OKX vs BingX vs MEXC in 2026: fees, leverage and licensing compared
People compare these three all the time, yet they target different traders. OKX holds a European licence. BingX and MEXC post fee schedules that no licensed venue matches. Below you get the full table, then the math on what the fee gap is worth to you.
In short
- MEXC is the cheapest on spot: 0.0000% maker, 0.05% taker, and more than 3,000 listed assets.
- BingX owns the copy trading niche, at 0.1% spot fees and 150x maximum leverage.
- OKX has the unified account, portfolio margin and options, and it is the only one of the three with a MiCA authorisation.
- If you run bots, note that MEXC's API futures schedule (0.060% / 0.080%) costs more than OKX's (0.02% / 0.05%).
OKX, BingX and MEXC in one table
| Criterion | OKX Europe | BingX | MEXC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entity and jurisdiction | OKX Europe Limited (Malta) | Singapore | Seychelles |
| MiCA status | Authorised (MFSA, 27/01/2025) | None | None |
| Spot maker (entry tier) | 0.08% | 0.1% | 0.0000% |
| Spot taker (entry tier) | 0.10% | 0.1% | 0.05% |
| Listed assets (claimed) | ~300 (global platform) | ≈ 700 | > 3,000 |
| Max leverage (perpetuals) | 10x (MiFID X-Perps, Europe) | 150x | 500x |
| API futures fees | 0.02% / 0.05% | 0.02% / 0.05% | 0.060% / 0.080% |
| Core strength | Structure, options, API | Copy trading | New listings, altcoins |
Fees: MEXC leads, but only on the manual interface
On spot, MEXC advertises a 0.0000% maker fee and a 0.05% taker fee from the entry tier, with no minimum volume. BingX sits at 0.1% on both sides. OKX Europe charges 0.08% maker and 0.10% taker at the regular tier, broken down tier by tier in our OKX fee schedule guide.
A 1,000 USD market buy therefore costs 0.50 USD on MEXC against 1 USD on BingX and OKX. Buy weekly and the yearly difference stays in the tens of dollars. It starts to matter at higher volumes in resting orders, and on futures where MEXC quotes 0.020% taker on BTC/USDT perpetuals against 0.05% on OKX. The picture flips for automated traders: MEXC's API futures schedule is 0.060% maker and 0.080% taker, above OKX's 0.02% and 0.05%.
Annual fee simulator
Enter your monthly volume and the share of orders you execute at market (taker). The calculation applies each platform's public schedule, excluding VIP discounts and native-token rebates.
| Platform | Maker / taker schedule | Estimated annual fees | Gap vs cheapest |
|---|---|---|---|
| OKXMiCA-licensed in the EU (MFSA, Malta) | 0.08 % / 0.1 % | $226 | + $142 |
| BingXSingapore, outside the EU | 0.1 % / 0.1 % | $240 | + $156 |
| MEXCSeychelles, outside the EU | 0 % / 0.05 % | $84 | cheapest |
Formula : Annual fees = monthly volume x 12 x [ (taker share x taker fee) + (maker share x maker fee) ]
Indicative estimate. Schedules change, and VIP tiers, native-token rebates and funding costs on leveraged positions are not included.
Catalogue and leverage: two opposite profiles
MEXC is the new-listing hunter's tool: more than 3,000 assets, more than 2,300 pairs, 879 new perpetual contracts launched between January 2025 and April 2026, and leverage advertised up to 500x. Most of those tokens lose the bulk of their value after listing, and three-digit leverage wipes out a position on a move of less than 1%. We break that mechanic down in our crypto futures leverage guide.
BingX lists around 700 assets, caps leverage at 150x and built its business on copy trading, with more than 40 million registered users by its own count. OKX goes after a different trader, with a shorter list (around 300 coins) and leverage capped at 10x on its MiFID X-Perps in Europe. The focus is on tooling: unified account, portfolio margin, an options market at 0.02% maker and 0.03% taker, and an API built for systematic strategies.
Licensing: the part most comparisons skip
Since the MiCA transition closed on 1 July 2026, any venue serving European Economic Area residents needs a CASP authorisation. OKX Europe Limited obtained one from the Malta MFSA on 27 January 2025. BingX (Singapore) and MEXC (Seychelles) hold none, and MEXC says itself that it targets active traders outside the US, UK and EEA.
If you live outside the EEA, this may not change anything for you, and the fee gap stays. If you live inside it, licensing settles the question. An unlicensed venue gives you no local regulator to complain to, no European rule on segregating client funds, and it can close access for your country at any time. Wherever you live, decide separately how much you leave on any exchange, using our guide on how much to keep on an exchange.
Which one to pick
Trading altcoins and fresh listings by hand, outside the EEA: MEXC, on fees and breadth. Following other traders instead of building your own edge: BingX, on copy trading. Running a hedged book or an API strategy, or living in the EEA: OKX, for its account setup and licence. If your activity is mostly derivatives, also weigh OKX against the other licensed venue in our OKX vs Bybit comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Which of the three has the lowest spot fees in 2026?
MEXC, with a 0.0000 percent spot maker fee and a 0.05 percent taker fee at the entry tier and no minimum volume. BingX charges 0.1 percent maker and 0.1 percent taker. OKX Europe charges 0.08 percent maker and 0.10 percent taker at the regular tier. On 20,000 USD of monthly volume in resting orders, the theoretical gap between MEXC and a 0.1 percent venue is close to 240 USD a year.
Which one is available to European Economic Area residents?
OKX only, through OKX Europe Limited, authorised under MiCA by the Malta MFSA on 27 January 2025 and passported across the EEA. BingX is based in Singapore and MEXC in the Seychelles; neither holds a MiCA authorisation, and MEXC itself frames its offering around active traders outside the US, UK and EEA. Traders outside those jurisdictions can use all three.
How many assets and how much leverage does each offer?
MEXC claims more than 3,000 listed assets, more than 2,300 pairs and up to 500x leverage on futures, having launched 879 new perpetual contracts between January 2025 and April 2026. BingX lists around 700 assets and 700 pairs, caps leverage at 150x and reports more than 40 million registered users on the back of its copy trading business. OKX lists around 300 cryptocurrencies on its global platform and offers MiFID-regulated X-Perps in Europe with up to 10x leverage, plus a unified account, portfolio margin and an options market at 0.02 percent maker and 0.03 percent taker.
Which one is best for trading bots and API strategies?
OKX. MEXC's API futures schedule sits at 0.060 percent maker and 0.080 percent taker, above OKX's 0.02 percent and 0.05 percent, so the fee advantage that MEXC holds on the manual interface reverses as soon as you automate. Add OKX's unified account and portfolio margin, and it is the better base for hedged or systematic books.
Go further
Disclosure: the links on this page are affiliate links. They pay us if you open an account and change nothing about your fees. BingX and MEXC hold no European authorisation and are not offered to EEA residents. Fee schedules change, so check the official pages before deciding. Trading cryptoassets can cost you your capital.
Sources: official OKX Europe, BingX and MEXC fee pages and MiCA authorisation records (MFSA), OKX's 15 April 2026 press release on European X-Perps and CoinGecko's OKX asset count. Read on 26 and 27 September 2026.