Kraken charges 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker fees at the base tier on Kraken Pro, dropping to 0.30%/0.60% once you trade $2,500 a month and as low as 0.00% maker and 0.05% taker for the biggest accounts. Crypto deposits are free, ACH withdrawals are free for US users, and Instant Buy orders on the simple Kraken app carry a flat 1% fee plus spread.
How Kraken’s Trading Fees Work
Kraken uses a maker-taker model on its Pro platform. Maker orders add liquidity to the order book, like a limit order sitting unfilled. Taker orders remove liquidity, like a market order that fills instantly. Makers pay less because they help keep the market liquid.
Your rate depends on your trailing 30-day activity. Trade more, pay less. At the base tier you pay 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker. Cross $2,500 in monthly volume and that drops to 0.30% maker and 0.60% taker, then 0.22%/0.38% from $10,000 and 0.20%/0.35% from $25,000. By $250,000 a month you are at 0.10% maker and 0.22% taker. Makers pay nothing from $10 million a month, and the top published tier, for accounts trading $500 million or more, pays 0.00% maker and 0.05% taker.
There are several tiers between these breakpoints that Kraken adjusts periodically, so check the live fee schedule in your account before assuming a specific rate applies to you.
| 30-Day Trading Volume | Maker Fee | Taker Fee |
|---|---|---|
| $0 to $2,499 | 0.40% | 0.80% |
| $2,500+ | 0.30% | 0.60% |
| $10,000+ | 0.22% | 0.38% |
| $25,000+ | 0.20% | 0.35% |
| $50,000+ | 0.15% | 0.30% |
| $100,000+ | 0.12% | 0.25% |
| $250,000+ | 0.10% | 0.22% |
| $10,000,000+ | 0.00% | 0.10% |
| $500,000,000+ (top Pro tier) | 0.00% | 0.05% |
One change worth flagging for 2026: Kraken now sets your tier from the best of three measures, your 30-day spot volume, your 30-day futures volume, or your Assets on Platform (AoP), the USD value of eligible assets held in your account. AoP starts counting from the $10,000 tier, which needs $20,000 held. So a holder who rarely trades can still land a lower rate than volume alone would give, but the tier can drop as soon as the balance falls.
If you’re comparing fee structures across exchanges, our Bybit fees breakdown uses a similar maker-taker system, which makes it a useful side-by-side reference.
Kraken vs Kraken Pro Fees
“Kraken” and “Kraken Pro” aren’t separate accounts, they’re two interfaces on the same account. The simple Kraken app is built for quick buys and sells. It uses Instant Buy, which charges a 1% trading fee on instant and recurring trades and 1.5% on custom orders. Kraken+ members have those fees waived on up to $10,000 of trading a month. That’s not the whole cost, though. Instant Buy also bakes in a spread, the gap between the market rate and the price you’re quoted, which typically pushes the all-in cost to somewhere between 1.5% and 2.5%.
Kraken Pro strips out the spread and charges the maker-taker rate directly, starting at 0.40%/0.80% and improving with volume. The gap is smaller than it used to be: a small market order on Pro costs 0.80% against 1% plus spread on Instant Buy. Limit orders are where Pro clearly wins, at 0.40% or less, and the savings grow once you pass $2,500 a month.
One catch: Instant Buy volume does not count toward your 30-day volume for fee tier progress. If you want to work your way down the maker-taker ladder, you need to route trades through Kraken Pro, not the simplified app.
Kraken Deposit Fees
Most cryptocurrency deposits on Kraken are free. A handful of assets carry a small deposit or address-setup fee, so it’s worth checking the deposit page for the specific coin before sending funds.
Fiat is a bit more varied:
- ACH deposits (US) processed through Plaid are free and available instantly for trading, though withdrawals of that balance are subject to a seven-day hold.
- Wire deposits vary by banking partner. Some of Kraken’s US banking partners offer no-fee USD wire deposits, while others charge a flat handling fee depending on the routing method.
- Debit card purchases (US clients, cards only, no credit cards) show the full cost, fee plus any spread, on the confirmation screen before you buy. There’s no separate hidden card fee beyond what your card issuer might charge for the transaction type.
If minimizing deposit friction matters more to you than advanced trading tools, it’s worth comparing Kraken against the platforms in our guide to low-fee and free crypto exchanges.
Kraken Withdrawal Fees
Crypto withdrawal fees on Kraken track network conditions, not a flat Kraken markup. They move with blockchain congestion, so the number you see at checkout can differ from what you saw yesterday.
For Bitcoin, the minimum withdrawal is 0.0004 BTC and the fee has historically sat around 0.0002 BTC, though Kraken states this is dynamic and adjusts with network fees. For Ethereum, the withdrawal fee has been as low as free during periods of low network congestion, with typical network costs elsewhere landing somewhere in the single-digit to low double-digit dollar range. Always confirm the exact fee on the withdrawal screen before submitting, Kraken shows the final number at confirmation.
On the fiat side, ACH withdrawals are free for eligible US clients and typically land in your bank in one to three business days. Wire withdrawals cost more, generally in the $4 to $35 range for domestic transfers depending on the intermediary bank involved.
| Fee Type | Amount |
|---|---|
| Kraken Pro maker fee (base tier) | 0.40% |
| Kraken Pro taker fee (base tier) | 0.80% |
| Kraken Instant Buy/Sell | ~1% plus spread |
| Crypto deposits | Free for most assets |
| ACH deposit/withdrawal (US) | Free |
| Wire withdrawal | $4 to $35 (bank dependent) |
| BTC withdrawal | Dynamic, historically around 0.0002 BTC |
| ETH withdrawal | Dynamic, sometimes free |
Account Verification Tiers and How They Affect Fees
Kraken runs a tiered verification system: Starter, Express (US only), Intermediate, and Pro. This trips people up because it sounds like it should change your trading fee. It doesn’t. Verification level controls what you can do on the account, not the percentage you pay per trade.
Starter is the entry point right after signup, with limited functionality. Intermediate verification is automated and usually finishes in about five minutes. It unlocks fiat deposits and withdrawals, higher rate limits, futures trading access, and withdrawal limits up to roughly $500,000 daily. Pro verification asks for more documentation, things like proof of funds or detailed financial information, in exchange for the highest withdrawal limits, OTC trading access, and priority support.
So a Starter account and a Pro account trading the same volume pay the same maker-taker rate. What changes is how much you can move and which features you can reach.
Kraken Fees vs Coinbase and Binance.US
At a high level, Kraken sits in the middle of the US exchange market. Its base-tier maker-taker rates are generally lower than Coinbase’s default trading fees, which tend to run higher for casual, low-volume traders using Coinbase’s simple buy/sell flow. Binance.US, on the other hand, typically undercuts Kraken’s entry-level rate for smaller, less frequent traders, though its available markets and features are narrower than Kraken’s.
Once you’re trading at meaningful volume, the gap between all three narrows. High-volume traders on any of these platforms end up negotiating fees down toward similar territory, and factors like available coins, US state availability, staking options, and customer support start to matter as much as the fee line item. For a broader look at how exchanges stack up beyond just fees, see our best crypto exchange guide or our roundup of top exchanges by token.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kraken free to use?
No, but a lot of it is free. Crypto deposits and ACH transfers cost nothing. Trading fees start at 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker on Kraken Pro, or roughly 1% plus spread if you use Instant Buy on the simple app.
What is Kraken’s withdrawal fee for Bitcoin?
It’s dynamic and tied to network conditions rather than fixed. Historically it has run around 0.0002 BTC, with a 0.0004 BTC minimum withdrawal. Check the live withdrawal screen for the exact current fee before confirming.
Does Kraken charge deposit fees?
Most crypto deposits are free, with a few assets carrying a small deposit or address-setup fee. ACH deposits are free. Wire deposit fees depend on the banking partner, some offer no-fee USD wires while others charge a handling fee.
What’s the difference between Kraken and Kraken Pro fees?
Same account, two interfaces. The simple Kraken app uses Instant Buy at roughly 1% plus spread. Kraken Pro uses the tiered maker-taker schedule starting at 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker, which drops as your 30-day volume rises.
Do higher verification levels lower Kraken’s trading fees?
No. Verification level, Starter, Intermediate, or Pro, controls your deposit and withdrawal limits and account features, not your trading fee percentage. Fees are set by trading volume, and as of July 9, 2026, also by the value of assets you hold on the platform.
Is Kraken cheaper than Coinbase or Binance.US?
Generally cheaper than Coinbase’s default rates for most traders. Binance.US tends to undercut Kraken’s base tier for smaller, infrequent trades. At high volume, the fee gap between all three narrows significantly.
