Coinbase vs Relai Comparison

The Coinbase savings plan targets investors who want to buy regularly and automatically rather than trying to time an entry. The barrier is as low as it gets at a one euro minimum, the range covers more than 400 crypto assets, and execution runs without further intervention: weekly, on the 1st and 15th of the month or monthly. The first purchase is executed as soon as the plan is set up; amount and frequency cannot be changed later, so you cancel the plan and create a new one.

On regulation Coinbase stands well in Europe: it was the first company to hold a BaFin crypto custody licence, and deficiencies identified in 2022 have been remedied according to the company. Crypto services are now provided by Coinbase Luxembourg S.A., licensed under MiCA since 20 June 2025 and supervised by Luxembourg's financial regulator CSSF; the licence covers 30 EEA countries. Payment routes include SEPA transfer, card, PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay, an unusually broad selection for the European market. Not every payment method works for the savings plan, the app shows which ones do; instalments can also be paid from the euro balance in the account.

What changed in 2026: Customers in the EEA can no longer buy stablecoins without MiCA authorisation such as USDT, DAI or PYUSD on Coinbase, so they are no longer available for a savings plan either. According to Coinbase, balances still held on the cut-off date of 30 October 2026 are converted once into USDC at the market rate. On 22 October 2026 the Central Bank of Ireland announced a fine of €3.25 million against Coinbase Ireland Limited, which holds euro balances for Coinbase customers: between November 2020 and August 2025 client funds were not adequately safeguarded. The regulator does not allege any loss of client money, and the sanction takes effect once confirmed by the Irish High Court. Details in our Coinbase review.

The sore point is price: up to 1.875% per purchase, depending on the payment method, is high in this comparison, so up to 18.75 euro on 1,000 euro. Across a savings plan with many small instalments that compounds noticeably over the years. Investors who value convenience and regulatory footing above the last fraction of a percent are well served; anyone watching costs should weigh the fees against cheaper savings plan providers.

Relai has established itself in the DACH region as one of the best-known Bitcoin-only apps and is especially appreciated by the Bitcoin community. The Swiss company follows a consistent self-custody approach: Bitcoin is held directly in the in-app wallet, and transfers to external wallets, including hardware wallets, are possible. Customers in the EU are served by Relai EU SASU, which has held a MiCA authorisation from the French financial markets authority AMF since 23 October 2025 and, according to the ESMA register, may operate in all 27 member states via the EU passport; in Switzerland, Relai AG is a member of the self-regulatory organisation VQF. Relai is therefore considered to be on solid regulatory footing.

The savings plan functionality is particularly valued, enabling automatic Bitcoin purchases with direct transfer to your own wallet or a hardware wallet. For investors who see Bitcoin as a long-term store of value and place importance on self-custody, Relai is regarded as one of the most accessible solutions. The fee is 1 % per purchase, or 0.9 % with an invite code; the first monthly auto-invest plan up to €100 remains fee-free. Paying by credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay adds 3.0 %.

Since only Bitcoin can be traded, Relai is not suitable for investors interested in altcoins, something occasionally criticized by some users. The minimum amount of 50 € and the setup of external wallet transfers are also seen as room for improvement. Relai is therefore especially suited to Bitcoin-focused investors who want to combine self-custody and automated saving with a regulated provider.