Crypto is volatile and not federally insured. We are a comparison and referral resource only — not a wallet, exchange, broker, or financial advisor. Nothing here is financial advice. Read the risk disclosure.
CoinCompass Compare Now

Independent · Fee-transparent · Disclosed

Compare crypto exchanges by real fees, not headline bonuses.

Every exchange is checked for legal availability and real maker/taker fees before it is listed. We show you what a signup program is actually worth — and we only reference programs a US publisher can legally earn from.

See Top Exchanges Compare by Fees
How we make money: we earn a commission when you sign up with an exchange through our links. That never changes what we recommend or how we rank — rankings follow our published review criteria and are re-checked on a fixed schedule. Read the full disclosure. Crypto risk: crypto assets are volatile and can lose value, are not FDIC-insured, and are not a bank deposit. This is not financial advice — do your own research before trading.

Why CoinCompass

Fee-transparent, US-aware, and built for real crypto buyers.

Real fees

Maker/taker, spread, and withdrawal — the numbers that matter

We show what a $1,000 trade actually costs on each exchange, and what a signup bonus has to beat. No headline-only comparisons.

US-aware

Only exchanges you can actually use

Availability varies by state and country. We label what's US-eligible and keep international-only exchanges out of the "best" lists.

Tools

Fee estimator & staking calculator

See your real monthly trading cost and what staking APY compounds to over five years.

Transparent

We disclose how we earn

Affiliate links are labeled. Our methodology page explains exactly how exchanges are sourced and ranked.

Risk-aware

Crypto is volatile — not a sure thing

Prices can fall fast. We're not financial advice, and we say so plainly on every page.

Top-rated exchanges

Ranked by published review criteria, not by commission rate.

#1 PICK

Coinbase US

spot
4.6
Referral program
Coinbase Affiliates (via Impact.com)
Referral reward for new joiners; earn a commission on the trading fees your referred customers generate
Trading: Maker 0.0-0.4% / Taker 0.4-0.6% (Advance trade tiers)
Withdrawal: USDC withdrawals free across all networks; network fee covered by Coinbase for most crypto
US / International Fully available and licensed to US customers; the benchmark for US-legal crypto referral.
  • Most beginner-friendly crypto on-ramp in the US
  • Very wide selection of coins and a regulated US exchange
  • Strong institutional backing and insurance on hot wallets
  • Coinbase Earn + staking for passive rewards
  • Simple-buy fees/spread are higher than pro-tier trading
  • Support is slow during high-volume events
  • Listing standards mean some newer coins are absent
View Coinbase

spot · FinCEN MSB + state money-transmitter licenses + SEC-tested listing standards

#2

Kraken US

spot
4.5
Referral program
Kraken Affiliate (in-house partnerships team OR Impact.com track)
Kraken affiliate earns on referred user activity across Spot, Futures, DEX and more
Trading: 1% instant/recurring, 1.5% custom orders (waived for Kraken+ members up to $10k/mo volume); Pro tier lower
Withdrawal: Network fee only
US / International US-licensed with broad global reach — works for either US or international traffic.
  • Strong security reputation and long operating history
  • Lower base-tier fees than Coinbase on spot trades
  • Broad US and international availability
  • Professional trading depth (Kraken Pro) plus staking
  • 23 stakeable assets including BTC (via Babylon) with higher net APY than Coinbase
  • Interface is less beginner-intuitive than Coinbase
  • Fewer flashy rewards than some competitors
  • Customer support turnaround can vary
View Kraken

spot · FinCEN MSB + US state licenses; strong track record since 2011

#3

Robinhood Crypto US

spot
4.4
Referral program
Robinhood referral / crypto affiliate
Referral incentives paid when new users open an account and trade
Trading: 0% commission (spread-based)
Withdrawal: Free network withdrawal where supported
US US-only. Best for the stock-trading crowd moving into crypto via one app.
  • Zero-commission trading with a simple, clean app
  • Integrated with Robinhood's broader brokerage for US users
  • Great for beginners already using Robinhood stocks
  • Competitive spreads
  • More limited coin selection than Coinbase/Kraken
  • No broad international availability
  • Less advanced trading tooling for power users
View Robinhood Crypto

spot · US state money-transmitter licenses / registered broker-dealer parent

How we evaluate exchanges

Regulation and legal availability

An exchange is only featured where it is lawful for the visitor. An international-only exchange is info, not a referral.

Real fees

Maker/taker, spread, and withdrawal costs — the numbers that decide whether an exchange is worth using.

The affiliate gate

Crypto programs require per-exchange approval, and US-based publishers can only join some of them. We only reference what we can honestly earn from.

What we cannot promise

Fees and programs change without notice. Always confirm current terms on the exchange's own site before trading.