Best Low-Fee Crypto Exchanges in 2025

Many platforms promote low trading fees, but in practice, these often apply only to spot trading or come with strings attached like staking tokens or hitting high volume tiers. For leveraged traders, those requirements can erase any real cost advantage.

To find out which platforms genuinely keep costs low, we reviewed the top 50 centralized and top 20 decentralized exchanges. The five listed below stood out as the best for perpetual futures traders:

1. MEXC

MEXC offers 0% maker and 0.02% taker fees on perpetual futures, making it the most cost-efficient centralized exchange for active derivatives traders. These fees apply without needing VIP tiers or volume milestones, giving every user the same advantage.

MX token holders can unlock additional benefits like reduced taker fees, launch access, and bonus rewards through regular promotions. The platform also rotates zero-fee campaigns across popular futures pairs and supports up to 500x leverage on select contracts, including BTC.

Its trading interface is clean and responsive, and order execution is fast even under volatile conditions. While the exchange provides strong technical performance and a wide range of futures pairs, it does not support fiat withdrawals and operates in limited regulatory jurisdictions.

Platform Highlights:

• MEXC Fees: 0% maker and 0.02% taker on perpetuals.
• Max Leverage: Up to 500x on select pairs.
• Key Feature: Extensive altcoin futures with rotating fee-free markets.
• Drawback: No fiat withdrawals and limited regulatory coverage.

2. Binance

Binance applies 0% maker and 0.02% taker fees to USDC-margined perpetuals, while USDT contracts charge 0.02% maker and 0.05% taker by default. These rates shift with promotions, token holding, or volume-based incentives, which can make pricing inconsistent for some users.

BNB holders receive a 10% taker discount, and frequent traders can join the weekly rebate system to earn further reductions. Binance also runs rotating contract-specific promotions, letting traders lower costs temporarily on selected markets.

The platform gives users deep liquidity, fast fills, and a broad set of perpetual pairs across assets. Active traders benefit most by managing BNB balances and staying updated on available discounts tied to specific contracts or volume levels.

Platform Highlights:

• Binance Fees: 0% maker / 0.02% taker (USDC perps), 0.02% / 0.05% (USDT).
• Max Leverage: Up to 125x.
• Key Feature: BNB discounts and volume-based rebate programs.
• Drawback: Complex fee structure tied to asset type and user tier.

3. KCEX

KCEX is a lesser known exchange offering 0% maker and 0.02% taker fees on perpetual contracts with no KYC required. Traders can create an account using just an email or phone number and start trading immediately without verification delays or document checks.

Spot trading runs at 0% maker and 0% taker, making it one of the few zero-fee spot platforms available without hidden conditions. The exchange shares infrastructure and promotions with MEXC, giving users access to overlapping bonus programs and similar altcoin coverage.

Perpetual contracts support leverage up to 100x, including a wide range of lesser-known coins typically only found on second-tier platforms. KCEX appeals to users who want fast market access, low fees, and no verification hurdles while trading major and mid-cap derivatives.

Platform Highlights:

• KCEX Fees: 0% maker / 0.02% taker on perps, 0% / 0% on spot.
• Max Leverage: Up to 100x.
• Key Feature: No KYC required and MEXC-aligned ecosystem.
• Drawback: No fiat support and inconsistent altcoin liquidity.

4. RabbitX

RabbitX trades entirely on-chain with 0% maker and 0% taker fees across all perpetual markets, including crypto and tokenized gold. The platform eliminates both gas and execution fees, giving users cost-free access to leveraged trading on Starknet.

Users can deposit without holding ETH, withdraw without paying gas, and trade with up to 50x leverage on over 100 pairs. The exchange includes a 24/7 PAXG perpetual, making it one of the only DeFi venues offering gold exposure through smart contracts.

All trades execute through audited contracts, removing third-party custody and reducing counterparty risk. Wallet login keeps the process simple, though the platform lacks fiat access and does not operate under formal regulatory oversight.

Platform Highlights:

• RabibtX Fees: 0% maker/taker on all markets.
• Max Leverage: Up to 50x.
• Key Feature: Gasless, on-chain trading including gold perpetuals.
• Drawback: Limited fiat access and capped leverage.

5. Aster

Aster holds about 15% of the decentralized perpetual market and charges 0.01% maker and 0.035% taker fees across all listed pairs making it cheaper than most competitors like GMX and dydx. It splits its interface into Simple mode for casual use and Pro mode for more detailed trading with full-order controls.

Simple mode, also called “dumb mode,” supports up to 1001x leverage but strips out key tools like order books and stop-loss inputs. Pro mode adds those features, yet still lacks one-click trading, which limits its speed for scalping volatile coins.

The platform runs on smart contracts and supports multiple chains, including BNB Chain and Arbitrum, with access to a broad range of markets. Aster gives DeFi traders solid reach and fee efficiency, but falls short of faster platforms like Hyperliquid in important features like instant trade execution.

Platform Highlights:

• Aster Fees: 0.01% maker / 0.035% taker.
• Max Leverage: Up to 1001x (Simple mode).
• Key Feature: Dual interface (Simple and Pro) with multichain support.
• Drawback: No one-click trading or fiat onramps.

What Are Low-Fee Crypto Exchanges?

Low-fee crypto exchanges are trading platforms that charge minimal maker and taker fees, especially on perpetual futures. They aim to reduce the cost burden on high-frequency and leveraged traders by offering flat or discounted fee structures.

Industry averages vary, but most centralized exchanges charge around 0.02% maker and 0.05% taker for perpetuals. Decentralized exchanges often charge less in base fees but add gas costs or slippage, which can change the real price of execution.

What matters most is how fees affect your full position, not just your initial capital. A 0.03% taker fee may sound low, but you pay it twice - once to enter and once to exit. At 100x leverage, that adds up to 6% of your actual funds per trade, even if the price barely fluctuates.

Hidden Costs in Low-Fee Crypto Exchanges

Low trading fees often sound great, but they don't tell the whole story. Many platforms introduce hidden costs that impact your bottom line in ways that aren't obvious at first glance.

Common hidden costs to watch for:

• Token-based discounts: Some exchanges require you to hold or stake their native token to unlock low fees, which ties your capital to volatile assets you may not want exposure to.
• Volume-gated pricing: The lowest fee tiers usually apply only to users trading millions in monthly volume, leaving most traders with much higher default rates.
• Spot-only discounts: Fee promotions often apply only to spot markets, while perpetual contracts continue to charge full taker fees without clear disclosure.
• Funding rates on perps: Even with zero maker and taker fees, you may still pay funding; for example, a 0.01% rate every 8 hours adds up quickly on large positions.
• Gas fees on DEXs: Platforms such as Hyperliquid cover gas costs, but others such as Apex charge $0.50 to $1 per trade depending on network congestion.
• Wide spreads or thin books: Low fees won't help if you're slipping several basis points on each fill due to poor liquidity or wide bid-ask spreads.
• Unclear fee structures: Multi-tiered pricing, confusing reward schemes, or inconsistent fee displays can make it difficult to know what you're actually paying.

Tips to Minimize Fees When Trading Cryptocurrency

Even if an exchange has great base rates, your actual costs still depend on how and what you trade. Here are three practical ways to cut fees further, no matter your account size or experience level.

1. Use Limit Orders

Most platforms charge lower or even zero fees for maker trades, which means placing limit orders instead of market orders. A limit order sets your desired price in advance and only executes when the market reaches it, adding liquidity to the order book and qualifying for reduced fees.

2. Target Promotional Pairs

Exchanges often cut fees on select markets like USDC-margined perps on Binance or newly listed altcoins such as TRUMP on MEXC or Gate.io. These time-limited campaigns can offer 0% maker and 0% taker fees, making them ideal for active trading with low friction.

3. Utilize Reward Programs

Bybit offers new users up to $30,000 in trading credits when they sign up through an affiliate link and meet specific deposit and volume milestones. While the bonuses are not withdrawable, they can be used to offset trading costs for the first several million dollars of trading volume, allowing you to progress to higher fee tiers.

Final Thoughts

The exchange you choose affects how much risk you can realistically take on each trade. With lower fees, you can scale in and out without worrying about cost stacking up. Precision matters more when execution isn't penalized. Platforms that respect your edge are the ones worth sticking with.

MEXC, Binance, KCEX, RabbitX, and Aster each offer the lowest trading fees for perpetual traders, whether you're trading onchain, seeking zero maker costs, or scaling with high leverage.