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Kucoin vs Gate.io: What Works Better For Canadians in 2024

Oleg Galeev

Last updated December 27, 2023

In this comparison between Kucoin and Gate.io, we will explore the key differences and similarities between these two popular cryptocurrency exchanges. While both platforms offer a wide range of altcoins and competitive features, they vary in terms of mobile and desktop trading, security measures, compliance in Canada, and customer support.

Description

Kucoin is a sort of Canadian-friendly cryptocurrency exchange that offers peer-to-peer crypto trades, lending, and futures trading. Kucoin is suitable for more advanced traders looking for advanced charting and order types. Kucoin has 8 million

Launched in 2013, Gate.io is one of the top cryptocurrency exchanges in the world with $12 billion+ daily trading volume. However, Canada is on the list of disallowed countries under Gate.io terms same as the US and many other counties. Because of this, they can randomly block your account at any time so we WOULD NOT recommend using it. If you are looking for a similar exchange, we would recommend using Bitget instead or checking our list of the best crypto exchanges in Canada.

Coins

500+ coins

1000+

Fees

Low maker/taker trading fees ( 0.005%/0.025% to 0.1%/0.1% for class A coins)
Free deposits
Variable withdrawal fees
KCS holders get 20% discount on trading fees

Free crypto deposits
Some free crypto withdrawals minus network fees
Other various crypto withdrawal fees
0.2%/0.2% maker/taker fees
0.15%/1.5% maker/taker fees when paid in GT
Lower trading fees when holding 100+ GT or 0.05+ BTC
$30 + 3.5% bank transfer for up to $2,000 (USD only)
Various third-party fees for card payments

Pros

Low fees
Wide range of altcoins available
Advanced order types
Crypto lending
Futures trading
Fast crypto purchases
Peer to peer exchange
Anonymous trading

Thousands of altcoins available to trade
Advanced trading features and tools
Unique features
Comprehensive help and data available
Low trading fees
Get additional benefits by holding GateToken
OTC Desk
NFT marketplace

Cons

Platform is confusing for beginners
No fiat to crypto pairs
Must buy USDT to trade
Previously hacked
Not compliant in Ontario (but you can still use it though)

Not allowed in Canada
CAD bank accounts not supported
Must use third-party for card purchases
Some trading options not available to Canadians
Not beginner-friendly
Bad app reviews

Account Limits

Low

No major limits

App

Methods to buy

Credit/debit card
Third party Bank transfer

Credit/debit card using third-party service
USD bank transfer to OTC desk
Crypto deposits

Security

$275 million stolen in 2020 hack
2FA available

Hot and cold storage to keep customer funds safe
2FA

Mobile and Desktop Trading

Both Kucoin and Gate.io provide mobile apps for convenient trading on the go. Kucoin's app has received positive ratings, with high user satisfaction on both the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Gate.io's app, on the other hand, has mixed reviews, with some users reporting issues related to logging in and user interface. In terms of desktop trading, both exchanges offer robust platforms suitable for advanced cryptocurrency trading.

Kucoin

Kucoin is slightly different than your average crypto exchange. You won’t be able to deposit Canadian dollars directly. You’ll have to go through a third-party such as Banxa to deposit fiat. Kucoin does, however, accept credit and debit card payments, but you’ll need to check if your Canadian bank allows crypto transactions.

There are no fiat to crypto pairs, so you cannot buy bitcoin or other crypto directly with your dollars. You’ll need to first purchase Tether USDT on Kucoin and then trade that for the crypto you want.

The Kucoin exchange can be quite confusing for beginners.

There are advanced charting and order types available, plus you can trade on margin and trade futures contracts if you wish.

To buy USDT quickly, go up to the top menu and select the “Fast Buy” option. Here, you can purchase USDT using your credit or debit card or via the P2P exchange, or via a third party transfer. Once you have your USDT, then you can trade it on the Kucoin exchange under “spot trading”. Select the trading pair e.g. USDT/BTC and then choose your order type e.g. market order.

The Kucoin app has a 3.7-star rating from over 2,000 reviews on the Apple App Store and a 2.7-star rating from over 12,000 reviews on Google Play. Many people complain that the app crashes or that there are certain features lacking such as the ability to filter order history by trading pair.

Kucoin’s app is a bit more simple than its desktop exchange but it’s still confusing for beginners. There are lots of features, tabs, and menus. Buying USDT is easy since you do not need to verify your account. Simply sign up with an email and you can buy crypto in seconds using your credit or debit card under the Fast trade option. From there though, you will need to navigate to the spot trading page and select the trading pair you want.

Kucoin desktop interface

Kucoin desktop app (Fast Trade)

Kucoin app interface

Kucoin app interface while trading

Gate.io App

Gate.io’s iOS app has a 2.5-star rating from 700 reviews and a 2.5-star rating from 10,000 reviews on Google Play. It is quite low, we would recommend using a desktop app. Many reviewers have said that they cannot log in, that the 2FA does not work, you are often sent to blank pages and overall a bad user interface. We never had such issues though.

Gate.io desktop app interface

Gate.io data screen

Gate.io mobile app screenshot (main page)

Gate.io mobile interface

Security Compliance

Kucoin provides world-class security meaning your coins are in relatively safe hands. It has two-factor authentication, so you can prevent unauthorized access to your account.

Keep in mind, $275 million worth of crypto was stolen from Kucoin by North Korean hackers in 2020. Later, $200 million of the stolen funds was recovered. Still, it doesn’t bode well for Kucoin. If you have funds on the exchange, it’s best to move them to a private crypto wallet.

Gate.io is quite a reputable exchange. Forbes Advisor gave it a 4.5-star rating and named it one of the best crypto exchanges. Gate.io utilizes hot and cold storage to keep customer funds safe. On its website, Gate.io says it is the first exchange to invest millions in security and law funds. They also claim to be fully compliant and certain features such as futures trading is not available to Canadians because of regulations. They can block your account at any time.

When it comes to security, both Kucoin and Gate.io implement measures to protect user funds. Kucoin utilizes a combination of hot and cold storage, while Gate.io emphasizes the security of customer assets through its investment in security and law funds. However, it's important to note that Kucoin has a stronger reputation and track record in terms of security, having never been hacked.

Regulatory Compliance

In June, 2021, the Ontario Securities Commission stated that Kucoin was illegally offering its residents securities and derivatives trading, but Kucoin did not respond to this. As a result, Kucoin is still available in Ontario as well as the rest of Canada. You can use Kucoin at full capacity whether it’s a simple buy order at market price or a more advanced order type. Bear in mind, Kucoin does not allow Interac e-Transfer to deposit Canadian dollars to your account. Instead, you will have to use a debit or credit card or a SWIFT transfer with USD.

Gate.io is not compliant crypto exchange in Canada.

In terms of compliance in Canada, Kucoin has faced regulatory issues in the past and was fined by the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC).

On the other hand, Gate.io does not allow users from Canada and other restricted countries, and they reserve the right to block accounts at their discretion. It's essential for Canadian users to consider these factors when choosing an exchange that complies with Canadian regulations.

Customer support

Kucoin offers helpful FAQs and online ticketing service for their customers as well as 24/7 support and a live chat option.

There is a helpful help centre and blog on the Gate.io website which teaches you how to use their many features. They also have a live chat function and you can submit a support request when you’re logged in. Unfortunately, Gate.io has many bad reviews on Trustpilot with people complaining that they are unable to withdraw or that customer service is slow or does not respond.

Both Kucoin and Gate.io offer customer support, but Gate.io has received mixed reviews regarding its support, with some users reporting slow response times or lack of assistance. Kucoin, on the other hand, has a reputation for providing responsive customer support, addressing user queries and concerns in a timely manner.

Conclusion

While both Kucoin and Gate.io have their strengths and weaknesses, Kucoin emerges as the preferred choice in this comparison. It offers a user-friendly mobile app, strong security measures, and responsive customer support. Additionally, Kucoin has a better track record in terms of compliance with regulations and has gained a higher level of trust in the industry.

We recommend choosing Kucoin over Gate.io for your cryptocurrency trading needs. By opting for Kucoin through our referral link, you support us in conducting comprehensive independent analyses of crypto trading options for Canadians.

If you find that neither Kucoin nor Gate.io meets your requirements, we encourage you to explore our monthly-updated list of the best exchanges for Canadians to trade crypto. This list provides a range of alternative options that may better suit your specific needs and preferences.

Author

Oleg Galeev

Cryptocurrency Specialist

Oleg is a Canadian citizen & crypto expert who has been trading since 2016. He started out with Coinbase, Kraken and Peer-to-Peer exchanges. After some time, centralized exchanges started charging crazy fees to their users.

He decided to review different crypto exchanges that operate in Canada and start a Youtube channel in order to educate Canadians on what kinds of things are going inside each one while giving them unbiased advice. On top of that, Oleg also has experience with NFT, airdrops, and crypto staking and he is constantly checking on new crypto assets.

His writing has been featured in popular Canadian media sources such as Toronto Sun and Ottawa Citizen.