# Bybit vs Upbit Open API

> Bybit scores 57.3 (C) to Upbit Open's 54.7 (C) for exchange market data. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bybit-vs-upbit
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bybit-vs-upbit.md (~3,600 tokens)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (the key docs and every listing in one file, at most 16 MB, about 4 million tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (the whole catalogue as tools, no key)
- DNS: dig +short TXT <slug>.grade.anchorterminal.com (the grade as a DNS TXT record, for a sandbox with no HTTP where names still resolve; also top., best.<category>. and <a>.vs.<b>. under the zone, and the same under grade.letme.dev)
- Licence: CC BY 4.0, credit Anchor Terminal and link this page (https://www.anchorterminal.com/terms/#data)
- Updated: 2026-11-04

Bybit scores 57.3 (C) on agent readiness against Upbit Open API's 54.7 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Upbit Open API leads on maintenance & community. Both do exchange market data.

- Bybit: grade C, 57.3/100, rank #712 of 1349. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/bybit.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/bybit.json
- Upbit Open API: grade C, 54.7/100, rank #802 of 1349. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/upbit.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/upbit.json
- Best crypto exchange APIs and MCP servers for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/crypto-exchanges/index.md
- All 210 exchanges comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crypto-exchanges/index.md

## Which one, for what

### Bybit (C)

Good for: An agent trading spot, perpetuals, futures and options in a person's Bybit account outside the excluded jurisdictions, with a demo environment to rehearse on.

Ahead on:
- Schema & documentation, 73 against 66
- Payments & pricing, 40 against 15

Also in its favour:
- Runs on your own machine

Watch for: No status page, incident history or SLA was found; the terms say the API is not guaranteed to be available

### Upbit Open API (C)

Good for: KRW-market trading for agents acting for a verified Korean account, with first-party SDKs, a CLI and skills but no MCP.

Ahead on:
- Maintenance & community, 83 against 66

Watch for: No MCP server; the agent route is the CLI through skills, which need a terminal


## Why the edge

### Payments & pricing: Bybit +25

- Bybit (40): No machine payment protocol (0). The fee schedule is public without login, with VIP 0 maker and taker rates per product and the tier criteria (20). Reading market data needs no key and the demo environment costs nothing, no card is asked for at sign-up (20). A person must register, pass identity verification and mint the key in a browser (0). 40.
- Upbit Open API (15): No machine payment protocol (0). The fee schedule is on upbit.com, which disallows every crawler path, so no price is recorded (0 of 20, unchecked). Public quotation endpoints need no key, card or account; trading needs a verified Korean account. Judgement call (15 of 20). A person must sign up, pass identity checks and issue keys on the PC web site (0). 0 + 0 + 15 + 0 = 15.

### Maintenance & community: Upbit Open API +17

- Bybit (66): Read as a hosted service with an open-source MCP server. The MCP package shipped 2.1.26 on 30 October 2026 and the V5 changelog's latest entry is 29 October (30). 31 npm versions since 16 April 2026, 11 of them in the last 90 days, and 24 changelog entries in the same window (20). The trading-mcp repository has 4 open issues and 18 forks; whether issues get answers was not checked, and the API has no public forum we could read (10 of 25). Not in the official MCP registry (0). The package has four dependencies, no install scripts, a publish workflow and no test workflow (6 of 10). 66.
- Upbit Open API (83): Read as a closed service. SDK v1.1.0 on 20 October 2026 (30). The CLI 1.0.0 on 1 September, the rate-limit update of 7 October, the SDK on 20 October and the path-format notice for 16 November 2026 (20). open-api@upbit.com answers in turn on weekdays per the support notice, notices carry dates, and the six upbit-official repositories show no open issues (12 of 15). Current official SDKs in Python, TypeScript and Go (15). Apache-2.0 repositories pushed in October 2026; CI not checked (6 of 10). 30 + 20 + 12 + 15 + 6 = 83.

### Schema & documentation: Bybit +7

- Bybit (73): No OpenAPI or other machine-readable contract for the REST API; the MCP server's 398 tools have zod schemas turned into JSON Schema, so the contract exists for the MCP surface only (12 of 25). No llms.txt; the docs are a public Docusaurus repository (bybit-exchange/docs) whose MDX source an agent can read (5 of 10). The MCP tool descriptions state purpose, rules and an agent hint per tool, and the API reference gives one page per endpoint (15 of 20). Parameters are typed with enums such as category and orderType and required flags (12 of 15). Request and response examples on each endpoint page and an error code page of about 750 codes with text (14 of 15). A dated changelog with 24 entries in the last 90 days, versioned V3 to V5 (15). 73.
- Upbit Open API (66): No OpenAPI found; the reference is a readme.io site with a Markdown twin of every page (5 of 25). llms.txt on docs.upbit.com and a kr/llms.txt index (10). Each reference page states what the endpoint does, its group and its errors, with warnings such as market_offline after maintenance (14 of 20). Typed parameters with enums for order type, side and time in force and required flags (11 of 15). Recipes in Python, Java and Node.js and an error format of error.name and error.message with HTTP statuses (13 of 15). Feature versions in page histories (v1.6.1) and dated notices with effective dates, no single API version (13 of 15). 5 + 10 + 14 + 11 + 13 + 13 = 66.

## Score by category

| Category | Weight | Bybit | Upbit Open API | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 45 | 42 | Bybit +3 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 73 | 66 | Bybit +7 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 66 | 70 | Upbit Open API +4 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 60 | 59 | Bybit +1 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 40 | 15 | Bybit +25 |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 66 | 83 | Upbit Open API +17 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 51 | 54 | Upbit Open API +3 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |
| **Total** | | **57.3 · C** | **54.7 · C** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | Bybit | Upbit Open API |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |
| Vendor | Bybit | Dunamu Inc. |
| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |
| Transports | stdio |  |
| Auth | API key | API key |
| Pricing | Pay per use | Pay per use |
| x402 | no | no |
| Tools exposed | 398 | 0 |
| Read-only variant documented | yes | no |
| llms.txt | no | yes |
| Last release | 2026-10-30 | 2026-10-20 |
| Terms last updated | couldn't be read | no document linked |
| Privacy policy last updated | couldn't be read | no date given |
| Customer content may train models | couldn't be read | not read yet |
| Terms restrict automated access | couldn't be read | not read yet |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | couldn't be read | not read yet |
| Terms or service can change without notice | couldn't be read | not read yet |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | couldn't be read | not read yet |
| Popularity | 43 stars | 91 stars |

## Verdicts

**Bybit.** Bybit publishes per-endpoint rate limits, a demo environment, scoped keys with a read-only flag and IP binding, and an official stdio MCP server whose 398 tools carry read-only and destructive annotations. There is no status page, no OpenAPI file, no SLA, the MCP server has no toolsets, and the global terms and privacy pages are drawn by script.

**Upbit Open API.** Upbit's Open API has a mandatory IP allow-list, scoped keys with a default withdrawal lock, per-group rate limits with 429 and 418 signalling, an order-test endpoint, official SDKs, a CLI and agent skills with a CONFIRM gate. There is no MCP server, sandbox or status page, and the fees and terms sit on a host our crawler may not read.

## Before you call either

### Bybit

1. Create a key with only the permission groups the task needs, set readOnly for research keys, leave Withdraw off and bind an IP, or the key expires after 90 days
2. Send a unique orderLinkId on every order and reuse it when amending or cancelling, since create-order is asynchronous and confirmed over WebSocket
3. Read X-Bapi-Limit-Status before bursts and wait until X-Bapi-Limit-Reset-Timestamp on retCode 10006; on HTTP 403 stop all sessions for at least 10 minutes
4. Test on api-demo.bybit.com with a demo key from the production account, not on testnet demo mode, which the docs call meaningless
5. Run the MCP server with BYBIT_TESTNET=true first, and only in a client that shows a per-call approval, because the server has no read-only mode of its own

### Upbit Open API

1. Ask the person for a key with only the functions the task needs and your server's public IPv4 address registered; a private or unregistered IP is refused
2. Sign every request with a fresh JWT (HS512, new nonce, SHA512 query hash) and branch on error.name, not error.message
3. Run POST /v1/orders/test before a live order; it costs nothing and shares the 8-a-second order-test group
4. Read Remaining-Req and keep orders under 12 a second per pocket; on 429 wait for the next second and on 418 wait out the stated block
5. Leave the withdrawal safe-lock on unless the person lifts it in the app, and send paths with single slashes and no trailing slash before 16 November 2026

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, Bybit or Upbit Open API?

Bybit scores 57.3 (C) on agent readiness against Upbit Open API's 54.7 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Upbit Open API leads on maintenance & community.

### Do Bybit and Upbit Open API need an API key?

Both need an API key.

### Can an agent call Bybit and Upbit Open API without installing anything?

Bybit runs on your own machine, with no hosted endpoint listed. No hosted endpoint is listed for Upbit Open API.


## For agents

- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bybit-vs-upbit.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bybit-vs-upbit.min.md
- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "bybit", "b": "upbit"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare bybit upbit`
- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/bybit.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/upbit.json

## Other comparisons with Bybit or Upbit Open API

- [Bitfinex API vs Bybit](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitfinex-vs-bybit.md)
- [Bitfinex API vs Upbit Open API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitfinex-vs-upbit.md)
- [Bitget vs Bybit](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitget-vs-bybit.md)
- [Bitget vs Upbit Open API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitget-vs-upbit.md)
- [Bithumb Open API vs Bybit](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bithumb-vs-bybit.md)
- [Bithumb Open API vs Upbit Open API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bithumb-vs-upbit.md)
- [Bitstamp API vs Bybit](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitstamp-vs-bybit.md)
- [Bitstamp API vs Upbit Open API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bitstamp-vs-upbit.md)
- [Bybit vs Coinbase Advanced Trade API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bybit-vs-coinbase-advanced-trade.md)
- [Bybit vs Coinbase MCP server (Coinbase for Agents)](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bybit-vs-coinbase-mcp.md)
- [Bybit vs Crypto.com Exchange API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bybit-vs-crypto-com-exchange.md)
- [Bybit vs Deribit](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bybit-vs-deribit.md)
- [Bybit vs dYdX](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bybit-vs-dydx.md)
- [Bybit vs Gate](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bybit-vs-gate-io.md)
- [Bybit vs Gemini Exchange API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bybit-vs-gemini-exchange.md)
- [Bybit vs HTX trading API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bybit-vs-htx.md)
- [Bybit vs Hyperliquid](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bybit-vs-hyperliquid.md)
- [Bybit vs Kraken API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bybit-vs-kraken.md)
- [Bybit vs KuCoin](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bybit-vs-kucoin.md)
- [Bybit vs MEXC API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bybit-vs-mexc.md)
- [Bybit vs OKX API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bybit-vs-okx.md)
- [Bybit vs Uniswap Trading API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bybit-vs-uniswap.md)
- [Crypto.com Exchange API vs Upbit Open API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crypto-com-exchange-vs-upbit.md)
- [Deribit vs Upbit Open API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deribit-vs-upbit.md)
- [dYdX vs Upbit Open API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dydx-vs-upbit.md)
- [Gate vs Upbit Open API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gate-io-vs-upbit.md)
- [Gemini Exchange API vs Upbit Open API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-exchange-vs-upbit.md)
- [HTX trading API vs Upbit Open API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/htx-vs-upbit.md)
- [Hyperliquid vs Upbit Open API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hyperliquid-vs-upbit.md)
- [KuCoin vs Upbit Open API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kucoin-vs-upbit.md)
- [MEXC API vs Upbit Open API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mexc-vs-upbit.md)
- [Binance API vs Bybit](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/binance-vs-bybit.md)
- [Binance API vs Upbit Open API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/binance-vs-upbit.md)
- [Coinbase Advanced Trade API vs Upbit Open API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/coinbase-advanced-trade-vs-upbit.md)
- [Coinbase MCP server (Coinbase for Agents) vs Upbit Open API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/coinbase-mcp-vs-upbit.md)
- [Kraken API vs Upbit Open API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kraken-vs-upbit.md)
- [OKX API vs Upbit Open API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/okx-vs-upbit.md)
- [Uniswap Trading API vs Upbit Open API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/uniswap-vs-upbit.md)

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Query this catalogue directly over MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (Streamable HTTP, no key). How: https://www.anchorterminal.com/agents/#mcp