USA model · Model v2.4 · Data as of Aug 20, 2026
Best Kraken Alternatives in USA
We verified 13 exchanges that currently onboard customers in USA and support local USD rails. Coinbase leads this list: strongest regulatory standing among global venues; retail fees are among the highest. Scores recalculate whenever fees, licensing or availability change — every field carries its own check date.
Top pick: Coinbase — 8.8/10. Visit Coinbase ↗
Weights in this context: Security 20% · Regulation 18% · Liquidity 15% · Fees 13% — weights always total 100%.
Some Visit links are affiliate links. They never affect scores or positions — how we make money.
Reviewed by CryptoExID Editorial · Aug 20, 2026 · Editorial policy · how we make money
| Rank | Exchange · why it ranks here | Score | Spot maker / taker | Best for | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coinbase Strongest regulatory standing among global venues; retail fees are among the highest | 8.8Security 9.6 · Fees 6.2 · Liquidity 9.2 | 0.4% / 0.6% | Regulated on-ramp | Visit ↗ |
| 2 | Binance.US Deepest liquidity and near-zero spot fees; regulatory standing varies by market | 8.7Security 8.7 · Fees 9.4 · Liquidity 9.9 | 0.1% / 0.1% | Liquidity & fees | Visit ↗ |
| 3 | OKX US Best-in-class trading terminal and Web3 stack; US product trails the global app | 8.7Security 8.9 · Fees 9.1 · Liquidity 9.5 | 0.08% / 0.1% | Pro trading tools | Visit ↗ |
| 4 | Crypto.com Best crypto card program and licensing breadth; spot fees above the pro venues | 8.5Security 8.8 · Fees 7.4 · Liquidity 8.6 | 0.25% / 0.5% | Card & app | Visit ↗ |
| 5 | Gemini NYDFS-regulated with insured custody; thinner books and higher retail fees | 8.3Security 9.5 · Fees 6.4 · Liquidity 7.6 | 0.2% / 0.4% | Regulated custody | Visit ↗ |
| 6 | bitFlyer JFSA license plus US and EU entities with a clean security record; small catalog everywhere | 8.2Security 8.9 · Fees 7.8 · Liquidity 7.9 | 0.1% / 0.15% | JP + EU/US bridge | Visit ↗ |
| 7 | Bitstamp Operating since 2011 with EU + US licenses; smaller asset list and quiet books | 8.2Security 9.2 · Fees 7.8 · Liquidity 7.8 | 0.3% / 0.4% | Track record | Visit ↗ |
| 8 | Robinhood Crypto Commission-free crypto in a polished app; 30 assets and no advanced tools | 8.2Security 8.7 · Fees 8.8 · Liquidity 7.8 | 0% / 0% | Commission-free | Visit ↗ |
| 9 | eToro Regulated social investing across 100 markets; ~1% spread model is expensive | 8.1Security 8.9 · Fees 6.0 · Liquidity 7.4 | 1% / 1% | Social investing | Visit ↗ |
| 10 | Uphold Trades crypto, metals and FX in one wallet; spread pricing beats no one on cost | 7.7Security 8.3 · Fees 6.6 · Liquidity 6.9 | 0.9% / 0.9% | Multi-asset wallet | Visit ↗ |
- 1Coinbase0.4% / 0.6% · Regulated on-ramp8.8out of 10
Strongest regulatory standing among global venues; retail fees are among the highest
Opens the official siteRead review →
- 2Binance.US0.1% / 0.1% · Liquidity & fees8.7out of 10
Deepest liquidity and near-zero spot fees; regulatory standing varies by market
Opens the official siteRead review →
- 3OKX US0.08% / 0.1% · Pro trading tools8.7out of 10
Best-in-class trading terminal and Web3 stack; US product trails the global app
Opens the official siteRead review →
- 4Crypto.com0.25% / 0.5% · Card & app8.5out of 10
Best crypto card program and licensing breadth; spot fees above the pro venues
Opens the official siteRead review →
- 5Gemini0.2% / 0.4% · Regulated custody8.3out of 10
NYDFS-regulated with insured custody; thinner books and higher retail fees
Opens the official siteRead review →
- 6bitFlyer0.1% / 0.15% · JP + EU/US bridge8.2out of 10
JFSA license plus US and EU entities with a clean security record; small catalog everywhere
Opens the official siteRead review →
- 7Bitstamp0.3% / 0.4% · Track record8.2out of 10
Operating since 2011 with EU + US licenses; smaller asset list and quiet books
Opens the official siteRead review →
- 8Robinhood Crypto0% / 0% · Commission-free8.2out of 10
Commission-free crypto in a polished app; 30 assets and no advanced tools
Opens the official siteRead review →
- 9eToro1% / 1% · Social investing8.1out of 10
Regulated social investing across 100 markets; ~1% spread model is expensive
Opens the official siteRead review →
- 10Uphold0.9% / 0.9% · Multi-asset wallet7.7out of 10
Trades crypto, metals and FX in one wallet; spread pricing beats no one on cost
Opens the official siteRead review →
Scored but not ranked here
- Kraken8.9the brand being replaced
- Bitvavo8.5not available in this market
- Upbit8.3not available in this market
Why choose this instead of Kraken
Each row is scored against Kraken on the same model — not just “everyone except Kraken”. Better/worse is the factor with the largest gap.
The two weakest factors in Kraken's scorecard are Asset Coverage (7.9/10) and Fees (8.1/10) — most switchers we see are solving for one of those two.
Best for fees
Binance.US
9.0/10 · 0.1% / 0.1%
Best for safety
Coinbase
9.4/10 · 0.4% / 0.6%
Best for futures
Binance.US
8.9/10 · 0.1% / 0.1%
Best for beginners
Coinbase
9.0/10 · 0.4% / 0.6%
Best for the US
Coinbase
8.8/10 · 0.4% / 0.6%
| Alternatives | Best for | Better | Worse | US availability | Fees vs brand | Futures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coinbase | Regulated on-ramp | UX & Mobile | Fees | Available | Higher taker | Yes |
| Binance.US | Liquidity & fees | Fees | Regulation | Available | Cheaper taker | Yes |
| OKX US | Pro trading tools | Fees | Regulation | Available | Cheaper taker | Yes |
| Crypto.com | Card & app | Fiat & Payments | Security | Available | Higher taker | Yes |
| Gemini | Regulated custody | Regulation | Fees | Available | Higher taker | No |
| bitFlyer | JP + EU/US bridge | Fees | Asset Coverage | Available | Cheaper taker | Yes |
| Bitstamp | Track record | Fees | Features | Available | Higher taker | No |
| Robinhood Crypto | Commission-free | UX & Mobile | Asset Coverage | Available | Cheaper taker | No |
| eToro | Social investing | UX & Mobile | Fees | Available | Higher taker | No |
| Uphold | Multi-asset wallet | Fiat & Payments | Liquidity | Available | Higher taker | No |
The top 5 Kraken alternatives, reviewed
1. Coinbase — 8.8/10
Coinbase beats Kraken most clearly on UX & Mobile (+0.9 in our subscores) and gives ground on Fees. On price, Coinbase's 0.6% taker sits above Kraken's 0.26% — you switch for the other columns, not the fee line. Strongest regulatory standing among global venues; retail fees are among the highest.
Moving from Kraken you gain: Cards, Recurring buys, Insurance. You give up: Margin, Trading bots, Proof of reserves.
2. Binance.US — 8.7/10
Binance.US beats Kraken most clearly on Fees (+1.3 in our subscores) and gives ground on Regulation. On price, Binance.US's 0.1% taker undercuts Kraken's 0.26%. Deepest liquidity and near-zero spot fees; regulatory standing varies by market.
Moving from Kraken you gain: P2P, Copy trading, Cards. You give up: Never hacked, Tax reports.
3. OKX US — 8.7/10
OKX US beats Kraken most clearly on Fees (+1.0 in our subscores) and gives ground on Regulation. On price, OKX US's 0.1% taker undercuts Kraken's 0.26%. Best-in-class trading terminal and Web3 stack; US product trails the global app.
Moving from Kraken you gain: P2P, Copy trading, Demo account. You give up: Never hacked, Tax reports.
4. Crypto.com — 8.5/10
Crypto.com beats Kraken most clearly on Fiat & Payments (+0.6 in our subscores) and gives ground on Security. On price, Crypto.com's 0.5% taker sits above Kraken's 0.26% — you switch for the other columns, not the fee line. Best crypto card program and licensing breadth; spot fees above the pro venues.
Moving from Kraken you gain: Cards, Recurring buys, Lending. You give up: Never hacked, Tax reports.
5. Gemini — 8.3/10
Gemini beats Kraken most clearly on Regulation (+0.4 in our subscores) and gives ground on Fees. On price, Gemini's 0.4% taker sits above Kraken's 0.26% — you switch for the other columns, not the fee line. NYDFS-regulated with insured custody; thinner books and higher retail fees.
Moving from Kraken you gain: Cards, Recurring buys, Insurance. You give up: Futures, Margin, Trading bots.
Related rankings
By payment method
Rankings are computed from verifiable data — fees, security, liquidity, regulation and availability — under model v2.4. How we rank → A score is not a guarantee of safety and nothing here is investment advice.