APMEX vs JM Bullion vs Kitco: Best Online Bullion Dealers Compared

If you're buying physical gold or silver online in the US (or internationally with US dealer shipping), APMEX, JM Bullion, and Kitco are the three names you'll encounter most. Each has been operating for 15+ years, each has millions of customers, and each is legitimate and insured.

But they have meaningfully different strengths. Here's what actually matters when choosing between them.

APMEX: The Full-Service Giant

Founded: 2000 | HQ: Oklahoma City, OK | Selection: 25,000+ products

APMEX is the Amazon of precious metals. If it exists in coin or bar form, APMEX probably has it. Their selection of world coins, certified numismatic pieces, and specialty products is unmatched. They also have the most robust customer service infrastructure of any online dealer.

Strengths:

• Largest selection — especially for collector coins, foreign mints, and limited editions
• Strong authentication — deep expertise in spotting counterfeits
• Excellent customer service — phone support, fast resolution
• APMEX card (metal-backed rewards card) — novel but niche
• Buyback program — reliable and at fair rates

Weaknesses:

• Premiums are generally 3–8% higher than competitors on standard products
• Minimum order for free shipping is higher than competitors ($199 vs $99 elsewhere)
• Overkill for basic stacking — paying for infrastructure you don't need

Best for: Collector coins, numismatics, specialty products, buyers who prioritise selection and service over price.

JM Bullion: The Stacker's Choice

Founded: 2011 | HQ: Dallas, TX | Selection: 5,000+ products

JM Bullion focuses relentlessly on the investment stacker. Their pricing on standard products — American Eagles, Maple Leafs, PAMP bars, silver rounds — is consistently among the lowest online. They've built their business on volume with thin margins, and it shows in the prices.

Strengths:

• Best or near-best pricing on standard bullion products
• Free shipping on orders $199+ (competitive)
• Excellent price match guarantee
• Clean, easy-to-navigate website with live pricing
• Fast fulfillment — typically ships within 1–2 business days

Weaknesses:

• Smaller selection than APMEX — limited numismatics and world coins
• Customer service is good but not as deep as APMEX
• Less educational content on site

Best for: Standard bullion stacking — anyone buying American Eagles, Maple Leafs, or silver rounds/bars at volume.

Kitco: The Market Intelligence Platform

Founded: 1977 | HQ: Montreal, Canada | Presence: US + international

Kitco is different from APMEX and JM Bullion in one key way: it's primarily a market intelligence platform that also sells metal. Kitco.com is the most visited precious metals website in the world, with live charts, news, analyst commentary, and a dedicated community forum (Kitco Forums) where serious collectors gather.

Strengths:

• Best market data and news content — free and high quality
• Live charts (the standard reference for gold/silver prices online)
• International shipping — strong for non-US buyers
• Allocated storage option — useful for large purchases without home storage
• Kitco Pool Accounts — unallocated metal with no storage fees (for large positions)

Weaknesses:

• Premiums are slightly higher than JM Bullion for standard products
• Slower shipping than US competitors (ships from Canada)
• Website can feel dated and cluttered

Best for: International buyers, those who want allocated storage, collectors who value market intelligence alongside purchasing.

Quick Comparison Table

Factor	APMEX	JM Bullion	Kitco
Price (standard bullion)	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Selection	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Customer service	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
International shipping	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Market data	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Storage options	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

BullionKeeper's Dealer Import

Vault Elite users of BullionKeeper can import order history CSVs directly from APMEX, JM Bullion, and Kitco. The app auto-detects the dealer format, maps columns automatically, and creates holdings with correct cost basis in one click. No manual entry.

If you're buying from all three dealers (common for serious stackers hunting the best price), this feature alone saves hours of data entry per year.

The Bottom Line

For regular stacking of standard products: start at JM Bullion for price, check APMEX for anything specialty. Use Kitco's site as your daily market reference regardless of where you buy. Import everything into BullionKeeper to track your blended cost basis across all three dealers automatically.