For cryptocurrency investors and traders, choosing the right cryptocurrency exchange is one of the most important decisions. Crypto.com and Kraken are two of the most popular crypto exchanges, both renowned as top trading platforms in the crypto industry.
If you’re deciding between Crypto.com vs Kraken, we’ll help you make the right decision by going over the main differences between the two exchanges and outlining their biggest strengths and weaknesses.
Key highlights:
- Crypto.com and Kraken are two of the world’s leading crypto exchanges
- Each one offers different features, catering to different audiences
- Kraken is focused on security and staking, while Crypto.com is better for CRO holders and lower trading fees
Crypto.com vs Kraken – Which is the better crypto exchange?
You’ll often find both Crypto.com and Kraken mentioned as two of the best crypto exchanges as they offer a multitude of features to their respective users, such as copy trading on Crypto.com and advanced order types on Kraken.
While the choice between the two ultimately depends on your specific needs, both platforms should be able to satisfy the needs of the average cryptocurrency investor and trader, so you likely won’t regret choosing one over the other.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t some key differences between the two exchanges though. Let’s quickly go over them in the following list:
- Crypto.com offers a broader range of cryptocurrencies. While the difference isn’t really that big, Crypto.com offers over 350 cryptocurrencies compared to Kraken’s 300.
- Kraken is more secure. One of Kraken’s most impressive features is that they’ve never been a victim of a hack. Comparing this to Crypto.com losing 15 million in a security incident, Kraken clearly comes out on top when it comes to security. Crypto.com has since bolstered their security.
- Lower trading fees on Crypto.com, especially for those who choose to lock up their CRO tokens.
- Kraken provides more options when it comes to staking, allowing users to participate in bonded or flexible staking.
- Best features of Crypto.com are reserved for CRO holders. This makes it an unnatractive option to those who haven’t already invested in CRO, as crypto prices are unpredictable.
Crypto.com - An overview
Launched in 2016, Crypto.com is a major player in the crypto industry. They provide users with a diverse range of services such as an NFT marketplace, derivatives trading, and a feature for earning passive income on crypto known as Crypto.com Earn.
| Trading fees | 0.075% for both makers and takers, can be reduced further if users reach trading volume thresholds or lock up CRO |
|---|---|
| Supported cryptocurrencies | 350+ |
| Daily trading volume | $3.68 billion |
Likely the best-known feature of the Crypto.com exchange is its Visa card. Regarded as one of the best crypto credit cards, it lets users spend cryptocurrency anywhere where Visa is accepted. Not only that, this card also offers tier-based cashback rewards, which are paid out in CRO tokens, Crypto.com’s own cryptocurrency.
However, most of Crypto.com’s best features are reserved for CRO token holders, which could be a drawback for some. As such, it may not be advisable to buy CRO just to get access to these features, as crypto prices are subject to volatility. If the price of CRO was to decline substantially, the perks of holding CRO would quickly be negated by the losses of its reduced worth.
Pros:
- Supports more cryptocurrencies than Kraken
- Offers a unique VISA card that makes spending cryptocurrency easy
- A more refined ecosystem
- Lower trading fees, especially for CRO holders
Cons:
- Some of the exchange's best features require users to hold CRO
- Not as secure as Kraken
Kraken - An overview
The Kraken cryptocurrency exchange is a pioneer in the space, operating since 2013. Known for its simplicity and a great security track record, the exchange’s wallets have never been compromised. That makes it one of the safest crypto exchanges, especially when you consider the additional security options available to its users.
| Trading fees | Base fees are 0.16% for makers, 0.26% for takers; high volume traders benefit from lower fees |
|---|---|
| Supported cryptocurrencies | 300 |
| Daily trading volume | $712.81 million |
Kraken offers a wide selection of cryptocurrencies, though not as many as Crypto.com. However, most traders should still be able to find the coins they want on Kraken, as long as it’s not a coin with a very low market cap.
Another great perk of the Kraken platform is that it allows users to trade Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies directly against fiat currencies. This greatly simplifies the process of investing in crypto and cashing out at the right time. The Kraken exchange also offers two separate platforms, each catering to a different audience. See our article exploring the differences between Kraken and Kraken Pro to get a more in-depth view.
Pros:
- Stellar security track record
- Great customer support
- Customizable trading interface
- Offers markets denominated in fiat currencies
Cons:
- Lists fewer cryptocurrencies than some competitors
- Lacks its own crypto card
- Comparatively high trading fees
Crypto.com vs Kraken - Trading fee comparison
Trading fees are an important factor to consider if you frequently make trades. For those who only trade occasionally, trading fees become less relevant. Still, this is an important point to consider when choosing a crypto exchange.
Both Crypto.com and Kraken have a tiered fee structure, with the fees getting lower if the user generates more trading volume.
Crypto.com trading fees
| 30-day trading volume | Maker fee | Taker fee |
|---|---|---|
| $0 - $50,000 | 0.150% | 0.300% |
| $50,000 - $250,000 | 0.100% | 0.250% |
| $250,000 - $500,000 | 0.080% | 0.200% |
| $500,000 - $1 million | 0.070% | 0.100% |
| $1 million - $5 million | 0.065% | 0.069% |
| $5 million - $10 million | 0.060% | 0.065% |
| $10 million+ | 0% | 0.050% |
Kraken trading fees
| 30-day trading volume | Maker fee | Taker fee |
|---|---|---|
| $0 - $10,000 | 0.25% | 0.40% |
| $10,000 - $50,000 | 0.20% | 0.35% |
| $50,000 - $100,000 | 0.14% | 0.24% |
| $100,000 - $250,000 | 0.12% | 0.22% |
| $250,000 - $500,000 | 0.10% | 0.20% |
| $500,000 - $1 million | 0.08% | 0.18% |
| $1 million - $2.5 million | 0.06% | 0.16% |
| $2.5 million - $5 million | 0.04% | 0.14% |
| $5 million - $10 million | 0.02% | 0.12% |
| $10 million+ | 0% | 0.10% |
When it comes to trading fees, Kraken is one of the more expensive exchanges, with Crypto.com offering significantly more competitive fees. It should also be noted that these are only the base fees for Crypto.com. Traders can further decrease their trading fees by locking up CRO, which can reduce the maker and trader fees by anywhere from 3% up to 30%, depending on the amount of CRO.
Crypto.com vs Kraken - Staking
Both Crypto.com and Kraken allow users to stake their idle cryptocurrency and earn rewards. When comparing the two, Crypto.com allows you to stake 29 different cryptocurrencies, while Kraken supports 23 at the time of writing.
While this does seem like a win for Crypto.com in this category, it should be noted that Kraken gives users the option to choose between flexible and bonded staking. Bonded staking provides higher APYs, requiring users to temporarily lock up their holdings, while flexible staking provides lower rewards, but the tokens can be unstaked at any time. Not only that, Kraken offers higher rewards for staking compared to Crypto.com.
However, both exchanges are similar in that neither offers staking services in the United States. However, you can find other exchanges that allow staking for US customers on our list of the best crypto staking platforms.
Crypto.com vs Kraken - Listed cryptocurrencies
Both Crypto.com and Kraken have comparable offerings when it comes to the selection of listed currencies. Crypto.com offers over 350 crypto assets, while Kraken lists 300 different cryptocurrencies. Crypto.com has a slight edge in this category, but you’ll find many of the same coins on both of these platforms, such as Bitcoin, Solana, and Avalanche. As long as you’re not looking to trade coins with an extremely low market cap, you’ll be satisfied with either exchange.
Crypto.com vs Kraken - Security
Likely the most important category when choosing a crypto exchange is security. After all, you wouldn’t want someone you don’t trust to be in charge of your assets, would you? Unfortunately, we’ve seen many high-profile security breaches in the cryptocurrency industry and Crypto.com was one of the targets.
While they have improved their security since then, it’s hard not to give this category to Kraken. The Kraken exchange prides itself on security, storing the majority of its assets in air-gapped cold storage and enforcing strict platform-wide surveillance, with multiple checkpoints during the signup process. It’s no wonder that Kraken is often touted as one of the safest crypto exchanges.
That said, Crypto.com has taken their incident very seriously and they’ve made great strides in making their platform as secure as possible, which is evident since they haven’t suffered an attack since.
Crypto.com vs Kraken - Which one is for you?
Ultimately, the decision comes down to your preferences and priorities. If security is your top priority, Kraken.com is the obvious choice. Similarly, if you care about crypto staking, Kraken has an arguably better offering there as well. Not to mention, Kraken’s customer support is top-tier, which shouldn’t be ignored.
However, if you’re looking for lower trading fees, or if you already happen to have a lot of CRO in your wallet, Crypto.com is probably the way to go. Their Visa crypto card is another great selling point, allowing you to spend cryptocurrency virtually anywhere where you’d use a normal credit card.
In short, Kraken is the place to go if you care about security, crypto staking, and great customer support, while Crypto.com is better suited for lower trading fees, CRO holders, and those who want a crypto Visa card.
If you decide that Kraken is the better exchange for you, you’ll be faced with the decision of which of their platforms to use. Not to worry, we have a guide detailing the differences between Kraken vs Kraken Pro to assist you with your choice.
