Cryptologist

Exchanges

Compare crypto exchanges, honestly

Ready to move from practice to real money? Start with the question most comparisons skip: is the platform allowed where you live? Then fees, coins and how much it holds for its users. We show what applies to your country.

Country unknown

Facts checked on 4 October 2026; coins and reserves are live. Partner deals never change the order or the facts.

  • OKX

    Since 2017

    Check your country

    MiCA licence · OKX Europe (Malta) · MFSA, January 2025

    Spot fees
    0.08% / 0.10%
    Coins
    300
    Reserves
    $28.9B

    Maker / taker. Lower with volume. Separate EEA fee table since February 2026. · Deposits: SEPA, card.

    • Among the lowest spot fees with a MiCA licence
    • Large choice of coins and euro pairs
    • Proof of reserves published monthly
    • The app is dense for a first purchase
    • US residents use the separate OKX US
    Visit OKX Official fees ↗

  • Bybit

    Since 2018

    Check your country

    MiCA licence · Bybit EU GmbH (Austria), for EEA residents · FMA, May 2025

    Spot fees
    0.10% / 0.10%
    Coins
    390
    Reserves
    $15B

    Maker / taker. Bybit global (bybit.com). · Deposits: SEPA, card.

    • Fast to list new coins
    • EEA residents get a MiCA-licensed Bybit EU
    • Big futures market outside Europe
    • Bybit EU offers no futures to European retail clients
    • Hacked for $1.5B in February 2025 (customers repaid)
    Visit Bybit Official fees ↗

  • Binance

    Since 2017

    Check your country

    No MiCA licence: Binance France's registration lapsed on 2 July 2026, so it can't take on EEA clients.

    Spot fees
    0.10% / 0.10%
    Coins
    708
    Reserves
    $142.81B

    Maker / taker. 25% off when paying fees in BNB. · Deposits: Card, P2P, local options outside Europe.

    • The deepest market in the world
    • Huge choice of coins and products
    • Low fees
    • Not allowed in the EEA, the US (Binance.US is separate), Canada or the UK
    • Paid a record $4.3B US settlement in 2023
    Visit Binance Official fees ↗

  • Bitget

    Since 2018

    Check your country

    No MiCA licence: left France on 31 March 2026 after AMF warnings.

    Spot fees
    0.10% / 0.10%
    Coins
    497
    Reserves
    $6.2B

    Maker / taker. Discount when paying fees in BGB. · Deposits: Card, P2P outside Europe.

    • Lists new coins very early
    • Copy trading
    • Low fees
    • Not allowed in the EEA, the US, Canada or the UK
    • Offshore: weaker protection if things go wrong
    Visit Bitget Official fees ↗

  • Bitvavo

    Since 2018

    Check your country

    MiCA licence · Bitvavo B.V. (Netherlands) · AFM, June 2025

    Spot fees
    0.15% / 0.25%
    Coins
    427
    Reserves
    $313.49M

    Maker / taker. Lower from €100k a month. Euro pairs only. · Deposits: SEPA, iDEAL, card.

    • Low fees on euro pairs
    • Simple, European, regulated
    • Over 400 coins
    • Europe only
    • No futures
    Visit Bitvavo Official fees ↗

  • Bitstamp

    Since 2011

    Check your country

    MiCA licence · Bitstamp Europe (Luxembourg) · CSSF, May 2025

    Spot fees
    0.30% / 0.40%
    Coins
    116
    Reserves
    $4.79B

    Maker / taker. Under $10k a month; lower above. Owned by Robinhood since 2025. · Deposits: SEPA, card.

    • One of the oldest exchanges
    • Plain, reliable, regulated
    • Good for buying and holding majors
    • About 120 coins
    • Fees above OKX and Bitvavo
    Visit Bitstamp Official fees ↗

  • Coinbase

    Since 2012

    Check your country

    MiCA licence · Coinbase Luxembourg · CSSF, June 2025

    Spot fees
    0.40% / 0.60%
    Coins
    410
    Reserves
    Audited

    Maker / taker. Coinbase Advanced under $10k a month; lower above. The simple app is dearer. · Deposits: SEPA, card, PayPal.

    • The easiest first purchase
    • Listed company with audited accounts
    • Available almost everywhere
    • High fees in the simple app: use Advanced
    • Advanced only gets cheap above $10k a month
    Visit Coinbase Official fees ↗

  • Kraken

    Since 2011

    Check your country

    MiCA licence · Payward Europe Solutions (Ireland) · Central Bank of Ireland, June 2025

    Spot fees
    0.40% / 0.80%
    Coins
    622
    Reserves
    Audited

    Maker / taker. Kraken Pro, smallest volume tier. The simple app charges 1% per instant buy. · Deposits: SEPA, card, many currencies.

    • Since 2011 without a major hack
    • Serves Europe, the US and the UK
    • Proof-of-reserves audits
    • Pricier than OKX or Bitvavo at small volumes
    • Use Kraken Pro, not instant buy, to keep fees down
    Visit Kraken Official fees ↗

  • Bitpanda

    Since 2014

    Check your country

    MiCA licence · Bitpanda (Austria) · FMA, April 2025

    Spot fees
    Spread
    Coins
    —
    Reserves
    —

    No maker/taker table: a spread of about 1.5% (more in volatile markets) is built into the price. · Deposits: SEPA, card, PayPal.

    • Crypto, shares, ETFs and metals in one app
    • Very beginner-friendly
    • European company
    • The spread makes it one of the dearest for frequent trading
    • Europe only
    Visit Bitpanda Official fees ↗

  • Coinhouse

    Since 2014

    Check your country

    MiCA licence · Coinhouse (France) · AMF, May 2026

    Spot fees
    Spread
    Coins
    —
    Reserves
    —

    From 0.99% per purchase by bank transfer; 0% up to €3,000 a month on the Investor plan; 2.5% by card. · Deposits: SEPA, card.

    • French company, French support
    • Licensed by the AMF itself
    • Savings plans and advice
    • Per-purchase fees: not for active trading
    • Few coins compared with big exchanges
    Visit Coinhouse Official fees ↗

Partner links: we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. How it works

How we compare

  • Licence first. We read the MiCA registers and each platform’s announcements. A platform without a licence is never offered to European visitors here, partner or not.
  • Fees at the smallest tier, the one you start on, before token discounts. Volume brings them down everywhere.
  • Coins are counted live from each platform’s public API. Reserves are the assets in its known wallets without its own token, from DefiLlama: a sign of size, not a guarantee.
  • Partner links may earn us a commission. They don’t change the order, which follows the sort you pick. How we earn money

Before the first real trade

Six steps that keep beginners out of trouble: security, small sizes, self-custody and taxes.

Open the checklist

Questions

Which crypto exchanges are allowed in France and the rest of the EU?+

Since 1 July 2026, only platforms authorised under the EU's MiCA regulation may serve residents of the European Economic Area, France included. Among the platforms on this page, that's OKX, Kraken, Coinbase, Bitvavo, Bybit, Bitpanda, Bitstamp, Coinhouse. Binance and Bitget have no MiCA licence and can't take on EEA clients. Always check the exact legal entity on the regulator's register (the AMF's in France, ESMA's for the whole EU).

What is MiCA?+

The Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation: one EU rulebook for crypto platforms. A licensed platform must keep client assets separate from its own, hold capital, handle complaints and follow conduct rules. A licence from one EU country (a “passport”) covers the others.

What are maker and taker fees?+

A taker order fills right away against the order book (a market order): you pay the taker fee. A maker order waits in the book (a limit order) and usually pays less. On a small market buy, the taker fee is the one you'll pay. Some apps have no fee table but build a spread into the price instead, which often costs more.

Should I leave my coins on the exchange?+

An exchange holds your coins for you: if it fails or is hacked, you depend on its protections. For amounts you plan to keep, many people move them to a wallet they control (a hardware wallet), and keep only what they trade on the exchange.

Crypto-assets are volatile and you can lose everything you put in. Nothing here is investment advice. See our risk warning.