Binance vs Kraken · Comparison

Binance vs Kraken in 2026: Spot and Futures Fees, Regional Access and Deposits Compared

Kraken’s first spot tier costs 0.40% maker / 0.80% taker against Binance’s 0.10%; on perpetuals both start at 0.02% / 0.05% (fee pages read 22 and 23 September 2026). Access reverses the picture: Kraken holds a MiCA licence for the EEA and serves the UK and the US, while Binance takes no new EU/EEA users since 1 July 2026, pays UK users no rebate and does not serve the US.

Binance: not for new EU/EEA users since 1 July 2026, no rebate for UK users, not available in the US.

Kraken: open in the EEA, UK and US (no affiliate link) → Binance with PRM26, where available →

The Kraken button is a plain link; we have no partnership with Kraken. The Binance button is an affiliate link: Binance pays us a commission if you register through it, and the fees and rebate you receive are the same either way.

Written and checked by , Promo Code Network, Switzerland

How Binance vs Kraken was compared

Four criteria from the operators’ own pages: trading fees on Kraken Pro and Binance at the first tier, with Binance’s BNB discount and PRM26 rebate as separate steps; availability in the EEA, the UK and the US, using ESMA’s register and Kraken’s legal disclosures; deposit rails and card fees where a figure is published; and products only where a fee page describes them.

Cryptocurrency trading carries substantial risk; this page is information, not financial advice.

Binance vs Kraken fees on spot and perpetuals

RateBinanceKraken
Spot, first tier, maker / taker0.10% / 0.10%0.40% / 0.80% (Kraken Pro tier 1); 0.20% / 0.20% on stablecoin and FX pairs
Spot, fees paid in BNB0.075% (25% off)No fee-token discount on the pages read; tier 2 (0.30% / 0.60%) from 2,500 USD of 30-day volume, tier 3 also by holding 20,000 USD on the platform
Spot, BNB plus PRM260.06% (20% of the net fee rebated until VIP 3; 40% off in total)No rebate compared
Perpetuals, first tier, maker / taker0.020% / 0.050% (USDT-margined)0.02% / 0.05%
Perpetuals, BNB plus PRM260.018% / 0.045% with BNB; 0.0144% / 0.036% if the full 20% futures rebate applies (12 months)Tiers fall with volume or assets held
Simple buy in the appNot covered by the pages read1% trading fee (1.5% on custom orders) plus a spread; Kraken+ members pay no trading fee on up to 10,000 USD a month

Perpetual futures are leveraged: a small price move against you can liquidate the position and lose the entire margin.

On 10,000 USD of spot bought as a taker, Binance charges 10.00 USD, or 6.00 USD with BNB and PRM26; Kraken Pro charges 80.00 USD and Kraken’s Instant Buy 100 USD plus the spread. Kraken’s fee page adds that futures are not available to customers in Canada, the US and New Zealand, or do not count toward tier qualification there, and lists app perps at 0.25% to open and 0.25% to close in certain countries.

PRM26 rebates 20% of spot and margin fees for the life of the account and up to 20% of futures fees for 12 months from the day the futures account is opened, paid hourly in USDC. The rebate is calculated on net fees after maker rebates and stops at VIP 3.

Where Binance and Kraken are available: EEA, UK and US

RegionBinanceKraken
EEAWithdrew its MiCA application on 24 June 2026; no sign-ups, trading or deposits for EU/EEA users since 1 July 2026; existing accounts can withdrawPayward Europe Solutions Ltd, authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland on 25 June 2025, listed for 30 EEA states in ESMA’s register
UKNot authorised for UK retail customers; UK users receive no referral incentivePayward Ltd, registered with the FCA as a cryptoasset business since 22 November 2021; Payward Services Ltd authorised by the FCA for e-money
USbinance.com not availablePayward Interactive, Inc., registered with FinCEN as a money services business and licensed in US states
SwitzerlandAvailable; PRM26 appliesCHF deposits by SIC, free, listed for Liechtenstein and Switzerland

ESMA interim MiCA register read 23 September 2026 (no Binance entity listed); Kraken legal disclosures last updated 11 August 2026, read 23 September 2026.

Deposit rails and card fees: what Kraken publishes

RegionKraken bank transferKraken debit cardBinance
EEA (EUR)SEPA and SEPA Instant free, 1 EUR minimum; SWIFT 3 EUR0.25 EUR + 3.75%, 10 EUR minimumClosed to new EU/EEA users
UK (GBP)Faster Payments free, 1 to 2 GBP minimum0.25 GBP + 3.75%, 10 GBP minimumNot covered by the pages read
US (USD)ACH free, 7-day withdrawal hold0.25 USD + 3.75%, 10 USD minimumNot available
Switzerland (CHF)SIC free, 1 CHF minimum; SWIFT 0.75 CHFNone listed for CHFNot covered by the pages read

Kraken cash deposit options, last updated 17 August 2026, read 23 September 2026. Card, PayPal and ACH deposits trigger a temporary withdrawal hold (72 hours for cards).

Card against bank transfer. A 100 EUR card deposit at Kraken costs 4.00 EUR (0.25 EUR plus 3.75%); the same amount by SEPA costs nothing. Binance’s deposit fees are not covered by the pages read for this comparison, so we do not rank the two on this criterion.

Binance vs Kraken: the verdict by residence

In the EEA. Kraken. Binance accepts no new EU/EEA users; Payward Europe Solutions Ltd is MiCA-authorised and SEPA deposits are free. Use Kraken (no affiliate link), or compare it with the other venues on our list of MiCA-licensed exchanges.

In the UK and the US. Kraken again: registered with the FCA and with FinCEN, with free Faster Payments and ACH deposits. Binance pays UK users no rebate and binance.com is not available in the US.

In Switzerland and other countries both serve. On fees the pick is Binance, our affiliate partner: 0.10% spot against 0.40% / 0.80%, or 0.06% with BNB and PRM26, and the same 0.02% / 0.05% perpetual base before its discounts.

Our pick, and the interest behind it. Binance pays us a commission if you register through our link and wins on trading fees where it is open. Kraken pays us nothing and wins on access in the EEA, the UK and the US. Where you live decides which of the two criteria applies to you.

Binance vs Kraken: common questions

Is Binance cheaper than Kraken on spot trades?
Yes, where Binance is open to you: 0.10% maker and taker against 0.40% / 0.80% at Kraken Pro’s first tier (read 23 September 2026). Kraken’s tier 2, 0.30% / 0.60%, starts at 2,500 USD of 30-day volume. Stablecoin and FX pairs on Kraken cost 0.20%.
Are Binance and Kraken futures fees the same?
At the first tier, yes: 0.02% maker, 0.05% taker on both. Binance goes lower with BNB (0.018% / 0.045%) and PRM26, which rebates up to 20% of futures fees for 12 months. Kraken says futures are not available to customers in Canada, the US and New Zealand, or do not count toward its tiers there.
Can I deposit euros to Kraken for free?
By SEPA or SEPA Instant, yes, from 1 EUR. An EEA debit card costs 0.25 EUR plus 3.75% with a 10 EUR minimum and a 72-hour withdrawal hold; a EUR SWIFT transfer costs 3 EUR (Kraken deposit page, updated 17 August 2026).
Is Kraken available in the UK and the US?
Yes. In the UK, Payward Ltd has been registered with the FCA as a cryptoasset business since 22 November 2021, and Faster Payments deposits are free. In the US, Payward Interactive, Inc. is registered with FinCEN; ACH deposits are free with a 7-day withdrawal hold.
What does Kraken’s Instant Buy cost compared with Kraken Pro?
Instant Buy charges a 1% trading fee, 1.5% on custom orders, plus a spread in the price. Kraken Pro charges 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker at the first tier with no spread. Kraken+ members pay no trading fee on up to 10,000 USD a month; spreads and card fees still apply.

Sources

  1. Binance fee schedule, Referral Pro FAQ and Referral Program terms, read 22 September 2026: base rates, BNB discount, PRM26 rebate, EEA and UK exclusions.
  2. Kraken fee schedule, read 23 September 2026: Kraken Pro spot and futures tiers, stablecoin and FX pairs, Instant Buy, Kraken+ and app perps.
  3. Kraken cash deposit options (updated 17 August 2026) and Kraken legal disclosures (updated 11 August 2026), read 23 September 2026.
  4. ESMA interim MiCA register of crypto-asset service providers (CSV), read 23 September 2026: Payward Europe Solutions Ltd listed; no Binance entity.