CoinMarketCap or CoinGecko: Which Crypto Tracker to Choose
If you check crypto charts regularly, CoinMarketCap (CMC) and CoinGecko are likely no strangers to you. These two are go-to websites for many cryptonians looking for market data.
On the platforms, you can see real-time and historical crypto prices, find trending cryptocurrencies, and learn about crypto projects, among other things.
Although CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko have similar main features, a closer look reveals a number of differences. These include user experience, the number of coins and tokens listed, the mechanisms they use for data tracking, and features specific to each platform.
Related: 10 Alternatives to CoinMarketCap
Next, weâll cover different aspects of these popular crypto data tracking websites to help you decide which one works better for you.
Comparing CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko: Aspects to Consider
Home Page Design and User Experience
User experience is subjective. What one person finds convenient, another may consider cluttered.
Both CMC and CoinGecko offer clean interfaces with key data highlighted at the top of their websites. This includes:
- The number of cryptocurrencies and exchanges listed on the platform
- Real-time total market cap of the assets
- 24-hour trading volume
- Bitcoin and Ethereum dominance
- Ethereum gas fees
The first difference you may notice is the featured Fear and Greed Index on CMCâs home page which is absent on CoinGecko.
Hereâs how CoinMarketCapâs home page looks like:
How CoinMarketCapâs home page looks like. Source: coinmarketcap.com
Next to basic information about trending coins and market metrics, you'll find a few featured news stories from their partner crypto newsletters.
CoinGeckoâs home page, on the other hand, looks more structured and displays minimal ads. Crypto news and articles are positioned at the bottom of the page, where clicking "see more" will take you directly to the sections for additional updates and educational content.
How CoinGeckoâs home page looks like. Source: coingecko.com
Note that both CMC and CoinGecko have mobile apps, with CMC's downloads exceeding 10 million and CoinGecko's app reaching 5 million. These native mobile apps can be a better option if you're frequently checking the market on your phone. However, remember that they may lack some functionalities compared to the website versions.
Our verdict: CoinGecko wins this round for providing a clean and easy-to-use interface.
Individual Coin Data Presentation
On both CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko, cryptocurrencies are ranked by default based on their market cap. However, you can choose to view the rankings by other metrics, such as trading volume and circulating supply.
Going to the coinâs individual page, youâll find details, including the coinâs max supply, circulating supply, all-time highs and lows, which blockchain explorers to use for viewing transactions, an overview of the project, historical price changes, and more.
Bitcoinâs profile on CoinMarketCap. Source: coinmarketcap.com
You can also see how bullish (or bearish) the community is about the coin, vote yourself, discover related cryptocurrencies, check the exchanges where you can buy the coin, use the crypto-to-fiat converter, and read news associated with that cryptocurrency.
This information, though, is structured a bit differently, so you may need some time to adjust when switching between platforms.
Despite the similarities, individual coin pages on CMC and CoinGecko differ.
That said, we should give credit to CoinMarketCap for the additional information it displays.
On CMC, you can find:
- How much yield you can earn from the cryptocurrency on different crypto platforms (mainly through Earn programs)
- Data analytics, including wallet addresses by the amount of crypto they hold, whale holdings, average transaction fees, and addresses by time held
- Information about core project contributors and investors, among other details
In this aspect, CoinGecko provides less data. However, it allows users to compare a coinâs performance with Bitcoin or Ether, helping investors assess how much its performance depends on the overall market versus its fundamentals and related news.
CoinGecko also provides information on how the price has changed from 1 hour to 1 year, located just below the main price chart.
Bitcoinâs profile on CoinGecko. Source: coingecko.com
Our verdict: CoinMarketCap wins this round for providing more extensive information on coins.
Founders and Data Independence
Of the two popular crypto data trackers, CoinMarketCap was the first to launch. It went live in May 2013 as a source for market analytics. There is not much known about the platformâs founder.
What we know from CMCâs website is that it was created by Brandon Chez, who served as CEO until 2020. In 2018, CMC made a controversial decision to remove a number of South Korean exchanges from its price calculations due to price differences, which caused the market to drop as users began panic selling.
In 2019, CMC acquired the crypto trading fund Hashtag Capital to improve its price-tracking algorithms. Later, in 2020, the platform was acquired by Binance, a leading crypto exchange by trading volume, for an undisclosed amount (rumored to be around $400 million). This acquisition raised questions about whether CMC has been able to maintain its impartiality and neutrality afterward. The doubt stems from the possibility that CoinMarketCap's rankings for Binance's BNB token and the trading volume on the exchange could be influenced by their affiliation.
One user on X responded to the news, saying, "How can we trust metrics controlled by an exchange?" Meanwhile, CMC assured them that they would remain independent.
Things are different for CoinGecko.
CoinMarketCapâs requirement for crypto exchange listings includes an operational timeframe of at least 60 days, a functional website, and the ability for traders to place buy and sell orders on an orderbook.
The platform was launched on April 8, 2014, about a year after CoinMarketCap, by TM Lee (CEO) and Bobby Ong (COO), who decided to create a service for a comprehensive, 360-degree view of the market. They announced CoinGeckoâs launch on the Bitcoin-related online forum Bitcoin Talk, after which the platform began gaining traction within the crypto community.
In a 2020 Forbes article, TM Lee and Bobby Ong mentioned that they resisted taking external funds from investors in order to remain independent.
Our verdict: CoinGecko wins this round as an independent crypto tracker since itâs not owned by any large company.
Number of Listed Coins and Listing Criteria
As of December 2024, CoinMarketCap tracks more than 2.4 million cryptocurrencies, including NFTs, while CoinGecko tracks around 16,000. The difference is due to the different approaches and methodologies the platforms use to list assets.
According to CoinMarketCapâs listing criteria, for a crypto asset to be considered for tracking, it must meet the following requirements:
- Use cryptography, peer-to-peer technology, or smart contracts to operate as a digital currency, store of value, medium of exchange, unit of account, or decentralized app.
- Have a functional website and blockchain explorer.
- Be publicly traded and active on at least one exchange that has tracking listing status on the platform.
- Provide a representative from the project for communications.
CoinGecko, on the other hand, is more selective in its approach and lists crypto assets when they meet the following criteria:
- A working, functional website with sufficient information about the crypto asset being listed. CoinGecko considers websites lacking details on the projectâs purpose, team, or social media profiles as invalid.
- The website must be owned by the project team. CoinGecko rejects websites hosted on third-party website builders like Wix
- A working blockchain explorer.
- Listed on at least one active exchange where CoinGecko is integrated.
- Projects traded exclusively on self-service platforms may be rejected due to security concerns.
- Clear circulating supply for market cap calculation.
For exchanges to be considered for listing on CoinGecko, they need to have working API documentation and a coin info page with identification of each traded coin on the exchange.
Due to these different listing criteria, CMC and CoinGecko offer users a choice between a wide range of tokens versus a curated list. If you want to discover lesser-known coins in your research, CMC may be a better place. On the other hand, if you want to minimize risks related to unknown assets, CoinGecko may be a better option.
And if you're wondering how the platforms get their data, note that they use APIs to aggregate data from different exchanges and on-chain sources to measure the crypto metrics.
In addition to the main CoinGecko platform, thereâs the CoinGecko Terminal, a specialized DEX aggregator launched in August 2021. The platform provides analytical tools and tracks more than 4 million tokens.
Our verdict: Here, we prefer CoinGecko for its stricter listing rules.
Features CoinMarketCap vs CoinGecko Offer Besides Price Tracking
Over time, CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko have expanded their features and products.
One of the main features both platforms offer is the crypto portfolio, where you can add your favorite tokens and keep track of them in your watchlist.
Through the portfolio, you can monitor your investments by adding transaction records from different exchanges. To access this feature on either CMC or CoinGecko, you must sign up for an account on the platform.
Itâs important to note that neither CMC nor CoinGecko allows users to buy or sell crypto; the portfolios are solely for record-keeping purposes.
Another feature both platforms offer is the dashboard for upcoming and newly-listed tokens. While these dashboards can be helpful, the information on new tokens is somewhat limited on the platforms.
If you're looking for other ways to find new projects, check out one of our previous articles: âHow to Find Early-Stage Cryptocurrencies to Invest In?â
Both platforms also provide NFT stats, including floor prices.
However, there is one difference: On CMC, prices are displayed only in ETH, while CoinGecko shows prices in both ETH and USD.
The public APIs provided by these crypto tracking websites are widely used by developers to build various apps, including DeFi apps and trading bots.
Hereâs a quick look at what each platform offers.
Speaking of other features, hereâs a quick look at what each platform offers.
CoinMarketCap:
- CoinMarketCap 100 Index (CMC 100 Index): Measures the performance of the 100 largest cryptocurrencies by market cap, excluding stablecoins and tokens pegged to other assets. The index helps market participants understand trends by providing insights into broader performance.
- Educational Content: Through its blog and YouTube channel, CoinMarketCap offers various types of informative content, including tech deep dives, crypto basics, and trading analysis.
- Glossary: An extensive section where you can check blockchain and crypto slang terms.
- CoinMarketCap Job Board: Check it out to view available positions at CMC and its partner companies.
- CMC Earn: On CMCâs Learn & Earn platform, you can earn tokens by watching videos about crypto projects, completing quizzes, and engaging in other tasks.
CoinMarketCap 100 Index as of December 16, 2024. Source: coinmarketcap.com
CoinGecko:
- CoinGecko Candy: A loyalty and support program for users to collect "candy" and exchange them for discounts, access to NFTs and token airdrops, giveaways, and more.
- CoinGecko Trust Score: A rating algorithm developed by the platform to assess data accuracy. The score is made up of seven components, including web traffic, reported volume, trading activity, and the bid-ask gap in order books.
- Books and Other Educational Content: CoinGecko has released several books, including How to DeFi, How to Bitcoin, and How to NFT, which are well-known in the industry. In addition, CoinGecko also has a YouTube channel and releases quarterly reports, a glossary, and research.
- CoinGecko Terminal: As mentioned earlier, the CoinGecko Terminal is designed to track and analyze real-time data from decentralized exchanges (DEXs) across multiple blockchains.
- Careers Board: Here, you can find available jobs at CoinGecko and apply.
CoinGecko users can exchange candy rewards for books. Source: coingecko.com
Our verdict: It's a tie from us, as both platforms offer useful features and tools.
Security and Glitches
Both CMC and CoinGecko have faced data breaches and price glitches in the past. In October 2021, CoinMarketCap was hacked, leading to the leak of over 3 million user email addresses. Fortunately, no passwords were exposed in the incident, according to the platform.
A similar breach occurred with CoinGecko. On June 5, 2024, hackers gained access to an employee account on the third-party marketing platform GetResponse, exporting 1,916,596 CoinGecko contacts and sending phishing emails.
Generally, both websites are responsive and display accurate data. However, during times of high traffic, particularly during large price movements, CoinGecko has experienced outages. For example, the site briefly went down on March 26, 2024, a service status page and monitoring tool. CoinMarketCap generally handles high traffic better.
That said, there have been some price mishaps on the website. On December 21, CoinMarketCap mistakenly made crypto holders trillionaires, saw Ether and BNB flip Bitcoin by market cap, and displayed Bitcoin's price as $799 billion per coin.
Our verdict: We consider this a tie as both platforms are generally secure, despite occasional issues in their history.
Popularity
Based on the numbers, CoinMarketCap is currently the more popular of the two. Data from SimilarWeb shows that the website receives higher traffic and engagement. In November 2024, for example, CoinMarketCap had 141 million active users, while CoinGecko had around 40.5 million.
Traffic and engagement on CoinGecko vs CoinMarketCap. Source: similarweb.com
CMC also wins this round in terms of social media followers. On X, the platform has around 6.5 million followers compared to CoinGeckoâs 2.1 million. On YouTube, the numbers are 407,000 vs. 244,000.
Our verdict: CoinMarketCap wins this round by popularity.
Summing Up: Which Is Better, CoinMarketCap or CoinGecko?
So, weâve compared CMC and CoinGecko across 7 metrics based on facts as well as our subjective opinion as users.
CoinMarketCap wins two rounds for the extensive information it provides on individual coin pages and for its popularity.
CoinGecko wins 3 rounds out of 7 for its ease of use, independence from other companies, and coin listing criteria.
In two rounds, related to features and security, the platforms tied.
Overall, CoinGecko is the better crypto tracker for us. Weâd also like to mention the recognizable gecko logo, which adds a charm to the website.
That being said, each of the platforms has its own characteristic tools and features, making it reasonable to use them both for research and analytics.
Anahit Avetisyan
Author
Web3 writer and crypto HODLer with a keen interest in market trends and recent technologies.
