Understand the full cost, not just the fee
Event-contract charges and spot-asset costs, separated by product and payment action.
Start with the product and the action. A funding charge, trading fee and withdrawal cost are different charges; a quoted spread can matter even when the displayed commission is zero.
Five layers of cost
Funding → execution → spread/slippage → exit or settlement → withdrawal. Do not add a spread twice if it is already inside your purchase quote.
| Layer | What to measure | What can change |
|---|---|---|
| Funding | Cash deposited versus cash credited | Method, currency and hold |
| Execution | Fee on the exact interface | Maker/taker, volume tier, market |
| Spread / slippage | Executable price and quantity | Order book depth and time |
| Exit / settlement | Sale fee or contractual settlement | Whether held or sold early |
| Withdrawal | Cash or asset actually received | Bank rail, network, minimum |
Maker, taker and rounding are separate decisions
Rates above use dated base-tier snapshots checked October 24, 2026, exclude funding/spread/withdrawals and do not assume a large trade stays in that tier. Kalshi’s general taker raw model is 0.07 × contracts × price × (1 − price); maker exceptions and fractional balance collection require the schedule and rounding documentation.
| Question | Correct comparison |
|---|---|
| Which order? | Resting is not always maker; an immediately matched part can be taker. |
| Which units? | Normalise winning payoff, not raw quantity. |
| Which precision? | Keep raw model and collected charge separate. |
| Which date? | Read effective dates, market exceptions and account quote. |
Dated base-rate sensitivity worksheet
This is reproducible arithmetic, not measured execution or a market-wide ranking. Kraken Pro and Gemini ActiveTrader base taker snapshots were checked October 24, 2026. Eligible tier, asset pair, funding rail and order size can change the result; a $100,000 trade need not remain in the illustrated base tier.
| Exact product | Amount USD | Execution USD | Spread USD | Funding / withdrawal USD | Total USD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kraken Pro spot | 1,000 | 8.00 | 0.00 | 0 / 0 | 8.00 |
| Kraken Pro spot | 1,000 | 8.00 | 5.00 | 4 / 4 | 21.00 |
| Gemini ActiveTrader spot | 1,000 | 12.00 | 0.00 | 0 / 0 | 12.00 |
| Gemini ActiveTrader spot | 1,000 | 12.00 | 5.00 | 4 / 4 | 25.00 |
| Kraken Pro spot | 10,000 | 80.00 | 0.00 | 0 / 0 | 80.00 |
| Kraken Pro spot | 10,000 | 80.00 | 50.00 | 4 / 4 | 138.00 |
| Gemini ActiveTrader spot | 10,000 | 120.00 | 0.00 | 0 / 0 | 120.00 |
| Gemini ActiveTrader spot | 10,000 | 120.00 | 50.00 | 4 / 4 | 178.00 |
Reproduce each CSV row: amount × execution% / 100 + amount × spread% / 100 + funding USD + withdrawal USD. Percentages apply to the same USD amount. Example: $10,000 × 0.8% + $10,000 × 0.5% + $4 + $4 = $138. Hypothetical costs are not verified provider charges.
Continue with the detailed evidence
Kalshi fees: formulas, funding and a full trade example
The published schedule separates general taker charges, market-specific maker charges, settlement and funding. Here are the numbers and their limits.
Polymarket fees: the US and international schedules
US standard taker fees, market exceptions, maker rebates and international coefficients belong in separate columns.
Coinbase fees: simple buys, Advanced and withdrawals
Simple purchases include spread and quoted fees. Advanced uses an order book and account-specific tiers. Network sends and cash movements add separate costs.
Kraken fees: instant purchases versus Pro spot
The reviewed schedule lists instant trading fees, Pro tiers, spread and funding separately. Here is how to put them on the same basis.
Kraken vs Coinbase: compare the spot products
Kraken publishes a numeric Pro schedule. Coinbase Advanced directs customers to their account-specific fee tier. Simple purchase pricing works differently on both.
Gemini vs Coinbase: spot costs and account workflows
Compare Gemini ActiveTrader with Coinbase Advanced, and keep simple-purchase charges separate from order-book trading.
Crypto.com App vs Coinbase: compare the final spot quote
Two simple-purchase workflows need a quoted-price comparison. Exchange and Advanced schedules answer a different question.
Compare spot fees with Cost Lens
Compare execution, spread, funding and withdrawals for the same spot trade. Source presets and your assumptions stay clearly labelled.
Sources and scope
Source provenance and retrieval dates
Dated product documentation underlying the tables above
Kalshi fee schedule ↗
Last successful source check: 2026-10-24Evidence origin: direct public-document read · Current evidence status: verifiedDocument effective date: 2026-07-07
Kalshi fee rounding ↗
Last successful source check: 2026-10-24Evidence origin: direct public-document read · Current evidence status: verified
Kraken fee schedule ↗
Last successful source check: 2026-10-25Evidence origin: direct public-document read · Current evidence status: verifiedLast retrieval attempt: 2026-10-25 · success (HTTP 200)
Gemini ActiveTrader fee schedule ↗
Last successful source check: 2026-10-24Evidence origin: direct public-document read · Current evidence status: verifiedDocument effective date: 2026-09-01
Published documentation; private account, paid performance and current checkout are not independently tested.
Research and examples use the stated snapshot, not live quotes. We have not tested private accounts, paid software delivery or hardware recovery.