Which Crypto Exchanges Have The Lowest Fees This Year?

? Want to know which crypto exchanges have the lowest fees this year and how to compare them in 2025?

Which Crypto Exchanges Have The Lowest Fees This Year?

You’re trying to minimize trading costs while keeping access to the coins and features you want. This article breaks down the fee landscape in 2025, explains how to compare exchanges, and gives practical ways to calculate your true cost so you can pick the best platform for your style.

Why fees matter more than just a percentage

Fees affect your net return, especially if you trade often or use leverage. Small differences in maker/taker rates, withdrawal fees, spreads, or funding rates compound quickly. You’ll want to look beyond headline percentages and calculate effective cost per trade, per withdrawal, and per funded position.

What “lowest fees” really means

Lowest fees can mean different things to different traders. For you, it might mean:

• Lowest spot trading fees for occasional buys and sells
• Lowest derivatives (futures/perpetual) funding and taker/maker structure for frequent traders
• Lowest deposit/withdrawal costs for fiat and crypto
• Lowest effective cost after discounts, rebates, and spreads

You should decide which fee categories matter most to your strategy before comparing exchanges.

Fee categories you need to compare

You’ll want to consider these common fee types when comparing exchanges:

• Maker / taker trading fees (spot and derivatives)
• Instant buy / market order fees (often higher)
• Deposit fees (fiat vs crypto)
• Withdrawal fees (flat crypto withdrawal fees or dynamic network fees)
• Fiat on/off ramp fees (card, wire, ACH)
• Spreads between buy and sell prices (hidden cost)
• Margin borrow interest and liquidation fees
• Funding rates on perpetual contracts
• Staking commissions, lending fees, and yield platform cuts
• NFT minting/marketplace fees and gas reimbursements
• OTC desk fees for large trades

Each fee type can change your effective cost differently depending on frequency, volume, and product.

Top exchanges commonly known for low fees in 2025

Below is a comparison table of well-known exchanges that have historically been low-cost or continue to be competitive. This table gives you typical fee-characteristics, not guaranteed current percentages — always confirm current fee schedules on the exchange’s official site.

Use this as a starting shortlist. If you live in the US or subject to local regulation, your choices will be constrained; many exchanges restrict services or have higher operational costs in certain markets.

How to compare crypto exchange fees — step-by-step

You’ll get the most useful result if you compare exchanges using your own expected activity profile. Follow these steps:

1. Define your profile
   • How often will you trade (daily, weekly, monthly)?
   • Typical trade size and portfolio size
   • Products you’ll use (spot, margin, futures, staking, OTC)
   • Preferred fiat on/off methods (ACH, wire, card)
2. Collect fee schedules
   • Copy maker/taker rates for spot and derivatives
   • Note deposit and withdrawal fees for each fiat and crypto you’ll use
   • Write down funding rates and margin borrow rates
3. Include discounts
   • Does the exchange offer token discounts (BNB, OKB, KCS)?
   • Will you qualify for VIP tiers based on 30-day volume?
   • Referral, promo and fee waiver programs
4. Calculate effective cost per trade
   • For each exchange, compute trading cost: trade size × fee %
   • Add withdrawal / deposit costs amortized per trade (if applicable)
   • Add spread estimate (see next section)
5. Compare sample scenarios
   • Run scenarios for a single trade, monthly volume, and high-frequency trading
6. Factor in non-fee differences
   • Liquidity (wider spreads on low-liquidity exchanges)
   • Security / insurance
   • Fiat availability and compliance needs

Example: what to collect for each exchange

Make a small table per exchange collecting:

• Spot maker fee, spot taker fee
• Futures maker fee, futures taker fee, funding rate
• Fiat deposit methods and fees
• Fiat withdrawal methods and fees
• Crypto withdrawal flat fees (per coin)
• Native-token discount method and amount
• VIP tiers and requirements

Spreads and slippage: the hidden fees

The exchange’s displayed maker/taker fee isn’t the full story. You’ll also pay:

• Spread: the difference between best bid and ask. Wider spreads increase cost.
• Slippage: when your market or large limit order moves the price.
• Depth-related cost: low-order-book depth causes more impact for large trades.

Use order book depth and mid-price comparisons to estimate spread for the markets you care about.

How to estimate spread cost

• Take the difference between best ask and best bid, divide by mid-price: (ask – bid) / mid.
• That percentage is part of your transaction cost if you use market orders.
• For limit orders, if you’re the maker, you avoid spread but may not fill immediately.

Fees for different user types

Your ideal exchange depends on your user type:

• You trade rarely, buy-and-hold: fiat deposit fees and cheap withdrawals matter. Low taker fees are less critical.
• You trade often (swing/day trader): low taker fees, good liquidity, low spreads, and fast fiat rails matter.
• You trade derivatives frequently: low futures fees, favorable funding rates, and low funding volatility matter.
• You arbitrage: low fees, high liquidity, and low latency across exchanges are essential.
• You stake/lend: low platform commissions and transparent yield splits matter.

Typical fee arrangements and what they mean for you

Below are common arrangements you’ll encounter and how they affect you:

• Flat maker/taker (e.g., 0.10% / 0.10%): predictable costs.
• Tiered discounts by 30-day volume: rewards high volume.
• Token-holding discounts (BNB, CRO, KCS, OKB): reduces fees but increases concentration risk.
• Maker rebates (negative maker fees) on certain markets: you get paid for providing liquidity.
• Zero-fee promotions on specific pairs: short-term cost reduction; check trading depth.
• Per-withdrawal flat crypto fee vs dynamic network fee: flat fees may be higher or lower depending on network congestion.

Representative fee comparison (example scenario)

The table below shows a hypothetical example of effective cost for a $10,000 spot trade across five exchange archetypes. These are illustrative calculations using example fee rates — not real-time rates. Use this format with current rates to compute your actual numbers.

Notes:

• Round-trip = buy + sell.
• The example assumes market orders for both buy and sell; maker orders can reduce cost.
• You should add withdrawal and deposit costs to the per-trade cost if they’re relevant to your holding/timing.

Comparing derivatives fees and funding costs

Derivatives fees can dominate if you hold leveraged perpetuals. For perpetual contracts:

• You may pay taker/maker fees on opening/closing positions.
• You face funding payments (or receipts) periodically depending on market imbalance.
• Funding rates can change frequently and can be positive (you pay) or negative (you receive).

When comparing:

• Look at both fee percentage and historical funding rate volatility.
• For frequent traders, lower taker fees matter more than occasional funding rate differences.
• For long-term leveraged positions, cumulative funding matters.

Payment method matters: fiat on-ramps and off-ramps

Your fiat deposit and withdrawal method can dramatically alter effective cost:

• Bank ACH (US) often has low or zero fees but slower settlement.
• Domestic wire is faster but can cost $10–$30 per transfer.
• Card purchases are often 2–4% fees, sometimes higher.
• P2P markets can offer competitive local rates but require caution.

When you compare, factor one-time deposit/withdrawal fees spread across expected trades to get per-trade cost.

Withdrawal fees: crypto vs fiat

Crypto withdrawals often show a flat fee (e.g., 0.0005 BTC), but that fee’s value in USD changes with coin price and network congestion. Some exchanges pass through network fees; others charge a markup.

For fiat withdrawals, watch for:

• Flat bank wire fees
• Minimum withdrawal amounts
• Delays and compliance holds that can cost you opportunity

Security and regulatory cost trade-offs

Lower fees sometimes come with trade-offs:

• New or unregulated exchanges may offer very low fees but bring higher counterparty or regulatory risk.
• Regulated exchanges often have higher compliance costs and slightly higher fees, but you gain custody protections and legal recourse.

Balance your fee sensitivity against the exchange’s trustworthiness and insurance policies.

How to reduce your fees

You can lower your fees with tactics:

• Use limit maker orders to earn lower maker fees or rebates.
• Hold and stake native exchange tokens for discounts.
• Consolidate larger trades instead of many small ones to reduce per-trade withdrawal/deposit amortization.
• Qualify for VIP tiers by increasing 30-day volume if you trade frequently.
• Use P2P or bank rails for lower fiat costs if you understand the risks.
• Use OTC desks for very large trades to avoid market impact and taker fees.
• Use affiliate/promo codes for temporary fee reductions.

Fee negotiation and OTC for large trades

If you’re trading institutional sizes, you can often negotiate:

• Lower fees on spot and derivatives via OTC desks
• Favorable funding and margin rates
• Customized settlement terms

Retail interfaces rarely allow negotiation, but OTC desks and prime brokers do.

Checklist: what to compare for each exchange

Use this checklist to standardize comparisons:

• Spot maker fee / taker fee
• Futures maker fee / taker fee
• Funding rate history and typical direction
• Fiat deposit methods and fees (ACH, wire, card)
• Crypto withdrawal fees (per-coin)
• Native token discounts and requirements
• VIP/program requirements and thresholds
• Liquidity and order book depth on markets you trade
• Security features and insurance coverage
• Regulatory status in your jurisdiction
• Margin interest and liquidation penalty schedule
• Staking/lending platform fees and lockup terms

Sample calculation: compute your effective cost step-by-step

Follow this simple method for a real comparison:

1. Choose your trade: for example, $5,000 spot buy then $5,000 sell.
2. Record taker fee for that exchange: e.g., 0.10%.
3. Trading cost = trade value × fee = $5,000 × 0.001 = $5 per trade.
4. Round-trip trading cost = $10.
5. Add average spread cost: if spread = 0.05%, cost = $5.
6. Add deposit cost amortized: e.g., $10 deposit divided by 10 trades = $1 per trade pair.
7. Add crypto withdrawal (if you plan to withdraw after sale): e.g., 0.0005 BTC ≈ $15; amortize as needed.
8. Total effective round-trip cost = trading cost + spread + deposit amortization + withdrawal part = $10 + $5 + $1 + maybe $15 = $31.

This shows how non-fee items (spreads, withdrawals) can outweigh nominal trading fees.

US-specific note (regulatory impacts on fees)

If you’re in the US:

• Many top global exchanges either restrict services or operate separate US subsidiaries with different fee structures (often higher).
• On-ramps and compliance increase operational costs; expect slightly higher fiat-related fees.
• Regulated exchanges may offer safer custody and insurance but not always the lowest trading fees.

When the lowest fee isn’t the best choice

You might choose a slightly higher fee exchange because:

• It has better liquidity for the pairs you trade (less slippage).
• It offers reliable fiat rails in your country.
• It provides features you need (staking, derivatives, options).
• It has stronger security or regulatory compliance.

Think in terms of total cost and risk, not just headline fee numbers.

How often should you re-check fees?

You should re-check fee schedules:

• Before opening new accounts
• When your trading volume or product mix changes
• When exchanges announce token-burning events or VIP program updates
• After regulatory or banking changes that could affect on/off ramps

Exchanges update fees and promotions often; keep your comparison spreadsheet current.

Practical steps to implement your comparison now

1. Create a small spreadsheet with your personal trading profile (trade size, frequency, preferred products).
2. Pull current fee schedules for 3–5 candidate exchanges.
3. Input fees into the sample calculation shown earlier.
4. Add spread estimates by sampling live order books for your pairs.
5. Choose the exchange that minimizes your total cost while meeting security and product needs.
6. Start with small trades to test actual realized costs and withdrawals.

Frequently asked questions

Which single exchange usually gives the lowest spot trading fees?

Historically, global exchanges like Binance, OKX, KuCoin, and Gate.io tend to offer some of the lowest headline spot fees because of high volume and native-token discount programs. However, the best choice for you depends on your jurisdiction and the specific pairs you trade.

Is it always better to use native-token discounts?

Native-token discounts can reduce fees but force you to hold exchange tokens, increasing concentration risk. Calculate whether the saved fee dollars justify holding the token given its volatility and opportunity cost.

Are maker rebates always better than low taker fees?

Maker rebates reward you for providing liquidity but only help if your limit orders fill. If you often use market orders for immediate execution, low taker fees matter more.

How do funding rates affect long-term leveraged positions?

Funding rates are paid periodically and can be significant over time. If you hold leveraged positions for days or weeks, cumulative funding can exceed trading fee differences. Backtest or simulate funding scenarios.

Can I trust promotional “zero-fee” offers?

Promotions can be real but might apply only to specific pairs, limited time windows, or come with liquidity and execution trade-offs. Read the fine print and test with small amounts.

Final checklist before you open an account

• Confirm the exchange is legally allowed in your jurisdiction.
• Check fiat deposit and withdrawal options and costs for your currency.
• Compare maker/taker fees for the products you’ll use the most.
• Estimate spreads and market depth for your preferred trading pairs.
• Decide if token-based discounts or VIP tiers are worth pursuing.
• Verify withdrawal fees for the crypto you plan to move off-exchange.
• Check security practices, insurance, and regulatory standing.

Closing guidance

You’ll save the most by matching exchange selection to your trading profile and calculating effective cost — not just comparing headline percentages. Use the sample calculations and checklist here to make data-driven choices, and re-check fees periodically as exchanges update their policies and promotions. If you want, provide your typical trade sizes, frequency, and preferred coins, and you’ll get a tailored cost comparison across a few candidate exchanges.