Relai Review: Features, Fees, Security & More

For European investors who want to buy, hold, sell, and accumulate bitcoin without handing control of their funds to a third party, the number of trustworthy options is smaller than the marketing suggests. Relai was built to solve that problem.

This review breaks down Relai by exploring its features, fees, security, payment methods, and user experience so you can choose whether it's the right bitcoin app for you or not.

TL;DR

● Relai is a bitcoin-only app with a self-custodial wallet and automated savings plans, operating under Swiss regulation and registered as a CASP with the French AMF under MiCA.

● Accepts SEPA bank transfers, credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay from as little as €50 or CHF 50.

● Relai is designed as a non-custodial service, with bitcoin delivered directly to a wallet you control.

Overview: What Is Relai?

Relai is a Swiss-based, bitcoin-only app founded by Julian Liniger and Adem Bilican. The platform has surpassed 500,000 downloads and $1 billion in total trading volume. That puts it among the most established bitcoin apps accessible to European retail investors. It’s available in English, German, French, and Italian.

The combination of Swiss oversight and an EU regulatory footprint under MiCA gives it credibility and security that many competitors lack.

Since it was designed exclusively for bitcoin, it has no support for altcoins, stablecoins, staking products, or derivatives, allowing its users to focus exclusively on “stacking sats.”

Key Features

Now, let’s take a look at Relai’s most prominent features.

Bitcoin Savings Plan

Relai's Bitcoin Savings Plan is an automated recurring purchase tool built around dollar-cost averaging (DCA). Users set a purchase amount and frequency (weekly or monthly), and the app executes the purchase automatically.

This removes the emotional element from buying decisions and suits investors who want consistent accumulation without having to think about it. Purchases start from €50 or CHF 50.

DCA works best for long-term holders. The savings plan averages entry prices over time instead of trying to pick the right moment to buy.

Self-Custody Wallet

When you buy bitcoin through Relai, it goes directly into a wallet you control. The service is designed as non-custodial, which means the platform doesn’t hold your funds (as opposed to most exchanges). At setup, you receive a recovery phrase that gives you full access to your funds on any compatible Bitcoin wallet.

The self-custody model means that, even in a worst-case scenario such as a platform hack or insolvency, your bitcoin remains yours. You don’t need to trust Relai with your funds to use its services.

Relai Private

For investors transacting above 100,000 CHF or EUR, Relai offers a dedicated tier called Relai Private. This provides personalized service and expert guidance for larger bitcoin purchases.

Relai Business

Relai Business extends the platform's functionality to companies looking to add bitcoin to their corporate treasury or balance sheet. It includes personal onboarding and guidance for companies that need it.

Fees

Relai charges a service fee (typically 1%), which may vary depending on volume, referral codes, or account type. You can easily lower this to 0.9% by applying a referral code, and high-volume investors or business accounts can see rates scale down even further.

On savings plans, Relai currently advertises a zero-fee incentive on certain monthly auto-invest plans. Instant payment methods like credit cards or Apple Pay carry an additional processing fee, typically around 3%, and you’ll still need to account for standard Bitcoin network costs when selling from your wallet.

Security

Relai’s security setup covers two things: regulatory oversight and self-custody. 

On regulation, Relai operates under two separate frameworks. Relai EU is registered as a Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) with France’s Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) under MiCA. Relai AG holds SRO membership with VQF, Switzerland’s financial services self-regulatory body, and is fully compliant with Swiss AML laws. The company is independently audited.

On custody, your private keys never leave your device. Only you can approve transactions. If Relai’s platform went offline tomorrow, your bitcoin would remain fully accessible through any compatible wallet using your recovery phrase. No exchange hack or platform insolvency can reach funds you hold yourself.

That’s the practical difference between self-custody and a custodial exchange. With a custodian, the platform holds your keys. It can freeze your access or get compromised, and your funds are caught in it. With Relai, your bitcoin isn’t on the platform at all.

User Experience

Relai's interface is built around simplicity. It removes the complexity that makes standard crypto exchanges hard to start with. Relai doesn’t have order books, trading pairs, margin settings, or portfolio dashboards cluttered with unfamiliar assets.

The setup is quick: choose an amount, set a frequency, pay, and receive bitcoin. The onboarding process takes a few minutes.

The app is available on both iOS and Android. Customer support can be reached through the app and via the Relai website. For users on the standard tier, support is handled digitally. Relai Private users get a dedicated personal contact.

Who Is Relai Best For?

Relai is built for one thing and does it well. It’s designed for long-term bitcoin savers who want a set-and-forget DCA plan without constant manual input, as well as self-custody individuals who prefer not to leave funds sitting on centralized exchanges.

Relai also appeals to European investors looking for a fully MiCA-regulated platform with both Swiss and EU oversight, and to beginners who find traditional exchanges overly complex and want a simpler way in.

At the same time, it serves companies exploring bitcoin treasury strategies through Relai Business.

The Bottom Line

Relai covers the essentials for European bitcoin savers cleanly and with strong regulatory credibility. The self-custody model means your coins are never at the mercy of a platform's balance sheet.

The Bitcoin Savings Plan handles the accumulation side automatically, and the CASP registration with the AMF under MiCA alongside Swiss oversight gives Relai a compliance setup that most competitors haven't reached.

Its simplicity means it isn’t the right platform for every investor, but for its target audience, long-term bitcoin investors who want a regulated and non-custodial experience that doesn’t get in their way, there’s not much in Europe that matches it.