Nowadays, almost every crypto exchange advertises “low fees” on its homepage. However, there are several different types of fees and various factors that can affect how much you end up paying to deposit, buy, and trade crypto. So, who really has the lowest fees?
I’ve set out to answer just that by depositing my own money, buying crypto, and trading all types of instruments on every major exchange to find who actually charges the lowest fees. I looked at how much I was charged to deposit fiat, trade fiat-to-crypto, trade crypto-to-crypto, and withdraw my profits at the end.
I’ve created a list of categories that cover almost every type of fee exchanges charge. So whether you’re a first-time investor mainly buying crypto with fiat, or a professional trader making hundreds of futures trades monthly, I’ve picked my top exchange for you.
| Exchange | Ranking | Taker/Maker | Available Crypto | Accepts Fiat | Payment Methods | KYC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BTCC | No Rating Read Review | 0.3% / 0.2% | 279 | No | Optional KYC (Required for Fiat Services) | |
Flipster | 4.0 Read Review | - | 407 | No | Yes | |
Paybis | No Rating Read Review | 4.5% / 4.5% | 84 | No | +6 | Optional for purchases up to 1,000 USD (mandatory in certain regions and for all Sell Crypto transactions) |
Crypto.com | 4.3 Read Review | 0.5% / 0.25% | 432 | Yes | +5 | Full KYC Required |
Coinbase Exchange | 4.1 Read Review | 1.2% / 0.6% | 376 | Yes | +6 | Yes |
MEXC | 4.6 Read Review | 0.01% / 0% | 2179 | Yes | +3 | No |
Based on my experience, I’ve ranked BTCC as my top exchange for low fees. It has built a reputation as one of the longest-running exchanges for offering strong security, low fees, and a great trading experience. BTCC is one of the few exchanges to offer free, instant deposits via bank card, alongside competitive maker/taker fees. If you’re looking for a cost-effective exchange that doesn’t compromise on security or trading experience, BTCC is the one for you.
Flipster has quickly become one of my favorite spot trading platforms, despite being a newer exchange that only launched in 2021. It offers some of the lowest spot trading fees in the industry while also having deep liquidity and a range of coins. This makes it ideal if you’re looking for a cost-effective exchange that does not require you to sacrifice coin selection.
Paybis isn’t a traditional exchange like the others on this list. It focuses on fiat-to-crypto and crypto-to-crypto conversions instead of orderbook trading, aiming to deliver the most seamless on- and off-ramping experience in the industry. When I tested it in late 2025, it scored highly for its ease of use, instant transactions, and generous promotions.
I think that when it comes to making fiat deposits, Crypto.com is the best exchange in the industry. It is one of the few exchanges that doesn’t charge for fiat deposits across a wide range of major currencies. Crypto.coms intuitive and easy-to-use platform has made it one of the most popular exchanges among beginners and professional traders alike. Whether you just want to buy a bit of crypto or you want to trade complex strategies, Crypto.com is one of the most cost-effective platforms to do so.
Coinbase is one of the biggest names in crypto and the only publicly traded crypto exchange. It’s popular for its security, compliance, and easy-to-use platform that’s favored by both professional traders and first-time investors. One of my favourite Coinbase features is its fiat support, with low-cost withdrawals across a variety of currencies. If you’re looking for an exchange you can trust with your money and won’t charge you to withdraw, Coinbase is the top choice for you.
When you think of futures trading, MEXC is probably one of the first exchanges that comes to mind. It has built a reputation for being one of the best futures platforms, combining high leverage, deep liquidity, and low fees. MEXC’s advanced trading platform also makes it a favorite among traders who are looking for an exchange that offers a professional-grade experience with industry-low fees.
When it comes to trading fees, most exchanges use the industry standard maker/taker model, usually with different price tiers. Your tier will be based on your 30‑day trading volume or account balance. Maker fees apply when you use conditional orders that add liquidity to the exchange, while Taker fees apply when you use market orders that remove liquidity from the exchange. Since Maker orders benefit the exchange, they are usually lower than Taker fees.
If you’re spot trading and want to calculate the trading fees on a $1,000 spot position, simply multiply the transaction amount by the spot trading fee rate. If your spot trading fees are 0.1%, the calculation will look like this:
$1000 * 0.1% = $1 fee
If you’re trading futures and want to calculate the trading fees on a $100 futures position at 10x leverage, you need to first multiply the position amount by the leverage level to find the total position size. Then you can multiply the total position size by the trading fee rate.
If your futures trading fees are 0.05%, the calculation will look something like this:
$100 * 10x leverage = $1000 position amount
$1000 * 0.05% = $0.50 fee
Spread fees are the difference between a coin’s buy (ask) and sell (bid) prices. You’ll find that some exchanges widen that gap instead of raising visible trading fees, to make you think they charge low fees. While trading fees are clearly listed on each transaction, spread fees are buried in the quoted price and can be harder to spot. Let’s say the bid price of BTC is $80,000, and the ask price is $80,100. If you were to buy at $80,100 and sell immediately at $80,000, you would lose $100 from the spread, even if trading fees are 0%.
Funding rates are periodic payments made between long and short traders when trading futures markets, which help keep futures prices in line with the spot market. If the market is bullish, longs pay shorts, and when it’s bearish, the shorts pay longs. If you’re holding a futures position for several hours, you’ll either be paying or receiving funding fees.
The easiest way to reduce your trading fees is to use limit orders to take advantage of the lower maker fees. If you hold and use the exchange’s native token, like BNB on Binance or OKB on OKX, you usually get further discounts on trading fees.
If you trade regularly and have a high monthly trading volume, you’ll also find yourself in higher tiers, which reward you with lower trading fees. You can also increase your price tier by holding a large account balance on the exchange, though I recommend being cautious when holding large amounts on any exchange, since if the exchange is hacked, becomes insolvent, or suddenly ceases operations, you could lose all money stored on the exchange.
I’ve seen a few exchanges introduce inactivity fees if you have an extended period of no account activity, though this is very rare and not generally seen on major exchanges. Subscription plans, like Coinbase One, can offer you lower trading fees or extra features, but will cost you a monthly subscription fee. Looking at the fees page before joining an exchange will show you all the fees you could be charged if you decide to join.
Shennon Hewa is a crypto trader and crypto journalist based in London. Active in the crypto space since 2017, he specializes in scalping, derivatives day trading, and swing trading. At FXEmpire, he has reviewed dozens of crypto exchanges and has extensive knowledge of platform strengths and weaknesses.
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