Best Kraken Alternatives Compared: 7 Platforms and the 0.40% Entry Tier Most Reviews Still Get Wrong
- MEXC is our top pick among these Kraken alternatives for traders outside the US, UK and EEA, at 0.0000% maker against Kraken Pro's 0.40%.
- Kraken Pro's entry tier is now 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker, and many review sites still publish older, lower figures.
- Kraken+ costs 4.99 dollars a month and waives app trading fees up to 10,000 dollars, but it does not cover Kraken Pro and the spread still applies.
- Volume from Kraken's Instant Buy never counts toward its fee tiers, so app-only buyers stay at the entry rate indefinitely.
- On 50,000 dollars a month of spot and perpetual volume, one year costs 1,080 dollars on Kraken against 120 dollars on MEXC.
- Kraken keeps a clear lead on licensing, US equities and EEA access, and MEXC does not serve the US, UK, Canada or the EEA.
Why Kraken Users Are Hunting for Alternatives in 2026
For a wider view beyond Kraken, our full guide to crypto exchange alternatives compares the same platforms on fees, listings and regional access.
Where MEXC Fits: The Cost and Breadth Case
The mechanism: a zero maker rate published as the standard schedule
The arithmetic on a real workload
Breadth, measured rather than claimed
What Kraken has been listing instead
What being early is worth
Best Kraken Alternatives 2026: 7 Crypto Exchanges Compared
Platform | Spot fees, entry tier | Simple interface cost | Perpetual futures fees, entry tier | Availability notes | Fee source and date verified |
MEXC | 0.0000% maker, 0.0000% to 0.0500% taker | Same published schedule applies | 0.000% to 0.040% maker, 0.000% to 0.100% taker; BTCUSDT perpetual at 0.000% maker and 0.020% taker | Does not serve US, UK or Canada; not MiCA-authorised in the EEA | Official fee page, August 31, 2026 |
Kraken Pro | 0.40% maker, 0.80% taker | 1% on instant and recurring buys, 1.5% on custom orders, plus an unpublished spread; waived up to 10,000 USD monthly with Kraken+ at 4.99 USD monthly | 0.02% maker, 0.05% taker | Serves US and UK; MiCA-authorised in the EEA; futures unavailable in the US, Canada and New Zealand | Official fee schedule, September 2, 2026 |
Coinbase Advanced | 0.40% maker, 0.60% taker at the entry tier, per published third-party fee trackers | Not published on an open page; a spread is added on the simple interface | Not verified for this comparison | Serves US and UK | Not published outside a signed-in session; figure per Bankrate, 2026 |
Binance | 0.10% maker, 0.10% taker | Convert and card routes priced separately | 0.02% maker, 0.05% taker | Global platform does not serve US residents | Official fee schedule, July 28, 2026 |
Bybit | 0.10% maker, 0.10% taker | One-click buy priced separately | 0.02% maker, 0.055% taker | Does not serve US residents; MiCA-authorised EU entity operates separately | Official help centre, July 28, 2026 |
OKX | 0.08% maker, 0.10% taker | Convert and card routes priced separately | 0.02% maker, 0.05% taker | MiCA-authorised in the EEA; serves US users through a separate US platform | Official trading fee page, August 31, 2026 |
Gate | 0.20% maker, 0.20% taker at VIP0 | Quick buy priced separately | 0.02% maker, 0.05% taker | Does not serve US residents | Official published schedule, July 28, 2026 |
The MEXC View
Our MEXC vs Kraken comparison sets both platforms side by side on fees, listings, security and regional access.
Kraken's Four Pricing Paths, Side by Side
Best Alternatives to Kraken Crypto Exchange, Judged One by One
Coinbase
- A US-listed public company subject to SEC reporting requirements, which is a disclosure standard no offshore venue matches.
- Serves both US and UK customers, the two markets where Kraken users have the fewest alternatives.
- A published listing roadmap that gives advance notice of new assets.
- Entry-tier pricing is reported at 0.40% maker and 0.60% taker, so moving from Kraken Pro saves on the taker side but not on the maker side.
- The full fee schedule is no longer published on an open page, so you cannot check your rate before signing in.
- Asset coverage is narrower than Kraken's, so switching for breadth moves you the wrong way.
Binance
- Depth on established pairs that matters more than fees once your order size starts moving the market.
- Spot at 0.10% on both sides, a quarter of Kraken Pro's entry maker rate.
- Mature fiat rails across most non-restricted markets.
- The global platform does not serve US residents, so it solves nothing for the largest part of Kraken's user base.
- Selective and slower on early-stage tokens by design.
- European availability has been reshaped by MiCA, so check your own country before assuming access.
Bybit
- A large perpetual futures book with a professional interface and pre-market perpetuals on new tokens.
- Publishes proof-of-reserves reporting.
- Operates a separately authorised European entity for EEA clients.
- Futures taker of 0.055% is above Kraken's own 0.05%, so a pure futures trader is not saving money by moving.
- Spot costs 0.10% on both sides, which removes any advantage to placing limit orders.
- Does not serve US residents.
OKX
- Spot at 0.08% maker and 0.10% taker, a fifth of Kraken Pro's entry maker rate.
- Holds a MiCA authorisation in the EEA and runs a separate US platform, which is the combination Kraken users in regulated markets are usually unwilling to give up.
- Runs a genuine options book and a unified account with portfolio margin.
- Product surface is dense, and a Kraken app user will find the learning curve steeper than the one they left.
- Fee tiers reward volume rather than balances, so a large idle holding earns nothing the way it now does at Kraken.
- Our OKX comparison sets out its 2025 US settlement in full, which is context worth reading before you open an account.
Gate
- Wide long-tail coverage and a high listing cadence, built up over more years than most rivals.
- Competitive futures pricing at 0.02% maker and 0.05% taker.
- A broad product surface across perpetuals, bots and earn products.
- Spot at 0.20% on both sides is the most expensive crypto-native schedule in this table, and four times MEXC's taker rate.
- Gate's own pages have published different base figures in different places, so confirm your actual tier first.
- Does not serve US residents.
What Kraken Still Does Better
Our full Kraken review weighs these strengths against the fee and listing gaps covered above.
Availability by Region: An Honest Matrix
Region | Kraken | MEXC | Who to use instead if MEXC is unavailable |
United States | Available, with futures unavailable | Not available; named in the User Agreement | Kraken, Coinbase, or OKX's separate US platform |
United Kingdom | Available | Not available; named in the User Agreement | Kraken or Coinbase, both FCA-registered |
EEA | Available under two MiCA authorisations | Not MiCA-authorised and not on the ESMA register | Kraken, Coinbase, OKX, or Bybit's European entity |
Canada | Available, with futures unavailable | Not available; named in the User Agreement | Kraken or Coinbase |
Most other markets | Available, with product access varying | Available, with product access varying | Compare on cost and pairs using the table above |
Who Should Switch, and Who Should Not
Readers weighing platforms beyond this list can also consult our 2026 ranking of the best crypto exchanges.
How to Move Off Kraken in Three Steps Without Losing Coins
Our Kraken transfer guide covers each of these steps, including network selection and the checks that prevent a failed transfer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Risk and Regulatory Notice
Read More
- Kraken Withdrawal Times and Limits (2026): 20 Minutes of Checks, So Why Do Some Withdrawals Wait 72 Hours?
- Kraken KYC Explained (2026): Why Do Guides Still List Four Tiers When Kraken Page Now Shows Two Paths?
- How to Transfer Crypto Between Exchanges: The Complete Guide to Switching Crypto Exchanges Without Selling a Coin
- Kraken vs Coinbase (2026): 0.80% or 0.60% on Your First $1,000, and Which One Do You Actually Need?
- Kraken vs Gemini Crypto Exchange (2026): 0.80% or 1.20% on Your First Trade, and Which One Do You Actually Need?
- Best Exchange for New Crypto Listings: Speed, Cost, and the Risk Labels Nobody Compares
- Crypto Exchange Fee Comparison: Only 6 of 12 Exchanges Will Show You Their Fees Without an Account
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