Key Takeaways
- Kraken is the best crypto exchange due to its low fees, extensive data tools and longstanding reputation. If you’re just starting out with crypto, Coinbase offers greater direction, while Uniswap is your go-to choice for a decentralized exchange.
- In the US, crypto exchanges face much stricter regulation than elsewhere because they must comply with the SEC, CFTC, FinCEN and sometimes even state-level regulators.
- Centralized crypto exchanges are operated by a single entity and come with stronger rail guards, whereas decentralized crypto exchanges run as peer-to-peer networks, offering greater freedom.
- We analyzed 23 crypto exchanges, comparing their fee schedules, trading pairs, security framework and overall standing with auditors and users.
Money is not a client of any investment adviser featured on this page. The information provided on this page is for educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Money does not offer advisory services.
Our top picks for the best crypto exchanges
- Kraken: Best Crypto Exchange Overall
- Coinbase: Best Crypto Exchange for Beginners
- Crypto.com: Best Exchange for Crypto Rewards
- Uphold: Best Crypto Exchange for Cross-Asset Trading
- Webot: Best Crypto Exchange for Automated Trading
- Uniswap: Best Decentralized Crypto Exchange
Pros
- Widest selection of crypto and trading pairs of any U.S.-compliant exchange
- Near-perfect trust scores across security assessments
- Staking on 25 assets, flexible and bonded options
- Low fees and niche trading options on Kraken Pro
Cons
- Unavailable in Maine and New York
- High fees for instant purchases
HIGHLIGHTS
- Trading fees
- 1% for instant buy/sell (ACH), 0.25% – 0.00% / 0.40% – 0.10% on Kraken Pro
- Kaiko Exchange Score
- 80 (AA)
- CoinGecko Trust Score
- 10/10
Why we chose it: Kraken is a perennial favorite of crypto investors, with more than 700 cryptocurrencies and 1500 trading pairs available. Arguably the safest centralized exchange for trading your crypto, it enjoys high marks across all major security assessment platforms. In fact, Kraken has never suffered a large-scale hack since it first went online in 2011 — an accolade that very few others of its size can attest to.
Kraken Pro, the exchange’s advanced trading platform, is especially notable for having some of the lowest spot trading fees in the industry and a highly customizable, responsive dashboard that supports more than 25 trading and market data widgets. It also belongs to a handful of platforms that allow margin and derivatives trading, a highly-restricted practice in the U.S.
Pros
- Clean interface, easy onboarding and portfolio tracking
- Educational tools that reward users with crypto
- FDIC insurance and crypto crime insurance
- Broad fiat on-ramp selection
Cons
- 35% commission on staking rewards for most assets
- High fees on simple buy and sell function
HIGHLIGHTS
- Trading fees
- ~2% for instant buy/sell (ACH), 0.40% – 0.00% / 0.60% – 0.05% on Coinbase Advanced
- Kaiko Exchange Score
- 80 (AA)
- CoinGecko Trust Score
- 10/10
Why we chose it: Coinbase does an excellent job of lowering the barrier to entry for new investors by focusing on usability and literacy. Its intuitive interface and quick onboarding process make it easy to verify your identity and get started, while educational incentives like Coinbase Earn help you learn about crypto while earning small amounts, easing you into trading.
Security-wise, the exchange offers six types of two-factor authentication and allows customers to store their funds in a vault with time delayed withdrawals. It also holds FDIC and crime insurance policies to protect custodial accounts on cash balances up to $250,000 and against losses from theft, including cybersecurity breaches — the strongest safety net on our list.
Pros
- Up to 8% cashback on everyday purchases
- CFTC-regulated crypto options and derivatives
- High liquidity and market presence
- Zero fees on select tokens
Cons
- Many benefits locked behind high CRO staking
- Confusing tiered rewards model
- Limited advanced trading tools
HIGHLIGHTS
- Trading fees
- ~1%-2% for instant buy/sell on app, 0.25% – 0.08% / 0.50% – 0.18% on regular exchange
- Kaiko Exchange Score
- 85 (AA)
- CoinGecko Trust Score
- 9/10
Why we chose it: Crypto.com features a broad rewards system that includes competitive staking yields, referral bonuses, rebates based on trading volume and even reimbursements for streaming services.
Two standout programs are its VISA credit and debit card rewards, which offer cashback in Cronos (CRO), Crypto.com’s native token. The former’s rewards range from 1.5% to 6% cashback depending on your card tier, while the latter’s vary from 1.5% to 15% or 2% to 8% when spending on everyday items or travel, respectively.
While its higher reward tiers require significant CRO staking, the sheer variety of rewards available puts Crypto.com on top when it comes to getting more out of your crypto. This is especially true when combined with the platform’s other advantages: high liquidity to ensure smoother transactions, robust security infrastructure and over 400 coins to choose from.
Pros
- Seamless swaps between assets in a single step
- Highly transparent business model
- Support for hard-to-find altcoins
- Staking on more than 20 crypto
Cons
- Among the highest trading fees on our list
- No advanced trading interface
- 3.99% debit card deposit fee
HIGHLIGHTS
- Trading fees
- 1.80% – 1.95% for BTC and ETH, 2.85% – 3.80% for altcoins, < 0.25% for most stablecoins
- Kaiko Exchange Score
- Not applicable
- CoinGecko Trust Score
- Not applicable
Why we chose it: Uphold is one of the few multi-asset trading platforms, letting users move directly between crypto, precious metals and even U.S. equities without first converting to cash — what it calls “anything-to-anything” trading. It supports this with a refreshingly simple interface designed for portfolio management rather than active trading.
The platform offers a broad range of assets, including more than 200 cryptocurrencies, major metals like gold and silver and more than 40 national currencies. It also features staking on over 20 assets with clearly listed rates and no complicated tier systems, which adds a layer of passive income without much friction.
Pros
- 16 built-in trading bots
- Highly competitive fees
- Fully compliant Money Services Business in 48 U.S. states
- Tight spread fees and smooth bot execution on major pairs
Cons
- Volatile spread fees due to external liquidity sources
- Unavailable in Alaska, Hawaii and New York
- Limited fiat on-ramps and off-ramps
HIGHLIGHTS
- Trading fees
- 0.1% maker / 0.5% taker
- Kaiko Exchange Score
- Not applicable
- CoinGecko Trust Score
- Not applicable
Why we chose it: Formerly Pionex.US, Webot’s main appeal is its suite of 16 built-in AI trading bots which are available for free and require no coding or external integrations. These range from basic ones, like bots that oscillate between different order settings or set up recurring buys, to those with advanced strategies, such as Grid, DCA (Martingale) and Rebalancing bots.
The platform sources liquidity from major exchanges like Binance and HTX, which helps maintain tighter spreads and smoother execution for bot-driven trades compared to smaller standalone platforms. Its flat 0.05% maker/taker fee is also quite competitive, especially for high-frequency strategies where costs can quickly compound.
Pros
- Thousands of tokens on more than 11 chains
- Fully decentralized and non-custodial
- No sign-ups or Know Your Customer (KYC)
- Earn by providing liquidity
Cons
- No customer service or fiat on-ramp
- Inefficient for small trades
- Costs can vary widely
HIGHLIGHTS
- Trading fees
- 0.3% liquidity fee
- Kaiko Exchange Score
- Not applicable
- CoinGecko Trust Score
- Not applicable
Why we chose it: Uniswap remains the defining decentralized exchange, operating as a fully on-chain protocol where users trade directly from their crypto wallets. This model eliminates counterparty risk and has made Uniswap a cornerstone of DeFi, with billions in total value locked and deployments across dozens of blockchain networks.
The fourth and latest version of Uniswap introduces features like customizable liquidity pools, dynamic fees and on-chain limit order capabilities, bringing its functionality closer to centralized exchanges while maintaining its decentralized nature. Availability on Layer 2 networks such as Arbitrum, Optimism and Base also makes trading far cheaper, often reducing fees to just cents per swap.
Other crypto exchanges we considered
The following trading platforms are all strong or well-known options. However, they didn’t make it to our top list because they lack certain core features, are not dedicated crypto exchanges or don’t excel in any particular area.
Binance.US
Binance.US is one of the most affordable crypto exchanges in the U.S., with trading fees starting around 0.1% and discounts available on certain pairs making it attractive for cost-conscious users. However, regulatory pressure has significantly impacted its operations in the past — USD deposits and withdrawals have been restricted at times, and its product offerings have narrowed — leaving it less competitive than before despite its low fees.
Bitstamp
Bitstamp, owned by the popular trading platform Robinhood, is one of the longest-running crypto exchanges, having built its reputation around regulatory compliance, security and reliability. It holds licenses across the U.S. and Europe and keeps roughly 95% of customer assets in cold storage with 1:1 backing. Despite its transparency and low fees, a smaller selection of assets and limited advanced features left it trailing other competitors on our list.
Gemini
Gemini features an intuitive user experience, solid custody practices and support for a moderate range of nearly 100 cryptocurrencies. It also offers an advanced interface for active traders and institutional-grade infrastructure, appealing to more serious investors. The platform’s main drawback remains cost, as its standard trading fees and spreads are higher than many competitors.
While the exchange is reliable, it doesn’t stand out strongly enough on pricing or features to lead the market — though this could change now that Gemini won approval from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission to operate its own regulated derivatives clearinghouse.
OKX
OKX is a major global exchange known for advanced trading tools, deep liquidity and a wide selection of assets. Although it has expanded its presence in the U.S., a history of regulatory issues — including anti-money laundering violations — continues to weigh on its reputation, and its local product is more constrained than what’s available globally, limiting its appeal compared to fully established domestic exchanges.
What you need to know about crypto exchanges
Crypto exchanges are the primary gateway for trading digital currencies like bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH) for other cryptocurrencies or fiat currencies such as U.S. dollars and euros. They are online platforms that act as intermediaries, allowing users to buy, sell or swap crypto.
In addition to trading, crypto exchanges provide a variety of services unavailable elsewhere. Crypto staking is a big one: it allows you to earn crypto back for setting aside a portion of the coins in their wallet. Some even offer cashback card programs and tools for web3 developers.
Exchanges are essential to the crypto ecosystem because many traditional investment firms don’t support direct crypto trading. Without them, you would have to find another person willing to trade crypto, agree on an exchange rate and send the coins directly to each other’s crypto wallets — a somewhat convoluted process.
The different types of crypto exchanges
There are two main types of crypto exchange: centralized and decentralized. Platforms that combine features of both types are sometimes considered “hybrid” exchanges.
Each type of exchange is vulnerable to different cyberthreats:
Centralized exchanges (CEX)
Centralized exchanges (CEX), such as Coinbase, Kraken and Gemini, are the most widely used type of crypto exchange. They are operated by private companies that provide a platform for you to buy, sell and trade cryptocurrencies. CEXs tend to have higher trading volumes, deeper liquidity and a wider range of trading pairs than their decentralized counterparts.
Centralized exchanges are often considered a good option for beginners due to their simpler onboarding access to customer support. However, they require you to trust the platform with the custody of your funds and to provide personal information to verify your identity, which some may feel uncomfortable sharing.
Decentralized exchanges (DEX)
Decentralized exchanges (DEX) like Uniswap and Bisq follow in the spirit of bitcoin by operating with no central point of control. Instead of relying on company-run servers, most modern DEXs run on blockchains, which are maintained by decentralized networks of computers, servers and devices.
If centralized exchanges operate as brokerages, decentralized exchanges are more like marketplaces. They facilitate peer-to-peer trading, giving users full control over their assets. This eliminates counterparty risk, but also introduces some drawbacks — namely a steeper learning curve and a lack of traditional customer support.
Understanding crypto exchange fees
Like exchanging fiat currencies, trades on a crypto exchange usually incur fees, which is how these platforms make the most of their revenue. But it’s not always clear what exactly you’ll be charged for — even less so when exchanges can run on entirely different fee models.
Crypto exchange fees can be broadly classified into four categories: trading fees, spread fees, network fees and deposit and withdrawal fees.
Trading fees
Charged when buying or selling crypto, trading fees are most often seen in spot exchanges under a maker-taker model, where one of two percentages applies to your transactions under different circumstances (for example, 0.20% / 0.40%).
The maker fee applies when you add liquidity to the exchange by placing an order that doesn’t immediately fill. The taker fee applies when you remove liquidity, which happens when you place an order that fills instantly at the current price.
Many exchanges lower these fees for investors — sometimes eliminating them entirely —based on their trading volume and how much of a certain coin they are holding.
Spread fees
Some crypto exchanges charge you for the difference between the price at which they sell a cryptocurrency and the price at which it buys it from you. This difference, called a spread, is not always an explicit “fee.” Often it’s embedded in the price of your trade.
For example, if bitcoin’s market price is $90,000, an exchange might sell it to you for $90,300 and buy it from you for $89,700. That $600 difference is the spread — effectively a hidden fee you pay on each trade.
Spreads are common when using the “instant buy” feature of crypto exchanges. Although convenient, it’s usually more expensive than regular spot trades under a maker-taker model.
Deposit and withdrawal fees
Deposit and withdrawal fees may apply when transferring money into or out of your crypto exchange, for example, via debit card, credit card or PayPal. These fees vary widely from exchange to exchange depending on the payment method and type of asset you’re moving.
Bank transfers are often free or low cost. Credit and debit card deposits can carry fees of 2% to 5%. Crypto withdrawals often come with blockchain network fees (like gas fees on ethereum) and sometimes incur additional platform fees.
Network fees
Also known as gas fees, network fees are paid to cryptocurrency miners or validators, who process and secure crypto transactions on the blockchain. Most importantly, most exchanges do not set these fees: They’re built into the blockchain itself and are based on network activity.
Many centralized crypto exchanges incur this cost, though some may allow you to pay more in fees to speed up your transactions. Users on decentralized exchanges have to pay this fee themselves, since there is no third party between them and the crypto miners.
Methodology
Our team at Money researched over 23 crypto exchanges and evaluated them based on cost, security and user experience. We mainly focused on dedicated crypto exchanges and then looked at trading platforms that also let you trade other securities.
Cost
Fees can add up quickly, especially for frequent traders. Many platforms offer tiered fee schedules where trading costs drop as your volume increases. Some also provide discounts for using native tokens like BNB or CRO, or even waive fees altogether for high-volume orders. We favored exchanges that clearly establish their fee and explain them in layman’s terms.
Security
Secure crypto exchanges protect both your funds and personal information through strong preventative measures and responsible account management. The best platforms conduct regular penetration tests, host bug bounties and request third-party audits to identify and fix vulnerabilities in their code. They may also offer insurance to cover losses from internal errors.
On the user side, exchanges should enforce best practices like TLS/SSL encryption and multi-factor authentication (MFA) to ensure safe account access. These tools — along with a strong track record of guarding against breaches — are key signs of a trustworthy platform.
User experience
A smooth experience is essential for beginners and seasoned traders alike. We evaluated platforms based on the design and usability of their mobile and desktop interfaces, favoring those with clean layouts and simple navigation.
Strong user experience includes access to educational content like tutorials, guides and explainers to help users understand crypto basics and platform features. We also favored exchanges with research tools like those that provide real-time market data, coin filtering and performance metrics (like market cap and price trends).
Summary of our top picks
- Kraken: Best Crypto Exchange Overall
- Coinbase: Best Crypto Exchange for Beginners
- Crypto.com: Best Exchange for Crypto Rewards
- Uphold: Best Crypto Exchange for Cross-Asset Trading
- Webot: Best Crypto Exchange for Automated Trading
- Uniswap: Best Decentralized Crypto Exchange
Key Takeaways
Kraken is the best crypto exchange due to its low fees, extensive data tools and longstanding reputation. If you’re just starting out with crypto, Coinbase offers greater direction, while Uniswap is your go-to choice for a decentralized exchange.
In the US, crypto exchanges face much stricter regulation than elsewhere because they must comply with the SEC, CFTC, FinCEN and sometimes even state-level regulators.
Centralized crypto exchanges are operated by a single entity and come with stronger rail guards, whereas decentralized crypto exchanges run as peer-to-peer networks, offering greater freedom.
We analyzed 23 crypto exchanges, comparing their fee schedules, trading pairs, security framework and overall standing with auditors and users.
Money is not a client of any investment adviser featured on this page. The information provided on this page is for educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Money does not offer advisory services.
Our top picks for the best crypto exchanges
Kraken: Best Crypto Exchange Overall
Coinbase: Best Crypto Exchange for Beginners
Crypto.com: Best Exchange for Crypto Rewards
Uphold: Best Crypto Exchange for Cross-Asset Trading
Webot: Best Crypto Exchange for Automated Trading
Uniswap: Best Decentralized Crypto Exchange
Pros
Widest selection of crypto and trading pairs of any U.S.-compliant exchange
Near-perfect trust scores across security assessments
Staking on 25 assets, flexible and bonded options
Low fees and niche trading options on Kraken Pro
Cons
Unavailable in Maine and New York
High fees for instant purchases
HIGHLIGHTS
Trading fees
1% for instant buy/sell (ACH), 0.25% – 0.00% / 0.40% – 0.10% on Kraken Pro
Kaiko Exchange Score
80 (AA)
CoinGecko Trust Score
10/10
Why we chose it: Kraken is a perennial favorite of crypto investors, with more than 700 cryptocurrencies and 1500 trading pairs available. Arguably the safest centralized exchange for trading your crypto, it enjoys high marks across all major security assessment platforms. In fact, Kraken has never suffered a large-scale hack since it first went online in 2011 — an accolade that very few others of its size can attest to.
Kraken Pro, the exchange’s advanced trading platform, is especially notable for having some of the lowest spot trading fees in the industry and a highly customizable, responsive dashboard that supports more than 25 trading and market data widgets. It also belongs to a handful of platforms that allow margin and derivatives trading, a highly-restricted practice in the U.S.
Pros
Clean interface, easy onboarding and portfolio tracking
Educational tools that reward users with crypto
FDIC insurance and crypto crime insurance
Broad fiat on-ramp selection
Cons
35% commission on staking rewards for most assets
High fees on simple buy and sell function
HIGHLIGHTS
Trading fees
~2% for instant buy/sell (ACH), 0.40% – 0.00% / 0.60% – 0.05% on Coinbase Advanced
Kaiko Exch
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