Do funding rates matter more than trading fees on perps?

Often, yes. Funding is exchanged between longs and shorts roughly every 8 hours, and if you hold a leveraged position through several windows it can cost more than the trading fee itself. The cheapest venue to trade is not always the cheapest to hold.

Cheapest exchange for perps

Q: Are perp fees lower than spot fees?

Usually yes. Perpetual-futures maker/taker fees are typically much lower than spot fees on the same exchange (often around 0.02%/0.05% vs 0.1%+ on spot), which is one reason high-frequency traders prefer perps.

Perpetual-futures traders feel fees more than anyone: high frequency and leverage magnify every basis point. Here are the major exchanges ranked by published perp taker fee, cheapest first.

Perp fees, ranked

#	Exchange	Maker	Taker
1	Bitfinex	0.000%	0.000%
2	Lighter	0.000%	0.000%	Open account
3	MEXC	0.000%*	0.020%*	Open account
4	Coinbase	0.000%	0.030%	Open account
5	Deribit	0.015%	0.035%	Open account
6	Crypto.com	0.020%†	0.040%†	Open account
7	Aster	0.000%	0.040%	Open account
8	Hyperliquid	0.015%†	0.045%†	Open account
9	edgeX	0.040%†	0.045%†	Open account
10	Binance	0.020%	0.050%	Open account
11	OKX	0.020%	0.050%	Open account
12	Gate.io	0.020%†	0.050%†	Open account
13	Kraken	0.020%	0.050%
14	BingX	0.020%†	0.050%†
15	Backpack	0.020%	0.050%
16	CoinEx	0.030%	0.050%
17	dYdX	0.010%	0.050%	Open account
18	ApeX	0.020%	0.050%
19	Bybit	0.020%†	0.055%†	Open account
20	WhiteBIT	0.010%	0.055%
21	Bitget	0.020%†	0.060%†
22	KuCoin	0.020%	0.060%
23	HTX	0.020%	0.060%
24	Phemex	0.010%†	0.060%†
25	BitMart	0.020%	0.060%
26	Bitunix	0.020%†	0.060%†	Open account
27	LBank	0.020%	0.060%	Open account
28	BloFin	0.020%	0.060%	Open account
29	Toobit	0.020%	0.060%	Open account
30	Deepcoin	0.040%	0.060%	Open account
31	CoinW	0.020%	0.060%	Open account
32	WEEX	0.020%	0.080%	Open account
n/a	BitMEXClosed	0.050%	0.050%	BitMEX is shutting down on 23 September 2026. New positions stop 26 August. Close positions and withdraw before then.

† Conditional VIP tiers are excluded from the volume-only estimate. Confirm your account eligibility.

† VIP counts spot volume in full and ordinary USDT perpetual volume at 0.4 times notional. GT discount is only modeled for entry spot.

† VIP uses 14-day volume, estimated from 30-day volume assuming evenly distributed activity. Hyperliquid spot volume counts twice.

* 0%/0.02% is the published UI base as of 31 Aug 2026, not a universal book. Rates vary by region and event; the 25 May BTC/ETH update is region-gated; API futures use a separate 0.06%/0.08% book.

Funding is a hidden cost

On perps, the headline maker/taker fee isn't your whole cost: funding rates (paid every 8 hours between longs and shorts) can dwarf trading fees if you hold positions. FeeEdge's Pro funding optimizer shows the cheapest venue to hold a long or short right now.

See your real perp cost across 33 venues →

FAQ

Which exchange has the cheapest perpetual-futures fees?

There is no single cheapest perp venue. Base taker fees are only the start: funding and your volume can change the real cost. Check your profile in the FeeEdge calculator. Some venues quote a UI base that is not a universal book. Check your own profile in the calculator.

Do funding rates matter more than trading fees?

Often. Funding is exchanged between longs and shorts ~every 8 hours; holding a leveraged position through several windows can cost more than the trade itself. The cheapest venue to trade isn't always the cheapest to hold. See the hidden costs of crypto trading.

Are perp fees lower than spot fees?

Usually. Perp maker/taker fees (around 0.02%/0.05%) are typically far below spot fees (0.1%+) on the same exchange, which is part of why active traders prefer perps.