Is Huobi or Phemex better?

Neither clearly leads. Huobi starts at Free and Phemex at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Huobi or Phemex?

Huobi starts at Free and Phemex at Free.

Does Huobi or Phemex run on more platforms?

Both run on Web, Mobile, so platform support will not decide this one for you.

Can I use Huobi for free?

Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.

What is Huobi best used for?

Huobi is most often used for spot trading of cryptocurrencies and altcoins, futures trading with leverage, copy trading from experienced traders, automated trading via bots. Of those, spot trading of cryptocurrencies and altcoins and futures trading with leverage are not what Phemex is typically brought in for.

What can Huobi do that Phemex cannot?

Huobi covers Futures Trading, Margin Trading, Staking, Primelist. Phemex covers Contract Trading, Copy Trading, Earn, Launchpad. Both handle Spot Trading, Web support, Ios support, Android support.

Crypto · head to head

Huobi vs Phemex

Huobi

Crypto

Global digital asset trading platform

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

Phemex

Crypto

Break through with crypto

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Each has a real cost: Huobi cryptocurrency market volatility; Phemex full KYC verification required for complete feature access and higher withdrawal limits
They diverge on capability: Huobi covers Futures Trading, Phemex covers Contract Trading.
Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Huobi and Phemex actually diverge.

Attributes where Huobi and Phemex differ
Attribute	Huobi	Phemex
Pricing model	transaction	Unknown
Founded	2013	2019

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Mobile), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Crypto).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Huobi

Futures Trading
Margin Trading
Staking
Primelist
HT Token
Huobi ECO Chain

Only in Phemex

Contract Trading
Copy Trading
Earn
Launchpad
PT Token

Both cover

Spot Trading
Web support
Ios support
Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Huobi

Spot trading of cryptocurrencies and altcoinsnot Phemex
Futures trading with leveragenot Phemex
Copy trading from experienced tradersnot Phemex
Automated trading via botsnot Phemex

Phemex

Spot trading across 600+ crypto assets with high-speed matchingnot Huobi
Perpetual futures contracts with up to 100x leverage (USDT-M and Coin-M)not Huobi
Automated trading with grid, Martingale, and signal trading botsnot Huobi
Copy trading to mirror top traders' strategiesnot Huobi
Staking and fixed/flexible savings for yield generationnot Huobi

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Huobi

Cryptocurrency market volatility
Regulatory restrictions in some jurisdictions

Phemex

Full KYC verification required for complete feature access and higher withdrawal limits
Specific trading fees not disclosed on primary page; requires navigation to separate Fees page
Leverage trading up to 100x carries high risk; platform requires user understanding of derivatives
On-chain trading carries smart contract and liquidity risks

Pricing, plan by plan

Huobi

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Huobi review.

Phemex

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Phemex review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Huobi if

You need futures trading.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Web, Mobile.
You also want margin trading.

Huobi review

Choose Phemex if

You need contract trading.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Web, Mobile.
You also want copy trading.

Phemex review

Questions people ask

Is Huobi or Phemex better?: Neither clearly leads. Huobi starts at Free and Phemex at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Huobi or Phemex?: Huobi starts at Free and Phemex at Free.
Does Huobi or Phemex run on more platforms?: Both run on Web, Mobile, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Huobi for free?: Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Huobi best used for?: Huobi is most often used for spot trading of cryptocurrencies and altcoins, futures trading with leverage, copy trading from experienced traders, automated trading via bots. Of those, spot trading of cryptocurrencies and altcoins and futures trading with leverage are not what Phemex is typically brought in for.
What can Huobi do that Phemex cannot?: Huobi covers Futures Trading, Margin Trading, Staking, Primelist. Phemex covers Contract Trading, Copy Trading, Earn, Launchpad. Both handle Spot Trading, Web support, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Huobi: What assets can I trade on HTX?

HTX offers spot trading for over 700 assets at competitive prices, plus futures trading with leverage and automated trading bots.

Source

Phemex: Are there subscription fees to trade on Phemex?

Phemex operates on a transaction-based fee structure rather than monthly subscriptions. Specific trading fee percentages are not listed on the homepage but are available in the linked Fees and Conditions section.

Source

Huobi: What fee discounts are available on HTX?

HTX offers fee rebates up to 30 percent for margin trading and exclusive futures fee rates for partners. The platform also offers a sign-up promotion of up to 1,500 dollars for new users.

Source

Phemex: Can I practice trading without risking money?

Phemex offers simulated trading through their Testnet at testnet.phemex.com, described as learning to trade with zero risk. This allows users to practice strategies before trading with real funds.

Source

Huobi: Is there a minimum deposit to start trading on HTX?

HTX does not specify a minimum deposit amount on its public pages. You would need to check during account setup or contact their support for this information.

Source

Phemex: Does Phemex offer rewards for new users?

New sign-ups receive a welcome bonus of 4,800 USDT worth of rewards. Phemex also offers a referral program providing 50 USDT for successful referrals with 10 USDT per referred friend.

Source

Huobi: Can I withdraw my funds 100 percent from HTX?

Yes, HTX guarantees 100 percent withdrawal capability. The platform uses cold, hot, warm, and multi-party offline wallet storage for asset custody.

Source

Phemex: What trading features does Phemex include without additional fees?

Core features including spot trading across 600+ crypto assets, futures trading with up to 100x leverage, automated trading bots, copy trading functionality, and Phemex Earn wealth management products are available to all users without indicated tier restrictions.

Source

Huobi vs Phemex

Huobi

Phemex

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Huobi

Only in Phemex

Both cover

What people use each for

Huobi

Phemex

Where each one falls short

Huobi

Phemex

Pricing, plan by plan

Huobi

Phemex

Which should you pick?

Choose Huobi if

Choose Phemex if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Huobi

More on Phemex

Keep looking

Other head to heads