The short answer
Hold Bitcoin? Bitrefill. Lightning support makes small orders economical and sats-back on a face-value card is a genuine discount you cannot get elsewhere.
Hold anything else? Coinsbee. Over 200 accepted coins means you pay from the wallet you actually have, and skipping a swap frequently saves more than any fee difference.
That is the whole decision for most people. Everything below is the evidence.
Side by side
| Platform | Brands | Countries | Coins accepted | What you pay over face value | ID required? | Delivery | Rewards | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitrefill4.3/5 | 8,000+ | 170+ | BTC (on-chain + Lightning), ETH, USDT, USDC, LTC, DOGE and more | Face value on most cards; up to ~2% on Amazon and prepaid cards | None for most orders | Instant (sub-second over Lightning) | 1–10% sats back on selected products | Visit Review |
| Coinsbee4.2/5 | 5,000+ | 185+ | 200+ including SOL, TON, XMR, DOGE, plus Binance Pay | Typically 0–4% depending on brand and region | Not required to start; requested on larger or flagged orders | Instant email delivery | Occasional brand promotions; no standing cashback | Visit Review |
| Criterion | Bitrefill | Coinsbee | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand count | ~8,000 | 5,000+ | Bitrefill |
| Country coverage | 170+ | 185+ | Coinsbee |
| Coins accepted | Several, plus Lightning | 200+, plus Binance Pay | Coinsbee, decisively |
| Small-order economics | Lightning — sub-cent fees | No Lightning; use LTC or a stablecoin | Bitrefill |
| Fee predictability | Face value on most brands | 0–4% varying by brand and region | Bitrefill |
| KYC | None for standard orders | None to start | Tie |
| Rewards | 1–10% sats back | Occasional promotions only | Bitrefill, decisively |
| Security record | Breached March 2026 | No incidents on record | Coinsbee |
| Mobile top-ups | Strong, incl. US carriers | 440+ providers, 166+ countries | Tie — different strengths |
Why the coin decides it
Every comparison of these two platforms lists brand counts and fee percentages, and almost none of them mention the cost that actually dominates the decision for a large group of users: the swap.
Say you hold Solana and want a $100 card. On a platform that does not accept SOL you first convert — which costs you a spread on the exchange or DEX, a network fee, and in most jurisdictions a taxable disposal to record. None of those three appear in any platform's fee comparison, and together they routinely exceed a two-percentage-point difference in stated fees.
| You hold | Bitrefill path | Coinsbee path | Cheaper all-in |
|---|---|---|---|
| BTC | Pay over Lightning, near zero | Pay on-chain | Bitrefill |
| USDT / USDC | Pay directly | Pay directly | Tie — compare the quote |
| SOL, TON, XMR, DOGE | Swap first: spread + fee + disposal | Pay directly | Coinsbee |
| An obscure altcoin | Swap, possibly twice | Pay directly at a wider spread | Usually Coinsbee — verify the quote |
| Binance balance | Withdraw first | Binance Pay — no network fee | Coinsbee |
Fees, properly compared
Bitrefill is the more predictable of the two: most brands at face value, with up to about 2% on Amazon and on prepaid card products. Coinsbee runs 0–4% depending on brand and region, so you have to check per product.
Neither stated fee is the whole cost. Both quote you a crypto amount that embeds an exchange rate, and that is where the real variance lives. The comparison that works is mechanical: put the same card in both baskets, reach the payment screen on each, and compare the crypto amounts requested. That single number captures the stated fee and the rate spread together. Method in hidden markup; full fee anatomy in crypto gift card fees.
One asymmetry worth weighing: Bitrefill's sats-back pays 1–10% on selected products, in Bitcoin, with nothing to hold or stake. On a card sold at face value that is a straightforward net discount, and Coinsbee has no standing equivalent. If you buy the same brands repeatedly and they carry a reward rate, that can outweigh everything else on this page.
Security records
On 1 March 2026, Bitrefill was compromised via a employee laptop, which exposed legacy credentials leading to production systems. Roughly 18,500 purchase records were exposed — emails, crypto payment addresses, IP addresses, and names in around 1,000 cases — and hot wallets were drained. Bitrefill attributed the attack to the Lazarus Group, disclosed it publicly on 17 March, and said it would cover losses from operating capital.
Coinsbee has no security incidents on record.
How much weight that deserves is a judgement call. The honest framing: Bitrefill's disclosure and remediation were better than most companies manage, and every platform in this category holds the same shape of data. A clean record is a genuine point in Coinsbee's favour and it is not proof of superior practice — it may simply mean it has not been targeted yet. What both records argue for is the same defensive habit: a dedicated email address, a unique password, and no stored balance. See buying gift cards privately.
Verdict by buyer type
Choose Bitrefill
- You hold Bitcoin and want Lightning payments.
- You buy small amounts frequently — top-ups, weekly cards, subscriptions.
- You want sats-back rewards on spending you already do.
- You need the long tail: regional utilities, smaller carriers, obscure brands.
- You want predictable face-value pricing.
Choose Coinsbee
- You hold anything other than BTC or ETH. This is the decisive case.
- You use Binance Pay and want zero network fees.
- You are buying for a market outside the US and Western Europe.
- You want to avoid a swap and its taxable disposal.
- A clean security record is part of your decision.
Full individual reviews: Bitrefill and Coinsbee. Against the whole field: best crypto gift card platforms. If you are leaving Bitrefill for a specific reason, nine alternatives organised by that reason.
Bitrefill vs Coinsbee: FAQ
Which is better overall, Bitrefill or Coinsbee?
Neither, in the abstract. Bitrefill wins if you hold Bitcoin, because of Lightning support and sats-back rewards. Coinsbee wins if you hold anything else, because it accepts over 200 coins and saves you a swap. The single most predictive question is what is in your wallet right now.
Which is cheaper?
Bitrefill is more predictable — most brands at face value, up to about 2% on Amazon and prepaid cards. Coinsbee runs 0–4% depending on brand and region. But for an altcoin holder Coinsbee is frequently cheaper all-in, because paying directly avoids a swap spread and a taxable disposal that no fee table shows.
Which has more brands?
Bitrefill, at around 8,000 against Coinsbee's 5,000+. The gap matters less than it looks — much of it is regional variants and long-tail utilities. Coinsbee has better coverage in several markets outside the US and Western Europe.
Does the Bitrefill breach change the answer?
It is a legitimate factor. Bitrefill was compromised on 1 March 2026, exposing roughly 18,500 purchase records, and attributed the attack to the Lazarus Group. Coinsbee has no incidents on record. If a clean security history is a priority for you, that is a real point for Coinsbee — though the honest caveat is that platforms without breaches often simply have not had one yet.
Can I just use both?
Yes, and it is what we do. Neither requires an account for a standard order, so there is no cost to keeping both bookmarked and pricing the same card on each. On a large order that comparison takes ninety seconds and occasionally saves real money.
Sources and further reading
Figures on this page were checked in August 2026. Fees, country lists and promotions change without notice — always confirm on the operator's own site before you pay.
- Bitrefill — brand count, Lightning support, sats-back
- Coinsbee — coin list, country coverage, brand count
- CoinDesk — Bitrefill breach attribution — scope of the March 2026 incident
- Coinsbee surpasses 5,000 brands — brand milestone