Onramp vs Swan Bitcoin — Head-to-Head Custody Comparison

An independent, data-driven comparison of Onramp and Swan Bitcoin across security, insurance, fees, regulatory compliance, and more.

Verdict

Quick Verdict

Onramp scores 8.7 vs Swan Bitcoin's 6.7. Onramp leads in 6 of 8 categories.

Onramp is better suited for Family offices, RIAs, HNW individuals. Swan Bitcoin is better suited for Bitcoin savers (DCA), IRA investors, Bitcoin education seekers.

8.7

Very GoodCustody Score

Onramp

6.7

FairCustody Score

Swan Bitcoin

Scores

Score Comparison

Weighted scores across all 8 custody criteria.

Criterion	Weight	Onramp	Swan Bitcoin	Winner
Security	20%	9.5	7.0	Onramp
Insurance	15%	9.0	5.5	Onramp
Regulatory	15%	8.5	7.0	Onramp
Fee Transparency	10%	7.5	8.0	Swan Bitcoin
Track Record	15%	8.0	6.5	Onramp
Withdrawal Flexibility	10%	8.5	8.5	Tie
Reporting & Audit	10%	8.5	6.0	Onramp
Counterparty Diversification	5%	10.0	3.5	Onramp
Overall Score	100%	8.7	6.7	Onramp

Visual

Score Radar

Visual overlay of Onramp and Swan Bitcoin across all categories.

OnrampSwan Bitcoin

Deep Dive

Category-by-Category Analysis

A deeper look at how each provider performs in every scoring criterion.

Security (9.5 vs 7.0)

Onramp uses Multi-institution distributed key management with Varies by underlying custodian in cold storage and regular penetration testing. Compliance: Via underlying custodians (SOC 1 & SOC 2). Incident history: No incidents.

Swan Bitcoin uses Fortress Trust / BitGo custody key management with Majority cold (via partners) in cold storage and regular penetration testing. Compliance: Via partners. Incident history: No incidents.

Insurance (9.0 vs 5.5)

Onramp offers Aggregate coverage across multiple custodian insurance policies via Multiple (via underlying custodians). Each underlying custodian maintains their own insurance. Combined coverage exceeds single-custodian limits.

Swan Bitcoin offers Via Fortress Trust / BitGo custody partners via Via custody partners. Custody through regulated partners with their own insurance.

Regulatory (8.5 vs 7.0)

Onramp holds State money transmitter licenses and is a qualified custodian operating in United States. Regulated through underlying custodian partnerships with qualified custodians

Swan Bitcoin holds FinCEN MSB, State licenses via partners and is not a qualified custodian operating in United States. US-based. Custody through Fortress Trust (regulated trust company).

Fee Transparency (7.5 vs 8.0)

Onramp charges Contact for pricing in annual custody fees with 0.50% per trade (brokerage) per transaction. Also offers Onramp Finance: lowest-cost Bitcoin brokerage at 50bps, 5% APY on cash, 1.5% cashback card

Swan Bitcoin charges None (exchange) / 0.39% (IRA) in annual custody fees with 0.99% (instant) / 0.49% (auto-DCA) per transaction. Automated DCA with competitive fees. IRA available. Free auto-withdrawal to own wallet.

Track Record (8.0 vs 6.5)

Onramp was founded in 2021 and is headquartered in Austin, TX. AUM: $1B+. Incident history: No incidents.

Swan Bitcoin was founded in 2019 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA. AUM: Not publicly disclosed. Incident history: No incidents.

Withdrawal Flexibility (8.5 vs 8.5)

Onramp withdrawal fees: Contact for pricing. Minimum account: $100,000. Supported assets: Bitcoin.

Swan Bitcoin withdrawal fees: Free auto-withdrawals. Minimum account: $10 minimum. Supported assets: Bitcoin only.

Reporting & Audit (8.5 vs 6.0)

Onramp: SOC compliance is Via underlying custodians (SOC 1 & SOC 2). As a qualified custodian, it meets SEC reporting requirements.

Swan Bitcoin: SOC compliance is Via partners. Not classified as a qualified custodian.

Counterparty Diversification (10.0 vs 3.5)

Onramp is a multi-institution custody provider. Key management: Multi-institution distributed custody — keys and assets spread across multiple independent regulated custodians (BitGo, Coinbase, Fidelity, etc.).

Swan Bitcoin is a exchange custody provider. Key management: Bitcoin savings platform with Fortress Trust / BitGo custody partnership..

Fees

Fee Comparison

Side-by-side fee breakdown for Onramp and Swan Bitcoin.

Fee Type	Onramp	Swan Bitcoin
Setup Fee	Contact for pricing	Free
Annual Custody	Contact for pricing	None (exchange) / 0.39% (IRA)
Transaction	0.50% per trade (brokerage)	0.99% (instant) / 0.49% (auto-DCA)
Withdrawal	Contact for pricing	Free auto-withdrawals

Onramp: Also offers Onramp Finance: lowest-cost Bitcoin brokerage at 50bps, 5% APY on cash, 1.5% cashback card

Swan Bitcoin: Automated DCA with competitive fees. IRA available. Free auto-withdrawal to own wallet.

Features

Feature Comparison

Checklist of features across both providers.

Feature	Onramp	Swan Bitcoin
1.5% cashback card	✓	✗
5% APY on cash balances	✓	✗
Advisor services	✗	✓
Automated DCA	✗	✓
BitGo custody	✗	✓
Bitcoin IRA	✗	✓
Bitcoin brokerage services (Onramp Finance)	✓	✗
Bitcoin education	✗	✓
Free auto-withdrawal to own wallet	✗	✓
Institutional-grade security and compliance	✓	✗
Multi-Institution Custody across multiple regulated custodians	✓	✗
No single point of failure	✓	✗
White-glove onboarding for institutions	✓	✗

Recommendation

Who Should Choose Which?

Onramp is better if you…

✓Are a family offices
✓Are a rias
✓Are a hnw individuals
✓Are a institutions
✓Want: Only provider offering true multi-institution custody — no single point of failure
✓Want: Aggregated insurance coverage exceeds any single custodian
✓Want: $1B+ in assets under custody demonstrates institutional trust

Swan Bitcoin is better if you…

✓Are a bitcoin savers (dca)
✓Are a ira investors
✓Are a bitcoin education seekers
✓Are a long-term accumulators
✓Want: Best Bitcoin DCA platform
✓Want: Free auto-withdrawal to own wallet
✓Want: Bitcoin IRA offering

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Onramp or Swan Bitcoin better for Bitcoin custody?

Onramp scores 8.7 vs 6.7 in our weighted Custody Score. Onramp leads in 6 of 8 scoring categories. However, the best choice depends on your specific needs: Onramp is best for Family offices and RIAs, while Swan Bitcoin suits Bitcoin savers (DCA) and IRA investors.

What is the difference between Onramp and Swan Bitcoin?

Onramp is a multi-institution custody provider, while Swan Bitcoin is a exchange custody provider. Onramp excels in Counterparty Diversification, whereas Swan Bitcoin is strongest in Withdrawal Flexibility.

How do Onramp and Swan Bitcoin fees compare?

Onramp charges Contact for pricing annual custody fees with 0.50% per trade (brokerage) transaction fees. Swan Bitcoin charges None (exchange) / 0.39% (IRA) annual custody fees with 0.99% (instant) / 0.49% (auto-DCA) transaction fees.

Which is more secure, Onramp or Swan Bitcoin?

Onramp scores 9.5/10 for security while Swan Bitcoin scores 7.0/10. Onramp uses Multi-institution distributed key management, and Swan Bitcoin uses Fortress Trust / BitGo custody.