Bisq vs Peach

Bisq is a decentralized, open‑source desktop app created by Manfred Karrer for buying and selling bitcoin directly with other people. It routes all traffic over Tor, uses a built‑in non‑custodial wallet and has no sign‑ups or KYC. Trades span many national currencies and payment rails, and the project is funded and governed through a community DAO with the BSQ token rather than a company.

What separates Bisq is its security and incentive design for fiat‑to‑BTC P2P. Each trade locks both sides’ refundable security deposits in a 2‑of‑2 multisig escrow. Account‑age and signing rules gradually raise per‑trade limits to reduce chargeback risk, and a small amount of bitcoin is required up front to cover fees and deposits. Trading fees are transparent and lower if paid in BSQ. It’s desktop‑first by design; the mobile app is for notifications.

User feedback highlights Bisq’s strengths in privacy, censorship resistance and self‑custody, along with clear, step‑by‑step trade flows and a multi‑stage dispute process if things go wrong.

The trade‑offs are thinner liquidity depending on region, wider spreads than convenience brokers, the need to already have a little bitcoin, and settlement times tied to the chosen fiat method and counterparties’ availability. Some users note that disputes can take time, and that desktop performance varies by setup.

Bisq’s target audience is privacy‑minded bitcoiners and anyone who needs a resilient, non‑custodial fiat ramp. The roadmap is to keep the marketplace permissionless while improving UX and resilience: Bisq 2 introduces a simpler “Bisq Easy” path alongside the familiar multisig protocol, support for multiple privacy networks, and optional use of Liquid for faster, lower‑fee settlement.

Peach Bitcoin is a mobile-only peer-to-peer platform for buying and selling Bitcoin. It stands out with its non-custodial model, using multi-signature escrow to secure trades without holding user funds, shifting trust to individual traders, and offering KYC-free (Know Your Customer) transactions up to 1,000 CHF daily, emphasizing privacy.

Users must build trust through reviews and completed trades to unlock higher transaction limits. It supports over 100 payment methods, including cash and gift cards, with a 2% fee for buyers and free selling.

Peach's mission is to make peer-to-peer Bitcoin trading the standard, promoting financial freedom, with plans to enhance Lightning Network support and expand globally, especially in Latin America and Africa. The vision is to offer a private, on‑the‑go way to trade Bitcoin without heavy identity requirements, making it attractive to beginners who want control and privacy without overcomplicating the process. Beginners love its privacy and ease, but some find the mobile-only platform limiting.