How we review

The test, step by step

1. Sign up as a customer. We use the public sign-up flow, pass identity checks where they apply, and record how long verification took and what it asked for.
2. Fund it. We deposit by the methods most readers would use, such as bank transfer, card or an on-chain transfer, and note every fee and the time the money took to arrive.
3. Use it for real. On an exchange we place market and limit orders and compare the price we got with the quoted price. A wallet gets set up, backed up, restored and used to send and receive. Tools get connected to real accounts and asked to produce real reports.
4. Take the money out. A withdrawal is the test that matters most. We record limits, fees, holds and how long the funds took to land.
5. Ask for help. We open at least one support ticket with a genuine question and time the answer.
6. Check the paperwork. We read the terms, the fee schedule and the licence registers that apply, and link the official sources.

What the score means

Each review ends in one number out of ten, given to one decimal place. It is a judgement against the other products in the same category, not an average of sub-scores. As a guide:

• 9.0 and above: the best we have tested for most people in the category, with no serious caveat.
• 8.0 to 8.9: a strong pick, with weaknesses that matter only to some readers.
• 6.0 to 7.9: worth it for a specific need; the review says which.
• Below 6.0: we would steer most readers elsewhere, and the first paragraph of the review says why.

Risk comes first

If a platform has a regulatory problem, unclear custody arrangements, or a history of frozen withdrawals, the review says so at the top, whatever the fees look like. A low fee does not make up for funds you cannot get back.

Updates and corrections

Fees, coin lists and licences change. When they do, we update the review, date the change and, where it affects the verdict, re-score it. Factual errors are corrected and noted at the end of the review. See the ranking for the current order, or tell us about something we missed.

Not advice

Our reviews describe products. They do not tell you what to buy, and they do not account for your circumstances or the law where you live. Crypto assets are volatile and you can lose the money you put in.

Last updated 6 October 2026