Australia's two most-established crypto exchanges, both founded in 2013, both AUSTRAC-registered, both ISO 27001 certified. The honest answer to 'which is better' depends entirely on how much you trade and what kinds of assets you want to own.
Nine areas compared directly. The checkmark indicates the winner for that category.
| Category | Independent Reserve | CoinSpot |
|---|---|---|
| Coin selection CoinSpot supports more than 15× the coins | 35+ | 530+ |
| Lowest trading fee IR's volume-tiered fees beat CoinSpot at scale | 0.02% (top tier) | 0.1% market |
| Starting trading fee CoinSpot is cheaper for low-volume users | 0.50% | 0.1% market |
| Proof of reserves IR publishes more formal reserve attestations | Published regularly | Cold storage attested |
| ISO 27001 certified Both at top tier of Australian exchange security | Yes | Yes |
| Singapore MAS licence IR is dual-regulated AU + Singapore | Yes | No |
| SMSF onboarding IR is the institutional default for SMSF crypto | Best in market | Strong |
| Staking CoinSpot supports staking on more assets | Limited | Many coins |
| Beginner-friendly CoinSpot is easier on first use | Functional | Beginner-focused |
Pick Independent Reserve if you're investing a serious amount, running an SMSF, trading actively enough to reach lower fee tiers, or you value institutional-grade security and proof of reserves.
Pick CoinSpot if you're a retail buyer who wants altcoin variety, an easy interface, and staking on a wide range of coins. For most first-time Australian buyers under A$10,000, CoinSpot is the better answer.