading and several helpful finance features.
KuCoin has two types of perpetual futures contracts: USDT-margined and COIN-margined. Coming to finance features, KuCoin offers crypto lending, Pool-X earn, KCS bonus, and a mining pool.
Gate.io has two types of perpetual futures contracts: USDT-margined and BTC-margined. When it comes to financing, Gate.io offers a comprehensive range of features. These include HODL, crypto lending, crypto loans, margin borrowing, liquidity mining, cloud mining, and more.
Verdict: It’s a tie, as both exchanges offer hundreds of cryptocurrencies and trading pairs. However, Gate.io has an edge when it comes to financial products.
Trading Fees
The trading fee is an important factor to consider before choosing a cryptocurrency exchange. Both exchanges use a tiered fee structure and a market maker-taker fee method. Let’s compare the fee structures of the two exchanges.
- KuCoin
KuCoin has 13 trading fee levels and three coin classes. Let’s talk about the class of coins first. All coins listed on KuCoin are classified into three classes: Class A, Class B, and Class C.
The classification is based on factors like market cap, value, and trading volume of the coin. The trading fee is the lowest for class A coins, followed by class B and class C.
Coming to trading levels, the classification of levels is based on the minimum KCS holding or the last 30-day trading volume.
For spot trading, the market maker/taker fee ranges between 0.3%/0.3% (highest) and -0.005%/0.025% (lowest), depending on your trading fee level and the token class. For futures trading, the fee ranges between 0.02%/0.06% and -0.015%/0.03%.
You get a discount on trading fees if you use the KCS token for transactions.
- Gate.io
Gate.io also has a tiered fee structure, and the tiers are based on the last 30d trading volume or GT holding.
Gate.io has a total of 17 tiers. The market maker/taker fee ranges from 0.2%/0.15% (highest) to 0.065%/0.025% (lowest) for spot trading, and from 0.00%/0.050% (highest) to –0.025%/0.030% (lowest) for futures.
You get a discount on trading fees if you use the GT token for transactions.
Verdict: Gate.io has a slight edge here, as the trading fee it charges is slightly lower than what KuCoin charges.
Account Funding Methods
KuCoin and Gate.io support similar account funding methods. Let’s start with KuCoin first. KuCoin allows you to add funds to your account in three ways:
- Fast Buy: You can buy USDT directly with a Visa or MasterCard card.
- P2P: You can buy crypto directly from people selling it. The price, in this case, can fluctuate.
- Third-Party: You can use third-party payment gateways like Banxa and Simplex to buy crypto.
Gate.io also supports three payment methods:
- Credit Card
- Bank Transfer
- P2P
Please note that the available payment methods depend on your currency. For instance, more payment options are available for cryptocurrencies like USD and EUR.
Also, there could be a deposit or withdrawal fee associated with the payment method you use. Almost all cards and third-party payment gateways charge a transaction fee that could be as high as 3%.
There’s also a blockchain network fee you’ll have to pay when you withdraw funds. This fee is charged by the blockchain network and goes to the miners. The exchange plays no role in the blockchain network fee.
Verdict: It’s a tie, as both the exchanges allow you to deposit fiat currency using various payment methods.
Opening Account & Account Limits
Both KuCoin and Gate.io offer seamless account opening procedures. To open an account on KuCoin, all you need to do is click on Sign Up in the top right corner. A registration form will appear. You can register using your phone number or email address.
KuCoin does not have mandatory KYC requirements; however, it has some limits. Non-verified users can withdraw up to 1 BTC daily. Verified users can withdraw up to 200 BTC, and users with institutional KYC can withdraw up to 500 BTC daily.
Gate.io also has an easy registration process. You can enter your email address on the homepage of the Gate.io website and click on Sign Up. A registration form will appear, which you will need to fill.
Please note that Gate.io has mandatory KYC requirements. You need to verify your identity in order to use the services. However, the KYC process is seamless and takes less than 48 hours.
Verdict: KuCoin is the winner here, as Gate.io has a mandatory KYC requirement.
Ease Of Use & Interface
KuCoin and Gate.io have both very intuitive and robust trading platforms. Let’s run a head-to-head comparison between the two exchanges.
KuCoin
KuCoin has a charting system powered by TradingView. You get all the features available in TradingView, including:
- Multiple time frames from 1 minute to 1 week
- Hundreds of technical indicators and screeners for accurate analysis
- A wide range of drawing tools for marking important levels
- Several chart types, including candles, bars, Heikin Ashi, and more
The right side of KuCoin’s trading terminal has the order book, where you can track buy and sell orders in real-time to analyze the market depth. Below the order book, you’ll see the order form where you need to place your orders.
KuCoin supports four order types:
- Limit
- Market
- Stop limit
- Stop market
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In addition, KuCoin offers 10x leverage on margin trading and 100x leverage on futures trading. The bottom of the interface has the assets overview section where you can see your present and past orders.
Gate.io
Gate.io’s trading platform has almost the exact same look and feels as KuCoin. It has a charting system powered by TradingView. You get the same features available with KuCoin, such as multiple time frames, hundreds of indicators, drawing tools, etc.
The charting system is located on the left-center of the interface. On the right side of the interface, you’ll find the order book and the live trades section. Below the order book, there is the order form where you can place limit, market, stop limit, and stop market orders.
The bottom end of the interface has the assets overview and market depth sections. The market depth section, along with the order book, helps you analyze the sentiment of the live market.
Gate.io provides 10x leverage on margin trading and 100x margin on futures trading like KuCoin. However, margin trading can be risky, and you should trade as per your risk capacity.
Verdict: It’s a tie. Both KuCoin and Gate.io have similar platforms and offer almost the same features and functionalities.
Security Features
KuCoin and Gate.io are two of the most trusted cryptocurrency exchanges in the crypto space. They implement all the industry-standard security features to provide safe trading and investing experience to users.
Let’s compare the security features implemented by the two exchanges.
KuCoin takes the following security measures:
- Multi-signature cold storage wallets to store users’ funds
- Two-factor authentication with Google authenticator
- Strong password requirements and withdrawal passwords
- IP allowlisting
- Anti-phishing code
Additionally, KuCoin has mandatory KYC requirements for withdrawals over 1 BTC per day. This greatly reduces the risk of fraud and money laundering on the platform. Though KuCoin ensures complete safety, traders must know that it was hacked once in 2020.
Gate.io implements the exact same security features as KuCoin. These include cold storage wallets, two-factor authentication, anti-phishing code, blind IP logins, strong passwords, and more.
Moreover, Gate.io has mandatory KYC requirements. You need to verify your identity if you want to use the services provided by Gate.io. This ensures complete safety.
Verdict: Gate.io has a slight edge here, as it has never been hacked before and has mandatory KYC requirements.
Customer Support
Customer support is another crucial factor users should consider before opening an account with an exchange. If you are a new player, you will run into issues related to deposits, withdrawals, margins, etc. In such cases, a responsive customer support team can be a lifesaver.
Let’s compare the customer support offered by the two exchanges. KuCoin offers customer support and service in three ways:
- Help Center: KuCoin has a comprehensive help center with various articles and FAQs to help you resolve common queries.
- Live Chat: If you want to contact the team, you can use the Live Chat functionality on the website to connect with a representative.
- Email: KuCoin also allows you to submit a ticket and contact the team by email.
KuCoin’s customer support team is skilled, empathetic, and responsive.
Gate.io also offers customer support through a support center, live chat, and email. You can find a lot of articles and blog posts on Gate.io talking about common issues and queries.
You can reach the customer service team by heading to the live chat terminal or sending them an email. To access both features, click on the support icon on the top right corner of the website homepage.
Verdict: It’s a tie, as both KuCoin and Gate.io offer similar customer support and service.
Is KuCoin a safe exchange?
Yes, KuCoin is a safe exchange. It implements all the security features and functionalities needed to provide a safe trading experience to all traders. It also has mandatory KYC for users who want to withdraw over 1 BTC daily.
Is Gate.io a safe exchange?
Yes, Gate.io is one of the safest cryptocurrency exchanges out there. It has mandatory KYC requirements for all users. Additionally, it takes all the security measures needed to ensure the complete safety and security of the platform.
Conclusion
KuCoin and Gate.io are some of the most renowned cryptocurrency exchanges worldwide, and there’s no clear winner between the two.
Both the exchanges have a lot in common. They offer similar trading products and leverage, have almost the same platform, and have similar security and customer support features.
KuCoin wins in one aspect, though. It doesn’t have mandatory KYC requirements, and you can withdraw up to 1 BTC a day without verifying your identity.
Gate.io is better if you want lower fees, better security, and more financial products. Overall, it’s a tie, and you can choose an exchange as per your requirements.
Check out how KuCoin & Gate.io compares to other crypto exchanges:
- Gate.io vs Binance
- Gate.io vs ByBit
- KuCoin vs Binance
- KuCoin vs Bybit
- KuCoin vs Phemex
- KuCoin vs Huobi
