One of the first things you should check when choosing a cryptocurrency futures exchange is the trading fee.
While global exchanges with many users like Binance, Bybit, Bitget, and OKX may seem to have similar base fees, even small differences in fee rates can accumulate into significant costs as your trading volume and frequency increase.
In particular, because futures trading utilizes leverage, trading fees are calculated based on the notional value of the actual executed position, not the margin you invested.
For example, if you used 1,000 USDT as margin to create a 10,000 USDT position with 10x leverage, the standard futures trading fee calculation is based on 10,000 USDT, not 1,000 USDT.
In this article, we will compare the futures fees of Binance, Bybit, Bitget, and OKX as of August 2026, and examine costs by actual trading amount, the difference between Maker and Taker, referral discounts, funding fees, and slippage.
Update Date: August 2026
Exchange fees and promotions are subject to change at any time, and actual fees may vary depending on your country, account tier, trading product, and VIP level. Please be sure to check the final fee rate displayed on your account before signing up or trading.
1. Binance, Bybit, Bitget, OKX Futures Fee Comparison
Based on general users and typical USDT-based futures products, the base fees are approximately as follows.
| Exchange | Maker Fee | Taker Fee | Taker Round-trip Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binance | Approx. 0.020% | Approx. 0.050% | Approx. 0.100% |
| Bybit | 0.020% | 0.055% | 0.110% |
| Bitget | 0.020% | 0.060% | 0.120% |
| OKX | 0.020% | 0.050% | 0.100% |
※ The round-trip cost is a simple assumption where you enter using a Taker order and exit using a Taker order for the same position amount.
In Bybit’s latest official fee guide, the base fee for Perpetual & Futures for VIP 0 users is listed as Maker 0.0200%, Taker 0.0550%. They also note that actual fees may vary by region.
Bitget guides Maker 0.02%, Taker 0.06% based on general USDT-M futures. Lower fees may apply as trading volume or account tier increases.
In OKX’s latest 2026 official guide, Maker 0.02%, Taker 0.05% is listed for general Lv.1 futures users.
Binance’s USD-M futures are generally guided at Maker approx. 0.02%, Taker approx. 0.05%, and actual applied fees may vary depending on the product, VIP level, and whether BNB fee discounts are used.
Looking only at the base fees, Binance and OKX’s Taker fees appear relatively lower.
However, you should not conclude which exchange has the cheapest actual trading cost based on this alone.
This is because the following factors are added to the actual cost.
Actual Futures Trading Cost = Trading Fee + Funding Fee + Spread + Slippage – Applicable Discounts
2. Difference Between Maker and Taker Fees
The most important concepts in comparing futures fees are Maker and Taker.
What is a Maker?
A Maker is an order that adds liquidity to the order book.
For example, if BTC is currently trading at 100,000 USDT and you place a limit buy order at 99,500 USDT, and the price later drops and the order is filled, it is generally processed as a Maker order.
Because Makers provide liquidity to the market, most exchanges apply lower fees than Takers.
What is a Taker?
A Taker is an order that takes liquidity by immediately filling an order already existing in the order book.
The most representative example is a market order.
When you buy or sell at market price, Taker fees are generally applied.
There is one important point here.
Just because it is a limit order does not mean it is always a Maker order.
If it is a limit order that is immediately filled at a price currently existing in the order book, it can be processed as a Taker.
OKX also officially explains that orders remaining in the order book to provide liquidity are Makers, and orders that immediately fill existing orders are Takers.
Therefore, for traders with a high proportion of market orders, such as day traders or scalpers, it is more realistic to prioritize comparing Taker fees over Maker fees.
3. How to Calculate Futures Trading Fees
The basic formula is very simple.
Trading Fee = Actual Executed Amount × Fee Rate
For example, let’s assume you enter a 10,000 USDT BTC futures position at market price on an exchange with a 0.05% Taker fee.
10,000 × 0.05% = 5 USDT
The entry fee is approximately 5 USDT.
If you exit the same 10,000 USDT position at market price again:
10,000 × 0.05% = 5 USDT
Therefore, the simple round-trip trading cost is:
5 + 5 = 10 USDT
.
Of course, in reality, the price changes, so the position value at exit may also be different.
4. Does Using Leverage Increase Fees?
Many beginners get confused here.
Leverage itself does not increase the fee rate.
However, if you create a larger position with the same margin, the notional value subject to fee calculation increases, resulting in an increase in the actual fees paid.
For example, let’s assume you use 1,000 USDT as margin.
| Leverage | Position Size | 0.05% Taker Entry Fee |
|---|---|---|
| 1x | 1,000 USDT | 0.50 USDT |
| 5x | 5,000 USDT | 2.50 USDT |
| 10x | 10,000 USDT | 5 USDT |
| 20x | 20,000 USDT | 10 USDT |
| 50x | 50,000 USDT | 25 USDT |
In other words, using 10x leverage does not make the fee rate 10 times higher, but because the position amount has become 10 times larger, the actual fee also becomes approximately 10 times higher.
Therefore, the more often a trader uses high leverage, the greater the impact of fee discounts can be.
5. Fee Comparison by Actual Trading Amount
This time, let’s assume that all entries and exits are processed as market orders, i.e., Taker orders.
This is a simple comparison excluding funding fees and slippage.
Market Entry + Market Exit Basis
| Position Size | Binance | OKX | Bybit | Bitget |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 USDT | Approx. 1.00 USDT | Approx. 1.00 USDT | Approx. 1.10 USDT | Approx. 1.20 USDT |
| 10,000 USDT | Approx. 10 USDT | Approx. 10 USDT | Approx. 11 USDT | Approx. 12 USDT |
| 50,000 USDT | Approx. 50 USDT | Approx. 50 USDT | Approx. 55 USDT | Approx. 60 USDT |
| 100,000 USDT | Approx. 100 USDT | Approx. 100 USDT | Approx. 110 USDT | Approx. 120 USDT |
| 1,000,000 USDT | Approx. 1,000 USDT | Approx. 1,000 USDT | Approx. 1,100 USDT | Approx. 1,200 USDT |
For small positions of around 1,000 USDT, the difference between exchanges may be barely noticeable.
However, when cumulative trading volume reaches 100,000 USDT or 1,000,000 USDT, the difference becomes significant.
For example, the difference between exchanges with Taker round-trip fees of 0.10% and 0.12% is only 0.02 percentage points.
But if you trade 1,000,000 USDT:
1,000,000 × 0.02% = 200 USDT
a cost difference of this amount occurs.
6. Fee Differences Are Clearer When Viewed by Monthly Trading Volume
More important than the cost of a single trade is the monthly cumulative trading volume.
Because futures day traders rotate the same capital multiple times, the actual monthly executed amount can be much larger than their investment principal.
For example, if you enter and exit positions multiple times a day with 5,000 USDT in capital, it is possible for your monthly cumulative trading volume to exceed hundreds of thousands to millions of USDT.
Assuming an average Taker fee of 0.05% and a simple assumption that a 20% fee discount is applied, it looks like this.
| Monthly Cumulative Executed Amount | Base Fee 0.05% | Assuming 20% Discount Applied | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100,000 USDT | 50 USDT | 40 USDT | 10 USDT |
| 500,000 USDT | 250 USDT | 200 USDT | 50 USDT |
| 1,000,000 USDT | 500 USDT | 400 USDT | 100 USDT |
| 5,000,000 USDT | 2,500 USDT | 2,000 USDT | 500 USDT |
| 10,000,000 USDT | 5,000 USDT | 4,000 USDT | 1,000 USDT |
※ Since the actual discount application method varies depending on the exchange and account conditions, the table above is a simple example to understand the discount effect.
The core point is simple.
In futures trading, it is more important to look at the total trading cost based on monthly cumulative trading volume than the fee for a single trade.
For users with high trading volume, a fee discount of several tens of percent can make a significant difference in the long run.
7. Why Use CoinPop Referral Codes
You can use Binance, Bybit, Bitget, and OKX with a standard sign-up.
However, if you are a new user, it is advantageous to check if there is a partner link or referral code that applies fee discount benefits before signing up.
Unlike cash events that you receive once and are done with, fee discounts can affect your cumulative trading costs while you continue to trade, depending on the conditions.
CoinPop provides partner sign-up links for major global exchanges.
In particular, signing up through the relevant referral link from the beginning is the simplest way, rather than looking for a separate code or checking if it was applied after signing up.
Binance Referral Code COINPOP
Binance is one of the largest trading platforms in the global cryptocurrency market, with advantages of high liquidity and various futures trading pairs.
If you have a high proportion of market orders or trade large-scale BTC/ETH futures, market depth and actual execution quality are also important selection factors.
CoinPop Binance Partner Sign-up
Referral Code: COINPOP
We recommend checking the fee discounts and new sign-up benefits applied to your account via the partner link above before proceeding with a standard sign-up.
Bybit Referral Code COINPOP
Bybit is an exchange that actively provides professional trading features such as derivatives trading interfaces, futures, and options.
The 2026 official VIP 0 futures fee is Maker 0.020%, Taker 0.055%.
CoinPop Bybit Partner Sign-up
Referral Code: COINPOP
If you intend to focus on futures trading, it is better to check the CoinPop partner conditions first rather than a standard sign-up.
OKX Referral Code COINPOP
OKX is characterized by providing not only a centralized exchange but also Wallet, Web3, and DEX features.
The base futures fee is also competitive at Maker 0.02%, Taker 0.05% for general Lv.1 users.
On CoinPop’s official OKX sign-up page, the phrase 20% trading fee discount is currently displayed directly.
CoinPop OKX Partner Sign-up
Referral Code: COINPOP
It is currently one of the clearest cases among the four exchanges where you can directly check the discount rate on the sign-up page.
Bitget Referral Code coinpop
Bitget is a global exchange that has grown rapidly, focusing on futures trading and copy trading.
The representative futures base fee for general users is Maker 0.02%, Taker 0.06%.
However, if you apply discount conditions such as referrals, VIP, or promotions, the actual burden ranking may differ from a simple base fee comparison.
CoinPop Bitget Partner Sign-up
Referral Code: coinpop
If you plan to use Bitget, it is better to check the current conditions of the CoinPop partner link first rather than signing up directly on the general page.
8. How Big of a Difference is a 20% Fee Discount Really?
Assuming a 20% discount is applied to a 0.05% Taker fee, the effective fee rate is as follows.
0.05% × 0.8 = 0.04%
Assuming you enter a 100,000 USDT position at market price once:
Standard fee:
100,000 × 0.05% = 50 USDT
Assuming 20% discount applied:
100,000 × 0.04% = 40 USDT
About 10 USDT is reduced per entry.
If you also exit at market price with the same size:
Base round-trip cost = 100 USDT
20% discount applied round-trip cost = 80 USDT
It is about a 20 USDT difference.
If you only trade once, it may not feel like a big difference.
However, if you repeat the same trade 50 times, the difference can theoretically grow to about 1,000 USDT.
Therefore, futures trading fee discounts can be seen as a structure where the value increases for traders with high trading frequency.
9. The Exchange with the Lowest Base Fee Is Not Always the Best
Looking only at the fee comparison table, the difference between 0.05%, 0.055%, and 0.06% is clear.
However, liquidity is also important in actual trading.
For example, even if Exchange A’s fee is 0.01% cheaper than Exchange B’s, if slippage occurs 0.05% more when placing a large market order, Exchange A may end up costing more.
Therefore, the larger the amount you trade, the more you should look at the following together.
- Maker/Taker fees
- Fee discounts
- Bid-Ask Spread
- Order book depth
- Actual slippage
- Funding fees
The cost combining these is closer to the All-in Trading Cost.
10. Funding Fees Are Completely Different from Trading Fees
If you trade Perpetual Futures, you may incur Funding Fees in addition to trading fees.
Funding fees are not costs that the exchange simply takes like trading fees, but rather a structure that is periodically exchanged between long and short position holders to ensure that the perpetual futures price does not deviate too much from the spot price.
Generally:
Funding Rate is positive
→ Long holders pay short holders
Funding Rate is negative
→ Short holders pay long holders
is the structure.
Bitget guides that funding fees are periodically settled in general perpetual futures, and the settlement cycle may vary depending on the product.
OKX also specifies the Funding Fee of the perpetual contract along with entry fees and exit fees in the actual cost items of futures.
Therefore, if you hold a position for a long period of days or weeks, the cumulative funding fee can sometimes be a larger cost than the Maker/Taker fee.
11. Slippage Can Be More Expensive Than Fees
Slippage is the difference between the expected price when placing an order and the actual execution price.
For example, let’s assume you place a 100 BTC market order when the BTC price is displayed as 100,000 USDT.
If there is not enough sell volume at 100,000 USDT in the order book:
100,000
100,010
100,020
100,050
etc., the average execution price rises as it consumes sell orders at various price levels in order.
The cost incurred at this time is slippage.
It may not be a big problem in small BTC/ETH trades, but it is a very important cost for altcoins with insufficient liquidity or large positions.
Therefore, for high-net-worth traders:
An exchange with 0.05% lower slippage can be more advantageous than an exchange with 0.005% lower fees.
12. If You Do a Lot of Market Trading, Look at Taker Fees
The criteria for choosing a futures exchange should vary depending on your trading style.
Market Day Trading/Scalping
Taker fees are important.
Because you repeat entries and exits multiple times in a short period, small Taker fee differences accumulate.
Limit Order-Focused Trading
Maker fees are important.
Most major exchanges are around 0.02% for general users, so the base fee difference is not large.
Long-term Futures Positions
Funding Rate can become more important.
If you trade once and hold a position for more than a few days, the trading fee occurs once, but the funding fee can be settled multiple times.
Large Positions
You should prioritize liquidity and slippage.
No matter how cheap the fees are, if the order book depth is insufficient, the actual execution cost increases.
13. Comparison of 4 Exchanges at a Glance
| Item | Binance | Bybit | Bitget | OKX |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base Maker | Approx. 0.020% | 0.020% | 0.020% | 0.020% |
| Base Taker | Approx. 0.050% | 0.055% | 0.060% | 0.050% |
| Market Day Trading Cost | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ |
| Futures Trading Features | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ |
| Liquidity Focus | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ |
| Derivatives-focused UI | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ |
| Web3 Integration | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ |
| Fee Discount Utilization | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| CoinPop Code | COINPOP | COINPOP | coinpop | COINPOP |
The star ratings are reference evaluations to comprehensively look at each exchange’s general product composition and trading environment, not just base fees, and results may vary depending on individual trading styles.
14. Which Futures Exchange Should You Choose?
It is difficult to evaluate one exchange as the best for all users.
When Binance is Suitable
If you value high liquidity and various trading pairs, you can consider it first.
In particular, if you frequently trade large assets like BTC/ETH at market price, order book depth and trading volume become important advantages.
CoinPop Code: COINPOP
When Bybit is Suitable
It has strengths if you value a futures and derivatives-focused trading environment.
It is worth considering if you value order functions and derivatives interfaces that are easy for professional traders to use.
CoinPop Code: COINPOP
When Bitget is Suitable
It may be suitable for users who want to utilize copy trading or various promotions in addition to futures trading.
Since the base Taker fee is on the high side among the comparison targets, it is recommended to compare actual applicable discount conditions such as referrals and VIP together.
CoinPop Code: coinpop
When OKX is Suitable
It has strengths if you want to utilize the Wallet/Web3/DEX ecosystem along with competitive base futures fees.
In particular, a 20% trading fee discount is currently displayed directly on the CoinPop official sign-up link.
CoinPop Code: COINPOP
15. Conclusion: ‘How Much I Actually Pay’ Is More Important Than the Cheapest Exchange
The base fees for general users of major global cryptocurrency futures exchanges in 2026 are generally in a similar range.
Typically:
- Maker approx. 0.02%
- Taker approx. 0.05~0.06%
level.
Looking only at base rates, Binance and OKX are relatively advantageous in Taker trading, followed by Bybit, and Bitget’s base Taker fee is structured slightly higher.
However, the cost borne by the actual trader is not determined solely by the base fee.
Actual Futures Trading Cost = Trading Fee – Fee Discount + Funding Fee + Spread + Slippage
Therefore, when choosing an exchange, you should compare base Maker/Taker rates, referral discounts, VIP levels, trading volume, liquidity, and funding fees together.
In particular, if you are a new user, it is reasonable to check the partner link that applies fee discount conditions first rather than signing up without any code, even if you sign up for the same exchange.
If your trading volume is low, the amount saved at once may be small.
However, as you continue futures trading and your cumulative executed amount grows to millions to tens of millions of USDT, small fee rate differences can create cost differences of hundreds to thousands of USDT.
CoinPop provides partner sign-up links for Binance, Bybit, Bitget, and OKX in one place, so if you have already decided on an exchange to use, we recommend checking the benefits currently applied from the CoinPop link for that exchange before signing up normally.
Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
Are futures trading fees based on margin?
Generally, no.
Futures trading fees are calculated based on the notional value of the actual executed position.
For example, if you created a 10,000 USDT position using 10x leverage with 1,000 USDT margin, the trading fee is calculated based on approximately 10,000 USDT.
Does the fee rate increase if leverage is high?
The fee rate itself does not increase because of leverage.
However, since you create a larger position with the same margin, the actual fee paid increases.
Is a limit order always a Maker order?
No.
Even if you place a limit order, it can become a Taker if it is immediately filled with an existing order.
It is generally processed as a Maker only if it remains in the order book to provide liquidity to the market and is then filled.
What fee is applied to market orders?
General market orders are applied Taker fees because they immediately take liquidity already existing in the order book.
Which exchange has the cheapest futures trading fees?
Comparing only base fees for general users in August 2026, Binance and OKX’s Taker fees are on the lower side at around 0.05%.
However, actual rankings may change if you apply referral discounts, VIP levels, BNB/exchange token discounts, promotions, etc.
Also, in high-value trading, slippage and order book liquidity can be more important than fees.
Can using a referral code lower fees?
It is possible depending on the exchange and partner conditions.
For example, a 20% trading fee discount is currently displayed directly on the OKX CoinPop sign-up page.
For other exchanges, application conditions may vary depending on the account, region, campaign, etc., so it is accurate to check the final benefits on the sign-up page.
Can I apply a referral code to an already signed-up account?
It depends on the exchange policy.
Generally, referral codes or partner links are often connected at the time of new sign-up, so it is safest to check discount conditions before creating an account.
Are funding fees fees taken by the exchange?
The funding fee of general perpetual futures has a different nature from trading fees.
It is generally exchanged periodically between long and short position holders to play a role in keeping the perpetual futures price close to the spot price.
Is an exchange with low fees always a good exchange?
No.
In actual trading, you should look at liquidity, spread, slippage, server stability, tradable products, and funding fees in addition to fees.
In particular, in large-scale market orders, slippage can create a larger cost than a 0.01% fee difference.
What is the most realistic way to reduce fees in futures trading?
Typically, you can use the following methods.
- Utilize Maker orders as much as possible
- Apply fee discount referrals when signing up
- Utilize the exchange’s VIP level
- Check for exchange token fee discounts
- Reduce unnecessarily frequent entries/exits
- Use trading pairs with high liquidity
- Be careful with long-term positions when funding fees are high
In particular, if you trade frequently, optimizing the fee structure before trading can make the biggest difference in the long run.
CoinPop Major Exchange Sign-up Links
| Exchange | Referral Code | Sign-up Link |
|---|---|---|
| Binance | COINPOP | https://accounts.binance.com/register?ref=COINPOP |
| Bybit | COINPOP | https://partner.bybit.com/b/COINPOP |
| Bitget | coinpop | https://partner.bitget.com/bg/coinpop |
| OKX | COINPOP | https://www.okx.com/join/COINPOP |
Sign-up benefits and fee discount policies are subject to change depending on exchange policies, region, account status, and promotions. Please be sure to check the benefits applied on the final sign-up screen.
Investment and Affiliate Notice
Cryptocurrency futures trading has a very high risk of principal loss due to leverage and may not be suitable for investors. This article is for informational purposes to compare exchange fee structures and does not recommend buying/selling specific cryptocurrencies or entering futures positions.
This article contains affiliate/partner links for CoinPop. If you sign up or trade through these links, CoinPop may receive partner rewards from the exchange. This does not mean the user bears additional costs, and applicable fee discounts and sign-up benefits may vary depending on the final conditions of each exchange.
