Quick answer
- Lowest spot fees: MEXC charges 0% maker and 0% taker on spot — the cheapest published base rate of any major exchange reviewed here as of June 2026.
- Second cheapest: OKX at 0.08% maker / 0.1% taker; Binance, Bybit, Bitget, and Gate.io all sit at 0.1%; HTX charges 0.2% — double the average.
- Futures are not free: MEXC’s 0% spot rate does not extend to perpetuals. Futures traders pay 0.01% maker / 0.04% taker on MEXC — still competitive, but no longer zero.
- Savings at scale: A trader doing $100,000/month on a 0.1% exchange pays roughly $1,200 per year in fees that MEXC spot users pay $0. These are scenario calculations based on published base rates; VIP and campaign rates vary.
- Withdrawal costs matter: Gate.io charges 0.001 BTC per BTC withdrawal — ten times more than MEXC, Binance, or Bitget — which can offset spot-fee savings for users who move assets off-exchange frequently.
Evidence snapshot
| Fact checked | Current reading | Source / limit |
|---|---|---|
| MEXC spot maker / taker | 0% / 0% at base tier | MEXC fee page — base rate; MX token or volume tier may unlock further conditions |
| Binance spot maker / taker | 0.1% / 0.1% base; ~0.075% with BNB pay-in | Binance fee schedule — BNB discount subject to change |
| OKX spot maker / taker | 0.08% / 0.1% at base tier | OKX fee page — VIP and OKB-holder rates differ |
| Bybit spot maker / taker | 0.1% / 0.1% at base tier | Bybit fee rate page |
| HTX spot maker / taker | 0.2% / 0.2% at base tier | HTX fee page — highest base rate of the 7 exchanges reviewed |
| Gate.io spot maker / taker | 0.1% / 0.1% at base tier | Gate.io fee page |
| Scenario savings calculation | $0 vs $1,200/yr at $100k/month (0.1% exchange) | Internal desk calculation using published base rates above; not a quote from any exchange |
Desk review completed 2026-06-16. Fee schedules change without notice — verify on each exchange’s official fee page before trading.
Master fee comparison: all 7 exchanges
| Exchange | Spot Maker | Spot Taker | Futures Maker | Futures Taker | BTC Withdrawal | USDT-TRC20 Withdrawal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEXC | 0% | 0% | 0.01% | 0.04% | 0.0001 BTC | 1 USDT |
| OKX | 0.08% | 0.1% | 0.02% | 0.05% | 0.0001 BTC | 0.8 USDT |
| Binance | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.02% | 0.04% | 0.0001 BTC | 1 USDT |
| Bybit | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.02% | 0.055% | 0.0002 BTC | 1 USDT |
| Bitget | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.02% | 0.06% | 0.0001 BTC | 1 USDT |
| Gate.io | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.015% | 0.05% | 0.001 BTC | 1 USDT |
| HTX | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.02% | 0.06% | 0.0005 BTC | 1 USDT |
All figures are published base-tier rates. Withdrawal fees are per-transaction and vary by network. For a side-by-side cost breakdown with worked examples, see Crypto Exchange Fees Compared 2026: Binance vs OKX vs MEXC Spot Cost Math.
Monthly savings simulation
Calculations below apply each exchange’s published base spot rate uniformly to monthly volume. Actual costs differ if you hold native tokens, reach VIP tiers, or trade during fee-reduction campaigns.
| Monthly Volume | MEXC (0%) | OKX (0.08%) | Binance (0.1%) | Binance + BNB (~0.075%) | Bybit (0.1%) | HTX (0.2%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | $0 | $0.80 | $1.00 | ~$0.75 | $1.00 | $2.00 |
| $10,000 | $0 | $8 | $10 | ~$7.50 | $10 | $20 |
| $50,000 | $0 | $40 | $50 | ~$37.50 | $50 | $100 |
| $100,000 | $0 | $80 | $100 | ~$75 | $100 | $200 |
| $500,000 | $0 | $400 | $500 | ~$375 | $500 | $1,000 |
At $100,000 monthly volume, HTX’s base rate costs $2,400 more per year than MEXC. Even Binance with BNB pay-in runs to roughly $900 annually against MEXC’s $0. That gap compounds if reinvested.
If you are starting with a smaller capital base, Only $100 to Start? 5 Crypto Exchanges Minimum Deposit Compared 2026 covers minimum deposit requirements alongside fee considerations.
Fit / not-fit
Best for:
- Spot traders who want the lowest possible base cost without managing VIP tiers — MEXC at 0% is the direct answer.
- Traders who need low spot fees plus liquid perpetuals — OKX and Binance offer the strongest liquidity-to-fee balance.
- Altcoin hunters who need early access to new token listings — MEXC (2,700+ tokens) or Gate.io (3,400+ tokens).
- Passive traders who want to mirror top performers — Bitget’s copy-trading system at 0.1% is purpose-built for this use case.
Avoid if:
- You are a high-frequency perpetuals trader where funding-rate tightness and order-book depth matter more than the headline fee percentage — evaluate Bybit or Binance futures liquidity first.
- Your jurisdiction restricts access to the exchange you are considering. Confirm eligibility under each platform’s terms before depositing.
- You need integrated local tax reporting documents from your exchange. Verify whether the exchange issues compliant tax records for your country before trading at significant volume.
Exchange-by-exchange breakdown
MEXC leads on spot cost with 0% maker and taker, and 0.01% / 0.04% on futures. Over 2,700 listed tokens provide early access to projects before they appear on larger platforms. The zero-fee spot model is funded by futures commissions, launchpad revenue, and MX token economics — not spot trading charges. For a registration walkthrough and what to expect on day one, see MEXC Register Guide 2026: Zero Fee Crypto in 5 Minutes. For futures-specific costs, see MEXC Futures in 2026: What Perpetual Traders Actually Pay After the 0% Spot Fee.
OKX charges 0.08% maker / 0.1% taker at base tier. Holding OKB tokens and reaching VIP tiers push fees lower. The integrated Web3 wallet lets users access on-chain trading without a separate DEX interface — a practical saving for users who swap assets frequently. OKX publishes proof-of-reserves data at okx.com/proof-of-reserves.
Binance sits at 0.1% base, reduced to roughly 0.075% when paying fees with BNB. High-volume VIP tiers lower maker fees to 0.02% or below. Daily spot volume typically exceeds $20B, which tends to produce tighter spreads — a real advantage for large block orders. Proof-of-reserves disclosures are available at binance.com/en/proof-of-reserves.
Bybit matches Binance at 0.1% spot but offers one of the deepest perpetual contract liquidity pools among centralized exchanges. Its unified trading account lets spot holdings serve as collateral for futures positions, reducing the capital required to maintain margin. Current rates at bybit.com/en/fee-rate/.
Bitget at 0.1% is average on price but differentiates through copy trading — users can mirror verified strategy providers automatically. BGB token holders receive discounts. Full fee schedule at bitget.com/fee.
Gate.io lists the most tokens of any exchange reviewed here (3,400+) at 0.1% base fees. GT token holders receive discounts. Note: BTC withdrawal costs 0.001 BTC — roughly ten times the rate charged by MEXC, Binance, and Bitget. Full schedule at gate.com/fee.
HTX charges 0.2% maker and taker at base, the highest rate on this list. HT token holders and high-volume accounts pay less, but the baseline cost is a substantial disadvantage compared to alternatives. Fee schedule at htx.com/fee/.
Hidden costs that do not appear on headline fee tables
Withdrawal fees vary sharply across exchanges and networks. Gate.io’s BTC withdrawal at 0.001 BTC equates to roughly $65 per transfer at mid-2026 prices; MEXC, Binance, OKX, and Bitget charge 0.0001 BTC — about $6.50. On TRC-20 USDT, OKX charges $0.80 per transfer while most others charge $1.00. If you move assets off-exchange regularly, these differences accumulate.
Spread markups on instant-buy interfaces can add 0.5–1.5% to your effective cost without displaying a separate fee line. Using the spot order book with a limit order bypasses this entirely.
Perpetual futures funding rates are charged or paid every 8 hours and fluctuate with market direction. In a strongly trending market, funding rates for the majority position can reach 0.1% per interval — equivalent to roughly 109% annualized if sustained. This is independent of any trading fee and can dwarf spot costs for leveraged traders.
Fiat deposit fees via credit card or third-party processors typically run 1–3.5% depending on provider, region, and payment method. Crypto-to-crypto deposits are generally free.
Risk boundary
This article is not financial advice. Trading cryptocurrency involves risk of loss, including loss of principal.
Fee schedules, VIP tier thresholds, native-token discount programs, campaign promotions, listed products, and regional availability can all change at any time without prior notice. All comparisons above are based on publicly listed base-tier rates and scenario calculations reviewed on 2026-06-16. They do not account for your VIP status, token holdings, active campaigns, or futures funding rates. Your actual cost will vary.
Before depositing funds, verify all fees, terms, and eligibility directly on each exchange’s official fee page and help center. Confirm that the exchange you choose is permitted to serve users in your jurisdiction under its own terms and applicable local law.
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