Hi everyone. This article will cover a comparison between two of the most popular ways to convert Steem and SBD: Changelly.com and Blocktrades.us.

Usage Differences

Both services have somewhat similar usages, though there are some UI differences. Let's cover each one:

Changelly

For Changelly, you simply go to the website and input the cryptos you're trading, with the amounts:

On the next screen, you'll be able to check the amounts and transfer details. Changelly has a fee of only 0.5%, which is very low compared to other exchanges.

After that, you enter your recipient address (and memo):

At that point, you're asked to finalize all the transaction details:

Lastly, they ask you to send your crypto to their address:

After you send your crypto, the conversion is automatically done and the Steem/SBD appears pretty fast in your account.

BlockTrades

Now let's cover BlockTrades's process. Compared to Changelly's, it's much shorter, though there's less confirmation and less steps.

On the front page, simply enter your cryptos and amounts, along with your receiving address/memo:

After pressing the blue button, your deposit address should pop up:

Simply send any amount of your crypto to that address and it'll get exchanged and sent to you in Steem or SBD.

Fees/Price

There isn't much information on the fee cut Blocktrades takes, though Changelly takes a 0.5% fee.

However, according to my testing and other research, Changelly has incredibly good rates for these conversions, even with the fee included.

To show this, let's look at an example Blocktrades trade (at 2:09pm PST, August 31st):

As you can see, the rate is approximately 1 BTC for 3043.685 STEEM.

Now, let's look at Changelly's rate (same time):

Changelly's rate is 3105 STEEM (without fee) and 3090 STEEM (with fee). This is over 45 STEEM higher than Blocktrades's rate, which is quite a difference.

Bottom Line

These are both great exchanges that provide great value, and we're really glad they both decided to support Steem exchanges. However, in the end, they're both for different things.

Blocktrades provides okay rates, but banks on their very quick conversions and processing time.
Changelly provides the best rate, though filling out their online form and waiting for the conversion takes a bit more time.

Hopefully you find that one of the exchanges above satisfies your conversion needs :) If you liked this article, be sure to upvote/resteem/follow for more.

Thanks for reading,
— @mooncryption

note: Images are from Changelly and Blocktrades' websites. Rates and snapshots were taken between 2pm and 2:15pm PST on August 31st, 2017. Rates may vary.