Shakepay vs Newton: Which Canadian Exchange Is Better in 2026?

I bought my first Bitcoin on Shakepay in July 2020. A friend texted me a referral link, I signed up on my lunch break, sent $100 via Interac e-Transfer, and owned Bitcoin 15 minutes later. It felt almost too easy.

A few weeks later I signed up for Newton because I wanted to buy some altcoins. Shakepay only had BTC and ETH at the time. I've been using both ever since.

Here's my honest breakdown after 6+ years of actually using these apps.

Quick Comparison

The Fee Situation: It's Not as Simple as "Newton Is Cheaper"

You'll see other sites say "Newton has lower fees." That used to be true. It's not that straightforward anymore.

Shakepay charges a spread of 0.5%–2.0% on one-time buys. Sounds high. But here's the thing: if you set up a recurring buy (weekly or monthly auto-buy), the spread drops to literally $0 after a 7-day cooldown. I do a $50 weekly auto-buy on Shakepay and pay zero in fees. Then I withdraw to my Ledger for free. No other Canadian exchange offers this.

Newton charges a tiered spread: about 1.0%–1.15% on BTC and ETH, and 1.25%–1.60% on altcoins. There's no free recurring buy option. However, if you're making a larger one-time purchase (say $1,000+), Newton's tighter spread will save you a few bucks compared to a standard Shakepay buy.

My rule of thumb: recurring buys → Shakepay. One-time bigger purchases → Newton. I genuinely use both depending on what I'm doing that week.

Who Should Pick Shakepay?

Shakepay is the app I recommend to friends and family who are buying Bitcoin for the first time. The interface is dead simple: three coins, one button, done. There's no confusing order book or 75 altcoins you've never heard of.

Here's what I actually like about it:

• $0 recurring buys. Set up a weekly auto-buy and the spread is free. This is how I DCA.
• Free Bitcoin withdrawals. Shakepay covers the network fee when you send BTC to your own wallet. I move mine to a Ledger every few weeks.
• ShakingSats. You shake your phone once a day and earn free satoshis. Sounds silly, but I've been shaking daily since 2020 and it adds up. My longest streak was 400+ days.

• The Visa card. I use the Shakepay Visa Prepaid Card for everyday purchases. 1%–2% cashback paid in Bitcoin. It's my default tap-to-pay card now.

The downsides? Shakepay only supports 3 coins (BTC, ETH, USDC). If you want Solana, Cardano, XRP, or any altcoin, you need Newton or another exchange. The standard spread on one-time buys can also be on the higher side (1%–2%) compared to Newton.

Who Should Pick Newton?

Newton is the exchange I use when I want to buy something other than Bitcoin. They support 75+ cryptocurrencies: SOL, ADA, XRP, DOGE, AVAX, DOT, LINK, and a bunch of stablecoins.

I also use Newton when I'm making a larger one-time purchase because the spread is generally tighter than Shakepay's standard rate.

Here's what I like:

• 75+ coins. Way more selection than Shakepay. If you want to dabble in altcoins, this is where you do it in Canada.

• Tighter spreads on bigger buys. Newton charges about 1.0%–1.15% on BTC/ETH. On a $2,000 purchase, that's roughly $7–$14 less than Shakepay's standard rate.
• Staking. Newton Earn lets you stake ETH, SOL, ADA, and other assets directly in the app. I haven't personally tried staking on Newton yet. I'm kind of paranoid about leaving crypto on exchanges (if you don't know what QuadrigaCX was, look it up).
• Free withdrawals too. Newton's "Free Lane" covers the network fee on crypto withdrawals. It's a nightly batch process, so it's slower than Shakepay's Normal Speed, but it gets the job done.

The downsides? Newton's app can occasionally feel sluggish during high-traffic periods. I've also found their withdrawal speed lanes a bit confusing. There are three tiers now and the pricing isn't always obvious until you're mid-transaction.

Are They Safe? (Yes, Both Are Legit)

This is the part that matters most to me. I remember when QuadrigaCX collapsed in 2019 and $250M in customer crypto just... vanished. That's why I'm picky about where I keep my money.

Both Shakepay and Newton are now CIRO-registered investment dealers, the same regulatory classification as TD Direct Investing or Wealthsimple. That happened in 2025 and it was a big deal. It means your Canadian dollar cash balance is protected by CIPF up to $1,000,000 per account.

One important caveat: CIPF covers your CAD cash, not your crypto. Your Bitcoin and altcoins are held in insured cold storage, but if something went truly sideways, the crypto itself isn't protected the same way your cash is. That's why I personally don't leave large amounts on any exchange. I withdraw to my own hardware wallet regularly.

My Recommendation

My advice to friends is the same thing I've been saying since 2020: sign up for both.

• Start with Shakepay. Set up a recurring buy, shake daily for free sats, and grab the Visa card. It's the easiest way to start stacking Bitcoin in Canada.
• Add Newton when you want altcoins, tighter spreads on bigger purchases, or on-platform staking.

Both offer $20 signup bonuses after your first $100 trade. Do the KYC for both at the same time while your documents are handy. It takes about 10 minutes each.

And remember: don't leave everything on the exchange. Get a hardware wallet, move your Bitcoin to cold storage, and sleep better at night. 🙂