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Coinbase vs Kraken

Comparing
two exchanges
Decided by
Editorial rating
Last reviewed
2026-08-23
Coinbase4.5

The easiest US on-ramp for beginners, publicly listed, and legally in the clear since the SEC dropped its case.

Kraken4.7

A 2011-vintage exchange with one of the cleanest security records in the business, heading toward a US stock listing.

Verdict: Kraken

Kraken rates higher on our rubric: 4.7 against 4.5 for Coinbase.

Criterion
Editorial rating
Coinbase
4.5
Kraken
4.7

Coinbase and Kraken, fact by fact

Every row is from the two reviews as of their review dates, with sources on each. A check marks the side a decidable criterion favours; rows without one are information, not a score.

Coinbase and Kraken compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
FactCoinbaseKraken
Editorial rating4.54.7 (favoured on this row)
Published feesMaker-taker on Advanced TradeFrom 0.25% maker, 0.40% taker
Maker feeAdvanced Trade maker fees fall with 30-day volume and sit well below simple-buy pricing0.25% on Kraken Pro below $10,000 in 30-day volume, decreasing at higher tiers
Taker feeAdvanced Trade taker fees fall with 30-day volume and sit well below simple-buy pricing0.40% on Kraken Pro below $10,000 in 30-day volume, decreasing at higher tiers
Identity verificationRequiredRequired
Bitcoin-onlyNoNo
Payment rails supported1314
Countries ranked in62127
Ranks first in710
Countries shared6262
Security record10 dated events, 3 incidents, latest 2026-05-0710 dated events, 2 incidents, latest 2026-06-30
Founded20122011
HeadquartersUnited States (remote-first)San Francisco, United States
Last reviewed2026-08-122026-08-23

Where both Coinbase and Kraken are ranked

Each country guide ranks its own roster on published fees, security record and local payment support, so the two can sit in a different order from one country to the next.

Countries whose guide ranks both Coinbase and Kraken, with each platform's position in that guide.
CountryStatusCoinbase ranksKraken ranksComparison
American SamoaLegal#1#2
AndorraLegal#3#2
ArgentinaLegal#3#2
AustraliaLegal#7#3Best exchanges there
AustriaLegal#5#4Best exchanges there
BelgiumLegal#5#3Best exchanges there
BrazilLegal#4#6
BulgariaLegal#5#3
CanadaLegal#5#1
ChileLegal#3#2
ColombiaLegal#3#2Best exchanges there
CroatiaLegal#5#3
CyprusLegal#5#3Best exchanges there
Czech RepublicLegal#5#3
DenmarkLegal#5#3Best exchanges there
EstoniaLegal#5#3
FinlandLegal#5#3Best exchanges there
FranceLegal#5#3
French GuianaLegal#3#2
GermanyLegal#5#4Best exchanges there
GibraltarLegal#2#1
GreeceLegal#5#3
GuadeloupeLegal#3#2
GuamLegal#1#2
GuernseyLegal#2#1
HungaryLegal#5#3
IcelandLegal#4#2Best exchanges there
IrelandLegal#5#3Best exchanges there
Isle of ManLegal#2#1
IsraelLegal#2#1
ItalyLegal#5#3Best exchanges there
JerseyLegal#2#1
LatviaLegal#5#3
LiechtensteinLegal#4#3
LithuaniaLegal#5#3
LuxembourgLegal#5#3Best exchanges there
MaltaLegal#5#3
MartiniqueLegal#3#2
MayotteLegal#3#2
MexicoLegal#3#2Best exchanges there
MonacoLegal#3#2
NetherlandsLegal#5#3Best exchanges there
New ZealandLegal#3#1
Northern Mariana IslandsLegal#1#2
NorwayLegal#4#2Best exchanges there
PeruLegal#3#2
PolandLegal#5#3Best exchanges there
PortugalLegal#5#3
Puerto RicoLegal#1#2
ReunionLegal#3#2
RomaniaLegal#5#3
San MarinoLegal#3#2
SingaporeLegal#1#2
SlovakiaLegal#5#3
SloveniaLegal#5#3
SpainLegal#5#3Best exchanges there
SwedenLegal#5#3Best exchanges there
SwitzerlandLegal#4#2Best exchanges there
U.S. Virgin IslandsLegal#1#2
United KingdomLegal#2#1Best exchanges there
United StatesLegal#1#2
Vatican CityLegal#2#1

Security records of the exchanges ranked in this comparison

Dated events from each review, newest first: breaches, enforcement actions, licences, audits and proof-of-reserves publications. Every exchange ranked here carries one.

Kraken10 events

  1. 2026-06-30Proof of reserves

    Latest proof of reserves shows bitcoin backed at 102.9%

  2. 2026-04-14Breach

    Kraken refuses extortion after two support staff misused internal systems

  3. 2025-06-26Licence

    Kraken wins a MiCA licence from the Central Bank of Ireland

The full record, with sources, in the Kraken review

Frequently asked questions

Is Coinbase or Kraken better?

Kraken rates higher on our rubric: 4.7 against 4.5 for Coinbase. The rating weighs published fees, security record and local payment support; the table above sets each beside the other so you can check the score against the facts.

Which is cheaper, Coinbase or Kraken?

Coinbase: Maker-taker on Advanced Trade. Kraken: From 0.25% maker, 0.40% taker. Those are each platform's published headline rates; card purchases and instant-buy widgets cost more than the order book on both, and each review carries the full schedule.

Where can I use both Coinbase and Kraken?

Both are ranked in our guides for 62 countries, including American Samoa, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria. Coinbase is ranked in 62 countries in all and Kraken in 127; each country guide ranks its own roster, so the two can sit in a different order from one country to the next.

Has Coinbase or Kraken had a security incident?

Coinbase carries 3 incidents among 10 dated events, the latest on 2026-05-07: An AWS cooling failure halted Coinbase trading for eight hours. Kraken carries 2 incidents among 10 dated events, the latest on 2026-04-14: Kraken refuses extortion after two support staff misused internal systems. Both reviews list every event with its source.

Do Coinbase and Kraken require ID verification?

Coinbase: required; identity verification is required before buying or depositing.. Kraken: required; identity verification is required to deposit fiat and trade..

The full reviews: Coinbase and Kraken, each with its sources, and every exchange we review.

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