Home » Compare » Kraken vs Coinbase (2026): fees, licences and safety compared

Kraken vs Coinbase (2026): fees, licences and safety compared

Kraken or Coinbase? Side by side spot and futures fees, EU MiCA status, licences by country and proof of reserves, from official sources with the date we checked them.

By the TradeReviewed Research Team. Data from official exchange pages and regulator registers, dates shown per exchange. How we test

Short answer
Visit KrakenVisit Coinbase

Kraken vs Coinbase at a glance

Kraken Coinbase
Our score2.5/52.7/5
Spot maker / taker0.4% / 0.8%- / -
Futures maker / taker- / -- / -
Max leverage--
EU MiCA statusMiCA licensedMiCA licensed
Verified licences and registrations3: EU, AE, CA6: EU, US, SG, JP, CA, IN
Restricted or banned inIN-
Proof of reservesPeriodic Merkle tree attestationNot verified
24h volume (spot + derivatives)$2.53B$1.86B
Deposit methodsBank transfer (SEPA, ACH, wire), card, cryptoCard, bank transfer (SEPA, ACH), PayPal, crypto
Data checked2026-10-19 · fee source2026-10-19

Standard base tier fees. Card purchases, conversions and withdrawals cost extra. Leverage for EU retail clients is limited by law, whatever the global maximum.

Which one should you choose?

Is Kraken safe? · Is Coinbase safe? · Kraken review · Coinbase review

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper, Kraken or Coinbase?

Standard spot taker fees are 0.8% on Kraken and - on Coinbase.

Is Kraken or Coinbase better for EU users?

In the EU, choose the entity with a MiCA authorisation in the ESMA register and check which products it offers, because leverage and derivatives are limited for EU retail clients. Kraken: MiCA licensed. Coinbase: MiCA licensed.

Can I use both Kraken and Coinbase?

Yes. Many traders keep accounts on two exchanges to compare prices, spread counterparty risk and keep access if one has an outage. Never keep more on an exchange than you need for trading.

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