Head to head
Bitstamp vs Kraken Pro
Both platforms are scored with the same methodology and the same category rubric. Nothing on this page is influenced by advertising.
46/100 | 50/100Higher score | |
|---|---|---|
| Category rank | #4 | #3 |
| Confidence | High confidence | High confidence |
| External Reputation | 46 | 15 |
| AI Authority | 23 | 81 |
| Web Authority | 67 | 51 |
| Expert Assessment | 54 | 64 |
| TOP10 User Score | — | — |
| Pricing | Reported 0.30% maker / 0.40% taker under $10,000 in 30-day volume — third-party sourced, NOT vendor-verified this session · free tier: None as such; no account or inactivity fee, $10 minimum deposit, and one directory reports fee-free trading under $1,000 in 30-day volume | 0.40% maker / 0.80% taker on spot crypto at Tier 1 ($0+ volume) · free tier: None — no subscription; Tier 1 spot pricing is 0.40% maker / 0.80% taker |
| Pricing model | Usage-based (maker-taker trading commissions plus spread on Simple Buy/Sell) | Usage-based (per-trade maker/taker fees; no subscription for Kraken Pro) |
| Best for | Compliance-first retail investors and institutions buying and holding major assets via SEPA, ACH or Faster Payments, who value a 14-year unbreached record and audited controls (SOC 2, ISO 27001) over headline fee rates. | Active order-book traders doing $10k+/month, API and margin traders, stablecoin/FX pair traders, and long-term holders with $20k+ on-platform who can passively buy down their fee tier. |
| Avoid if | Your priority is low trading fees, you need derivatives, leverage or a wide altcoin roster, you may need fast unimpeded withdrawal access, or you cannot tolerate a multi-week compliance hold on your funds. | You are a buy-and-hold retail user who will never open the Pro interface (you will pay 1%-1.5% plus spread), you cannot accept exchange custody risk given the visible 'funds on hold' complaint theme, you use leverage and are sensitive to a 2% liquidation fee, or you are outside the US wanting stocks or in a restricted geo for Perps. |
| Markets | Retail investors, Institutional / professional traders, Businesses (crypto-as-a-service) | Retail traders, Active/professional traders, API and algorithmic traders, High-balance holders, OTC / institutional |
| Founded | 2011 | 2011 |
| Headquarters | Luxembourg (offices in the UK, Slovenia, Singapore and the US; corporate address listed as 27 Union Square West, Suite 205, New York, NY 10003) | — |
A higher TOP SCORE means more of the evidence favours that platform on this methodology — it is not a recommendation, and it does not account for your specific requirements. Advertisers are never declared the winner of a comparison.