7 Lowest Fee Crypto Exchanges (2026)
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Key takeaways
- Binance.US is the cheapest US order book, at 0% maker and 0.02% taker fees.
- Kraken and Gemini raised their entry-level fees in 2026.
- “Zero-fee” apps and subscriptions still charge a spread.
This list covers exchanges that US residents can use. Global exchanges such as MEXC advertise even lower spot fees, but MEXC doesn’t accept users from the United States.
Lowest-fee crypto exchanges compared
Fee Breakdown:
Maker Fees: 0%
Taker Fees: 0.02% (0.01% on BNB/USD)
Withdrawal Fees: Free for ACH; $25 for wire withdrawals
Fee Breakdown:
Maker Fees: 0.30% (under $10,000 of 30-day volume)
Taker Fees: 0.40%
Withdrawal Fees: Varies by currency
Fee Breakdown:
Maker Fees: 0.40%
Taker Fees: 0.80%
Withdrawal Fees: Varies by cryptocurrency
Fee Breakdown:
Maker Fees (Coinbase Advanced): 0.50% at the entry tier
Taker Fees (Coinbase Advanced): 0.90% at the entry tier
Coinbase One: $4.99, $29.99, or $299.99 a month
Fee Breakdown:
Commission: $0
Spread: includes $0.95 per $100 traded (market maker routing)
Exchange routing: 0% to 0.95%, based on 30-day volume
Fee Breakdown:
One-time purchases: 0.89% (lower at higher monthly volume)
Recurring purchases: 0% after the first week
Withdrawal Fees: Free for automatic withdrawals
Fee Breakdown:
One-time orders: 1.00% (lower above $1 million)
Recurring buys: 0% after the first week
Withdrawal Fees: Standard cash withdrawals are free
Which exchanges changed their fees in 2026?
Several popular exchanges changed their entry-level fees this year, so older fee comparisons may be out of date.
- Kraken Pro: On July 9, 2026, Kraken raised its entry-tier fees to 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker. Your tier is now based on your trading volume or the assets you hold on Kraken, whichever is better.
- Gemini ActiveTrader: On September 1, 2026, Gemini raised its entry-tier fees to 0.60% maker and 1.20% taker, which is why it’s no longer on this list.
- Coinbase Advanced: On September 16, 2026, Coinbase restructured its Advanced fee tiers. The US entry tier is now 0.50% maker and 0.90% taker.
Remember, the cheapest exchange for you depends on how much you trade, and whether you use the order book or a simple buy screen.
What’s the difference between maker and taker fees?
In most cryptocurrency exchanges, there are separate fees for market ‘takers’ and market ‘makers’.
Taker fees: If you are a market ‘taker’, you take the prevailing prices on the market. This means you take liquidity away from the marketplace, so you pay higher fees.
Maker fees: If you are a market ‘maker’, you add liquidity to the market. Market makers are typically given lower fees, since exchanges need liquidity to function.
How do I reduce my exchange fees?
Let’s break down a few simple ways to reduce your exchange fees.
- Trade at higher volumes: Many exchanges offer lower fees for users with high monthly trading volumes. Kraken and Coinbase can also lower your tier based on the balance you hold with them.
- Use the order book, not the buy button: Simple buy screens add a spread and sometimes an extra fee. Placing the same trade on the exchange’s order book (Kraken Pro, Coinbase Advanced) is usually much cheaper.
- Limit orders: One way to minimize fees is to use limit orders, where you specify the price you’re willing to trade at. If your order doesn’t execute immediately, you will only pay maker fees, which are generally lower than taker fees.
- Use subscriptions: Coinbase One and Kraken+ waive trading fees on simple trades up to a monthly limit, though a spread still applies.
- Use native tokens: Some exchanges offer fee discounts when you pay with their native token. Binance.US gives a 5% discount when you pay fees in BNB.
What additional fees do exchanges charge?
Trading fees aren’t the only cost. Here are the other fees to watch for:
- Spreads: Many apps and simple buy screens charge a spread, meaning the price you pay is a little higher than the market price. Coinbase, Robinhood, Strike, and River all use spreads.
- Withdrawal fees: Costs for transferring crypto out of the exchange.
- Deposit fees: Card deposits are usually the most expensive way to fund an account. Binance.US charges 3.99% for card deposits, while ACH transfers are free.
- Subscription fees: Coinbase One and Kraken+ charge a monthly fee for zero-fee trading up to a limit.
Do decentralized exchanges have lower fees?
Decentralized exchanges can be cheaper for some trades, but not always. Binance.US’s 0.02% taker fee is lower than most decentralized exchange pools.
Fees on decentralized exchanges vary by pool. Uniswap, for example, has pools that charge from 0.01% to 1%, and you’ll also pay blockchain gas fees.
Decentralized exchange aggregators like 1inch can help you find the lowest fees available for trades you wish to make.
Fiat-to-crypto vs. crypto-to-crypto fees
Let’s walk through the different types of fees you might see on different types of trades.
Fiat-to-crypto fees: Buying BTC with USD is considered a fiat-to-crypto transaction. The expensive part is usually the card fee or the spread on a simple buy screen. Funding with a bank transfer and buying on the order book is usually much cheaper.
Crypto-to-crypto fees: Trading ETH for BTC is considered a crypto-to-crypto trade. These trades pay the exchange’s normal maker or taker fee. Stablecoin pairs are often cheaper still.
How do deposit and withdrawal fees work?
Withdrawal fees can vary widely based on the cryptocurrency and exchange, with some exchanges offering free withdrawals for certain users or assets.
Deposit fees depend on how you fund your account. Bank transfers are usually free or cheap, while card deposits can cost 3% to 4%.
How do exchange fees affect your crypto taxes?
Exchange fees don’t just cost you money when you trade. They also change your capital gain.
When you buy crypto with cash, the fee is added to your cost basis. When you sell or swap crypto, the fee is subtracted from your proceeds. Either way, fees reduce your capital gain (or increase your loss).
It’s important to note that if you pay a fee in crypto, spending that crypto is itself a taxable disposal.
Since 2025, US exchanges report your crypto sales to the IRS on Form 1099-DA. The proceeds on the form are already reduced by the fee on each sale. For crypto you buy on an exchange from 2026 onward, the exchange will also report your cost basis. For older coins, and coins you transferred in from somewhere else, tracking your cost basis is up to you.
CoinLedger can help. Import your transactions from every exchange you use, and CoinLedger tracks your cost basis, fees included, so your gains match what you actually paid. Learn more about how exchange fees can reduce your tax bill and other ways to decrease your crypto taxes.
More than 700,000 investors use CoinLedger. Get started with a free CoinLedger account today.
Frequently asked questions
- Which crypto exchange has the lowest fees in 2026?
- Is there a crypto exchange with no fees?
- What is the cheapest way to buy Bitcoin?
- Does Coinbase One really have zero fees?
- Why did I pay more than the maker/taker rate?
- How much does Coinbase charge for $1,000?
- Is Coinbase or Robinhood better for crypto?
- Are crypto exchange fees tax deductible?
- Will my exchange send me a Form 1099-DA?
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