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Kraken vs. Binance.US: Which exchange is better?

Kraken and Binance.US both offer users many benefits, but one stands out. Find out which crypto exchange comes out on top.

Kraken Cryptocurrency Exchange

Kraken Cryptocurrency Exchange logo
  • Buy, sell and trade 402 cryptos.
  • Instant funding & advanced trading options.
  • Join 9M+ users around the world.
Go to site

Disclaimer: This page is not financial advice or an endorsement of digital assets, providers or services. Digital assets are volatile and risky, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. Potential regulations or policies can affect their availability and services provided. Talk with a financial professional before making a decision. Finder or the author may own cryptocurrency discussed on this page.

Kraken and Binance.US are two of the top cryptocurrency exchanges on the market. Each offers users similar digital asset selections and solid security.

Kraken is an international exchange, meaning it can cater to citizens both in and outside the US. Binance.US is only available to US residents, (though Binance is available to non-US residents) but it is simple to use and has its own proprietary wallet along with straightforward fees.

Find out who wins the competition between Binance.US and Kraken.

Round 1: Kraken vs. Binance.US on vital statistics

Both Kraken and Binance.US are based in the US, with staking options, spot trading and derivatives trading available. Plus, each exchange offers mobile apps and a noncustodial wallet.

However, Kraken offers NFTs and stock trading directly on the platform in addition to account management. Kraken wins vital statistics because it is accessible to a wider number of users and has more features.

Kraken logoBinance.US logo
Overall rating★★★★★★★★★★
Costs rating★★★★★★★★★★
FCA-registered
Exchange locationUSAUSA
Offers a debit card
Go to site
More info
More info

Winner: Kraken


Round 2: Supported coins

While Binance.US supports a healthy number of coins, Kraken gives you access to hundreds more, providing many more options for those looking to diversify.

Kraken logoBinance.US logo
Number of tradeable crypto assets403167
Go to site
More info
More info

Winner: Kraken


Round 3: Supported fiat currencies

Kraken supports far more fiat currencies. Binance.US only supports US dollar deposits and withdrawals. Kraken supports all the major fiat currencies for both deposits and withdrawals.

In addition, Kraken has more options for US dollar deposits than Binance.US.

Kraken logoBinance.US logo
Number of supported fiat currencies71
Go to site
More info
More info

Winner: Kraken


Round 4: Fees

Both Kraken and Binance.US have competitive fee structures.

Binance.US is far simpler, with trading fees starting at a flat 0.1% for both makers and takers. Kraken’s fees depend on your trading volume and what kind of trade you are doing.

However, Kraken’s USD withdrawal fees are cheaper than Binance.US’ fees. Binance.US users can get lower-cost trading fees by using Binance Coin.

Binance.US wins this round for having a simplistic fee structure, cheaper fees overall and an easier way to further reduce them.

Kraken logoBinance.US logo
Deposit FeesACH deposit - Fees vary ($10 minimum deposit)
Credit and debit card - Fees vary ($10 minimum deposit)
Apple Pay or Google Pay - Fees vary ($10 minimum deposit)
Crypto - Free
Wire transfer: None
Debit card: 3.75%
Apple Pay: 3.75%
Cryptocurrency: None
Trading FeeTrading:
Maker: 0.25% - 0.00%
Taker: 0.40% - 0.01%
Spread: Variable spread included in the price, calculated before orders are executed
Maker: 0-0.30%
Taker: 0-0.45%
Withdrawal FeesFedWire withdrawal - $4–$35
Crypto - Fees vary depending on coin or token
Wire transfer: $10-15 (minimum $100 withdrawal)
Cryptocurrency: Fees vary
Deposit methodsBank transfer, Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Debit card, SEPA, Instant SEPA, Apple Pay, Google Pay, SWIFT, ACH online bankingCryptocurrency, Debit card, Wire transfer, Apple Pay
Go to site
More info
More info

Winner: Binance.US


Round 5: Wallets

Binance.US and Kraken both offer custodial wallets, meaning the platforms hold your crypto on your behalf. Binance.US provides a simple, beginner-friendly interface that makes it easy to buy, sell, and store crypto directly through its exchange. It can be connected to both the Binance Smart Chain and Ethereum networks, store NFTs and interact with dApps.

Kraken’s wallet also operates within its exchange but has a stronger emphasis on security. It’s backed by industry-leading practices like cold storage and regular audits. While its interface may be a bit more complicated than Binance.US’s offering, it is well-suited for users who prioritize safety with functionality.

Overall, Kraken’s wallet stands out for its security measures, while Binance.US may appeal more to newcomers looking for a smoother, simplified experience.

Winner: Kraken


Round 6: Ease of use

While both these platforms aim to cater to new users by providing lots of guides and information, Kraken is still a more complex platform. Though not difficult to use, there are far more features and things to learn if using Kraken.

Comparatively, Binance.US essentially only offers users trading and staking, creating a simpler user experience. Its user interface is also less cluttered than Kraken’s.

Binance.US wins this round for its simple interface and options.

Winner: Binance.US


Round 7: Security

Binance.US has never been hacked before, but its parent company, Binance, has multiple times. In October 2022, approximately $570 million was stolen from BNB Chain, a blockchain it operates, and in December of the same year, a private key for encrypting and decrypting data was compromised.

Kraken experienced a security breach where a security researcher stole nearly $3 million worth of cryptocurrency. While the breach didn’t directly impact any users, it resulted in the theft of funds from Kraken’s treasury.

Both platforms store a majority of user assets in cold storage, and Kraken also does its own penetration testing.

Kraken wins this round with a slight edge since its hack didn’t directly affect its users and it takes a proactive security approach.

Winner: Kraken


Binance.US vs. Kraken winner: Kraken

Though this was a close competition between two great exchanges, Kraken comes out on top by taking five out of seven categories compared to Binance.US. Kraken is accessible to more users and has more features and better security than Binance.US.

Neither exchange is a bad option, with Binance.US perhaps being preferred if you are solely interested in spot trading and are not interested in any of the other features available on Kraken.

Go to Kraken's website


Disclaimer: This page is not financial advice or an endorsement of digital assets, providers or services. Digital assets are volatile and risky, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. Potential regulations or policies can affect their availability and services provided. Talk with a financial professional before making a decision. Finder or the author may own cryptocurrency discussed on this page.

Whether products shown are available to you is subject to individual provider sole approval and discretion in accordance with the eligibility criteria and T&Cs on the provider website.

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Bybit Cryptocurrency Exchange

Bybit Cryptocurrency Exchange logo
  • Offers leverage and derivative trading
  • Supports EUR, GBP and CHF
  • Licensed to operate in all European countries
Go to site
Disclaimer: Highly volatile investment product. Your capital is at risk. Not available for US citizens

KuCoin Cryptocurrency Exchange

KuCoin Cryptocurrency Exchange logo
  • Buy, sell and trade over 700 crypto assets
  • Supports 10 Asian fiat currencies
  • Offers crypto futures trading
Go to site
Not available for US citizens

Kraken Cryptocurrency Exchange

Kraken Cryptocurrency Exchange logo
  • Buy, sell and trade over 200 crypto assets
  • Licensed to operate in 17 jurisdictions in Oceania
  • Supports AUD
Go to site

Binance Cryptocurrency Exchange (Not available to US users)

Binance Cryptocurrency Exchange (Not available to US users) logo
  • Supports over 300 crypto assets
  • Binance Pay enables users spend their crypto
  • Binance P2P supports multiple African fiat currencies
Go to site

Binance Cryptocurrency Exchange (Not available to US users)

Binance Cryptocurrency Exchange (Not available to US users) logo
  • Supports over 300 crypto assets
  • Binance Pay works with Credencial Payments to support crypto payments
  • Binance P2P supports five Latin American fiat currencies
Go to site

Bybit Cryptocurrency Exchange

Bybit Cryptocurrency Exchange logo
  • Supports leverage and derivative trading
  • Supports 300 spot trading pairs
  • Low-to-non-existent trading fees
Go to site
Disclaimer: Highly volatile investment product. Your capital is at risk. Not available for US citizens
Holly Jennings's headshot
To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Holly Jennings as part of our fact-checking process.
Keegan Francis's headshot
Written by

Writer

Keegan Francis was a cryptocurrency writer for Finder. He has been invested in cryptocurrencies since 2013 and writing about them since 2018. He has written and edited for CryptoVantage. In 2020 he and his wife Mrugakshee Palwe opted entirely out of the world of traditional finance and went "full crypto", covering their experience in the Go Full Crypto podcast and via a Substack newsletter. Keegan holds a Bachelor of Computer Science from Acadia University, and has attained graduate certificates from Ivan On Tech's lightning network course and the Consensys Academy Ethereum bootcamp. When Keegan is not working on cryptocurrency, he enjoys travelling, rock climbing and playing piano. See full bio

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