Who This Is For
This guide is for anyone trading crypto futures who wants to understand the difference between maker and taker fees and learn how to minimize their trading costs.
What You’ll Need
- A verified account on a crypto exchange that offers futures trading (e.g., Binance, Bybit, OKX, Kraken)
- Basic understanding of limit orders and market orders
- Access to the exchange’s fee schedule (usually in the “Fees” or “Trading Rules” section)
- At least $100 in account equity to qualify for tiered fee discounts on most platforms
- A willingness to learn order book mechanics and liquidity concepts
Key Takeaways
- Maker fees (0.02%–0.10%) are charged when you add liquidity to the order book using limit orders; taker fees (0.04%–0.06%) are charged when you remove liquidity using market orders.
- Switching from market orders to limit orders can save you 30–50% on fees per trade, which compounds significantly over hundreds of trades.
- Most exchanges offer volume-based tiers, BNB or token discounts, and VIP programs that can reduce both maker and taker fees by 25–75%.
Step 1: Understand the Maker vs. Taker Fee Model
Every crypto futures exchange uses a maker-taker fee model. The idea is simple: the exchange rewards traders who provide liquidity (makers) and charges more to those who consume it (takers). But what does “adding liquidity” actually mean?
When you place a limit order that doesn’t get filled immediately, your order sits in the order book. You’re offering liquidity to other traders. If someone else matches your price, you’re the maker. The exchange charges you a lower fee — typically 0.02% on Binance or 0.01% on Bybit for BTC/USDT perpetuals.
When you place a market order, you’re demanding immediate execution. Your order matches against existing limit orders in the book. You remove liquidity. The exchange charges you a higher fee — usually 0.04% to 0.06%.
So the difference is 0.02% to 0.04% per trade. That might sound tiny. But if you’re a day trader making 50 round trips per day, that spread adds up fast. Over a month, it can eat 5–10% of your account. And that’s before factoring in slippage.
Step 2: Check Your Exchange’s Fee Schedule
Every exchange publishes a fee table. You need to find yours. Here’s a quick breakdown of major platforms as of mid-2026:
| Exchange | Standard Maker Fee | Standard Taker Fee | Lowest VIP Maker | Lowest VIP Taker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Binance | 0.02% | 0.04% | 0.012% | 0.024% |
| Bybit | 0.01% | 0.06% | 0.005% | 0.030% |
| OKX | 0.02% | 0.05% | 0.010% | 0.025% |
| Kraken | 0.02% | 0.05% | 0.010% | 0.030% |
Notice something? Bybit’s standard maker fee is only 0.01% — the lowest among major exchanges. But their taker fee is 0.06%, which is higher. That’s because they incentivize limit order placement heavily. On the other hand, Binance’s spread is tighter at 0.02% maker vs. 0.04% taker.
Your actual fee depends on your 30-day trading volume, your token holdings (like BNB or OKB), and whether you use the exchange’s native token to pay fees. For example, Binance users who hold at least 25 BNB get a 25% discount on both maker and taker fees. That drops a 0.04% taker fee to 0.03%.
So your first step is to log into your exchange, open the fee schedule, and note your current tier. If you’re not sure where to find it, search the exchange’s help center for “fee structure” or “fee schedule.”
Step 3: Set Up Limit Orders Instead of Market Orders
This is the single biggest change you can make. If you’re using market orders for every entry and exit, you’re paying the taker fee every time. Switching to limit orders turns you into a maker.
But there’s a catch. Limit orders don’t fill instantly. If the price moves away from your limit, your order might not get filled at all. That’s why many traders default to market orders — they want certainty of execution.
Here’s a practical workaround: use post-only limit orders. A post-only order is a limit order that will never take liquidity. If your order would get filled immediately (because it matches an existing order on the book), the exchange cancels it. This guarantees you always pay the maker fee.
Another trick: place your limit orders a few ticks away from the current price. For example, if BTC is at $30,000 and you want to buy, set your limit at $29,980. You might wait 30 seconds to 2 minutes for a fill. But you’ll save 0.02% to 0.04% per trade.
Over 100 trades, that’s a savings of 2% to 4% of your total trading volume. On a $10,000 account with 10x leverage, that’s real money.
And here’s the rhetorical question: would you rather pay an extra $40 per $100,000 in volume, or keep that $40 in your pocket? The answer is obvious once you do the math.
Step 4: Use Native Tokens and Volume Tiers to Get Discounts
Most exchanges offer fee discounts if you hold their native token. Binance has BNB. Bybit has BIT. OKX has OKB. Kraken doesn’t have a native token discount, but they do offer volume-based tiers.
The discount structure varies. On Binance, holding 25 BNB gives you a 25% discount on all fees. Holding 50 BNB gives you 50% off. The catch is that BNB’s price fluctuates. If you buy 50 BNB and it drops 30%, you might lose more on the token than you save on fees. So treat this as a risk-managed decision, not a potential outcomes.
Volume-based tiers work differently. The more you trade in a 30-day window, the lower your fees. On Binance, trading 1,000 BTC in perpetuals over 30 days puts you in VIP 1, which drops maker fees to 0.018% and taker fees to 0.036%. Trading 7,500 BTC gets you VIP 3, with fees as low as 0.012% maker and 0.024% taker.
But don’t increase your position size just to chase lower fees. That’s a recipe for blowing up your account. Instead, let your natural trading volume accumulate. After 30 days, you’ll automatically move to a higher tier if your volume qualifies.
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Step 5: Track Your Fee Savings Over Time
Most exchanges have a “Fee History” or “Trade History” section where you can see exactly how much you paid in maker and taker fees. Pull up your last 30 days and calculate your average fee rate.
Let’s say you traded $500,000 in perpetual futures volume over 30 days. If you paid an average taker fee of 0.05%, that’s $250 in fees. If you switch to 80% maker orders at 0.02% and only 20% taker at 0.05%, your blended fee drops to 0.026%. That’s $130 in fees — a savings of $120 per month.
Over a year, that’s $1,440. Not bad for changing a few settings.
Use a spreadsheet to track your monthly fees. Column A: total volume. Column B: maker fees paid. Column C: taker fees paid. Column D: blended fee rate. Watch it decline as you implement these strategies.
One more thing: some exchanges offer fee rebates for makers. On Binance, if you’re a VIP 9 trader with over 1 million BTC in volume, you actually earn 0.002% as a maker instead of paying. Most retail traders won’t reach that level, but it’s good to know the system exists.
Common Pitfalls and Risks
⚠️ Risk: Market orders cause slippage, not just higher fees. Slippage is the difference between the price you expect and the price you get. On a volatile market, a market order for 10 BTC might slip by 0.1% to 0.3%. That’s 5 to 15 times more expensive than the taker fee itself. Mitigation: always use limit orders in volatile conditions, or use iceberg orders to hide your size.
⚠️ Risk: Post-only orders can fail to fill in fast markets. If the price is moving rapidly, your post-only limit order might never get filled. You could miss an entire move. Mitigation: use a combination of limit orders for entries and stop-market orders for exits. Accept that you’ll pay taker fees on exits to ensure you capture profits or cut losses.
⚠️ Risk: Holding native tokens for fee discounts exposes you to token volatility. BNB has dropped 40% in a month before. If you buy 50 BNB for fee discounts and the token crashes, your fee savings won’t offset the loss. Mitigation: only hold tokens you’d be comfortable holding for the long term. Don’t buy tokens solely for fee discounts.
⚠️ Risk: Some exchanges change fee structures without notice. In 2023, several exchanges raised taker fees by 0.01% to 0.02% during bull markets. Mitigation: check the fee schedule weekly. Set a calendar reminder to review it on the first of every month.
What Next?
Log into your exchange right now, check your fee tier, and change your default order type from market to limit for your next three trades to see the difference in costs.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
Sources & References
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