Quick Reference: Exchange Fee Comparison
The table below includes maker and taker fees across major crypto exchanges. The fees listed are in a range format, where the lowest rate applies to the highest-volume traders (VIPs), while the highest is typically described as the base spot trading fee.
| Exchange | Maker Fee | Taker Fee | Remarks | Verified On |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coinbase Advanced | 0%-0.4% | 0.04%-0.6% | Higher effective costs in Simple Trade mode due to spreads | June 3, 2026 |
| Binance (International) | 0.011% -0.1% | 0.023%-0.1% | BNB 25% fee discount available | June 3, 2026 |
| Kraken | 0%-0.25% | 0.05%-0.4% | Incentivized fee structure for lower-liquiditiy spot pairs | June 3, 2026 |
| Bybit | 0.03%-0.15% | 0.045%-0.2% | Supports simple buying and selling but is built for crypto derivatives trading | June 3, 2026 |
| OKX | -0.0075%-0.08% | 0.0175%-0.1% | Rebate for adding liquidity is paid to VIP 7 to VIP 9 tiers for placing maker orders | June 3, 2026 |
| MEXC | 0% | 0%-0.05% | Zero maker fee and 20% taker fee discount when taker fees are paid using MX tokens | June 3, 2026 |
| Gemini | 0%-0.6% | 0.02%-1.2% | Higher fees, particularly when trading volume is low; US-regulated | June 3, 2026 |
The maker and taker fees listed in the table above are integral to spot trading, but they are not the only costs crypto traders incur. Depending on the platform and trading volume, costs such as futures trading fees, margin borrowing costs, and withdrawal fees often apply as well. We explain these in detail below.
Understanding Crypto Exchange Fees
The fee model at crypto exchanges is typically one where traders are categorized as either makers or takers, and their role determines the fee structure that applies. Understanding whether you are a taker or a maker before engaging in a trade can help you estimate the fees and anticipate costs.
Maker Fees
Makers place orders in the order book, which typically take time to be executed because the limit order must be matched before the order is completed. In doing so, they add liquidity to the market, and because of that, they get lower fees than takers, with maker costs sometimes reduced to zero or high-volume makers rebated by the exchange, as is the case with OKX.
For instance, you place a $69,000 limit buy order for 1 BTC when it is trading at $70,000. Because no one matches the order, it remains in the order book, contributing to market liquidity. When market conditions change and BTC reaches $69,000, a taker fills the order. For example, if you are a $50,000+ (30-day trading volume) Kraken trader, the maker fee that applies will be 0.12%, meaning you will pay $82.8 ($69,000*0.12%).
Taker Fees
The trader who places an order that fills an existing one immediately is a taker. Because takers remove liquidity from the order book, their fees are slightly higher than makers’. Most newcomers to crypto coins or casual traders are takers, as they don’t place limit orders but buy or sell at the current market price.
For example, you buy $5,000 worth of ETH at the current market price. That means the order is filled straight away using existing orders in the book. As the taker, you incur the taker fee. For instance, if you are a VIP 0 trader on Bybit, a 0.2% rate will apply to the full amount of $5,000, meaning the taker fee will be $10.
A Complete Breakdown of Crypto Trading Fees
While the maker and taker fees dominate the visible cost breakdown at crypto exchanges, total transaction fees go beyond these two rates, meaning crypto traders should monitor all potential expenses to accurately anticipate how a particular trade will reflect on their bankroll or digital asset holdings.
Spread Fees
Many beginner-friendly crypto exchanges, such as Coinbase, offer a simple layout for buying and selling assets in addition to an interface designed for advanced traders. However, these simple or instant buy interfaces often come with higher effective costs, as they use spread-based pricing instead of a separate maker or taker fee. The spread is essentially the difference between the buy and sell price at which the exchange buys crypto, much like retail exchange offices charging different prices for buying versus selling an asset. For example, a 0.8% spread on a BTC $10,000 purchase means the trader pays extra $80 in addition to the nominal $10,000.
Withdrawal and Network Fees
Withdrawing crypto balance from an exchange to a wallet may incur additional costs, such as withdrawal fees and network fees. Withdrawal costs are platform-set, while network fees vary and are dependent on blockchain traffic and validation priority. Network fees go to validators rather than the crypto exchange platform. Therefore, before withdrawing, check whether the exchange has listed the estimated withdrawal fee before confirmation.
Deposit Fees
Funding exchange accounts prior to making a trade may incur fees, particularly when they are with a fiat-based payment method, such as a credit/debit card (often costing between 1% and 3%). Additionally, while crypto deposits typically don’t incur fees, the blockchain network fee cannot be avoided.
Conversion Fees
One of the fees that traders are often not aware of is the conversion cost when platform users convert cryptocurrencies instead of placing orders. While some platforms inform customers of conversion fees as a separate cost, others incorporate them in the quoted rate.
How Much a $1,000 Trade Really Costs in Fees
Stacked fees can turn into substantial additional expenses, particularly when exchange users don’t estimate costs before making transactions. From the publicly displayed maker/taker costs and network fees to withdrawal fees and deposit-related expenses, here’s how much a single $1,000 worth of BTC purchase will cost standard and advanced traders on popular crypto exchanges:
- Scenario A: Simple Buy or Market Order: You purchase $1,000 worth of BTC with a spread cost of 0.5%. The spread is $5. You receive $995 worth of BTC.
- Scenario B: Limit Order/Advanced Interface (Maker/Taker Model): You purchase $1,000 worth of BTC with a maker fee of 0.23%. The maker fee is $2.3. You receive $997.70 worth of BTC.
While the difference in the example above is only $2.7, the difference is more pronounced when higher trade volumes are considered, particularly as high-volume traders benefit from significantly lower maker/taker fees. For instance, in the example above, an advanced Kraken trader can get a 0% maker fee, effectively reducing additional transaction fees to $0.
How to Reduce Crypto Exchange Fees
Crypto costs quickly add up but can also be reduced with relatively straightforward trading approach adjustments. These don’t require the creation of institutional accounts or engaging in regularly high trading volumes, meaning even casual traders can offset costs over time. The strategies worth considering include the following:
While it might seem like a more advanced trading approach, placing limit orders instead of simple market orders can significantly reduce accumulated costs in the long run. The problem here is that limit orders often take time to be filled and require patience until the market aligns with your target price. However, at the risk of keeping orders open for longer, when a taker appears, the fees are significantly lower.
Most crypto exchanges cater to both casual traders and professionals by enabling simple and advanced trading interfaces. The simple trading layout is typically more expensive, as spreads are higher. In contrast, advanced trading interfaces are more cost-effective even for low-volume traders, with fees becoming significantly lower when there is high-volume trading regularly.
Taking advantage of the platform’s native token discounts is another prudent strategy to reduce costs. For instance, Binance has a 25% discount when Binance Coin (BNB) is used to pay trading fees. Similarly, MEXC users can benefit from a 20% taker fee reduction when paying taker fees in the native MX token. However, when native tokens are exhausted, the discount stops being calculated. Moreover, like most crypto assets, native tokens are not immune to price volatility.
Most major crypto exchanges reward high-volume trading by designating a higher VIP status and offering volume-based discounts. That means that high-volume traders pay lower maker and taker fees. Trading volume is typically calculated on a rolling 30-day basis, with some exchanges not just reducing maker fees to 0% but also rewarding high-volume traders with small maker rebates.
CEX vs DEX Fees: Is Decentralized Trading Actually Cheaper?
It is not uncommon for traders to turn to decentralized exchanges (DEXs) in an effort to reduce transaction fees. However, while the fee structures at platforms such as Uniswap, Curve, and dYdX are different from those at centralized exchanges (CEXs), that doesn’t mean users don’t pay fees. Quite the opposite. The costs are still there but are of a different nature.
For example, Ethereum traders would still incur costs, but instead of maker and taker fees, they would pay gas fees. Moreover, since gas fees vary depending on network activity, DEX trades can become costlier than CEX swaps, often exceeding $30 or $40 in gas fees. That means that on a $200 trade, a DEX user may pay a $40 fee, which is essentially 20% of the transaction, significantly higher than any of the fees at CEXs.
DEX traders looking to reduce their overall costs can do that more effectively on DEXs established on Layer 2 networks, such as Arbitrum, Optimism, or Polygon. These are designed to streamline ETH transactions and come with somewhat lower gas fees than the mainnet, often costing a few cents instead of tens of dollars. So, Layer 2 DEXs may actually be more cost-effective, even for small trades, than CEXs.
Layer 2 DEXs really come into their own when larger trades are performed. Because gas fees are calculated as relatively small percentages of the overall trade value, these platforms can be quite trader-friendly, with enhanced privacy as an additional benefit. However, DEXs on the Ethereum mainnet are often suboptimal, cost-wise, when compared to any of the major centralized exchanges, particularly for smaller transactions.
For example, a $1,000 swap on the Ethereum mainnet DEX may cost $10 to $30 in gas fees. However, on Binance, that same swap will incur a taker fee of 0.1% for regular users, meaning the fee will be only $1.
Frequently Asked Questions About Crypto Exchange Fees
What Is a Good Maker/Taker Fee for a Crypto Exchange?
Whether a maker/taker fee is “good” will depend on the volume of trading, the platform, and that platform’s interface, standard or advanced. Typically, taker fees at CEXs range from 0.02% to 0.4%, while maker fees are slightly lower and in the 0% to 0.25% range. These fees are highest at base volume rates and progressively get lower as users’ trading volume over rolling 30-day periods increases. Additionally, most standard interfaces embed costs in spreads, meaning that while they are not transparently visible, the overall cost is higher than maker-taker spot trading.
Are Crypto Exchange Fees Tax-Deductible?
In the US, trading fees can be added to the cost basis of an asset, potentially reducing future taxable gain when that asset is sold. While this is a cost basis adjustment and not a tax deduction, it can reduce an individual’s tax liability. Because tax treatment is not uniform across jurisdictions, US taxpayers are advised to consult a professional and check IRS Publication 544 for guidance.
Why Is My Coinbase Fee Higher Than Expected?
If you are using Coinbase’s instant trading interface, the spread is embedded in the quoted price. So, a separate item named “fee” may not always be visible. In contrast, if you are trading on the Advanced Trade interface, you will be able to clearly see the maker and taker fees for different trading volume levels. These are significantly lower even if you are a low-volume trader.
Do Withdrawal Fees Differ Between Blockchains?
Yes, withdrawal fees vary across different blockchains. For instance, ETH gas fees are normally much higher compared to USDT on TRC-20 withdrawals under standard network conditions. Bitcoin withdrawal fees, on the other hand, change based on network congestion and can fluctuate significantly. To determine network fees, check the estimated figures provided by the exchange before confirmation.
What Happens to My Fees if a Trade Does Not Fill?
When a limit order doesn’t execute, no fees are charged. The same happens when an order is cancelled, while for partial order matching, the fee only applies to the filled transaction amount. This is one of the benefits of limit orders, as traders only incur fees when an order is matched and executed at the price provided.
