For derivatives, liquidity and fees are the product. Everything else is packaging.
This list weights order-book depth and the fee schedule above all, because a thin book costs you more in slippage on one bad fill than the fee difference costs you in a month.
| Exchange | Score | Spot taker | Futures taker | Best for | Open account |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1BinanceThe deepest order books in crypto, with the widest product range. | 8.8 | 0.075%after discount | 0.05% | altcoins, futures | Open account |
2OKXA trading platform and a self-custody wallet in one product. | 8.6 | 0.1% | 0.05% | futures, defi | Open account |
3BybitA derivatives-first exchange that grew into a full-service platform. | 8.4 | 0.1% | 0.055% | futures, copy-trading | Open account |
4KrakenThe security-first veteran, and the safest on-ramp for large fiat amounts. | 8.1 | 0.8% | 0.05% | beginners, security | Open account |
5BitgetThe copy-trading specialist with a large protection fund. | 8.0 | 0.1% | 0.06% | copy-trading, altcoins | Open account |
6CoinbaseThe most regulated, most beginner-friendly and most expensive way in. | 7.9 | 1.2% | 0.05% | beginners, usa | Open account |
7MEXCThe cheapest fees and the longest listing tail, with the trade-offs that implies. | 7.7 | 0.05% | 0.02% | low-fees, altcoins | Open account |
8KuCoinThe altcoin exchange that grew up, slowly. | 7.5 | 0.08%after discount | 0.06% | altcoins, low-fees | Open account |
Top of this ranking
The deepest order books in crypto, with the widest product range.
A trading platform and a self-custody wallet in one product.
A derivatives-first exchange that grew into a full-service platform.
The taker fee, twice — once to open and once to close. A 0.05% taker fee is 0.10% per round trip on notional, which at 10× leverage is 1% of your margin before the market moves at all.
A periodic payment between long and short holders that keeps the perpetual price tethered to spot. When it is positive, longs pay shorts. Over a long hold it can outweigh trading fees entirely.
No. Maximum leverage varies by venue, by asset and by jurisdiction, and regulated markets cap it far below offshore levels.
Other rankings
Guides
A practical filter for picking an exchange: availability first, then custody, then cost — in that order.
Maker and taker fees, spreads, funding rates and withdrawal costs — what each one actually takes out of your account.
The signup, verification and first-deposit process end to end, including the security steps to take before you fund the account.
Tools and reference
Security and reputation inputs, side by side
Maker/taker, spread, slippage, proof of reserves and more