Compare crypto exchanges and brokers on what they actually cost you
One sells you a coin you can withdraw. The other sells a contract you can't. We never rank them in the same table — and every fee, licence and incident here links to the primary record.
Crypto exchanges
You own the coin, and can withdraw it on-chain. Ordered by published spot taker fee, cheapest first.
- Spot taker fee
- 0.1%
- Regulation
- VARA
- Assets listed
- 350
You own the coin — withdrawable on-chain
Open account- Spot taker fee
- 0.1%
- Regulation
- VARA
- Assets listed
- 300
You own the coin — withdrawable on-chain
Open account- Spot taker fee
- 0.1%
- Regulation
- —
- Assets listed
- 600
You own the coin — withdrawable on-chain
Open accountCoinbase
Trust Score 57- Spot taker fee
- 0.6%
- Regulation
- FCA
- Assets listed
- 250
You own the coin — withdrawable on-chain
Open account- Spot taker fee
- 0.8%
- Regulation
- FCA ×2
- Assets listed
- 200
You own the coin — withdrawable on-chain
Open accountCrypto CFD brokers
You own a contract, not a coin. Leveraged, capped at 2:1 for retail clients in the UK and EU, and most retail accounts lose money.
- Typical BTC spread
- —
- Regulation
- FCA
- Assets listed
- 30
You do NOT own the coin — contract only, no withdrawal
Open account- Typical BTC spread
- —
- Regulation
- FCA, CySEC
- Assets listed
- 25
You do NOT own the coin — contract only, no withdrawal
Open account- Typical BTC spread
- —
- Regulation
- CySEC, ASIC
- Assets listed
- 58
You do NOT own the coin — contract only, no withdrawal
Open account- Typical BTC spread
- —
- Regulation
- CySEC
- Assets listed
- —
You do NOT own the coin — contract only, no withdrawal
Open accountHead to head
Everything at a glance
| Binance | OKX | Bybit | Coinbase | Kraken | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fees | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Max leverage | 20× | 10× | 10× | 1× | 5× |
| Assets listed | 350 | 300 | 600 | 250 | 200 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a crypto exchange and a crypto CFD broker?
An exchange sells you the asset — you can withdraw the coin to your own wallet. A CFD broker sells you a contract on the price; you never own a coin and cannot withdraw one. They are different products with different risks.
How do you rank venues?
We do not publish a single 'best' list. We publish sourced fields — fees, licence scope, documented incidents — ordered by the published figure, and let you sort on what matters to you. Every number links to the venue's or regulator's own page.
Do you earn money from these links?
On some venues, yes, and each is labelled 'Paid link' on the page itself. Commission never changes an ordering, and our worst findings are published about paying venues too.
Read next
We earn a commission on some links. It never changes the ranking — our method is published and the data is sourced.
Crypto is volatile and largely unregulated. CFDs are leveraged and most retail accounts lose money. Never risk money you cannot afford to lose.
Information only. This is not investment advice.