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Coinmama vs Independent Reserve

Comparing
two exchanges
Decided by
Editorial rating
Last reviewed
2026-08-23
Coinmama3.9

A card-first broker that sends bitcoin straight to your own wallet instead of holding it for you.

Independent Reserve4.5

Sydney exchange aimed at serious and self-managed-super buyers, and the first in Australia to publish regular proof-of-reserves attestations.

Verdict: Independent Reserve

Independent Reserve rates higher on our rubric: 4.5 against 3.9 for Coinmama.

Criterion
Editorial rating
Coinmama
3.9
Independent Reserve
4.5

Coinmama and Independent Reserve, fact by fact

Every row is from the two reviews as of their review dates, with sources on each. A check marks the side a decidable criterion favours; rows without one are information, not a score.

Coinmama and Independent Reserve compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
FactCoinmamaIndependent Reserve
Editorial rating3.94.5 (favoured on this row)
Published feesCommission plus card surchargeFrom 0.5%, free bank funding
Maker feeNot published0.50 percent, falling to 0.02 percent across nine volume tiers
Taker feeNot published0.50 percent, falling to 0.02 percent across nine volume tiers
Identity verificationRequiredRequired
Bitcoin-onlyNoNo
Payment rails supported343
Countries ranked in1441
Ranks first in230
Countries shared11
Security recordNo record on fileNo record on file
Founded20132013
HeadquartersVancouver, Canada (Wellfield Technologies)Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Last reviewed2026-08-122026-08-23

Where both Coinmama and Independent Reserve are ranked

Each country guide ranks its own roster on published fees, security record and local payment support, so the two can sit in a different order from one country to the next.

Countries whose guide ranks both Coinmama and Independent Reserve, with each platform's position in that guide.
CountryStatusCoinmama ranksIndependent Reserve ranksComparison
AustraliaLegal#10#5Best exchanges there

Frequently asked questions

Is Coinmama or Independent Reserve better?

Independent Reserve rates higher on our rubric: 4.5 against 3.9 for Coinmama. The rating weighs published fees, security record and local payment support; the table above sets each beside the other so you can check the score against the facts.

Which is cheaper, Coinmama or Independent Reserve?

Coinmama: Commission plus card surcharge. Independent Reserve: From 0.5%, free bank funding. Those are each platform's published headline rates; card purchases and instant-buy widgets cost more than the order book on both, and each review carries the full schedule.

Where can I use both Coinmama and Independent Reserve?

Both are ranked in our guides for Australia. Coinmama is ranked in 144 countries in all and Independent Reserve in 1; each country guide ranks its own roster, so the two can sit in a different order from one country to the next.

Has Coinmama or Independent Reserve had a security incident?

Coinmama carries no dated security record on our review yet, a gap in our records rather than a clean bill. Independent Reserve carries no dated security record on our review yet, a gap in our records rather than a clean bill. Both reviews list every event with its source.

Do Coinmama and Independent Reserve require ID verification?

Coinmama: required; identity verification is required before your first purchase.. Independent Reserve: required.

The full reviews: Coinmama and Independent Reserve, each with its sources, and every exchange we review.

More comparisons

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