Which Crypto Exchange Has the Lowest Fees for Trading Futures?

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When it comes to selecting a crypto exchange for trading futures, one of the most critical factors is trading fees. Low fees can significantly reduce your transaction costs, directly boosting your net profits and minimizing losses over time. With dozens of platforms offering futures contracts, identifying the one with the most cost-effective fee structure can give traders a meaningful edge.

This guide breaks down the maker and taker fees across top crypto exchanges, compares funding rates, and highlights which platforms offer the lowest overall costs for futures trading in 2025.

Understanding Fees in Crypto Futures Trading

Before diving into exchange comparisons, it’s essential to understand the two primary types of fees associated with futures trading: maker fees and taker fees.

Maker Fees

A maker fee applies when you place a limit order that doesn’t immediately execute but instead adds liquidity to the order book. For example, if Bitcoin is trading at $60,000 and you place a buy order at $59,500, your order waits in the book until the price reaches that level. Because you're contributing to market depth, exchanges reward this behavior with lower fees—often zero or even negative in some cases.

Taker Fees

A taker fee is charged when you place an order that executes immediately against existing orders in the book—such as a market order or a limit order that crosses the spread. Since you’re removing liquidity, taker fees are typically higher than maker fees.

👉 Discover how low-fee trading can maximize your returns on a leading crypto platform.

Why Low Fees Matter: A Real-World Example

Let’s say a trader, Sarah, opens a $16,000 long position on Bitcoin using 125x leverage on Binance. She uses a limit order, qualifying for the maker fee of 0.0200%.

Her trading fee is calculated as:
($16,000 / 100) × 0.0200 = **$3.20**

If she had used a market order instead, the taker fee (0.0400%) would have doubled her cost to $6.40.

Now imagine executing dozens of trades per week. Over time, these small differences compound—making low-fee exchanges especially valuable for active and high-frequency traders.

Additionally, futures traders must also account for funding rates, periodic payments exchanged between long and short positions every 8 hours. While not a direct trading fee, high funding costs can erode profits just as quickly as high taker fees.

Futures Trading Fee Comparison Across Major Exchanges

Below is a detailed comparison of maker and taker fees for USD-Margined (USDⓈ-M) futures across leading exchanges in 2025.

Binance

Binance remains one of the largest and most popular exchanges globally. For standard users:

High-volume traders (30-day volume > $15 million USD and holding 25 BNB) can qualify for VIP tiers with reduced rates:

Binance also offers fee discounts when paying with BNB.

Bybit

Bybit is known for its user-friendly interface and competitive fee structure:

VIP traders enjoy further reductions:

Fees decrease progressively with higher trading volume.

KuCoin

KuCoin maintains a tiered system based on trading volume and KCS (its native token) holdings:

While base fees are relatively high, consistent traders can benefit from volume-based reductions.

OKX

OKX features a transparent tiered model based on 30-day trading volume:

Higher tiers offer some of the lowest taker fees in the industry, making OKX ideal for serious traders.

👉 See how tiered fee models can save you hundreds in trading costs annually.

Huobi

Huobi charges flat fees across all users:

Unlike others, Huobi does not offer volume-based discounts, which may disadvantage high-frequency traders.

Deribit

Deribit stands out with one of the most attractive fee schedules:

Yes—you get paid to place limit orders (-0.01%) on certain contracts, effectively earning rebates for providing liquidity.

Poloniex

Poloniex uses a flat-rate model:

No tiered discounts are available, so heavy traders may find better value elsewhere.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the difference between maker and taker fees?

A maker fee applies when your order adds liquidity (e.g., a limit order not immediately filled). A taker fee applies when your order removes liquidity by matching an existing one (e.g., a market order). Makers usually pay lower or even negative fees.

Which exchange has the lowest maker fee?

Deribit offers the lowest maker fee at 0.00% for BTC perpetuals—and even -0.01% for weekly futures, meaning you earn a rebate for placing limit orders.

Do all exchanges offer tiered fee structures?

No. While Binance, Bybit, OKX, and KuCoin offer volume-based discounts, Huobi and Poloniex charge flat fees regardless of trading activity.

How do funding rates affect my trading costs?

Funding rates are periodic payments (usually every 8 hours) between long and short positions. In bullish markets, longs pay shorts—increasing holding costs. Even with low trading fees, high funding rates can reduce profitability.

Can I reduce fees by using a native token?

Yes. Platforms like Binance (BNB), KuCoin (KCS), and OKX (OKB) offer fee discounts when you pay with their native tokens—typically around 10–25%, depending on the exchange and holding amount.

Is low fee the only factor to consider?

While low fees are crucial, also evaluate platform reliability, security, leverage options, available assets, execution speed, and customer support before choosing an exchange.

👉 Compare real-time fee structures and find the most profitable trading setup today.

Final Thoughts

For active futures traders, minimizing costs is non-negotiable. Based on current fee structures in 2025:

Ultimately, the best exchange depends on your trading style, volume, and preferred assets. Always check official fee pages for updates, as structures evolve frequently.

Choosing a low-fee platform isn’t just about saving pennies—it’s about maximizing long-term profitability in a high-leverage, fast-moving market like crypto futures.