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

Trying to choose between Kraken and Safetrade 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

Safetrade

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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

Yes

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.

Safetrade is ideal if:

Great for altcoin explorers If you're keen to trade lesser-known or emerging cryptocurrencies, SafeTrade offers a broad variety of altcoins alongside popular ones, making it a good match.
Ideal if low fees matter With a straightforward, flat trading fee structure that’s competitively lower than many industry standards, it's a smart choice for cost-conscious traders.
Suited for users valuing interface and support The platform features a beginner-friendly design and offers responsive support via channels like email and Discord, simplifying your trading journey.

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.

Safetrade isn’t ideal if:

Regulatory safety is a must If you need the legal protection of a regulated exchange, SafeTrade’s lack of oversight may leave you exposed to unnecessary risk.
You prefer fiat trading options If entering via your local currency is important, SafeTrade’s predominantly crypto-only pairs can be limiting for newcomers.
You trade large volumes or need liquidity For high-volume trades or deep order books, SafeTrade’s thinner liquidity may result in unfavorable price slippage or delays.

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.

SafeTrade applies a flat trading fee of around 0.1 % for both maker and taker orders regardless of volume, with no tiered discounts or benefits tied to holding a native token like SAFE.

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.

SafeTrade does not offer futures or derivative contracts, so there are no associated maker/taker or funding costs 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 SafeTrade uses direct crypto-to-crypto pairs, spread data isn’t formally published, and anecdotal experience shows reasonable execution on major pairs with moderate slippage for small to mid-sized trades due to lighter liquidity.

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).

SafeTrade does not support fiat deposits or withdrawals; you must deposit using cryptocurrencies only, so there are no fiat-based funding channels, fees, or timeframes to manage.

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 costs on SafeTrade follow variable blockchain network fees depending on the asset (e.g. BTC, ETH, TRX), so these on-chain charges are dynamic and not fixed by the platform itself.

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 no hidden penalties; SafeTrade doesn’t charge for account inactivity, KYC speed upgrades, or fiat conversion—most extra costs are simply the blockchain fees for crypto withdrawals.

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 deposit €500 worth of BTC via another platform and transfer it in, you’d pay SafeTrade’s ~0.1 % trading fee when buying BTC, incur standard spread/slippage in the BTC/USDT pair, and finally pay only the normal network withdrawal fee—no additional markup.

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.

SafeTrade lists approximately 44–50 cryptocurrencies across about 70–80 trading pairs, with the top 20 by volume typically featuring assets like QUBIC/USDT, QTC/USDT, BTC/USDT, ETH/BTC, and others—reflecting modest but focused coverage.

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 offers spot trading only, with no support for margin, perpetuals, options, ETFs, copy trading, or bots—though it does provide staking in a simplified form, earning users passive rewards on holdings.

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.

SafeTrade logs sub-1 million USD daily trading volume, led by a few pairs like QUBIC/USDT; its liquidity remains light, meaning deeper trades may face noticeable slippage due to limited order book depth.

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.

You’ll find basic limit and market orders, with no margin, OCO, advanced charting, alerts, API/WebSocket, or native TradingView support—simplifying the interface at the cost of advanced functionality.

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.

There are no specific geographic restrictions disclosed per region, but given the absence of regulated derivatives and full licensing, complex products like futures likely remain unavailable regardless of your location.

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.

SafeTrade does not currently support launchpads, launchpools, or differentiated staking structures—staked assets earn simple rewards, with no flexible vs. locked variations or new token launch mechanisms.

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.

SafeTrade operates under a centralized corporate entity founded around 2018, officially headquartered in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, with some references also linking it to Canada.

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 operates without licensing from major financial authorities and lacks formal VASP or MiCA regulation, meaning it is essentially unregulated by top-tier or regional crypto oversight frameworks.

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.

User assets are primarily held in cold storage with internal custody; there’s no public proof of reserves or third-party audit reports verifying holdings or cold-storage percentages.

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 no mention of insurance coverage or dedicated protection funds to compensate users in case of loss, hack, or operational failure.

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.

There are no widely confirmed reports of large-scale hacks, platform suspensions, or regulatory penalties, though user complaints exist; however, no official incident disclosure or transparency report is available.

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.

SafeTrade supports standard two-factor authentication (2FA), and employs cold storage and encryption; there’s no indication of advanced measures such as withdrawal whitelists, anti-phishing tools, sub-accounts, or granular API permissions.

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.

The platform does not publish regular transparency reports, dedicate a public wallet explorer, or offer service-level agreements; overall visibility into operations and system integrity remains limited.

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.

SafeTrade does not currently offer fiat deposit options—no transfers, cards, or e-wallets are supported; you’ll need to deposit cryptocurrency instead, and specifics on deposit thresholds or timing are not outlined on platform.

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.

SafeTrade requires KYC verification to activate trading, but details on tiered verification levels, or account limits tied to KYC status, are not clearly laid out—so expect a single-step process without published thresholds for trading limits.

Withdrawals

Limits, Timing, Networks

Withdrawals are processed on-chain with support for networks like BSC, Tron, and Ethereum—with BSC and Tron being faster and cheaper; exact daily limits or withdrawal lead times vary by asset and are not standardized publicly.

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.

They offer support through email, support tickets, Telegram, and occasionally live chat; there’s an FAQ and announcements hub, but response times vary according to user feedback—some praise responsiveness on Discord, while others report delays.

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 interface and customer communications are primarily in English, fees are displayed in crypto or US dollars, and there’s no strong indication of local regulatory alignment or multi-currency display beyond that.

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.

SafeTrade offers mobile-friendly access without native iOS or Android apps, and while the web interface is generally smooth and stable, there are user-reported occasional bugs and no public data on crash rates or recent update frequency to assess overall app reliability.

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.

SafeTrade delivers a clean and minimalistic interface with a very gentle learning curve—no Lite/Pro toggle, just a straightforward, uncluttered trading view that makes it feel welcoming for newcomers and efficient for casual 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.

Trading on SafeTrade generally sees fast order execution and prompt deposit/withdrawal processing, even during spikes; there are no widely reported system crashes or KYC bottlenecks, suggesting functional resilience under load.

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.

SafeTrade doesn’t currently offer a dedicated academy, demo environment, or Spanish-language educational materials; its support comes through FAQs and announcements rather than structured learning or simulation tools.

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.

SafeTrade fosters an active community presence via its official Discord channel and supports an affiliate referral program, allowing users to engage directly and participate in platform discussions or growth initiatives.

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.

Integration options are minimal—SafeTrade does not embed TradingView charts or support third-party bots or tax/accounting tools; its ecosystem remains lightweight and self-contained.

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.

SafeTrade is well-suited for a casual or beginner trader seeking a clean, no-frills interface for spot trading of familiar cryptocurrencies—less ideal for professionals, power users, or those needing advanced tools or rich educational resources.