Comparison

CoinMarketCap vs CoinGecko

CoinMarketCap lands on Depends, and CoinGecko lands on Worth it.

CoinMarketCap

coinmarketcap.com

Depends

Confidence: Medium

Use the free site and apps for price checks and rankings - nearly everyone in crypto does, and the API runs in production at Coinbase and Chainlink.

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CoinGecko

Worth it

Confidence: Medium

Buy it for free crypto price tracking . it is the largest independent aggregator and most users prefer it over CoinMarketCap.

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CoinMarketCap versus CoinGecko
Compare	CoinMarketCap	CoinGecko
Verdict	Depends	Worth it
Best for	Casual crypto price-checkers	Casual crypto price tracking
Who it's not for	Anyone connecting wallets via site links or pop-ups	Traders needing SLA-backed, enterprise-grade data feeds
Privacy	Two documented incidents: October 2021 breach and June 2025 frontend phishing exploit (76 wallets drained).^²	One confirmed breach: June 2024 hack of third-party email provider (GetResponse) exposed ~1.9M users' data; no exchange of user crypto funds.¹³
Support quality	No direct support evidence in sources	No support evidence found
Public sentiment	App-store users like the free tracker, but Reddit threads flag data-accuracy doubts and security scares.^⁴	Users overwhelmingly favor CoinGecko over CoinMarketCap for data quality, but some report API reliability issues and over-trusting its exchange rankings.¹⁶
Biggest gotcha	Never connect a wallet or approve pop-ups on the site - one exploit drained 76 wallets^²	2024 email-provider breach exposed ~1.9M users . expect phishing attempts referencing CoinGecko.¹³

Pick CoinMarketCap when

Casual crypto price-checkers
Altcoin watchers tracking thousands of coins
Devs needing a market-data API
Mobile portfolio trackers

When CoinMarketCap is not a fit

Anyone connecting wallets via site links or pop-ups
Traders needing verified, exchange-grade price accuracy
Users unwilling to manage breach-related password risk

Pick CoinGecko when

Casual crypto price tracking
Portfolio watchers
Developers needing a crypto data API
DeFi and NFT data lookups

When CoinGecko is not a fit

Traders needing SLA-backed, enterprise-grade data feeds
Anyone using it to vet exchanges . users report losses trusting Trust Scores
Security-conscious orgs wanting a spotless breach record
Buyers wanting vendor stability while a sale is pending

Sources

CoinMarketCap Data Breach - Have I Been Pwnedhaveibeenpwned.com
security
76 wallets drained in CoinMarketCap frontend exploit - Blockworksblockworks.com
security
CoinMarketCap Briefly Exploited With Wallet Phishing Pop-Up - CoinDeskcoindesk.com
news
Trustpilot reviews of coinmarketcap.comtrustpilot.com
review
Stop relying on Coin Market Cap - Reddit r/btcreddit.com
review
Coinmarketcap has been hacked - Reddit r/Bitcoinreddit.com
review
CoinMarketCap: Crypto Tracker - App Storeapps.apple.com
review
CoinMarketCap API Pricing Planscoinmarketcap.com
official
How Coinbase Uses CoinMarketCap APIcoinmarketcap.com
official
CoinMarketCap Review: Pros, Cons, and More - BitDegreebitdegree.org
review
CoinGecko API Pricing Planscoingecko.com
official
CoinGecko Premium Pricingcoingecko.com
official
Security Notice: GetResponse Data Breach, June 2024coingecko.com
security
CoinGecko Hit by Phishing Scamcoingape.com
security
CoinGecko on G2 (4.7/5, 15 reviews)g2.com
review
Reddit: Use CoinGecko over CoinMarketCapreddit.com
review