The best bitcoin exchanges in 2017

Coinbase.com
Coinbase combine an attractive interface, a great site to get bitcoins with a debit card, and multiple online wallets for your digital currency. Over 4,800,000 users are signed up, including 45,000 merchants, and 9000 developer apps. Works well for European, American, & Canadian customers. I’ve also written a comprehensive Coinbase review for more detail.

Pros
Really easy to use
Lots of long-time customers
Online wallet available

Cons
Slightly more work needed when verifying account

Bittrex.com
Bittrex has earned it’s place as the new contender to the throne of world’s largest crypto exchange. Years of hard work and some lucky circumstances (BTC-e shut-down, Poloniex exodus, Cryptsy) have compounded a steady inflow of new users. I’ll let you read the detail in my Bittrex review, which has some important facts and analysis.

Pros
Nearly 200 trading pairs
Currently the most visited altcoin exchange
Trusted by millions of traders
High volumes available for big trades

Cons
Heavy vetting requirements – especially for a non-fiat exchange
Minor scaling issues as users flow in to sing-up

Localbitcoins.com
Localbitcoins is quite a popular for p2p (person to person) transactions all over the world. Simply put, you interact directly with the guy selling to you. Out of all the bitcoin sites listed here, this is one of the first and most reputed. Escrow and dispute resolution is provided by the site.

Pros
Great way to meet people
PayPal also available
No verification needed
Popular in most countries

Cons
May take longer to conclude transaction
Risks associated with anonymous transactions
Some bank accounts have been suspended after receiving money

Cex.io
CEX is one of those international bitcoin exchanges accepting euros, British pounds, US dollars, Russian Rubles, Ethereum, Zcash, and Dash. Needless to say, CEX is very popular within those currency regions. There is a no-nonsense landing page, giving you the option to buy or sell 100, 200, 500, or 1000 USD worth of Bitcoin. I like the transparency given to users about how much they will actually pay – even before they sign up. Good security practices, a modern and simple user interface, and both bank transfer & credit card purchases are available. CEX is indeed a good beginner-optimized alternative to Coinbase. Read the comprehensive Cex review for more details including fees, verification, & security.

Pros
Bank transfer and credit card depositsVery easy to use & great for beginners
Users know how much they will pay before even signing up
Buying and selling Ethereum is available

Cons
Recently Litecoin was unlisted

Kraken.com
Warning Kraken is no longer listed here due to persistent UI and trading engine issues. Kraken once worked well through SEPA, had an easy verification process, and was very knowledgeable when it come to cryptography and security. As of early 2017, this platform has been re-positioning themselves as a crypto exchange by adding multiple new altcoins. I’ve written an in-depth Kraken review with everything you need to know..

Pros
Cryptographic communications
Cheapest rates for trading, depositing and withdrawing
Worked well for Europeans and North America

Cons
Increasingly severe issues with Kraken trading engine, page timeouts, generating new deposit addresses
Recently disabled stop-loss and other trading features without giving explanation to the community
Site not as visually intuitive