Zero fee crypto exchanges: which are actually free?

Q: Is there a truly zero fee crypto exchange?

A handful of venues advertise 0% fees, but it almost always comes with conditions: maker only, a short promotional window, select pairs, or a wider spread that quietly recovers the fee. For most traders the realistic goal is the lowest all in cost, not a literal zero, so compare the base taker fee plus the spread rather than the headline promo.

Plenty of exchanges market themselves as zero fee, but a literal 0% is rare and usually comes with strings attached. What most traders actually want is the lowest all in cost, which is the trading fee plus the spread you cross. Here are the 33 venues FeeEdge tracks, ranked by published spot taker fee, cheapest first.

Lowest spot fees, ranked

#	Exchange	Maker	Taker
1	Locked venue
2	Locked venue
3	Locked venue
4	Locked venue
5	Locked venue
6	Aster	0.005%	0.040%	Open account
7	MEXC	0.000%	0.050%	Open account
8	Hyperliquid	0.040%	0.070%	Open account
9	edgeX	0.040%	0.070%	Open account
10	Binance (BNB discount)	0.100%	0.100%	Open account
11	Bybit	0.100%	0.100%	Open account
12	OKX	0.080%	0.100%	Open account
n/a	BitMEXNo new positions	0.050%	0.050%	BitMEX is shutting down on 23 September 2026. New positions stop 26 August. Close positions and withdraw before then.

Published entry-tier spot rates; volume tiers and native-token discounts can lower these further.

The catch behind 0% fees

When a venue advertises zero fees, read the conditions. The most common ones are:

Maker only. The 0% applies to limit orders that add liquidity, while taker (market) orders still pay.
Select pairs or a promo window. Free trading on a few pairs, or for a launch period, then normal rates return.
A wider spread. A zero headline fee means little if the bid/ask spread is wider, because you pay it on every fill.
Native-token requirement. The lowest rate often needs you to hold and pay fees in the venue's token, which carries its own price risk.

Find your real cheapest venue

Your true cost depends on your monthly volume and your maker versus taker mix. FeeEdge ranks all 33 exchanges for your exact profile in seconds, so you can see whether a 0% headline actually beats a low base fee once volume tiers and discounts are applied.

Rank exchanges for how you trade →

FAQ

Is there a truly zero fee crypto exchange?

A few venues advertise 0%, but it usually applies to maker orders only, select pairs, or a promo window, and a wider spread can quietly recover it. Aim for the lowest all in cost rather than a literal zero.

Which exchanges have the lowest crypto trading fees?

There is no single cheapest exchange. It depends on whether you trade perpetual futures or spot, your 30-day volume, and whether you use maker or taker orders. The FeeEdge calculator ranks the venues we track for your profile. Some venues quote a UI base that is not a universal book. Check the calculator.