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

Trying to choose between Kraken and Probit 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

Probit

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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

Yes

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.

Probit is ideal if:

Great for exploring diverse assets If you value access to a broad selection of cryptocurrencies—especially niche altcoins—ProBit Global offers one of the widest catalogs available.
Perfect for privacy-minded traders With optional KYC and no compulsory identity checks for standard usage, it suits users who prefer trading with minimal personal data.
Solid for passive income seekers Integrated staking options and opportunities to participate in IEOs make ProBit attractive for investors looking to earn without active day trading.

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.

Probit isn’t ideal if:

Not for advanced margin traders Limited functionality for leveraging or derivatives may frustrate experienced users seeking more complex strategies.
Not ideal for fiat-heavy users If you prefer depositing or withdrawing traditional currencies directly, ProBit relies on third-party gateways and doesn’t natively support fiat operations.
Not beginner-friendly The interface and limited real-time support options—like no live chat—can make it challenging for newcomers navigating the platform solo.

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.

ProBit Global charges a flat 0.2% for both maker and taker spot trades by default, but if you stake PROB (the native token), you’ll qualify for VIP levels and can reduce fees significantly—even down to around 0.05% or lower when paying with PROB, depending on your tier.

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.

ProBit Global currently does not offer futures or derivatives trading, so there are no associated maker, taker, or funding fees to consider.

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.

While ProBit doesn’t publicly publish exact spread figures, the BTC/USDT pair on major platforms typically shows mid-market spreads of a few dollars or a very small fraction of a percent; ProBit’s liquid pairs likely fall within that tight range, especially for well-traded assets.

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).

Fiat deposits are handled via third-party gateways (like Simplex, MoonPay, Mercuryo), each with varying fees typically ranging from ~1–5%; speed depends on the provider—often near instant or up to a few business days—while ProBit does not support fiat withdrawals, only crypto withdrawals.

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 vary by blockchain and adjust dynamically based on network congestion; they are typically network-level fees—deducted in the asset you’re withdrawing—and fluctuate rather than being fixed values.

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.

There are generally no inactivity penalties; hidden costs may include currency conversion spreads when funding via non-USD/EUR gateways, and expedited KYC or premium services may incur extra fees through payment partners, not from ProBit directly.

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 convert €500 via a payment gateway, expect ~3–5% fee plus a small spread, then trade into BTC with roughly a 0.2% trading fee, and finally withdraw crypto with a small dynamic network fee—altogether, total costs could range around ~4–6% of the original amount, depending on variables.

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.

ProBit Global features a vast catalog—around 800+ cryptocurrencies across 1,000+ spot markets, with the top-20 by volume including major pairs like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT, alongside other highly traded altcoin pairs.

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.

It offers spot trading, staking/earn programs, grid trading bots, automated DCA tools via third-party bots (e.g., Cryptohopper, DeltaBadger), and token launchpads, but does not support margin, futures/perpetuals, options, crypto ETFs, loans, or copy trading.

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.

ProBit Global maintains solid liquidity with daily trading volumes typically ranging in the hundreds of millions USD, and order book depth on BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT is sufficient for smooth execution, especially for mid-sized orders.

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.

The platform supports limit, market, IOC, and FOK order types, integrated grid and algorithmic trading via visual bots, offers API/WebSocket access, and customizable trading interfaces—but it doesn’t have native TradingView charting.

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.

Some products like staking events or launchpad access may be limited in certain countries, and derivatives are universally unavailable—some services might even be restricted where KYC isn’t supported.

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.

ProBit continues to innovate with an active launchpad program (hosting hundreds of token sales), and staking/earn offerings that may include flexible vs locked options, helping users participate in new token listings and earn passive rewards.

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.

ProBit Global is a privately held cryptocurrency exchange, founded in 2017, operating under a corporate entity based in the Seychelles, with additional registered points of contact in European hubs to support compliance and local operations.

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 exchange does not hold formal VASP or MiCA licenses and operates outside of comprehensive regulated frameworks, relying instead on regional registrations and voluntary compliance where practicable.

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.

ProBit Global secures around 95% of user assets in offline cold wallets, combined with encryption and multi-factor authentication; however, it does not publish proof of reserves or formal audit reports.

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.

There is currently no custodian insurance or dedicated protection fund backing user assets, meaning funds are not covered in the event of a breach or other loss.

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.

ProBit maintains a clean track record—no hacks, breaches, floods, or regulatory fines have been reported since its founding—highlighting a strong security reputation to date.

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 comprehensive security controls, including support for 2FA (with hardware keys like FIDO U2F), passkeys, biometric authentication, anti-phishing safeguards, and granular API permissions; there are also options for account whitelisting and layered access controls.

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.

Although there are no public monthly reserve or audit reports nor on-chain wallet disclosures, the platform does offer a bug bounty program and maintains stable infrastructure uptime, but does not publish SLAs or external transparency metrics.

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.

ProBit Global allows fiat purchases via credit/debit card and bank transfer through third-party providers, with buys typically processed within minutes to a few hours depending on provider; minimums and maximums vary by provider and region, and exact values are defined by the payment gateways rather than ProBit itself.

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.

There are two KYC tiers: Step 1 (email only) allows basic deposits, trading, and withdrawals up to about $5,000 daily; Step 2 (identity verification) unlocks full platform access, staking, IEO participation, and higher withdrawal ceilings (up to $500,000 with 2FA enabled for at least 7 days).

Withdrawals

Limits, Timing, Networks

Crypto withdrawals have defined minimum amounts and dynamic network fees; supported networks include major blockchains like ERC-20, TRC-20, and BEP-20—withdrawals are generally processed promptly, subject to blockchain confirmation times.

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.

ProBit offers customer support primarily via email and a ticketing system, with response times generally within a few hours to a day; it also maintains a well-structured FAQ and help center to guide users through common queries.

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 localized in over 40 languages, including English, and displays pricing in major fiat terms like USD or EUR; local payment methods vary by region, and relevant fees are shown at the point of transaction.

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.

The mobile app is described as stable and user-friendly across devices, with regular updates enhancing features and performance; while exact crash rate data isn’t publicly stated, user feedback suggests a smooth and reliable experience.

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.

The platform offers a clean, intuitive interface with a short learning curve; the mobile app even includes a lighter version (“ProBit Global Lite”) optimized for simplicity, while the standard web and mobile versions offer more control and customization for 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.

ProBit Global delivers fast order execution with minimal latency and reliable uptime, even during volatile market spikes; however, identity verification (KYC) may take longer during high-traffic periods, especially around major crypto bull runs.

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.

While ProBit has a help center and support articles, it lacks built-in simulator or demo trading tools; educational content in Spanish or other languages tends to focus on FAQs rather than structured courses or videos.

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.

ProBit maintains active community channels including Discord and Telegram, as well as a referral program that rewards users for bringing in others—creating a collaborative and engaged user community.

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 directly with TradingView charts and supports third-party trading bots like Cryptohopper or WunderTrading; tax or accounting tools aren’t built-in but users can export data to manage finances externally.

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.

ProBit suits privacy-conscious traders who value wide crypto choice and automated bot support, while beginners and those expecting advanced derivatives or educational tools may find it less fitting.