Binance fees explained: the complete 2026 breakdown
Binance remains the most-used crypto exchange in the world, yet its fees are often misunderstood. Between spot, futures, deposits, withdrawals, spread and conversion, the real bill can surprise you, especially for an active trader. This guide breaks down every type of fee, calculates the cumulative impact, then compares Binance to the two authorised alternatives we use, OKX and Kraken Pro.
Transparency: this article contains affiliate links. If you open an account through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend platforms we actually use, and we removed XT, BingX and MEXC from this page in October 2026: no European licence, FCA warning list.
Why Binance fees deserve a serious look
When you start out, you watch the price of Bitcoin and forget about fees. That is a classic mistake. Fees are a recurring cost, charged on every transaction, that silently erodes performance. For an investor who buys and holds, the impact stays marginal. But for an active trader who practices regular analysis and capital rotation, every basis point counts.
Binance advertises some of the most competitive fees among large mainstream platforms. But "competitive" does not mean "cheapest", and the authorised exchanges we use, OKX on spot in particular, match or beat it. For the platform in full, see our complete Binance review. Let's first look in detail at what you actually pay on Binance.
Spot trading fees
The spot market is the direct buying and selling of cryptos (BTC, ETH, altcoins). It is the entry point for most users.
- Standard fees: 0.10% maker / 0.10% taker. This rate applies to all new accounts, with no volume requirement.
- With BNB discount: by enabling fee payment with the BNB token, you get a 25% reduction, bringing fees down to 0.075% maker / 0.075% taker.
- VIP tiers: above a certain monthly volume and BNB balance, fees decrease further in steps (VIP1 to VIP9).
Concretely, on a 1,000 EUR spot trade, you pay 1 EUR in fees at standard rate, or 0.75 EUR with the BNB discount. It is small per trade, but multiply it by the number of trades in a month and the total becomes visible.
Futures trading fees
Futures contracts (USDT-M and COIN-M perpetuals) are where active traders concentrate their activity, with leverage. Fees are structurally lower than on spot, but the volume traded is far higher because of leverage.
- Standard USDT-M fees: 0.02% maker / 0.05% taker.
- With BNB discount: -10% on futures, roughly 0.018% maker / 0.045% taker.
- VIP tiers: VIP levels strongly reduce the taker fee (down to 0.017% maker / 0.030% taker for high VIPs), but they require very large monthly volumes, out of reach for most retail traders.
The key point: a trader with 10x leverage on a 1,000 EUR position actually exposes 10,000 EUR. A 0.05% taker fee on 10,000 EUR is 5 EUR per opening, and as much on closing. Leverage amplifies fees too, not just gains.
Deposit and withdrawal fees
They are often overlooked, but the fees to move capital in and out matter, especially for euro-denominated accounts.
- Crypto deposit: free. You only pay the network fees of the originating blockchain.
- Crypto withdrawal: variable network fees. Withdrawing USDT on Tron (TRC-20) costs a fraction of a cent; on Ethereum (ERC-20) it can climb to several euros depending on congestion.
- EUR deposit via SEPA: generally free or a few cents. It is the cheapest way to fund your account in euros.
- EUR deposit by card: significantly higher fees (often 1.8% to 2%). Avoid for large amounts.
- EUR withdrawal via SEPA: low fixed fees (in the range of a few tens of cents to 1 EUR).
Simple advice: always fund via SEPA, never by card, and withdraw your cryptos on the cheapest available network.
Spread and conversion: the hidden fees
Beyond the advertised fees, two costs often go unnoticed:
- The spread: the gap between the best bid and the best ask. On major pairs (BTC/USDT, ETH/USDT) it is near zero thanks to Binance's liquidity. On small caps it can be significant.
- Conversion (Binance Convert): handy for quickly swapping two cryptos without going through the order book, but the rate embeds a margin above standard spot fees. For large amounts, it is better to use the spot market with a limit order.
The cumulative impact of fees on an active trader
Let's take a concrete example. An active trader executing 40 futures trades per month, average size 5,000 EUR of notional per position (entry + exit = 80 executions):
- Binance standard (taker 0.05%): 80 x 5,000 x 0.05% = 200 EUR / month, i.e. 2,400 EUR / year.
- Binance with BNB (taker ~0.045%): around 180 EUR / month, i.e. 2,160 EUR / year.
- OKX or Kraken Pro standard (taker 0.05%): the same 200 EUR / month at the entry tier. The gap opens with limit orders at 0.02% maker, and with the tiers: OKX from VIP 1, Kraken Pro from USD 20,000 held on the platform.
The lesson: over a year, the choice of platform and fee optimization can make a difference of several hundred euros. And that is before counting the effect on liquidation mechanisms, where fees add to losses in a worst-case scenario.
The authorised alternatives to Binance
Fees are only half the question in 2026. The other half is whether the exchange may serve you at all: Binance lost EU residents on July 1 and never had the UK or US retail market on its global platform. Two venues cover those readers with a fee grid in the same range:
- OKX: 0.08% maker / 0.10% taker on spot (cheaper than Binance without BNB), 0.02% / 0.05% on futures at the entry tier, a catalogue close to Binance's, MiCA authorisation in Europe, UK residents served under the FCA regime, and since September a reimbursement programme up to EUR 100,000 after an account takeover. Our OKX review and OKX vs Binance comparison go deeper.
- Kraken Pro: 0.02% / 0.05% on futures at the entry tier, spot from 0.40% / 0.80% down to 0.15% / 0.30%, with tiers that since July 2026 also count what you hold on the platform. On the FCA register, authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland, fifteen years without an intrusion. The venue for UK and US readers.
- Bybit: 0.10% / 0.10% on spot, 0.02% / 0.055% on futures, MiCA-authorised in Austria; a reasonable second account for derivatives where they are allowed.
Fee comparison table
| Platform | Spot | Futures maker | Futures taker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binance (standard) | 0.10% | 0.02% | 0.05% |
| Binance (with BNB) | 0.075% | ~0.018% | ~0.045% |
| OKX (entry tier) | 0.08% / 0.10% | 0.02% | 0.05% |
| Kraken Pro (entry tier) | 0.40% / 0.80% | 0.02% | 0.05% |
| Bybit (entry tier) | 0.10% | 0.02% | 0.055% |
How to concretely reduce your fees
Whether you stay on Binance or switch to an alternative, these four levers cut your bill immediately:
- Favor limit orders (maker): a maker order adds liquidity to the book and costs less than a market order (taker). On Binance futures, that is 0.02% versus 0.05%, more than twice cheaper.
- Pay your fees in BNB: -25% on spot, -10% on futures. Simply keep a small BNB balance and enable the option in the settings.
- Climb VIP tiers: if your volume justifies it, VIP levels durably reduce your fees. But never force volume just to reach a tier: the cost of useless trades exceeds the saving.
- Choose the right platform: the most powerful lever is to trade where the grid suits your style and where you are allowed to trade. OKX undercuts Binance on spot without a BNB balance, and Kraken Pro lowers its tiers for what you hold rather than what you churn.
Our verdict
Binance remains an excellent choice for liquidity and security where it is legally available, and on the single criterion of fees it is not beaten at the entry tier: OKX and Kraken Pro charge the same 0.02% / 0.05% on futures. The difference in 2026 is elsewhere. OKX is cheaper on spot, authorised in Europe, open to UK residents and backs accounts with Shield. Kraken is on the FCA register with the cleanest record in the sector. Binance offers none of that to a European or British reader, which is why we no longer link to it.
We dropped XT, BingX and MEXC from this comparison in October 2026: no European licence, all three on the FCA warning list, none open to EU residents. Futures with leverage can liquidate an account in minutes, whichever venue you choose.
Where we trade instead of Binance
OKX for spot fees below Binance and the same futures grid, plus account protection. Kraken for the FCA register and for US readers.
Affiliate links: we earn a share of trading fees, at no extra cost to you. OKX is not on the FCA cryptoasset register; UK customers are served under the financial promotions regime with a 24-hour cooling-off period and no FSCS cover. Crypto-assets are volatile and you may lose everything you commit. Reading from the UK? See which exchanges serve UK residents, and under what rules.
For a complete overview of the platforms, see our ranking of the best crypto exchanges in 2026, our OKX vs Binance comparison and, if you read from the UK, our guide to crypto exchanges for UK residents.
FAQ
What are Binance spot trading fees in 2026?
0.10% maker and 0.10% taker at standard tier. By paying fees with the BNB token, you get -25%, i.e. 0.075% maker / 0.075% taker.
How much do Binance futures fees cost?
0.02% maker and 0.05% taker at standard tier. These fees drop with VIP levels (volume + BNB balance), and the -10% BNB discount also applies.
Are there deposit and withdrawal fees on Binance?
Crypto deposits are free (excluding network fees). Crypto withdrawals cost the blockchain network fee. In EUR, SEPA is free or very cheap, while card deposits charge around 1.8% to 2%.
How can I reduce my fees on Binance?
Pay in BNB (-25% spot, -10% futures), use limit orders (maker) rather than market orders, climb VIP tiers through volume, and fund via SEPA rather than card.
Which exchange offers lower fees than Binance?
On futures, OKX and Kraken Pro match Binance's standard 0.02% maker / 0.05% taker at the entry tier. On spot, OKX charges 0.08% / 0.10% against Binance's 0.10% without BNB. The real difference is access: OKX and Kraken are authorised under MiCA and serve UK residents, Binance no longer takes EU residents. OKX also reimburses account takeovers up to EUR 100,000 through OKX Shield.
Do Binance fees really matter for an active trader?
Yes. With dozens of trades per month, cumulative fees quickly reach hundreds of euros. Optimizing your fees (maker, BNB, platform) represents meaningful savings over a year.