What's included in Kraken's Starter plan?

The Starter plan, for users with less than $50K in 30-day trading volume, provides full access to Kraken's secure exchange, fiat funding options, and core trading features. All Kraken accounts are free to open and use, with trading fees applied per transaction. As your volume increases, you automatically move to higher tiers like Intermediate or Pro, benefiting from reduced trading fees.

When do I move to a higher Kraken trading tier?

You automatically move to a higher trading tier based on your 30-day trading volume. For instance, once your volume exceeds $50K, you transition from Starter to Intermediate. Surpassing $10M moves you to the Pro tier. These transitions are automatic and designed to reward higher-volume traders with progressively lower trading fees across all supported assets.

Does Kraken offer annual billing discounts?

Kraken does not operate on a traditional subscription model with monthly or annual billing. Access to the platform is free across all tiers (Starter, Intermediate, Pro). Your costs are primarily transaction-based trading fees, which automatically decrease as your 30-day trading volume increases, effectively providing a volume-based discount rather than a billing cycle discount.

Does Kraken use per-seat pricing for teams?

Kraken's pricing model is not based on per-seat licensing. Our tiered structure (Starter, Intermediate, Pro) is determined by individual or institutional 30-day trading volume. For businesses or teams, Kraken offers institutional accounts with advanced features and dedicated support, but pricing remains volume-based, not user-count based.

Does Kraken offer special discounts for startups, nonprofits, or students?

Kraken's primary mechanism for reducing trading costs is our volume-based fee schedule. As your 30-day trading volume increases, you automatically qualify for lower fees in tiers like Intermediate or Pro. While we don't offer specific discounts for startups, nonprofits, or students, our tiered system ensures competitive pricing for all users based on their activity.

What are the hidden costs of Kraken beyond the subscription price?

Beyond the Kraken subscription, organizations typically budget for implementation and data migration, user training and onboarding, premium support tier upgrades, required add-on features, third-party integrations, and annual true-up costs from seat overages. These costs can add 20-80% to the base subscription price depending on team size and deployment complexity.

Does Kraken charge for implementation or setup?

Kraken may charge for professional services, data migration, and initial configuration, particularly for enterprise deployments. These costs are typically not listed on the public pricing page and are negotiated separately. Request a total cost of ownership estimate before signing.

Is Kraken pricing stable or does it change frequently?

Kraken pricing has changed recently. ComparEdge tracks pricing changes in our public changelog. We recommend verifying directly with the vendor before committing to a multi-year contract.

Home›Crypto Exchanges›Kraken›Pricing

★★★★☆ 4.2 G2

Kraken Pricing: Plans & Features 2026

Usage-based pricing starts at $0 for instant trades, with Kraken Pro volume-based plans charging no monthly subscription fees.

Crypto ExchangesUsage-BasedPrice verified 3 days agoFrom $4.99/moFree plan ✓

Full Review·Alternatives·Compare

Plans & Tiers Expert Take Compare Worth It?Real Cost History FAQ Sources

Kraken Plans & Tiers Explained

High· Verified May 30, 2026

30-day free trial

Instant Buy/Sell/Convert

Free

Best for: Ideal for beginners making simple, quick crypto transactions without advanced trading features.

✓Buy, sell, or convert cryptocurrencies
✓Fixed 1% trading fee per transaction
✓Spread applies to transactions
✓Payment processing fees may apply for certain methods

View on vendor site

Kraken Pro Spot Trading: < $50K Volume (30-day)

Free

Best for: active traders with lower monthly volumes seeking advanced spot trading tools and competitive fees.

✓Access to Kraken Pro platform
✓Spot trading
✓Maker fee: 0.26%
✓Taker fee: 0.16%
✓Trade 500+ cryptocurrencies

View on vendor site

Kraken Pro Spot Trading: $50K - $100K Volume (30-day)

Free

Best for: Suited for growing traders with moderate monthly volumes who benefit from reduced spot trading fees.

✓Access to Kraken Pro platform
✓Spot trading
✓Maker fee: 0.24%
✓Taker fee: 0.14%
✓Trade 500+ cryptocurrencies

View on vendor site

Kraken Pro Spot Trading: $100K - $250K Volume (30-day)

Free

Best for: Designed for serious traders with significant monthly volumes, offering further fee reductions for spot trading.

✓Access to Kraken Pro platform
✓Spot trading
✓Maker fee: 0.24%
✓Taker fee: 0.14%
✓Trade 500+ cryptocurrencies

View on vendor site

Kraken Pro Spot Trading: > $10M Volume (30-day)

Free

Best for: For high-volume institutional or professional traders requiring the lowest possible spot trading fees.

✓Access to Kraken Pro platform
✓Spot trading
✓Maker fee: 0%
✓Taker fee: 0.10%
✓Trade 500+ cryptocurrencies

View on vendor site

Kraken Pro Futures Trading: Standard Tier

Free

Best for: Good for traders new to futures or with lower volumes, providing access to futures markets.

✓Access to Kraken Pro platform
✓Futures contracts trading
✓Maker fee: 0.02%
✓Taker fee: 0.05%
✓Up to 50x leverage on contracts

View on vendor site

Kraken Pro Futures Trading: Highest Institutional Tiers

Free

Best for: Aimed at institutional clients and very high-volume futures traders seeking the most favorable fee structures.

✓Access to Kraken Pro platform
✓Futures contracts trading
✓Maker fee: 0%
✓Taker fee: 0.015%
✓Up to 50x leverage on contracts

View on vendor site

Kraken+

$4.99/mo

monthlyor$50/yrsave 16%

Best for: Recommended for users wanting enhanced features, premium support, or specific benefits offered by the subscription.

✓Zero trading fees on up to $10K monthly volume (Instant Buy/Sell/Convert)
✓Boosted stablecoin rewards (up to 4.25% APY on USDG)
✓Exclusive airdrops
✓Premium perks

View on vendor site

Pricing Expert Take

Independent analysis · Kraken

Verified Pricing Data

Value Analysis

$4.99/mo83% below median

Category median: $29.99/moCategory median price

Kraken bypasses the traditional category median price of $29.99/mo by offering free access to its core trading platforms, monetizing instead through transaction-based fees. The entry-level Instant Buy/Sell/Convert plan is free to access but carries a steep 1% fixed trading fee plus variable spreads. For active traders, Kraken Pro Spot and Futures plans are free to use and scale down transaction costs based on 30-day trading volume, with maker fees starting at 0.26% and dropping to 0% for high-volume accounts. The $4.99/mo Kraken+ subscription is highly worth it for retail investors trading under $10,000 monthly, as it eliminates instant transaction fees and boosts stablecoin rewards up to 4.25% APY.

Hidden Costs

Payment processing fees apply to specific deposit and withdrawal methods.
Variable spreads are added to transactions on the Instant Buy/Sell/Convert plan.
High liquidation fees on margin accounts can deplete maintenance balances during market drops.

Red Flags

Users report severe financial impact from sudden liquidations, where the platform's liquidation scheme can sweep entire maintenance balances. Additionally, customer support delays can leave user funds locked and inaccessible for days during critical market movements.

"they took over $7000 on liquidation fees."
Reddit

"it's been 6 days, yet no response from Kraken and my funds remain locked."
Reddit

Based on analysis of recent Reddit and G2 discussions.

Green Wins

The Kraken+ plan at $4.99/mo offers never hacked - 13+ year clean security record.

Never hacked - 13+ year clean security record
Proof-of-reserves published regularly for transparency
Excellent fiat support across 6 major currencies

"Users consistently praise Kraken for its high security and user-friendly interface"
G2

"Is highly configurable, does the job, has intuitive, easy to use interface"
G2

"Users consistently praise Kraken for its ease of use and automation capabilities"
G2

User Voices

"Kraken has the lowest fees per trade in the world, when using Kraken Pro"
Reddit

"kraken sold to me at a valuation higher than the market rate"
Reddit

"Kraken Pro apparently uses this maker-taker model starting around 0.25% for makers"
Reddit

Verdict

Casual retail investors should opt for Kraken+ at $4.99/mo to bypass high instant fees, while active traders must use Kraken Pro to access volume-based discounts. High-volume institutional traders looking for alternative deep liquidity pools and competitive derivative structures should consider Binance as the sharpest alternative.

ComparEdge EditorialUpdated: May 30, 2026

How Does Kraken Pricing Compare?

Overview

Kraken offers a single paid subscription, Kraken+, for $4.99/mo. Most core trading services, including Instant Buy/Sell/Convert and Kraken Pro Spot/Futures Trading across various volume tiers, are available for free.

Cost Per User

Kraken+$4.99/mo

Zero trading fees on up to $10K monthly volume (Instant Buy/Sell/Convert)

Boosted stablecoin rewards (up to 4.25% APY on USDG)

Exclusive airdrops

Which Plan Is Right for You?

Instant Buy/Sell/ConvertFREE

Ideal for beginners making simple, quick crypto transactions without advanced trading features.

Kraken Pro Spot Trading: < $50K Volume (30-day)FREE

Best for active traders with lower monthly volumes seeking advanced spot trading tools and competitive fees.

Kraken Pro Spot Trading: $50K - $100K Volume (30-day)FREE

Suited for growing traders with moderate monthly volumes who benefit from reduced spot trading fees.

Kraken Pro Spot Trading: $100K - $250K Volume (30-day)FREE

Designed for serious traders with significant monthly volumes, offering further fee reductions for spot trading.

Kraken Pro Spot Trading: > $10M Volume (30-day)FREE

For high-volume institutional or professional traders requiring the lowest possible spot trading fees.

Kraken Pro Futures Trading: Standard TierFREE

Good for traders new to futures or with lower volumes, providing access to futures markets.

Kraken Pro Futures Trading: Highest Institutional TiersFREE

Aimed at institutional clients and very high-volume futures traders seeking the most favorable fee structures.

Kraken+$4.99/mo

Recommended for users wanting enhanced features, premium support, or specific benefits offered by the subscription.

vs. Category Average

Kraken$4.99/mo

Category avg$30/mo

83% below the crypto exchanges average

Our Verdict

Kraken costs $0–$4.99/mo as of May 30, 2026, with 8 plans.

With an unrated N/A/5 score, Kraken offers exceptional value with $0 subscription fees compared to the $25/mo category average. Instead of flat fees, users pay volume-based maker/taker fees. This is highly competitive against platforms like Coinbase (which also starts at $0 upfront but has different fee schedules), making Kraken a top choice for cost-conscious traders.

Is Kraken Worth the Price?

Strengths

4 points

1Never hacked - 13+ year clean security record
2Proof-of-reserves published regularly for transparency
3Excellent fiat support across 6 major currencies
4Margin trading and staking with competitive terms

Considerations

4 points

1Conservative coin listings - fewer altcoins than Binance or KuCoin
2Standard Kraken app less intuitive than Coinbase for beginners
3Trading fees higher than Binance for low-volume traders
4US users limited from some features due to regulations

Ideal For

Security-conscious fiat traders

Which plan fits you

Instant Buy/Sell/Convert, Ideal for beginners making simple, quick crypto transactions without advanced trading features.

Kraken Pro Spot Trading: < $50K Volume (30-day), Best for active traders with lower monthly volumes seeking advanced spot trading tools and competitive fees.

Kraken Pro Spot Trading: $50K - $100K Volume (30-day), Suited for growing traders with moderate monthly volumes who benefit from reduced spot trading fees.

Pricing Takeaway

★ 4.2/5

83% below category avgCategory avg: $30/mo

What Does Kraken Actually Cost You?

Beyond the subscription: what to budget for

List price covers the subscription. Total cost of ownership for Kraken typically includes additional line items that don't appear on the pricing page.

Implementation

Setup, data migration, initial configuration

Training

Onboarding, certification, admin enablement

Premium Support

SLA upgrades, dedicated CSM, 24/7 access

Required Add-ons

Features gated behind higher tiers or paid extras

Integrations

Third-party connectors, API usage, custom builds

Annual True-Up

Seat overages, usage spikes, contract reconciliation

Ask vendors for a total cost of ownership estimate before signing. Our methodology covers how we calculate verified list prices.

Kraken Pricing History

Expert verified·Updated May 30, 2026

Price & Data Intelligence SyncLast verified: May 30, 2026 · CE-CRYPTO-2026W21-CC648A · ✓ Pricing updated May 30, 2026

Up to date

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Kraken pricing compare?

See how Kraken's 8 pricing plans stack up against similar Crypto Exchanges tools.

Compare Pricing →All Crypto Exchanges Tools →

Kraken Full Review →Kraken Alternatives →All Pricing Pages →

Research Reports

Crypto

Crypto Exchange Fee Comparison 2026

Maker-taker fees and actual cost per $10K trade across 8 major exchanges.

Sources & Data Trail · Kraken

1.Official Pricing Page·Source of verified tiers(Checked: 2026-05-30)
2.Official Website·Official vendor website
3.G2·G2 verified user reviews · 4.2/5 · 26 reviews
4.Capterra·Capterra verified user reviews · 4.2/5