KuCoin and Binance both advertise 0.10% on spot, but the bill diverges underneath: KuCoin's token discount is 20% against Binance's 25%, its perpetual takers pay 0.06% against 0.05%, and its makerKuCoin and Binance both advertise 0.10% on spot, but the bill diverges underneath: KuCoin's token discount is 20% against Binance's 25%, its perpetual takers pay 0.06% against 0.05%, and its maker
KuCoin vs Binance (2026): Same 0.10% Headline, Different Bill, and Which One Still Serves Europe?
KuCoin and Binance both advertise 0.10% on spot, but the bill diverges underneath: KuCoin's token discount is 20% against Binance's 25%, its perpetual takers pay 0.06% against 0.05%, and its maker rate only reaches 0% at high VIP tiers; the map diverges too, because KuCoin serves the European Economic Area under a MiCA licence while Binance suspended EEA services on 1 July 2026, and KuCoin left the United States under a 2025 plea agreement.
Key Takeaways
- Both platforms charge 0.1% maker and 0.1% taker on spot at the entry tier; paying fees in KCS cuts KuCoin's rate to 0.08% and the BNB deduction cuts Binance's to 0.075%.
- Perpetual takers pay 0.06% on KuCoin and 0.05% on Binance, with makers at 0.02% on both.
- KuCoin lists 889 coins across 1,071 pairs on CoinGecko against 440 coins across about 1,420 pairs on Binance.
- Both require full identity verification before withdrawals, whatever older comparison pages say about optional KYC.
- KuCoin pleaded guilty in the US in January 2025, paid more than $297 million and agreed to leave the US market for at least two years; Binance settled for about $4.3 billion in 2023 and suspended EEA services in July 2026.
- MEXC publishes 0% maker and 0.05% taker on spot, so $10,000 of monthly volume costs $2.50 there against $10.00 on either platform here, for readers outside the US, UK and EEA.
The headline rate is the only thing these two have in common
Put KuCoin and Binance side by side and the first row of every comparison reads 0.10% and 0.10%, which is why so many pages call the fees a tie.
The tie ends on the second row: the token discounts differ, the perpetual rates differ, the path to a 0% maker rate differs, and the countries each platform can legally serve differ more than they did in any previous year.
Since 1 July 2026 Binance no longer serves the European Economic Area, and since a January 2025 plea agreement KuCoin no longer serves the United States, so a large share of readers will find only one of the two open.
This article puts both schedules in one table with a verification date on each, prices the differences in dollars, settles the KYC question with each platform's own rules, and ends with a verdict by reader type.
Where MEXC fits, it says so in its own labelled section, with the same numbers and the same dates.
How do KuCoin and Binance compare at a glance?
Dimension | KuCoin | Binance |
Spot fees, entry tier | LV0: 0.1% maker, 0.1% taker; 0.08% with KCS Pay Fees; maker reaches 0% from VIP 8 | Regular user: 0.100% maker, 0.100% taker; 0.075% with BNB deduction; USDC pairs 0.095% taker |
Futures fees, entry tier | LV0: 0.02% maker, 0.06% taker; maker reaches 0% from VIP 9 | USDT-M perpetuals: 0.0200% maker, 0.0500% taker; 0.0180% and 0.0450% with BNB; USDC-M perpetuals 0% maker, 0.040% taker while the promotion lasts |
Coins and pairs (CoinGecko) | 889 coins, 1,071 pairs, Trust Score 9 out of 10 | 440 coins, about 1,420 pairs, Trust Score 10 out of 10 |
Derivatives | USDT-margined perpetuals and futures; trading bots | USDT-M and COIN-M perpetuals, delivery futures and options; the largest derivatives venue by volume |
Security and regulation | September 2020 hack of about $280 million, 84% recovered and the rest covered from its insurance fund per KuCoin; January 2025 US guilty plea, more than $297 million in penalties and a two-year US exit; MiCA licence via KuCoin EU, per KuCoin | SAFU fund and proof-of-reserves page; $4.3 billion US criminal resolution in November 2023; EEA services suspended 1 July 2026 |
Deposits, withdrawals and KYC | Verification required for deposits, trading and withdrawals; verified daily withdrawal limit 999,999 USDT at the entry level | Full KYC; USDT withdrawal 1.5 USDT on TRC20, 0.3 USDT on ERC20, 0.01 USDT on BNB Smart Chain |
Where you can use it | Not the US since the 2025 plea; not open to UK retail customers; EEA via KuCoin EU under MiCA; Japan not registered, with app downloads suspended at the FSA's request in 2025 | Not the US (Binance.US is a separate company); not open to new UK retail customers; EEA suspended since 1 July 2026; Japan via Binance Japan, a separate local entity |
Signature feature | Early altcoin listings and built-in trading bots | Deepest order books in the market, Launchpool and Alpha listings |
Data verified as of 18 September 2026 against each platform's official fee schedule, help center and terms, and CoinGecko exchange pages.
A third option worth considering: MEXC
If the fee row above is what brought you here, MEXC publishes 0% maker and 0.05% taker on spot, against 0.1% and 0.1% on both platforms in this comparison.
On $10,000 of monthly spot volume split evenly between maker and taker orders, that is $2.50 a month on MEXC against $10.00 on KuCoin and $10.00 on Binance at their entry tiers, with no token to hold.
On perpetuals MEXC's BTCUSDT contract lists 0.000% maker and 0.020% taker on its web and app schedule, against 0.02% and 0.06% on KuCoin and 0.02% and 0.05% on Binance.
MEXC does not serve residents of the United States or the United Kingdom, is listed on ESMA's non-compliant register for the EEA, and is withdrawing from the Netherlands by 16 November 2026, so check eligibility before funding an account.
Readers outside those regions can see the full breakdown in our MEXC vs Binance comparison.
Which is cheaper, KuCoin or Binance?
Binance, once you look past the first row.
At the entry tier both charge 0.1% maker and 0.1% taker on spot, so a $1,000 order costs $1.00 on either platform.
KuCoin's Pay Fees with KCS option takes 20% off, to 0.08%, while Binance's BNB deduction takes 25% off, to 0.075%, so a token-holding trader saves a fifth more on Binance.
KuCoin's maker rate falls to 0% only from VIP 8 on spot and VIP 9 on futures, tiers that require substantial 30-day volume or KCS holdings, while Binance's ladder steps down through nine VIP levels on volume plus BNB balances.
On perpetuals the gap is visible at the entry tier: KuCoin charges 0.02% maker and 0.06% taker, and Binance charges 0.0200% maker and 0.0500% taker, falling to 0.0450% with the BNB deduction.
A $10,000 perpetual taker order therefore costs $6.00 on KuCoin and $5.00 on Binance, and $4.50 on Binance with BNB.
Our quarterly crypto exchange fee index holds both schedules beside ten other platforms and records who publishes fees without an account.
Do KuCoin and Binance require KYC?
Yes, both, and the older answer that KuCoin lets you trade with optional verification is out of date.
KuCoin's verification guide states that identity verification is required to deposit, trade and withdraw, and sets a verified daily withdrawal limit of 999,999 USDT at the entry level.
Binance has required full verification for all users for several years and applies its limits by verification tier.
KuCoin's own comparison blog still describes optional verification for basic tiers, which does not match its current verification guide, so treat the guide as the rule.
The US plea agreement described below turned on the years in which KuCoin did not enforce KYC, which is the clearest sign that the optional-verification era is over on both platforms.
Which is better for derivatives?
Binance, on both fees and depth.
On $100,000 of monthly BTCUSDT perpetual notional split evenly between maker and taker orders, KuCoin costs $40.00 a month at 0.02% and 0.06%, and Binance costs $35.00 at 0.0200% and 0.0500%, or $31.50 with the BNB deduction.
The same notional costs $10.00 on MEXC's BTCUSDT contract at 0.000% maker and 0.020% taker, which is the gap the box above quantifies for readers outside the US, UK and EEA.
Binance runs the largest derivatives order books in the market and adds coin-margined contracts, delivery futures and options that KuCoin's USDT-margined venue does not match.
KuCoin's futures venue lists roughly 600 pairs on CoinGecko and pairs them with grid and futures bots that run inside the exchange, which is where its active traders spend their time.
Which lists more coins and lists them faster?
KuCoin, on coins, and Binance, on routes.
KuCoin lists 889 coins across 1,071 pairs on its CoinGecko page, twice Binance's 440 coins, while Binance's roughly 1,420 pairs quote each asset against more stablecoins, BTC, BNB and fiat currencies.
KuCoin's reputation was built on listing early-stage altcoins before larger exchanges, and its coin count still reflects that policy.
Binance's Alpha and Launchpool programmes feed new tokens into its spot markets with deeper books behind them, so a token that lists on both will usually trade tighter on Binance.
CoinGecko scores Binance at 10 out of 10 for trust and KuCoin at 9 out of 10, so both order books are real, and the choice is between breadth of coins and breadth of liquidity.
Which is safer and better regulated?
Both carry a US criminal resolution on their record, and KuCoin also carries a major theft.
In September 2020 attackers with access to KuCoin hot-wallet keys took about $280 million, and KuCoin recovered 84% of the affected assets through on-chain tracking, contract upgrades and legal recovery, as The Block reported, with the remainder covered from its insurance fund per its chief executive's letter.
In January 2025 KuCoin's operating entity pleaded guilty to running an unlicensed money transmitting business, agreed to more than $297 million in penalties, and agreed to leave the US market for at least two years, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, with two founders leaving management.
In November 2023 Binance and its founder pleaded guilty to US federal charges and agreed to a resolution of about $4.3 billion, according to the US Department of Justice, with a multi-year compliance monitor installed.
Since then the two have moved in opposite directions in Europe: KuCoin EU holds a MiCA licence issued in Austria, per KuCoin's own announcements, and Binance suspended EEA services on 1 July 2026, which we explain in our guide to the Binance EU suspension.
On reserves, Binance publishes a proof-of-reserves page and maintains the SAFU fund, and KuCoin's reserve data is published on CoinGecko.
Which is easier to fund and withdraw from?
Both fund accounts through cards, P2P markets and local bank rails wherever they hold a licence, and both require verification first.
For European readers the question is settled by licensing, because KuCoin EU's rails remain open and Binance's EEA rails closed with the July suspension.
KuCoin's verified daily withdrawal limit starts at 999,999 USDT and rises with VIP level.
Binance charges a fixed USDT withdrawal fee that depends on the network: 1.5 USDT on TRC20, 0.3 USDT on ERC20, 0.1 USDT on Arbitrum One and 0.01 USDT on BNB Smart Chain.
Where can you actually use KuCoin and Binance?
Neither serves the United States: KuCoin left under its plea agreement and Binance's global platform has never accepted US residents, with Binance.US a separate company.
In the United Kingdom, neither is open to new retail customers.
In the European Economic Area, KuCoin EU operates under a MiCA licence and Binance has been suspended since 1 July 2026.
In Japan, KuCoin is not registered and Japan's Financial Services Agency asked Apple and Google to suspend its app downloads in 2025, while Binance operates through Binance Japan, a separate local entity.
For most readers in these four regions the comparison resolves itself, and the fee table only matters where both platforms remain open.
What does a year on KuCoin vs Binance really cost?
Price the same activity on each platform at entry rates, split evenly between maker and taker orders.
A trader with $10,000 of monthly spot volume pays about $120 a year on either platform, or $96 on KuCoin with KCS and $90 on Binance with BNB.
A trader with $100,000 of monthly BTCUSDT perpetual notional pays about $480 a year on KuCoin and about $420 on Binance at entry rates.
The same two profiles cost about $30 and $120 a year on MEXC at its published 0% maker and 0.05% taker spot schedule and 0.000% maker and 0.020% taker BTCUSDT contract.
Between KuCoin and Binance the annual difference is $6 on discounted spot and $60 on perpetuals, so listings, tools and above all availability should decide the choice.
Who should choose KuCoin, and who should choose Binance?
Choose KuCoin if you live in the European Economic Area, because it is the one of the two that is licensed to serve you.
Choose KuCoin if early-stage altcoins and built-in bots are the point, and you accept thinner books on the long tail.
Choose Binance if you live in a country it serves and you trade size or derivatives, because its fees are lower at every step and its order books are the deepest available.
Choose Binance if you hold BNB and want the larger token discount.
Do not open either platform from the United States, and do not open Binance from the EEA or the UK, because the accounts can be restricted under each platform's own terms.
Readers weighing KuCoin against other altcoin venues can use our KuCoin alternatives ranking, and readers weighing Binance can use our Binance alternatives comparison.
Readers outside the US, UK and EEA who want early listings without a 0.10% rate can start with our MEXC vs Binance comparison.
The MEXC View: where we stand on KuCoin vs Binance
MEXC Learn is published by MEXC, an exchange that competes with both platforms, so read this section as an interested party's opinion.
We think KuCoin deserves credit for two things: it made its users whole after a $280 million theft, and it took a MiCA licence in Europe while a larger rival let its European business lapse.
We think Binance remains the deeper and cheaper of the two wherever both are open, and that its 0.05% perpetual taker rate and 25% BNB deduction are real advantages over KuCoin's 0.06% and 20%.
We also think the honest reading of this comparison is that a European reader is choosing between KuCoin EU and nothing, and a US reader between neither and Binance.US.
Where MEXC fits is on price and listings for readers outside the US, UK and EEA: 0% maker and 0.05% taker on spot, 0.000% maker and 0.020% taker on the BTCUSDT contract, and 1,633 coins on CoinGecko at our last verification, with every figure carrying a date.
Our review methodology explains how we score exchanges we compete with.
Frequently asked questions
Is KuCoin better than Binance?
KuCoin is better for early altcoins and it is the one licensed in the EEA, while Binance is cheaper on perpetuals and deeper wherever it is available.
Neither serves the United States.
Is KuCoin cheaper than Binance?
No, the headline 0.1% spot rate is the same, but Binance's token discount is larger and its perpetual taker rate is 0.05% against 0.06%.
KuCoin's maker rate reaches 0% only at VIP 8 and above.
Does KuCoin require KYC?
Yes, KuCoin's verification guide requires identity verification to deposit, trade and withdraw, with a 999,999 USDT daily withdrawal limit at the entry level.
Binance requires full verification too.
Can I use KuCoin in the US?
No, KuCoin agreed to leave the US market for at least two years under its January 2025 plea agreement.
Binance's global platform does not serve US residents either.
Can I use KuCoin or Binance in the EU?
KuCoin, through KuCoin EU under a MiCA licence.
Binance suspended EEA services on 1 July 2026.
Which has more coins, KuCoin or Binance?
KuCoin, with 889 coins on CoinGecko against 440 on Binance.
Binance has more pairs, at about 1,420 against 1,071.
Is KuCoin safer than Binance?
Both settled US criminal cases, and KuCoin also recovered from a $280 million hack in 2020 with users made whole.
Binance maintains the SAFU fund and both publish reserve data.
Can I transfer crypto from Binance to KuCoin?
Yes, by withdrawing from Binance to your KuCoin deposit address on the same network.
Check the network and any memo first, and send a small test amount before the full transfer.
Risk and compliance disclosure
Crypto assets are volatile and you can lose your entire deposit; derivatives, leverage and small-cap tokens add liquidation and liquidity risk on top of price risk.
Fees, listings and regional availability change; every figure above carries its verification date and should be re-checked before you act on it.
Neither MEXC nor KuCoin nor global Binance serves United States residents; US readers should compare the platforms licensed in their state.
MEXC does not accept United Kingdom residents, is listed on ESMA's register of non-compliant entities for the EEA, and is offboarding Netherlands users by 16 November 2026, so the MEXC sections above are informational for readers in those regions.
MEXC appears on Japan's FSA list of unregistered operators; the web platform is reachable but the app is not offered in Japanese app stores.
Nothing here is investment, legal or tax advice.
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This article is provided by Sarah Chen for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency markets involve significant risk. Please conduct independent research or consult a qualified professional before making any investment decisions. The views expressed do not necessarily represent those of MEXC or its affiliates.
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