For anyone looking to invest in Bitcoin, the two most popular options are Robinhood and Coinbase Pro. Both platforms offer different benefits and drawbacks, so it’s important to know which one is right for you. Here’s a quick rundown of each option to help you make the best decision and answer the question: Coinbase Pro vs Robinhood – Which is Better for Buying Bitcoin?
Coinbase Pro Vs Robinhood – The Basics
Before evaluating each platform’s pros and cons, let’s do a brief introduction for both Coinbase Pro and Robinhood.
Coinbase Pro
On April 14, 2021, after months of excitement and hype, Coinbase’s shares were listed on the NASDAQ exchange under the ticker COIN. Coinbase shares opened trading at $381 and reached a high of $429.54 before finishing the day at $328.28.
After closing trading on May 13, 2021, Coinbase announced its first-quarter financial results. Although Coinbase’s numbers were impressive compared to prior quarters, the earnings and revenue came a bit short of what Wall Street analysts expected.
Even more interesting, however, was the fact that Coinbase presented three different levels of guidance depending on how the crypto market plays out over the coming months. Coinbase’s decision highlights how volatile the crypto market can be.
During Coinbase’s conference call, Brian Armstrong, the company’s CEO, mentioned that the company would be adding Dogecoin (DOGE) in the next 6-8 weeks. DOGE has been one of the most actively traded cryptocurrencies during the past few months, and that added trading volume may have been just what Coinbase needed.
Robinhood
Another major cryptocurrency player, Robinhood, plans to go public this year. Bloomberg recently reported that the company filed for an initial public offering (IPO). According to Bloomberg, Robinhood could go public as soon as late in the second quarter, although market conditions could change things.
Robinhood has been in the news a lot this year, mostly from its involvement in the GameStop (NYSE: GME) saga. The company is also one of the few traditional brokerages that supports cryptocurrency trading. Vlad Tenev, the CEO of Robinhood, appears to be so confident in the future of cryptocurrency that he plans to devote more resources toward supporting Robinhood crypto expansion.
The company’s desire to focus on cryptocurrency may stem from the explosion in crypto trading that Robinhood experienced during the 1st quarter of this year.
Robinhood reported that the number of crypto traders increased from 1.7 million during the 4th quarter last year to 9.5 million during the first quarter of this year. That growth is a very good sign for a company that had taken its fair share of criticism over the GameStop fiasco.
Both of these companies are major players in crypto, especially casual traders. While Robinhood has just one platform for all its customers, Coinbase has its regular offering and a slightly more sophisticated platform called Coinbase Pro. This blog will focus on comparing the differences between Coinbase Pro and Robinhood. Both are easy to use but have notable differences.
Deposits and Withdrawals
Of course, before a customer can begin trading, the account must first be funded. For customers looking to deal exclusively with FIAT, Robinhood will be sufficient. But, for customers looking to deposit crypto into their account and later withdraw it, perhaps to a privately secured cryptocurrency wallet, such as Ledger or MetaMask, Coinbase Pro will be the better choice.
Robinhood
The only way to deposit funds into your Robinhood account is by linking your bank account, credit card, debit card and initiating a transfer from the banking section of your account. You’ll then be able to enter the deposit amount, review it, and then officially submit the transfer request. Customers are allowed to make up to 5 deposits per day which can total no more than $50,000 per day from Robinhood wallets.
Customers should remember that because transfers are completed via ACH, they may need to wait up to 5 business days for those funds to be available. Fortunately, customers will have access to an instant deposit of $1,000 per month. If customers want to increase that $1,000 instant deposit limit, they can sign up for Robinhood Gold at $5 per month.
With Robinhood Gold, customers will have the following instant deposit limits:
- $50,000 for customers who have a total portfolio value greater than $50k
- $25,000 for customers who have a total portfolio value greater than $25k
- $10,000 for customers who have a total portfolio value greater than $10k
- $5,000 for customers who have an account value under $10k
For customers who are unsure whether Robinhood Gold is the right solution, Robinhood offers a free 30-day trial.
Additionally, Robinhood does offer customers the option to receive a debit card which can be used to access the available cash in an account. The available cash also gets swept into Robinhood’s network of FDIC-insured banks, which will pay interest on the balance. Currently, Robinhood customers can receive an APY of 0.30%, which is paid out on the last business day of each month.
For Robinhood crypto withdrawal, customers can follow the same procedure as they did when depositing funds. However, the transfer box should be from Robinhood to your checking account this time.
Coinbase Pro
Coinbase Pro customers have the option to deal in FIAT or crypto. For FIAT deposits and withdrawals from their bank account, credit card and debit card, Coinbase Pro charges the following fees:
Source: Coinbase Pro
For most casual traders, ACH deposits and withdrawals will be the preferred choice since they have no fee structure. However, ACH deposits and withdrawals can normally take up to 5 business days to process, so customers must decide whether that delay is acceptable.
If time is the priority, customers do have the option of depositing through a bank wire or credit card. However, in addition to the $10 fee that Coinbase will charge to receive a bank wire, your bank will also charge a fee, normally between $25-$40. For traders depositing large amounts, that is probably acceptable. Still, for those looking to trade a couple of hundred dollars of crypto, ACH deposits are probably the best choice.
In addition to FIAT deposits and withdrawals, customers can deposit crypto directly into their Coinbase exchange wallet. Customers can view their specific wallet address for each cryptocurrency and deposit their desired amount. Customers need extreme caution as a mistake could result in lost funds.
Customers should double-check they are sending their crypto to the right wallet and that the address isn’t missing any information. However, this is the fastest and cheapest way to transact for traders comfortable transferring crypto between wallets.
Verdict
Both Robinhood and Coinbase Pro are decent options when it comes to banking. Although Robinhood only deals in FIAT, that will serve the interests of most traditional brokerage customers. However, for more knowledgeable crypto traders, being able to deposit and withdraw cryptocurrency between the exchange and private wallets will be a massive advantage. Because of that, Coinbase Pro wins this category.
Trading Fees
Many traders will go where the lowest fees are when deciding on the right crypto platform. As such, comparing Robinhood’s fee structure to those of Coinbase Pro is of paramount importance.
Robinhood
In 2013, Robinhood made history when it became the first major brokerage to offer its customers commission-free trading when buying crypto on Robinhood. It was so successful that many brokerages followed Robinhood’s lead by going to a zero-commission model in 2019.
Robinhood’s model also applies to cryptocurrencies. So, customers of Robinhood don’t pay any commissions on their crypto trades. That begs the question of how does Robinhood make money? The company generates revenue from various sources, including Robinhood Gold membership fees, stock loans, and payment for order flow.
Coinbase Pro
Although the listed price may appear cheaper on Coinbase Pro than what customers will see on Robinhood, when the fees are considered, most customers will get a better price when trading at Robinhood.
As seen above, Coinbase Pro uses a fee schedule based on tiers that depend on how much you trade. For most small traders, the fee is 0.50% ($37 in this case), which makes Coinbase Pro net more expensive.
Verdict
Unless you are trading millions of dollars to take advantage of Coinbase Pro’s low taker fees at that tier level, Robinhood will almost certainly be the cheaper option for most traders. Robinhood wins this category!
Transparency
Transparency is an issue that should be important to all traders when buying coins like Bitcoins on Robinhood or Coinbase Pro. Traders want to know what price they are being filled at in the current market.
Robinhood
Robinhood makes things easier by showing a trading price with no additional fee. But Robinhood is just a broker and sells order flow to trading firms. Thus, the difference between buying and selling prices is often $20. So, while there is no fee, there is a large mark-up. Other orders and trade prices are not displayed.
Coinbase Pro
Coinbase is an exchange that directly matches orders between buyers and sellers or allows them to place orders in the order book. The full order book is displayed in real-time and is usually $0.01 wide. The fee schedule is also clearly posted on their website, though it can be difficult to calculate your net trading price.
Verdict
While the total cost to trade on Coinbase Pro is more expensive, the platform is more transparent regarding orders and trades in the market and more transparent about the true fee (or markup) to trade.
Trading Experience
The trading experience on Coinbase Pro and Robinhood is very different because each platform is best suited to a different audience. Whereas Coinbase Pro is best for traders looking for a high-end, versatile, and sophisticated crypto trading experience, Robinhood offers a very basic and simple platform, which is best for customers most interested in saving as much as possible on trading fees.
Robinhood
Robinhood has Buy and Sell buttons, though it is possible to switch from a market to a limit order. They also have a fixed and unlabeled price chart. But, as you can see in the above image, that’s about it. It offers limited options and is probably best suited for traders looking for a cheap, no-frills experience.
Coinbase Pro
To begin trading on Coinbase Pro, a user must select a particular asset such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, select specific trading activities such as buy or sell and indicate the trade size they would like to execute.
Additionally, although the order type defaults to market (meaning it will fill at the best available price), traders can change the order type to a more specific type such as limit, stop, or trailing stop. Customers can learn more about the order types by visiting the Coinbase Pro support center.
Also, Coinbase Pro goes a bit further with an additional “stop” order type and plenty of real-time exchange market data in the form of the order book, trade history, and a configurable chart tool.
Verdict
When it comes to the trading experience, Coinbase Pro certainly appears to have the edge. The platform offers traders more order types, charting options, and a more polished overall product. Robinhood’s basic interface will probably appeal to traders more interested in a buy and hold strategy rather than an active trading approach.
Supported Cryptocurrencies
One of the most important factors when deciding which crypto trading platform to use is how many cryptocurrencies you can trade. Many customers open up multiple crypto exchange accounts for this reason and for the ability to trade at the best available price. One platform has a clear advantage regarding the number of cryptocurrencies customers can trade on Coinbase Pro and Robinhood.
Robinhood
Robinhood currently only allows customers to trade on Robinhood: Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Bitcoin SV (BSV), Dogecoin (DOGE), Ethereum (ETH), Ethereum Classic (ETC), and Litecoin (LTC).
While that covers some of the most popular options, it leaves a lot to be desired for most crypto traders who may want the option for more diversification. In addition to offering only a few choices, Robinhood also restricts Hawaii, Nevada, New Hampshire, and West Virginia residents from trading cryptocurrency.
Coinbase Pro
While Robinhood lacks the number of coins offered, Coinbase Pro certainly does not. The platform currently offers 50 cryptocurrencies and more than 150 trading pairs.
Some of the most popular pairs include Bitcoin (BTC/USD, BTC/EUR, BTC/GBP, BTC/USDC), Ethereum (ETH/USD, ETH/BTC, ETH/EUR, ETH/USDC), and other coins such as Filecoin (FIL), Stellar (XLM), and Litecoin (LTC). The latest information can be found on sites such as CoinGecko and CoinMarketCap. In addition, the only state currently restricted at Coinbase Pro is Hawaii.
Verdict
When it comes to the number of cryptocurrencies available for trading and the number of customers who are allowed to trade those cryptocurrencies, Coinbase Pro is the clear winner!
Customer Support
While the cryptocurrency industry is at the peak of innovation in many areas, one area where it routinely falls short is customer support. Companies appear to have difficulty keeping up with their existing customers, let alone all the new account applications that come in daily.
Robinhood
Almost all traditional brokerages offer customer support through various methods, including phone support, live chat, and email.
Unfortunately, Robinhood only offers assistance via email at this time. Given the company’s size and plans to go public later this year, you would think they would offer faster ways to get help, especially for urgent matters. For traders who have an issue with orders, waiting hours and days to get a response may not be satisfactory.
Despite the lack of support channels, Robinhood has an extensive support portal on its website, which answers many of the most commonly asked questions.
Coinbase Pro
While this isn’t strictly a Coinbase Pro problem, it does affect platform users. Coinbase, like many other crypto-focused exchanges, does not offer phone support. There is a support center on Coinbase’s website where users can find out if their problem has already been answered.
If customers still need assistance, they must fill out a support form. Unfortunately, customers will likely have to wait at least 24 hours to receive an answer. For urgent matters, that could potentially be a big problem.
Verdict
Unfortunately, customer support is where neither Robinhood nor Coinbase Pro performs very well.
Which Cryoto Exchange Should You Choose: Coinbase Pro or Robinhood
Customers who want more visibility into order and trade activity, and trade large enough size to qualify for a discounted fee tier, will likely prefer Coinbase Pro. In addition, if traders are interested in diversifying their portfolios and want to trade altcoins that are outside the top 10, they will likely want to open a Coinbase Pro account since Robinhood will not allow them to trade popular cryptocurrencies such as Cardano (ADA), Chainlink (LINK), and Uniswap (UNI).
Coinbase Pro will be the better option for most active crypto traders despite the fees. For users who choose to open an account with Coinbase, it’s important to remember that while Coinbase and Coinbase Pro are linked, each has its wallet.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, Coinbase and Robinhood, as the best exchanges for buying Bitcoin depends on individual needs and preferences. However, Robinhood and Coinbase Pro offer great features and benefits that make them worth considering. Ultimately, the decision comes down to personal preference.
How to Transfer Investment From Coinbase to Coinbase Pro
While you might have a funded Coinbase account, you might not have a funded Coinbase Pro account. Luckily, the process for transferring between the two is free and easy. For more information on how to complete this transfer, please reference this help article on Coinbase’s website. The basic steps are outlined below:
- Go to the Coinbase Pro trading page
- Select Deposit under Wallet Balance (a pop-up window will appear)
- Select the currency type (i.e., BTC, ETC) that you’d like to deposit to Pro from Coinbase
- Select Coinbase Account
- Enter the amount you would like to deposit to Pro from Coinbase. Please note that you will only be able to deposit funds that are “Available to Deposit.”
- Select Deposit at the bottom of the window.
Conclusion
Ultimately, both Coinbase and Robinhood may end up appealing to different users. Customers who want the ability to trade a wide variety of assets such as equities, ETFs, options, and crypto, may prefer to trade at Robinhood. Robinhood also offers commission-free trades, which will likely appeal to many customers.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is not investment advice from Cove Markets. Cryptocurrency investment activities are yet to be recognized and protected by the laws in some countries. Cryptocurrencies always contain financial risks.
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