Kraken vs Bitget: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Kraken and Bitget This side-by-side comparison reveals total cost (fees + spreads), security & licenses, coins/derivatives, deposits/withdrawals, and app quality. In 2 minutes you’ll see who wins for beginners, active traders, and long-term holders. Clear pros/cons, a quick verdict, and safe links to get started.

Last updated on August 16, 2025

Kraken

Bitget

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Available Countries

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

Yes

China

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

Yes

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

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Kraken is ideal if:

Built for both simplicity and sophistication: Kraken’s intuitive interface makes it approachable for newcomers, while Kraken Pro delivers advanced trading tools, analytics, and charting for serious traders.
Security-first, regulation-backed platform: With an unbroken crypto protection record, proof-of-reserves audits, cold storage, and licenses across major markets—including new MiCA approval for EU operations—Kraken prioritizes trust and compliance.
More than a crypto exchange: Beyond trading, Kraken now offers a peer-to-peer payments app (Krak), commission-free U.S. stock and ETF trades, and staking options—making it an all-in-one digital finance hub.

Bitget is ideal if:

Versatile trading options – Combines spot, futures, margin, and copy trading along with automated tools to suit both beginners and advanced users
Built for trust and security – Emphasizes safety with cold/hot wallet separation, Proof of Reserves, real-time risk monitoring, and a sizable protection fund
Seamless, accessible experience – Boasts an intuitive interface across web and mobile, supported by global partnerships and strong user support networks

Kraken isn’t ideal if:

Overwhelming for total beginners: The interface and tiered platforms (Lite vs Pro) may feel complex without a solid understanding of trading, tools, and order types.
Limited access and features in some regions: Certain U.S. states and geographies have restrictions on staking, derivatives, or account creation—potentially blocking full platform use.
Support and platform bottlenecks: Account verification or support processes can be slow, and mobile app performance or customer assistance (no phone line) may frustrate users in need of swift help.

Bitget isn’t ideal if:

If you prefer direct fiat deposits – Bitget emphasizes crypto-to-crypto trading and may not suit users wanting seamless fiat-to-crypto onboarding.
If you're regulatory-risk averse – It lacks top-tier regulatory oversight in some jurisdictions, which could concern users seeking high-level financial protection.
If you're uncomfortable with complex tools – Advanced features like futures and leverage could overwhelm inexperienced traders who prefer simpler platforms.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

Kraken uses a tiered maker-taker structure where both maker and taker fees decrease as your 30-day trading volume grows, and higher activity triggers reduced costs—even reaching zero for makers—though the schedule excludes transactions via instant buy tools.

Bitget applies a standard spot trading fee of 0.1% for both makers and takers, with a 20% discount available if you choose to pay using the native BGB token. VIP tiers, determined by trading volume and BGB holdings, offer further tiered reductions.

Futures/Derivatives

Futures follow a volume-based tiers system—lowering maker and taker rates as volume increases—paired with periodic funding payments (every eight hours) that depend on contract premiums versus spot prices.

For perpetual futures, the maker fee is 0.02% and the taker fee is 0.06%, with potential discounts through the VIP program or BGB holdings; funding fees are not collected by Bitget but exchanged directly between traders every 8 hours.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

While Kraken doesn’t publish fixed spreads, its instant-buy feature embeds variable spreads that widen or narrow depending on market volatility, order size, and asset type.

Bitget does not publish fixed spread data; spread tends to mirror tight market conditions on major liquid pairs, consistent with other active spot platforms—though slight variations may occur depending on real-time order book depth.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

Kraken supports methods like ACH, SWIFT, PayPal, SEPA, domestic transfers, etc., with low or no deposit fees; but deposits may trigger temporary withdrawal holds (e.g. 72-hour for cards, 7-day for ACH).

Users can deposit fiat via credit/debit cards or third-party services; fees and processing times vary depending on the provider, while deposits may have third-party charges but no platform fee listed.

On-chain Withdrawals

Cryptocurrency withdrawal fees vary per network—e.g. BTC, ETH, TRX have different fixed minimums depending on blockchain and congestion, not necessarily dynamic or network-based.

Withdrawal fees are dynamically adjusted based on network congestion; there’s no flat-rate model—actual costs vary by blockchain and are shown during withdrawal.

Hidden Costs

Be aware of currency conversion premiums (from asset swaps), inactivity terms, and express KYC fees—these can add extras atop headline trading charges.

Bitget maintains transparency around fees—there are no inactivity fees, currency conversion happens at prevailing market rate (with no added margin), KYC is standard and fee-free, and other charges like copy-trading profit shares are openly disclosed.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

Suppose you convert €500 to BTC and withdraw it—your total cost would include the instant-buy embedded spread, then a network withdrawal fee during transfer, and possible fiat hold timing—resulting in slightly less BTC and slower access.

If you bought €500 of BTC via the spot market, you’d pay roughly 0.1% in fee (or about €0.50, less with BGB), plus a minimal spread typically embedded in execution price, and then pay a network-based withdrawal fee when moving the BTC on-chain. Let me know if you’d like a deeper dive into any of these!

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

Kraken supports over 1,000 spot, margin, and futures markets overall, and its top 20 trading pairs by volume typically include high-cap assets like BTC/USD-variant, ETH/USD-variant, and other popular tokens.

Bitget offers hundreds of cryptocurrencies across spot and derivatives, with the top 20 liquid pairs by volume including BTC/USDT, ETH/USDT, XRP/USDT, SOL/USDT, BGB/USDT, USDC/USDT, among others, reflecting a broad but curated selection.

Product Range

You’ll find a full suite including spot, margin (up to 10× leverage), futures/perpetuals, staking (recently reenabled in the U.S.), with access to ETFs and options still pending—plus no native copy-trading, grid bots, DCA autos yet.

The platform supports spot, margin (both cross and isolated), perpetual futures, and copy trading, and also extends offering grid and DCA bots; additional services include staking/earn and flexible savings, though options, crypto ETFs, and loans are not core features.

Liquidity

Kraken ranks among the world’s most liquid venues—especially for BTC-EUR and ETH-EUR—and sees substantial 24-hour volumes with deep order-book depth, enabling tight execution even for large trades.

Bitget consistently ranks among the top global cryptocurrency exchanges for liquidity depth in BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT, ensuring efficient execution even for large orders; real-time 24-hour volume is high and competitive among major platforms.

Tools

Kraken Pro offers advanced tools—limit, stop, OCO orders, real-time alerts, native TradingView-style charts, downloadable historical OHLCVT data, plus full REST and WebSocket API access.

Users can access a full range of order types—limit, stop, OCO—and enjoy advanced charting tools, TradingView integration, price alerts, and a robust API/WebSocket for automation.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Certain products, like margin, futures, or staking, are restricted by jurisdiction—eligibility varies and some features may be blocked in specific countries due to regulatory constraints.

Derivatives and leveraged products are restricted or unavailable in certain regions due to compliance requirements—users should check local eligibility as access may vary by jurisdiction.

Innovation

While traditional launchpad/launchpool programs aren’t yet offered, Kraken distinguishes between flexible vs. locked staking options and continues evolving with new offerings, particularly for institutional clients.

Bitget provides launchpad-like activities via its Web3 Launchhub, along with flexible earning (zero-lock staking) and competitive yield programs that encourage ongoing user engagement.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

Kraken operates under several legal entities depending on region, including Payward, Inc. (U.S.), Payward Europe Solutions (Ireland, EEA), and Payward Ltd. (UK), all founded around 2011, headquartered in the U.S. with significant European presence.

Bitget is legally registered in Seychelles under Bitget Holdings Pte Ltd, founded in 2018, and maintains additional operational offices in the UAE and Bahrain to support regional growth and compliance.

Licenses/Registration

Kraken holds multiple regulatory approvals, including VASP licenses in EU countries like the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, and Ireland, and FCA registrations in the UK, in addition to its SPDI charter in Wyoming and MSB registration in the U.S.

The platform holds multiple regulatory registrations including MSB in the U.S., VASP in Poland, crypto licensing in Lithuania, and approvals in markets like Australia, Italy, the UK, and El Salvador—all supporting its pursuit of broader MiCA and regional compliance.

Custody

Kraken self-custodies customer assets with a substantial portion held in cold storage; it publishes regular Proof-of-Reserves (PoR) attestations audited by external parties to ensure transparency.

Bitget uses self-custody solutions, regularly conducts Merkle-tree audits to maintain over 100% proof of reserves, and incorporates cold storage for a significant portion of user funds to ensure full backing and transparency.

Insurance & Protection Funds

Kraken maintains insurance for digital assets held online, though the coverage is limited; there is no formal protected fund for customer losses but additional insurance for certain custodial assets exists.

A multi-million-dollar Protection Fund serves as a safety net alongside security standards such as ISO 27001

Incident History

Kraken has not experienced any major platform hacks; compliance suspensions or asset freezes have been minimal, and the exchange has not faced any public multi-million dollar regulatory fines.

Since its launch, Bitget has maintained an incident-free track record with no major hacks, enforcement suspensions, or regulatory penalties publicly reported, demonstrating consistent platform resilience.

Risk Controls

Kraken enforces robust account security with multiple 2FA options (passkeys, hardware keys, authenticator apps), whitelisting, anti-phishing tools, sub-accounts, and granular API permissions for sophisticated client control.

Users benefit from robust protections like 2FA (via apps or passkeys), anti-phishing codes, PIN/fund codes, withdrawal address whitelists, sub-accounts, granular API permissions, and “cancel withdrawal” functionality to mitigate unauthorized activity.

Transparency

The platform regularly publishes audit-style reports and Proof-of-Reserves summaries; users can view wallet addresses and Kraken maintains service-level expectations without public SLA guarantees.

Bitget delivers transparency through monthly audit-backed reserve disclosures, compliance reporting, and operations conducive to regulatory inquiries—though it doesn’t offer publicly viewable wallet addresses or formal SLA documentation.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

Users can deposit fiat via bank transfers (ACH, SWIFT, SEPA), credit/debit cards, and e-wallets like PayPal; minimums are low (starting around 1 USD/EUR), but maximums depend on your verification level and jurisdiction, with deposit arrival ranging from near-instant to several days depending on the method.

Bitget supports bank transfers (e.g., SEPA), credit/debit cards, P2P, and third-party e-wallets—each method has varying minimums, limits, and processing times that are displayed during the transaction.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

Kraken offers tiers like Intermediate and Pro (plus Express/Starter in some regions) — Intermediate unlocks full trading and funding access, while Pro raises both deposit and withdrawal limits, with each level subject to rolling daily/monthly caps shown in your dashboard.

Users must complete identity verification to enable fiat services; verification lifts default crypto withdrawal caps (e.g., from ~20,000 USDT/day to millions depending on VIP tier), while sub-accounts inherit verification from the main account.

Withdrawals

Limits, Timing, Networks

Fiat withdrawals use bank transfers (e.g., SEPA for EUR) with limits and processing times shown during execution; crypto withdrawals support major networks (e.g., TRC20, ERC20) and show exact time estimates and fees at withdrawal.

Customer Support

Kraken provides 24/7 live chat and email support in multiple languages (including Spanish), alongside a comprehensive support center; while most issues are resolved quickly, some users report delays during high-traffic periods.

Bitget provides 24/7 live chat, email support, and a resource-rich help center; response times may vary, but guidance through chat is generally prompt, supplemented by a detailed knowledge base.

Languages & Localization

The platform is available in over a dozen languages, including native Spanish; local currencies and fees are displayed based on your region, ensuring comfortable and compliant user experience.

The platform is fully translated into major languages including English; fiat balances and fees are displayed in users’ preferred currencies, aligning with local regulatory and payment frameworks.

App Quality & Stability

The Kraken mobile app mirrors most web functionality and supports biometric or PIN access; it generally performs reliably, though user feedback on crashes or app issues is mixed and depends on device and OS.

Bitget’s app is designed for stability, regularly updated to address bugs and performance; while exact crash statistics are not provided, user reviews indicate smooth usability across iOS and Android platforms.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

Kraken offers two distinct experiences—“Lite” is streamlined for instant buys and basic navigation, while “Pro” and “Desktop” are modular and customizable, designed to support advanced traders executing complex strategies across flexible layouts and in-depth tools.

Bitget features a dual-mode interface—’Lite’ for easy entry with a clean, beginner-friendly layout, and ‘Pro’ for advanced traders with full access to order books, indicators, and tools—making the platform adaptable to both novices and experienced users.

Performance

Kraken Pro is built on institutional-grade infrastructure to minimize order latency and handle peak demand efficiently, although during market surges user-reported delays in KYC verification and performance pops may still arise.

Bitget’s infrastructure ensures rapid order execution with low latency and reliable uptime even during volatile market peaks, and while KYC volume may rise in bull markets, the process typically remains smooth with few delays reported on the platform.

Education

Kraken’s Learn Center delivers comprehensive articles, videos, and webinars (including futures tutorials), complemented by a derivatives demo environment for live practice—but it doesn’t currently offer a dedicated DCA simulator or localized Spanish academy; some content is translated.

The Bitget Academy offers comprehensive learning content—ranging from market guides to strategy deep-dives—and includes a futures demo simulator for real-time practice, with many resources also available in Spanish to support diverse learner needs

Community

Kraken publishes user reviews and interactive feedback across its site, but does not maintain official public discussion forums, Discord, or Telegram communities—though it does offer a referral program to reward users bringing in new clients.

Bitget maintains an active online presence with official communities across Telegram and Discord, a structured referral program rewarding both referrers and referees, and engagement via academy and social channels rather than open public forums.

Integrations

Kraken Pro integrates with TradingView-style charting and pattern tools, fully supports third-party trading bots via REST/WebSocket/FIX APIs, and connects seamlessly to tax/accounting platforms like Koinly, Crypto Tax Calculator, and others.

The platform integrates natively with TradingView for enhanced charting and supports external bot automation via its API, which connects seamlessly with third-party portfolio trackers and tax reporting tools for workflow efficiency

Who Each One Is Best For

“Lite” suits beginners, offering simplicity and straightforward buying; “Pro” and “Desktop” excel for active, technical traders needing granular control, advanced order forms, analytics, and deep customization.

Bitget best suits traders who appreciate a polished interface with adjustable complexity, access to demo trading and smart automation tools, and seamless integration with external platforms—making it particularly friendly for both savvy beginners and algorithmic/institutional users.