While Coinbase is a popular exchange with over 100 million users, there are better options in the market. Especially when it comes to fees, supported coins, and trading tools.
This guide reveals the best Coinbase alternatives in 2024. Read on to find a suitable crypto trading platform that aligns with your investment goals.
The Top Coinbase Alternatives
The best Coinbase alternatives are summarized below:
- MEXC – The Overall Best Coinbase Alternative in 2024
- OKX – Trade Bitcoin and Ethereum Options With Advanced Chains
- Binance – A Great Alternative for Automated Crypto Bots and Copy Trading
- Bybit – Get Leverage of up to 125x When Trading Perpetual Futures
- PrimeXBT – Offers Crypto-to-USD Markets With 0.05% Commissions
- KuCoin – Top-Rated Coinbase Alternative for Crypto Earn Products
- Gate.io – The Best Option for Diversification With Over 2,500 Listed Markets
- Margex – A Solid All-Rounder With High Leverage, Staking, and Fee-Free Swaps
The Best Alternatives to Coinbase Reviewed
I’ll now take a closer look at the best alternatives to Coinbase. Learn which cryptocurrency exchanges offer a better trading experience.
1. MEXC – The Overall Best Coinbase Alternative in 2024
I found that MEXC is the best alternative to Coinbase overall. MEXC offers thousands of markets, covering spot trading and derivative trading. The latter covers perpetual futures with leverage of up to 200x. In contrast, Coinbase offers a limited number of derivatives, leverage is capped at 10x, and only a small number of countries are supported.
What’s more, MEXC is a great alternative to save on cryptocurrency trading fees. Market makers – meaning those placing limit orders – get 0% commissions for spot trading and futures. Those placing market orders pay just 0.02%. Similar to Coinbase, MEXC also accepts fiat payments, including Visa, MasterCard, and selected e-wallets. It also offers fee-free crypto deposits.
MEXC is also popular for its policy on KYC; no personal information or ID documents are needed when registering. This isn’t the case with Coinbase, which has stringent verification procedures. Other MEXC features include savings accounts with competitive APYs, advanced trading tools, and crypto loans.
- Read our comprehensive MEXC review for more information about this Coinbase alternative.
What MEXC Does Better Than Coinbase
MEXC not only beats Coinbase on fees and supported markets, but it also offers a KYC-free experience. This means traders can avoid Coinbase’s intrusive verification processes.
Pros
- The overall best alternative to Coinbase
- Thousands of spot and futures markets are listed
- One of the best crypto leverage trading platforms
- No commissions for market makers
- Advanced trading features and tools with technical indicators
Cons
- Doesn’t have a strong regulatory framework
- Unlike Coinbase, MEXC isn’t available in the US
2. OKX – Trade Bitcoin and Ethereum Options With Advanced Chains
OKX is another top alternative to Coinbase, especially when trading derivative products. It offers options chains for Bitcoin and Ethereum, something that isn’t available on Coinbase. In a nutshell, this enables you to speculate on the leading cryptocurrencies with high leverage and limited risks; only a small premium is needed to execute trades.
What’s more, OKX options cover a wide range of contract expiry dates, strike prices, and order types. Options trading fees are just 0.02% and 0.03% for market makers and takers, respectively. Fees are reduced when meeting 30-day trading milestones. OKX is also one of the best crypto futures trading platforms.
It offers delivery futures with multiple settlements, ranging from weekly to bi-annually. It also offers perpetual futures on Bitcoin and hundreds of popular altcoins, including Pepe, Shiba Inu, and Solana. Futures trading fees are 0.02% for market makers. And 0.05% for market takers. OKX also offers spot trading, fiat deposits, and DeFi earning tools.
What OKX Does Better Than Coinbase
Unlike Coinbase, OKX offers crypto options, covering Bitcoin and Ethereum. It also offers a wider range of markets and considerably cheaper fees.
Pros
- One of the best Bitcoin exchanges for options trading
- Deep options chains with multiple expiry dates and strike prices
- Also offers perpetual and delivery futures
- Low trading fees on all supported markets
- Accepts fiat and crypto payments
Cons
- KYC requirements for most traders
- Debit/credit card deposits come with high fees
3. Binance – A Great Alternative for Automated Crypto Bots and Copy Trading
Binance is one of the best Coinbase alternatives for automated trading. It offers thousands of automated bots, allowing traders to buy and sell cryptocurrencies passively. This covers pre-built across multiple strategies, such as grid trading, arbitrage, and scalping. Bots can be customized from the ground up or adapted to meet your trading goals.
Moreover, Binance bots are free and can be deployed in the spot or futures markets. Another passive investment feature – which is also not supported by Coinbase- is copy trading. Binance enables users to copy successful traders at their preferred risk level. Everything is automated; positions are instantly replicated in the user’s Binance account.
Binance is also a great alternative for fees. The maximum spot trading commission is 0.1% per slide. Commissions are reduced when holding BNB or trading higher amounts. Futures fees are 0.02% and 0.05% for makers and takers, respectively. Other Binance features include option trading, peer-to-peer payments, and high-yield earning products.
What Binance Does Better Than Coinbase
Unlike Coinbase, Binance offers a full suite of automated trading tools, allowing a passive experience. This includes thousands of automated bots and verified copy traders. Binance also offers much lower fees than Coinbase.
Pros
- Choose from thousands of pre-built crypto bots
- Strategies include grid trading and scalping
- Also offers a copy trading feature
- Supports thousands of markets
- All available markets come with low trading fees
Cons
- Derivative products are only available to select nationalities
- Some fiat currencies aren’t supported (including GBP)
4. Bybit – Get Leverage of up to 125x When Trading Perpetual Futures
Bybit is a great option for advanced traders who seek high leverage. While Coinbase offers leverage of just 10x, this is amplified to 125x on Bybit. This means traders can control a $12,500 position with just $100. Leveraged products cover perpetual and delivery futures. Thousands of markets are available, so you can start trading Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Uniswap to Ethereum and Solana in no time.
Moreover, Bybit supports long and short trading with advanced tools, including technical indicators like the MACD and Exponential Moving Average. Bybit is also one of the best Coinbase alternatives for spot trading. It supports crypto-to-fiat pairs like BTC/EUR and ETH/TRY. Not to mention crypto-crosses like SOL/BTC and ETH/BTC.
Bybit also stands out when it comes to fees. The maximum spot trading commission is just 0.1% per slide. Perpetual and delivery futures cost 0.02% and 0.055% for makers and takers, respectively. Bybit offers many other features, including copy trading, automated bots, peer-to-peer payments, and savings accounts.
What Bybit Does Better Than Coinbase
Bybit is a solid alternative to Coinbase when trading with leverage. It offers limits of 125x, compared to Coinbase’s 10x. Derivative products are also a lot more accessible than Coinbase, with very few country restrictions.
Pros
- Trade cryptocurrencies with 125x leverage
- Leverage products include perpetuals, delivery futures, and options
- Also offers copy trading with thousands of verified traders
- Maximum spot trading commission of 0.1%
- No KYC verification when registering
Cons
- Is an unregulated and unlicensed exchange
- Peer-to-peer payments only support 60 currencies
5. PrimeXBT – Offers Crypto-to-USD Markets With 0.05% Commissions
The next Coinbase alternative to consider is PrimeXBT, especially if you’re looking to trade crypto-to-fiat pairs. It supports Bitcoin and some of the best altcoins, including Ethereum, Shiba Inu, Internet COmputer, Filecoin, and Solana. All cryptocurrencies are traded against USD.
Moreover, trading fees are 0.05% per slide for both market makers and takers. This amounts to just $0.50 for every $1,000 traded. PrimeXBT specializes in derivative instruments; options include contracts-for-differences (CFDs) and futures. It offers leverage of up to 200x when trading cryptocurrencies, and up to 100x on forex pairs like GBP/USD.
Other available markets include indices and commodities. PrimeXBT is also popular for its native trading terminal. It’s fully customizable, comes packed with drawing tools and indicators, and is accessible via web browsers and a mobile app. PrimeXBT also offers 24/7 customer support via live chat. Not to mention copy trading features.
What PrimeXBT Does Better Than Coinbase
PrimeXBT allows crypto traders to make considerable savings on fees. It offers 0.05% commissions to both makers and takers. It’s also a great option for leverage – traders get up to 200x on crypto and 1000x on forex.
Pros
- Trade cryptocurrencies at commissions of just 0.05% per slide
- Supports crypto CFDs and futures
- Also offers commodities, forex, and indices
- Top-notch customer support via live chat
- Get started with a minimum deposit of just $1
Cons
- The platform isn’t available to US clients
- Has just 36 crypto markets listed
6. KuCoin – Top-Rated Coinbase Alternative for Crypto Earn Products
I found that KuCoin is the best Coinbase alternative for crypto earn products. Especially when it comes to yields. For example, first-time customers get 20% APYs on Solana savings accounts, based on a 7-day term. Alternatively, users can stake Solana at APYs of 6%. KuCoin is also a good option for staking Ethereum.
The currency APY is 2.8%, and the lock-up period is just 5 days. Those with a higher risk appetite might consider KuCoin’s dual investment products. For instance, BNB comes with a reference APY of 164.8% on a 24-hour holding period. In addition to earn products, KuCoin is also a great option for trading.
It lists more than 700 cryptocurrencies on its spot exchange. Commissions start at 0.1% per slide, and discounts are available when trading larger amounts. KuCoin also supports perpetual futures with leverage of up to 125x. It’s also considered one of the best P2P exchanges; no fees are charged when purchasing coins with local currency.
What KuCoin Does Better Than Coinbase
KuCoin beats Coinbase in the crypto earn department, with higher yields and a larger range of supported coins. It also offers more options on product types, such as staking, savings accounts, and dual investments.
Pros
- Earn high yields on hundreds of cryptocurrencies
- Products include staking and savings accounts
- Also a great option for spot trading and perceptual futures
- Competitive trading commissions on all markets
- P2P deposits are fee-free.
Cons
- Some earn products deploy high-risk strategies
- Has been added to the UK’s FCA warning list
7. Gate.io – The Best Option for Diversification With Over 2,500 Listed Markets
Those looking to build a diversified crypto portfolio should consider Gate.io. While Coinbase offers about 250 markets, Gate.io lists more than 2,500. Not only does this cover large caps like Bitcoin, BNB, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP. But also newly listed tokens with small market capitalizations. Gate.io offers lots of tools to find the best crypto to buy.
This includes a heat map that details trending projects and the best/worst-performing cryptocurrencies in the past 24 hours. Cryptocurrencies can also be filtered by the narrative. This includes everything from SocialFi, DePIN, and AI to BRC-20, Big Data, and Base meme coins.
Best of all, the maximum commission on Gate.io is just 0.09%. This is ideal for diversification, as you can buy multiple cryptocurrencies without fees eating into potential gains. Gate.io also offers an auto invest tool. This is perfect for the dollar-cost averaging strategy. Just choose the coins, amount, and investment frequently.
What Gate.io Does Better Than Coinbase
Gate.io wins hands down in the diversification department; it supports more than 2,500 cryptocurrencies, including small caps with explosive potential. In contrast, Coinbase lists about 250 cryptocurrencies.
Pros
- Invest in over 2,500 cryptocurrencies
- Gain exposure to up-and-coming projects with small valuations
- Never pay more than 0.09% per slide
- Also offers futures trading with high leverage
- Has been operating since 2013
Cons
- Questions remain about Gate.io’s listing criteria
- Doesn’t offer options trading
Check out our Gate.io Review to learn more about this Coinbase alternative.
Visit Gate.io8. Margex – A Solid All-Rounder With High Leverage, Staking, and Fee-Free Swaps
Last on this list of Coinbase alternatives is Margex, a popular cypto exchange supporting perpetual futures. A wide range of cryptocurrencies are available, ranging from Bitcoin, Solana, and Toncoin to Cardano, Internet Computer, and XRP. Leverage of between 25x and 100x is available on all markets, with limits depending on the pair.
Margex offers competitive trading commissions. Market makers pay just 0.019% per slide. Market takers pay 0.06%. Moreover, Margex also offers a swapping tool that offers fee-free conversions. This enables users to swap cryptocurrencies without using its exchange. Conversions are executed and settled instantly.
I also like Margex for its staking tools. Competitive APYs of up to 5% are available. The staked positions can also be used as collateral. For example, suppose you’ve got $100 worth of ETH staked. That $100 ETH can be amplified by 100x, and used to trade futures. Margex is another KYC-free cryptocurrency exchange on this list; only an email is needed when joining.
What Margex Does Better Than Coinbase
Margex is better than Coinbase in several areas. It charges rock-bottom commissions, offers leverage of up to 100x, and staked cryptocurrencies come with cross-collateral tools. Moreover, Margex doesn’t implement KYC checks.
Pros
- Trade crypto futures with leverage of between 25x and 100x
- Pay just 0.019% per slide when placing limit orders
- Also offers a fee-free swapping tool
- Get instant liquidity when staking cryptocurrencies
- No KYC requirements when registering an account
Cons
- Doesn’t offer spot trading markets
- Isn’t available in the US
Why Look for an Alternative to Coinbase?
Here are some of the reasons to look for a Coinbase alternative:
- High Fees: Coinbase is one of the most expensive crypto exchanges globally. It charges about 4% when buying cryptocurrencies with fiat money. Standard commissions are about 1.5% when using its swapping tool. Coinbase Advanced, while slightly cheaper, charges 1.2% when placing market orders. In contrast, many Coinbase alternatives charge commissions of about 0.1%.
- Stringent KYC: Coinbase has some of the most stringent KYC requirements in the industry. A government-issued ID is required when registering. Not to mention a selfie holding the document. Users can’t access the Coinbase exchange without completing KYC; even when depositing crypto.
- Limited Markets: Coinbase offers about 250 cryptocurrencies. This is minute when compared to other exchanges. For example, MEXC offers thousands of markets, covering spot trading and perpetual futures. Coinbase offers limited support for new cryptocurrencies, too.
- Low Leverage Limits: Coinbase offers leverage of up to 10x to selected clients. In contrast, you’ll get 200x leverage at MEXC. And 125x at Binance and Bybit.
- Earn Products: Coinbase supports a limited range of staking coins. Not only are APYs below the market average, but staking isn’t supported in all countries. The best Coinbase alternatives offer high yields across hundreds of cryptocurrencies. Not just for staking but also liquidity farming, savings accounts, and dual investments.
Conclusion
I’ve revealed the best alternatives to Coinbase, focusing on reduced commissions, increased trading tools, and access to a wider range of markets. I found that MEXC is the overall best alternative.
It supports thousands of cryptocurrencies, covering large and small caps, and everything in between. It offers 0% commission when placing limit orders and access to leverage of 200x. Moreover, MEXC doesn’t have a KYC policy when opening an account.
Visit MEXCFAQs
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References
- Coinbase Pricing and Fees Disclosures (Coinbase)
- Huobi, KuCoin Among Crypto Firms Added to UK Watchdog’s Warning List (Bloomberg)
- Traditional KYC Processes (SWIFT)