Whichever way you look at it, cryptocurrency is here to stay. Despite the recent drop in prices, more and more people are investing in digital currencies as they move away from traditional forms of investment. And with this, comes a rise in the number of cryptocurrency exchanges. But which one is the best? Do you want the cheapest options? The most coins and tokens? Highest volume? Most user-friendly platform?

In Australia, Digital Surge and KuCoin are two of the most popular exchanges. Let's take a look at how they compare. Digital Surge is a relatively new player in the Australian crypto exchange market, but it has been making waves with its low fees and spreads, wide range of coins, and simplicity. KuCoin, on the other hand, is well-known for its high trading volumes, massive range of 700+ cryptocurrencies, and advanced trading markets.

We'll compare these exchange platforms based on their fees, coin and token offerings, user experience, features, and security to help you determine which exchange better suits your needs.

Header

Coins

300+

700+

Trading Fee

0.5%

0.1%

Deposit Fee

PayID: Free; POLi: $2 - $3.30

No fiat deposits

Withdraw Fee

Free

No fiat withdrawals

Deposit Methods

PayID, POLi

Debit card, Credit card, Apple Pay, PayPal

Features

- Supports over 300+ coins

- Beginner-friendly platform

- 24/7 customer support 

- Mobile app for iOS and Android

- Supports over 700+ cryptocurrencies

- Lower trading fees

- Margin trading with up to 100x leverage

Disadvantages

- Higher trading fees

- No advanced markets

- Cannot deposit or withdraw fiat currencies from KuCoin 

Cell
Header

Coins

300+

700+

Trading Fee

0.5%

0.1%

Deposit Fee

PayID: Free; POLi: $2 - $3.30

No fiat deposits

Withdraw Fee

Free

No fiat withdrawals

Deposit Methods

PayID, POLi

Debit card, Credit card, Apple Pay, PayPal

Features

- Supports over 300+ coins

- Beginner-friendly platform

- 24/7 customer support 

- Mobile app for iOS and Android

- Supports over 700+ cryptocurrencies

- Lower trading fees

- Margin trading with up to 100x leverage

Cons

- Higher trading fees

- No advanced markets

- Cannot deposit or withdraw fiat currencies from KuCoin 

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Digital Surge vs KuCoin Features

Looking to get started in the exciting world of cryptocurrency trading? Then you need Digital Surge, the user-friendly crypto exchange that makes it easy for beginners to get started.

With its simple and user-friendly interface, Digital Surge is designed so that anyone can use it, regardless of whether they have any investing experience or not. Plus, the customer support team is available 24/7 to answer any questions you may have.

When you sign up with Digital Surge, you'll have access to over 300+ different cryptocurrencies to choose from. So no matter what your investment goals are, they've got you covered.

KuCoin is the perfect platform for experienced digital investors offering advanced trading features and access to numerous markets. You can trade over 700+ cryptocurrency coins on KuCoin, as well as margin trade, futures trade, and participate in the P2P marketplace. 

While there are plenty of opportunities to make profit, this platform is not recommended for novice traders – due to its complex features and lack of customer service support. Experienced traders will, however, find KuCoin a powerful and versatile tool.

Features: On this aspect, KuCoin wins hands down. They offer more features than Digital Surge, including a wide range of coins to trade, margin trading, futures trading, and a P2P marketplace.

Number of Coins

Digital Surge offers 300+ coins.

KuCoin offers their traders 700+ coins.

Coins: KuCoin has the edge over Digital Surge when it comes to coins. The latter falls short in this category as they offer only 300+ coins compared to KuCoin's 700+.

Digital Surge vs KuCoin Australia Fees

With Digital Surge, you can make free deposits with PayID, but POLi deposits will be charged between $2 and $3.30 for deposits. Withdrawals of AUD are also free, while a 0.5% transaction fee is taken on all trades.

KuCoin does not accept fiat deposits, but if you want to purchase crypto immediately, there is a small range of coins you can purchase, such as BTC and USDT, which you can then use to start trading on the platform. There is no set fee for these purchases, as it depends on the third-party payment processor you select, and ranges from about 3% - 12%. Withdrawing fiat currency from KuCoin is also not supported, and when you withdraw crypto, the fees vary depending on the coin. Trading fees at KuCoin are very low, at just 0.1%, which can be discounted by 20% if you pay trading fees using their own coin (KCS).

Fees: KuCoin's fees are high when purchasing crypto, and there's a lack of information about the exact amount. KuCoin also doesn't support fiat deposits or withdrawals, so Digital Surge wins this round.

Deposit Methods

Digital Surge accepts PayID, POLi and cryptocurrency deposits.

KuCoin accepts cryptocurrency deposits only, but if you want to instantly purchase crypto with AUD you can use a debit card, credit card, Apple Pay, and Paypal.

Deposit Methods: Digital Surge wins as it accepts AUD deposits, whereas KuCoin doesn't. With KuCoin you do have several payment methods to purchase crypto that you can use to start trading, but the fees are very high, ranging from 3% - 12%.

Digital Surge vs KuCoin Security

In today's cryptocurrency landscape, security is paramount. With hackers always looking for new ways to steal digital assets, exchanges must constantly be on guard, implementing the latest and greatest security measures.

Digital Surge takes security seriously, and this is probably why they've never been hacked. They require 2FA for all withdrawals and the website traffic runs entirely over encrypted SSL (HTTPS). This exchange is also registered with ASIC and AUSTRAC and compliant with the AML and KYC requirements. To further protect their customers' funds, they use both hot wallet and cold wallet storage and regularly review and update the security measures to stay ahead of the curve.

KuCoin has also put in place highly sophisticated security, in what they like to call bank-level security. The site boasts industry-standard multilayer encryption, dynamic 2FA authentication and micro withdrawal wallets that can be accessed through our phone or computer - all of which keep your funds safe. The only drawback is that they were hacked in 2020 but luckily for everyone involved they had insurance on hand to cover any customers' losses.

Security: In a world where even the most reputable companies have been hacked, it's refreshing to know that Digital Surge is fully protected. The exchange never succumbs because of its high-level security measures and it's for this reason that we confidently recommend it as the safer option.

Digital Surge Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Over 300+ cryptocurrencies supported
  • User-friendly interface
  • 24/7 customer support with Live Chat
  • Mobile app for iOS and Android
Cons
  • Doesn't offer advanced markets
  • Higher trading fees

KuCoin Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Supports over 700+ cryptocurrencies
  • CFD trading is available
  • Stake your crypto to earn interest
  • Use CopyTrading to automatically mimic the trades of successful traders
Cons
  • Lower trading fees
  • Margin trading with up to 100x leverage

Conclusion

At first glance, it may seem like there's not much to distinguish between Digital Surge and KuCoin. Both exchanges offer a wide range of cryptocurrencies to trade, as well as robust security features. However, when you look at the details, it's clear that Digital Surge is the better option.

For starters, Digital Surge is more secure than KuCoin. The exchange has implemented high-level security measures to ensure that your funds are always protected. Additionally, Digital Surge has lower fees; KuCoin's trading fees might be lower but instant crypto purchase fees are significantly higher. For beginners, Digital Surge is easier to use than KuCoin - the user interface is more intuitive and there are no complex graphs. Finally, with KuCoin there is no option to deposit or withdraw AUD or any fiat currency. Digital Surge has this option, which makes it the better choice for those looking to purchase crypto. 

KuCoin is a great choice for those that are looking to trade crypto frequently. It is built for experienced traders, with plenty of advanced markets, and low trading fees of just 0.1%. 

In short, we recommend Digital Surge for those who want an easy and stress-free experience purchasing crypto, while KuCoin is better for those who are looking to trade crypto regularly.

If you want to find out more before committing, you can read our Digital Surge review or KuCoin review to find out more, or have a look at this article on the best crypto exchanges in Australia.

About the author 

Luke Campbell

Luke is an early adopter of cryptocurrency, and was buying and using Bitcoin back in 2011. He has seen the landscape of cryptocurrency change over the years, and firmly believes we are still in the early stages of mainstream crypto adoption. Luke is fascinated about the potential of the metaverse, and invests in virtual real estate.

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