The fee most crypto apps put in front of a new user, the 1% to 2% charged on an instant buy, is not the fee a frequent trader actually pays. Active traders live on the pro or advanced tier, where maker-taker schedules, liquidity, and order types decide what a platform really costs over a month of trading. This guide ranks the eight strongest US-accessible crypto apps through that lens, while still flagging which ones suit a newer trader who wants a clean on-ramp. Fees, coin counts, and feature details below were confirmed against each provider’s own site.
Best Cryptocurrency Apps for Active Traders
| App | Best for | Pro/advanced maker-taker | Cryptocurrencies | Derivatives | US availability note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kraken | Overall, low pro fees | 0.25%/0.40% down to 0.00%/0.08% | 700+ | Yes (futures, margin) | Not in NY or Maine |
| Coinbase | Beginners, deepest US liquidity | 0.00%-0.40% / 0.05%-0.60% | 350+ | Futures on select coins | All 50 states |
| Crypto.com | Mobile, rewards, BTC derivatives | 0.08%-0.25% / 0.18%-0.50% | 400+ | Yes (BTC options, futures) | Most US states |
| Gemini | Security, experienced traders | 0.000%-0.600% / 0.020%-1.200% | ~90 | Yes (futures, perpetuals) | All 50 states |
| Interactive Brokers | Multi-asset traders | 0.12%-0.18% commission, $1.75 min | 11+ spot | Yes (Coinbase, CME futures) | Eligible US clients |
| Robinhood Crypto | Convenience, existing users | Spread-based, ~0.03%-0.85% effective | 70+ | No spot derivatives | Most US states |
| Uphold | Staking, cross-asset swaps | 2.05%-3.80% spread by asset | 250+ | No | Most US states |
| BitMart | Altcoin selection | 0.02%/0.06% base, up to ~0.6% | 1,700+ | Yes (futures) | Operates in the US |
Kraken
Kraken is the best overall crypto app for an active trader, and the reason is the gap between what it charges casual users and what it charges traders who know where to trade. The instant-buy feature carries a flat 1% fee, clearly labeled on the order screen, with custom orders at 1.5%. Move to Kraken Pro and the entry maker-taker rate is 0.25% and 0.40%, scaling down to 0.00% and 0.08% at the highest volume tiers. A trader doing real size pays a fraction of what the simple buy button costs.
- Kraken Pro maker-taker: 0.25%/0.40% at the base tier, down to 0.00%/0.08%
- Instant buy: 1%; custom orders: 1.5%
- Kraken+ subscription: $4.99 per month, waiving trading fees on up to $10,000 in monthly volume
- More than 700 cryptocurrencies and over 1,800 markets
- Margin trading and crypto futures available on Pro
- Minimum deposit: $1
Pros
- The lowest published pro-tier fees among full-featured US exchanges, paired with deep order-book liquidity that fills larger orders with less slippage.
- Advanced order types, charting, and screening on Kraken Pro at no platform cost.
- A transparent fee display that shows the exact cut on every order, which is rarer than it should be in this category.
Cons
- Not available in New York or Maine, with additional state-level restrictions on staking and other services.
- No FDIC or SIPC coverage, and crypto balances are not insured the way a brokerage cash balance would be.
Kraken has spent the past few years simplifying its consumer-facing app while keeping the Pro engine intact, which is unusual. Most platforms drift in one direction. Kraken serves the beginner buying $200 of Bitcoin and the trader running margin on the same infrastructure, and it does both without burying one audience to court the other.
Coinbase
Coinbase is the runner-up and the clear pick for a trader who is still learning the ropes. It is the largest US-based exchange, publicly listed on the Nasdaq, and it carries the deepest US dollar liquidity of any app on this list, which matters the moment an order is large enough to move a thin book. The catch is cost. The simple buy screen can run close to 2% once the spread and flat fee are combined, and the fee breakdown is harder to read than it should be.
- Coinbase Advanced maker-taker: 0.00% to 0.40% maker, 0.05% to 0.60% taker
- Simple/instant buy: roughly 2% effective once spread and fee are combined
- More than 350 cryptocurrencies
- Futures offered on select coins; no margin or options trading
- Staking reward commission: 35%, reduced for Coinbase One members
- FDIC pass-through on cash and crime insurance on custodial holdings
Pros
- The deepest US liquidity and a Nasdaq-listed parent, which together make it the lowest-friction on-ramp for a trader’s first account.
- A genuinely strong education library and a clean interface that lowers the learning curve.
- An Advanced tier that brings fees down to a competitive maker-taker schedule once a trader graduates from the simple buy button.
Cons
- The 35% commission on staking rewards is steep, and the simple-buy fee structure is the least transparent of the major US apps.
- No margin and no options trading, with futures limited to select coins, which caps how far an advanced trader can push the platform.
The honest read is that Coinbase is the best place to start and a perfectly good place to stay for spot trading, but a trader who wants margin, options, or a fully transparent low-fee schedule will eventually bump into its ceiling.
Crypto.com
Crypto.com earns its spot on the strength of its mobile experience and its derivatives access. The app manages to be both heavily secured, with a pin on every login and layered authentication, and genuinely usable, which is a combination most crypto apps fail at. On the exchange tier, maker fees run 0.08% to 0.25% and taker fees 0.18% to 0.50%, competitive rates for a trader who routes orders through the exchange rather than the app’s instant buy.
- Exchange maker-taker: 0.08% to 0.25% maker, 0.18% to 0.50% taker
- More than 400 cryptocurrencies
- Bitcoin options and futures available
- Visa debit and credit card with cashback in the native CRO token
- Crypto IRA and an AI-assisted basket builder
- Minimum to start: $1
Pros
- Bitcoin options and futures inside an app most people think of as mobile-only, which gives an active trader real derivatives tooling on the go.
- Cashback rewards and a debit card program that return value on spending for traders who hold and use CRO.
- A crypto IRA, a product only a couple of platforms on this list offer.
Cons
- A high minimum withdrawal requirement that can strand early equity for a trader still building a balance.
- The best fee discounts and card rewards sit behind staking the CRO token, so the headline benefits are not free, and the platform provides only a hot wallet.
The rewards model is the thing to scrutinize. It is real value, but it is conditional, and a trader who does not want to lock up CRO will see a different cost structure than the marketing implies.
Gemini
Gemini is the security pick and the strongest fit for an experienced trader who weights custody and compliance heavily. It holds most customer assets in cold storage, supports hardware security keys, carries FDIC pass-through insurance on cash plus crypto insurance, and completes SOC 1, SOC 2 Type 2, and ISO 27001 audits. Its ActiveTrader interface adds advanced charting, advanced order types, and access to futures and perpetual contracts. It is available in all 50 states.
- ActiveTrader maker-taker: 0.000% to 0.600% maker, 0.020% to 1.200% taker
- Around 90 cryptocurrencies
- Futures and perpetual contracts available
- FDIC pass-through on cash, crypto insurance, third-party security audits
- Available in all 50 US states
Pros
- The most thorough published security and compliance posture of any app here, backed by named audits and insurance rather than vague assurances.
- ActiveTrader gives experienced users serious charting and order tooling.
- Full availability in every US state, including the ones that exclude Kraken.
Cons
- The low-volume fee tier is the worst on this list. At under $10,000 in 30-day volume, maker and taker fees of 0.6% and 1.2% are roughly double Kraken’s entry rates, so a small-account trader pays a real premium.
- The coin selection of around 90 is thin for a major exchange, and customer support runs through a request form rather than live contact.
Gemini has clearly oriented toward higher-volume and institutional clients. Its best fees only appear at volumes most individual traders will never reach, so the platform rewards size and security over the small, active retail account.
Interactive Brokers Crypto
Interactive Brokers is the pick for a trader who wants crypto to live inside a serious multi-asset platform rather than a standalone wallet. Crypto commissions run 0.12% to 0.18% of trade value with a $1.75 minimum per order, never exceeding 1%, and with no added spreads, markups, or custody fees. That commission undercuts most pure-play exchanges on a like-for-like trade. Spot crypto trades through Paxos or Zero Hash, and the platform layers on crypto futures through Coinbase Derivatives and CME micro Bitcoin and Ether contracts.
- Crypto commission: 0.12% to 0.18% of trade value, $1.75 minimum per order, capped at 1%
- No added spreads, markups, or custody fees
- Spot trading in 11-plus coins, with names like Chainlink, Avalanche, and Sui added recently
- Crypto futures via Coinbase Derivatives plus CME micro Bitcoin and Ether futures and options
- Professional platform with more than 100 order types and no crypto withdrawal fees
Pros
- A commission schedule and execution quality built for traders, with no hidden spread, sitting alongside stocks, options, and futures in one account.
- More than 100 order types and the full IBKR platform applied to crypto, which no pure-play app on this list matches for execution control.
- No crypto withdrawal fees.
Cons
- The spot coin list is short, so a trader hunting smaller altcoins will run out of options fast.
- Crypto trading requires enabling permissions and meeting eligibility rules, and there is no staking, so this is a trading account first and a crypto wallet a distant second.
For a trader already running equities and futures through IBKR, adding crypto is close to free in friction. For someone who only wants crypto, the platform is more than they need.
Robinhood Crypto
Robinhood Crypto is the convenience pick, and it has quietly become a more complete product than its reputation suggests. It charges no explicit commission, pricing trades through a spread with smart exchange routing that the company says delivers among the lowest average costs in the category, with an effective range roughly between 0.03% and 0.85%. It trades 24/7, and it now supports the features that used to be glaring omissions: crypto-to-crypto trading, transfers to external wallets, and staking on Ether, Solana, and Cardano.
- No-commission, spread-based pricing with smart exchange routing
- Effective cost range roughly 0.03% to 0.85%
- More than 70 cryptocurrencies, traded 24/7
- Crypto-to-crypto trading and external wallet transfers supported
- Staking rewards on ETH, SOL, and ADA
Pros
- Low effective costs through smart routing and a no-commission model, with the convenience of crypto sitting next to a trader’s stock positions.
- Recent additions of wallet transfers, crypto-to-crypto trading, and staking close the gaps that once made it a non-starter for serious users.
Cons
- Spread-based pricing is inherently less transparent than a published maker-taker schedule, so a trader cannot see the exact cut before the trade the way Kraken or Crypto.com allow.
- The coin selection trails the pure-play exchanges, and the charting and order tooling are lighter than a dedicated pro platform.
Robinhood is the closest thing to a Coinbase or Kraken experience delivered inside a traditional brokerage app. For a trader already in the Robinhood ecosystem, that proximity is the whole pitch.
Uphold
Uphold is the cross-asset and staking specialist. Its defining feature is what it calls anything-to-anything trading: a trader can swap directly between crypto, stablecoins, precious metals, and fiat in a single transaction. Its staking menu is one of the deepest here, covering 21 assets with boosted yields that have reached around 15% in exchange for locking the asset for a set term. The trade-off is cost. Uphold prices through a spread, and on majors that spread is wide.
- Trading spreads: 2.05% to 2.20% on Bitcoin and Ether, 2.85% to 3.80% on altcoins, under 0.25% on stablecoins
- More than 250 assets across crypto, metals, and fiat
- Staking on 21 assets, with boosted yields reaching roughly 15%
- Direct swaps between any two supported asset types
Pros
- One of the strongest staking programs on this list, with a wide asset menu and elevated boosted yields.
- Direct asset-to-asset swaps across crypto, metals, and fiat that no other app here offers in one step.
Cons
- The spread on Bitcoin, Ether, and altcoins is high enough that an active spot trader will pay far more than on Kraken or Coinbase Advanced. Only stablecoin trades come in cheap.
- There is no advanced or pro trading interface and no live phone support, so order control and help are both limited.
Uphold is built for the holder who stakes and swaps, not the trader who scalps spot. As a staking and cross-asset hub it is excellent. As a low-cost trading venue it is not the right tool.
BitMart
BitMart makes the list for one specific reason: selection. It lists more than 1,700 cryptocurrencies, including names that are difficult to find on the larger US exchanges, which makes it the natural stop for a trader hunting smaller-cap altcoins. Base spot fees start around 0.02% maker and 0.06% taker and scale by tier, with a discount for paying fees in the native BMX token. It also offers copy trading and futures, and it now accepts both crypto and fiat funding.
- More than 1,700 cryptocurrencies
- Spot fees from about 0.02% maker and 0.06% taker, rising to roughly 0.6% by tier, with a discount for paying in BMX
- Order types: market, limit, and stop
- Copy trading and futures available
- Funding accepted in both crypto and fiat
Pros
- The widest altcoin selection on this list by a large margin, which is the entire case for using it.
- A copy-trading feature that lets a trader follow established traders, plus competitive base spot fees.
Cons
- BitMart does not publicly disclose its security infrastructure. It states it uses multi-signature technology and hybrid hot and cold storage, but it does not publish certifications or confirm third-party audits, which is a real gap next to Gemini or Coinbase.
- The order-type menu is limited to market, limit, and stop, so a trader who relies on more advanced execution will find it thin.
BitMart is a specialist tool. A trader chasing a specific small-cap token will find it there when the majors do not list it, but the undisclosed security posture means it is not where most of a portfolio should sit.
How to Choose a Crypto App as an Active Trader
The single most useful habit is to ignore the headline buy fee and read the pro or advanced maker-taker schedule instead. That schedule, combined with a trader’s expected monthly volume, is the real cost of doing business. Kraken Pro at 0.25%/0.40% and Coinbase Advanced at a similar entry rate are a different universe from the 1% to 2% those same platforms charge on an instant buy.
Liquidity is the second filter, and it is a feature rather than a footnote. An app with deep order books fills larger and faster orders with less slippage, which is why the highest-volume US venues, led by Coinbase and followed by Crypto.com and Kraken, are worth a premium for anyone trading size. A thin book turns a good fill into a bad one regardless of the posted fee.
From there, the checklist is concrete. Confirm the app supports the order types and charting a strategy actually needs. Decide whether derivatives matter, since only some of these platforms offer futures, options, or perpetuals. Check state availability before anything else, because an excellent app that does not operate in a trader’s state is not an option at all, as Kraken’s absence from New York and Maine shows. Finally, weigh custody and security: legitimate centralized exchanges verify identity, register with regulators such as FinCEN, and either publish their security posture or do not. The collapses of earlier exchanges are a standing reminder that assets not actively being traded are safest in cold storage, not left sitting on any platform.
Bottom Line
Kraken is the best cryptocurrency app for an active trader. It pairs the lowest published pro-tier maker-taker schedule among full-featured US exchanges with deep liquidity, margin, and futures, and it displays its fees more honestly than its peers. The only real knocks are its absence from two states and the lack of balance insurance, neither of which changes the core trading economics.
Coinbase is the runner-up and the better choice for a trader who values the deepest US liquidity and the smoothest on-ramp over the lowest fee, provided they move to the Advanced tier and accept the lack of margin and options. Beyond those two, the right pick narrows by need: Crypto.com for mobile-first trading with Bitcoin derivatives, Gemini for a trader who weights security and trades enough volume to escape its punishing low-tier fees, Interactive Brokers for anyone already trading stocks and futures who wants crypto in the same account, Robinhood for low-friction convenience, Uphold for staking and cross-asset swaps, and BitMart for altcoins the majors do not list.