Kraken vs Kraken Pro Fees: How the Two Ways to Buy Compare

Kraken vs Kraken Pro fees come down to the screen and the order type: one Kraken account gives you instant buy in the Kraken app and the order book on Kraken Pro. A first order on each screen below shows what you will pay before you press confirm. Check the order type on Pro before you confirm, because it changes which fee you pay. Kraken says (opens in a new tab) both platforms use the same account, and you can switch between them at any time with the same login details.

Everything here was checked against Kraken's published pages between 12 and 13 October 2026. No Kraken account was used.

Fees on the Kraken app and on Kraken Pro

As of October 2026, these figures come from Kraken's UK fee page (opens in a new tab). The EU (Netherlands), Canada, Australia and US pages show the same percentages. The EU and Australia pages use the same basis for Pro's volume discounts as the UK page; Canada and the US count only 30-day spot volume and assets on platform, with no futures measure (see the country notes).

The Kraken instant buy fee is not the whole cost. The fee page says the displayed price includes a spread, the difference between the market rate and the rate you receive, and that Kraken may keep any surplus. It gives no size, and the spread depends on factors such as market volatility and the asset.

Kraken Pro fees come in two kinds: a lower maker rate and a higher taker rate. A market order can bring the more expensive taker fee. For the full picture, read how maker and taker fees work.

Kraken+ is a paid subscription. Its FAQ (opens in a new tab) says it applies only to Kraken web and the app, not to Kraken Pro.

Your payment method can add a charge on an instant buy, and your card issuer may add its own. For a card, Kraken says (opens in a new tab) the total transaction fee shows on the last confirmation page before the purchase completes.

Your first purchase on each screen

In the Kraken app

1. Open the buy screen and choose the coin you want.
2. Enter the amount you want to spend and pick a payment method.
3. Before you confirm, find the price, the fee, the total you pay and the amount of crypto you get.
4. If one of those is missing, stop and ask support. If the fee is higher than your country's fee page lists plus any payment-method fee, stop and ask support too.

As of October 2026, Kraken's minimums article (opens in a new tab) says its Buy Crypto button, rather than the trading form, allows one unit of USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD or CHF (110 for JPY).

On Kraken Pro

1. Open Kraken Pro on the web or in its own app, and log in with your Kraken details.
2. Pick the pair, the two assets you trade against each other.
3. Choose the order type, enter the amount and check the minimum. The same article says the trading form's minimum depends on the coin you trade, and its minimums table lists 0.00005 BTC for bitcoin, while the page's own text says 0.0001 BTC. Check the order form for the minimum that applies.
4. Read the estimated fee. Kraken's Pro app guide (opens in a new tab) says the Pro app's order form shows one.

Then confirm on the final screen. Kraken's Pro app guide shows an order confirmation where you slide an arrow. Read the amounts there before you slide.

Kraken's deposit page (opens in a new tab) says that ACH, PayPal, debit or credit card purchases and digital wallet purchases trigger a temporary 72-hour withdrawal hold. If you plan to send coins out soon, read Kraken withdrawal holds first.

After you confirm, check that the order went through before you place it again, so you do not buy twice. For the records to save, see how to buy crypto, and export your Kraken history when you need the full list.

Which to use first

The Kraken app gives you a quote and one confirm. Kraken says (opens in a new tab) its Buy Crypto widget and the app are designed for simple buying and selling, and you pay the instant buy fee and the spread for that. Pro lets you set your own price and choose an order type, and a wrong choice costs the taker rate or leaves the order unfilled.

On a small order, check the minimum for your coin first. Then add any payment-method fee and compare the totals on each confirmation screen, since the rates alone leave out the spread and that fee.

Kraken Pro also has more order types than market and limit. Kraken's learn page (opens in a new tab) lists take-profit, stop-loss, trailing and iceberg orders. You do not need them for a first buy.

Country notes

As of October 2026, each page below showed the same percentages as the table, and listed Kraken+ with the same 10,000 USD waiver limit:

• United Kingdom: Kraken's UK fee page (opens in a new tab)
• EU (Netherlands page): the Netherlands version (opens in a new tab). Other EU pages were not checked.
• Canada: Kraken's Canada fee page (opens in a new tab) notes that for customers in Canada, futures are not available or do not count toward cross-platform fee tiers.
• Australia: Kraken's Australia fee page (opens in a new tab)
• United States: Kraken's US fee page (opens in a new tab), the page Kraken shows US visitors, which notes that for customers in the US, futures are not available or do not count toward cross-platform fee tiers.

A page listing Kraken+ does not prove you can sign up in your country. For any other country, open the fee page Kraken shows for your country and compare it with the table. Check your country's regulator before you deposit; see registration by country.

In the US, Kraken says (opens in a new tab) only debit cards are supported for card purchases.

Risks to understand

• Margin and futures. Kraken's support center (opens in a new tab) says Pro gives access to futures and margin trading. Availability differs by country, and you do not need them to buy a coin.
• Fee changes. The fee pages carry no date, so check the current page and your order screen each time.

Before you buy, read how crypto exchange fees work and how to choose a crypto exchange. For the wider picture of the exchange, see our Kraken review.