Crypto.com App Review: Convenient Buys, But the Spread Adds Up
We bought crypto through the Crypto.com App's instant buy screen, then ran the same trade through the Exchange side and the Visa Card tiers, to see what the convenience actually costs against the exchange's posted fee table.
Our verdict
The Crypto.com App is the easiest way we tested to buy crypto on a phone, and the most expensive for anyone who trades more than occasionally. The instant buy screen hides a spread that can run past 1%, while the Exchange tab sitting one swipe away starts at 0.25% maker and 0.50% taker before any CRO discount. Casual buyers and card users chasing cashback can stay on the App; anyone placing more than a handful of trades a month should move to the Exchange tab inside the same account.
Best for: Casual buyers who want crypto and a cashback Visa card in one app
Crypto.com built one app that tries to be a brokerage, a savings account and a rewards card at once. We installed it, bought a small amount of Bitcoin through the instant buy screen, then repeated the trade through the Exchange tab hiding inside the same app, to see how far apart the two really are.
Two ways to buy, one much cheaper than the other
The App's instant buy screen shows a single confirm button and no visible fee line. Crypto.com states deposits and crypto-to-crypto conversions inside the app at 0.00%, and that is technically true. What it does not show is the spread built into the quoted price, which independent testing puts between 0.5% and 2% depending on the pair and the moment you trade. The app's own download page advertises over 400 supported cryptocurrencies and more than 20 fiat currencies, a breadth that made the instant buy screen feel like the obvious first stop for us, right up until we compared its fill price against the Exchange tab's quote for the same pair a minute later.
Switch to the Exchange tab in the same app and the fee becomes a number you can read on a table instead of guess at. Level 1, under 10,000 dollars of 30-day volume, costs 0.25% maker and 0.50% taker with no CRO held. Hold at least 50,000 CRO and the maker fee drops to zero, with the taker fee cut 12% to 0.44%. Trade past 500,000 dollars a month and the top tier falls to 0.08% maker and 0.18% taker.
