Coinbase Review
cexThe most trusted and easiest to use crypto platform
- Taker fee
- 0.05%–0.60% (tiered by 30-day trading volume)
- KYC
- Required
- Founded
- 2012
- HQ
- United States (San Francisco, California)
Please check local regulations before signing up.
Verdict
Coinbase requires KYC verification before you can trade and charges around 0.33% on its taker fee. It scores 72.4/100 on the CompareCEX Score (100% of criteria verified), which suits beginners and cost-sensitive traders reasonably well. As a custodial platform, it holds your funds until you withdraw, so its security track record and regulation below matter as much as its fees. Check the fee table, KYC and country availability, and security sections below before you decide — exchange terms change without notice and we re-verify data periodically rather than in real time, so always confirm against the source links.
CompareCEX Score breakdown
72.4/100 overall, based on the 100% of criteria below with verified data. Criteria without data are excluded from the average, not scored as zero.
| Criterion | Weight | Score | How it's calculated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trading fees | 25% | 73.8 | Average of maker and taker fee: 0.263%. |
| KYC ease for beginners | 15% | 60.0 | KYC required |
| Geo availability (not restricted) | 15% | 100.0 | Not restricted in 7/7 countries checked. |
| Security track record | 10% | 70.0 | base 70. Total: 70. |
| Regulation / licensing | 8% | 85.0 | 2 license(s): SEC (US), FINRA (US). +10 for a license in a major jurisdiction (US). |
| Payment methods | 8% | 80.0 | 3 payment method(s) on record: bank_transfer, card, crypto. +10 for having a card/Apple Pay/Google Pay method. |
| Features | 8% | 33.3 | 3/9 standard cex features available: spot, staking, earn. |
| Customer support | 6% | 60.0 | ticket/email (channels: email, ticket, help_center, hours: 24/7). |
| Mobile app quality | 5% | 70.0 | iOS + Android app. |
Fees: what a $1,000 and $10,000 trade actually costs
| Maker fee | 0.00%–0.40% (tiered by 30-day trading volume) Source (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-09-04 |
|---|---|
| Taker fee | 0.05%–0.60% (tiered by 30-day trading volume) Source (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-09-04 |
- Coinbase taker fee (0.33%): a $1,000 trade costs about $3.25, and a $10,000 trade costs about $32.50 (checked 2026-09-04). source
Availability & KYC
KYC: Required.
| Country | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Unclear | Not independently verified yet |
| United Kingdom | Available | FCA VASP; CB Payments MLR 900635. Source · checked 2026-09-06 |
| Canada | Available | CSA Restricted Dealer. Source · checked 2026-09-06 |
| Australia | Available | AUSTRAC VASP + remittance. Source · checked 2026-09-06 |
"Unclear" means we have not independently verified this yet — check the exchange's own terms before signing up.
Security & regulation
| Security track record | Proof of reserves: wrapped tokens only (e.g. cbBTC), not exchange-wide Source (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-10-20 |
|---|---|
| Regulation / licenses | SEC (US), FINRA (US) Source (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-09-04 |
Not yet verified: custody model.
Products & features
| Features | Spot, Staking, Earn, Advanced Trading Source (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-09-04 |
|---|---|
| Mobile app | iOS · Android Source (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-09-04 |
| Payment methods | Bank Transfer, Card, Crypto Source (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-09-04 |
| Customer support | Email, Ticket, Help Center (24/7) Source (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-09-04 |
Not yet verified: coins listed, supported chains, languages supported.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Not restricted in any of the countries we've checked so far.
- Licensed in 2 jurisdictions (SEC (US), FINRA (US)).
- Mobile app available on both iOS and Android.
Cons
- KYC verification required before trading.
- No live chat support — only email, ticket, help_center on file.
Alternatives to Coinbase
Top-scoring exchanges of the same type, ranked by the CompareCEX Score.
Related guides
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Questions people ask about Coinbase
- What are Coinbase's fees?
- Coinbase's taker fee is 0.33%, per our verified data — see the fee table above for the exact source and check date. Read the full answer →
- Coinbase vs Kraken: which is better?
- Coinbase scores 72.4/100 vs Kraken 66.1/100 on our data. Read the full answer →
- What is Coinbase's withdrawal fee?
- Coinbase supports Bank Transfer, Card, Crypto for withdrawals, per our verified data — check the exchange's help center for exact fees and processing times. Read the full answer →
- What is Coinbase's deposit fee?
- Coinbase supports Bank Transfer, Card, Crypto for deposits, per our verified data — check the exchange's help center for exact fees and processing times. Read the full answer →
- Coinbase vs Binance: which is better?
- Coinbase scores 72.4/100 vs Binance 82.1/100 on our data. Read the full answer →
- Is Coinbase safe?
- Coinbase publishes proof-of-reserves only for its wrapped tokens (such as cbBTC), not for all customer balances on the exchange — see the security section above for details. Read the full answer →
- Is Kraken cheaper than Coinbase?
- See our full Coinbase review for a complete breakdown. Read the full answer →
- Does Coinbase require KYC?
- Coinbase requires KYC verification before you can trade, per our verified data. Read the full answer →
Crypto assets are volatile and unregulated in many jurisdictions. Not financial advice.