Kraken Review
cexSecure, Global Bitcoin Trading
- Taker fee
- 0.80%
- KYC
- Required
- Founded
- 2011
- HQ
- United States (San Francisco (Payward, Inc.))
Available in United States, except Maine and New York.
CompareCEX may earn a commission when you sign up through our links. This does not influence our editorial scores.
Verdict
Kraken requires KYC verification before you can trade and charges around 0.80% on its taker fee. It scores 66.1/100 on the CompareCEX Score (92% 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
66.1/100 overall, based on the 92% 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% | 40.0 | Average of maker and taker fee: 0.600%. |
| KYC ease for beginners | 15% | 60.0 | KYC required |
| Geo availability (not restricted) | 15% | 100.0 | Not restricted in 4/4 countries checked. |
| Security track record | 10% | 85.0 | base 70; +15 proof of reserves published; incident history not verified. Total: 85. |
| Regulation / licensing | 8% | 85.0 | 2 license(s): FINRA (US), SIPC (US). +10 for a license in a major jurisdiction (US). |
| Payment methods | 8% | Not verified | Not enough verified data in Knowledge Graph for this criterion yet. |
| Features | 8% | 55.6 | 5/9 standard cex features available: spot, futures, margin, staking, card. |
| Customer support | 6% | 60.0 | ticket/email (channels: help_center, ticket, 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 | 0.40% Source (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-10-19 |
|---|---|
| Taker fee | 0.80% Source (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-10-19 |
- Kraken taker fee (0.80%): a $1,000 trade costs $8.00, and a $10,000 trade costs $80.00 (checked 2026-10-19). source
Availability & KYC
KYC: Required.
| Country | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Available | except Maine and New York. Source · checked 2026-09-06 |
| United Kingdom | Available | FCA registered; retail no derivatives/DeFi Earn. Source · checked 2026-09-06 |
| Canada | Available | Restricted Dealer; no margin/derivatives. Source · checked 2026-09-06 |
| Australia | Available | AUSTRAC DCE. 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: published Source (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-10-20 |
|---|---|
| Regulation / licenses | FINRA (US), SIPC (US) Source (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-10-19 |
Not yet verified: custody model.
Products & features
| Features | Spot, Futures, Margin, Staking, Card Source (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-10-19 |
|---|---|
| Mobile app | iOS · Android Source (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-09-04 |
| Customer support | Help Center, Ticket (24/7) Source (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-09-04 |
| Coins listed | ~600 Source (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-10-19 |
Not yet verified: payment methods, supported chains, languages supported.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Not restricted in any of the countries we've checked so far.
- Proof of reserves published (per exchange's own disclosure).
- Licensed in 2 jurisdictions (FINRA (US), SIPC (US)).
- Mobile app available on both iOS and Android.
Cons
- Relatively high trading fees (Average of maker and taker fee: 0.600%.)
- KYC verification required before trading.
- No live chat support — only help_center, ticket on file.
Alternatives to Kraken
Top-scoring exchanges of the same type, ranked by the CompareCEX Score.
Related guides
- Best Crypto Exchange Australia: 3 AUSTRAC-Registered PicksThe three exchanges we verified as AUSTRAC-registered, compared on spot fees, product menu and the structural limits that hold undisciplined traders back.
- Best Crypto Exchange Canada: 2 CSA Restricted Dealers ComparedThe only two exchanges verified as registered Restricted Dealers in Canada, compared on spot fees, product limits, and the margin-trading ban.
- Best Crypto Exchange UK: 2 FCA-Registered PicksThe two exchanges we verified as FCA-registered in the UK, compared on spot fees and product access, plus who else claims UK access we could not confirm.
Questions people ask about Kraken
- Is Kraken safe?
- Kraken publishes proof-of-reserves, per its own disclosure — see the security section above for details and sources. Read the full answer →
- Kraken vs Coinbase: which is better?
- Kraken scores 66.1/100 vs Coinbase 72.4/100 on our data. Read the full answer →
- What are Kraken's fees?
- Kraken's taker fee is 0.80%, per our verified data — see the fee table above for the exact source and check date. Read the full answer →
- What is Kraken's withdrawal fee?
- We haven't verified Kraken's withdrawals process or fees yet. Read the full answer →
- Kraken vs Binance: which is better?
- Kraken scores 66.1/100 vs Binance 82.1/100 on our data. Read the full answer →
- What is Kraken's deposit fee?
- We haven't verified Kraken's deposits process or fees yet. Read the full answer →
- Is Kraken cheaper than Coinbase?
- See our full Kraken review for a complete breakdown. Read the full answer →
- Does Kraken require KYC?
- Kraken 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.