Kraken vs Binance Exchange Comparison

Kraken vs Binance are both well-known exchanges.

Kraken is the exchange that prioritizes security and Regulation, while Binance is the global leader that offers a user-friendly platform with a vast selection of features. They both provide platforms for buying, selling, and trading digital assets, each with its own set of features.

This detailed comparison explores their security, regulations, trading features, fees, and special features to assist you in choosing the right exchange for your cryptocurrency endeavors. So, which is better Binance or Kraken?

Below is a short overview of each point we will discuss in this article. 

Below, we will overview both exchanges’ general pros and cons so you can get a first impression.

Security and Regulation are crucial aspects when choosing a cryptocurrency exchange. 

Here’s a detailed comparison of Kraken and Binance in these areas:

Kraken (Kraken review) and Binance have similar and contrasting approaches to security measures and regulations.

A common denominator is that both exchanges require user Identity Verification, known as Know-Your-Customer (KYC). Identity verification is a mandatory requirement on both platforms in order to adhere to regulatory and compliance commitments.

It should be noted that Kraken offers different levels of user verification depending on account type and country of residence. In some cases, Kraken can withhold funds.

According to Kraken, “Our funding providers may, at their own discretion, deny funding to certain geographical locations. Some regions are not yet able to use debit or credit cards “. 

Similarly, Binance implements a stringent and comprehensive KYC process for its users. On March 20, 2024, it announced an enhanced compliance standard, requesting that all sub-accounts get verified. Users are given until May 20, 2024, to get verified or face account restrictions. 

In terms of security, both platforms are keen on providing a strong security stance and transparency measures.

Kraken takes security very seriously, offering superior coin storage security. Since its establishment in 2013, Kraken hasn’t experienced any major hacks, even though some individuals on online forums like Reddit have complained about personal account hacks.

The exchange maintains 95% of crypto deposits in geographically distributed offline cold storage. They also keep a full reserve of all crypto assets, allowing users to withdraw their funds anytime. All user data are also encrypted.

Unlike Kraken, Binance had once suffered a heavy security breach. In 2019, over $40 million worth of Bitcoin was stolen from the exchange.

Also, in 2023, the US Justice Department probed Binance for refusal to comply with U.S. law on money laundering, unlicensed money transfers, and other sanctions. This led to the stepping down of the CEO, Changpeng Zhao. 

Verdict:

Although Binance offers 2FA authentication, data encryption, and other necessary security measures, Kraken stands out with its overall robust security architecture, commitment to transparency, and safety of customers’ funds.

Here’s a detailed comparison of supported currencies on Kraken and Binance:

These cryptocurrencies are often usable on sports betting with crypto sites.

Here is a breakdown of fiat deposits on Kraken vs. Binance:

Both exchanges support fiat deposit options on credit/debit cards with Visa and MasterCards, but with Binance offering wider options. 

On Kraken, the deposit limit depends on a user’s verification level. Limits are displayed and calculated in USD. The processing fee is also displayed and varied according to the method of payment selected.

On the other hand, Binance supports 29 different fiat deposits with cheaper fees between 0% and 2.2%, depending on the transaction method. Bank transfers are generally fee-free, but they charge 1.5 EUR on SEPA, 1 EUR on SEPA Instant Transfer, and 1 EUR on PayMonade. 

Kraken exchange currently supports only six traditional fiat currencies. But it supports the world’s major fiat currencies, which include:

• U.S. Dollars (USD)
• Euros (EUR)
• British Pounds (GBP)
• Canadian Dollars (CAD)
• Swiss Franc (CHF)
• Australian Dollars (AUD)

The implication is that customers from countries whose currencies are not on the list will have to first convert to the supported currencies to make a trading pair. Obviously, this will generate additional fees for those users. 

In contrast, Binance supports more fiat currencies, a total of twelve. They are as listed:

• Australian Dollars (AUD)
• U.S. Dollars (USD)
• Euros (EUR)
• British Pounds (GBP)
• Canadian Dollars (CAD)
• Swiss Franc (CHF)
• Hong Kong Dollars (HKD)
• Kazakhstani Tenge (KZT)
• Norwegian Krone (NOK)
• Peruvian Sol (PEN)
• Russian Rouble (RUB)
• Turkish Lira (TRY)
• Ukrainian Hryvnia (UAH)
• Ugandan Shilling (UGX)

Both Kraken and Binance generally have no minimum deposit requirement. However, minimums may apply for specific deposit methods depending on your location and chosen provider.

Kraken

• Wire Transfer: Can take several business days to reflect in your account.
• ACH Deposit (USD only): Typically faster than wire transfers, but can still take 1-3 business days.
• SEPA Instant Deposits (EUR only): Fastest option with near-instant credit to your account.

Binance

• Wire Transfer: Similar to Kraken, can take several business days.
• Credit/Debit Card: Fastest option, with funds typically credited instantly.
• Third-Party Payment Processors: Processing times vary depending on the provider.
• P2P Trading: Depends on finding a suitable counterparty and completing the trade, potentially taking longer than other methods.

Below, you can find all the information on the trading fees.

Kraken uses a maker-taker fee structure. This means:

• Makers (users adding liquidity by placing limit orders that don’t immediately get filled) receive discounts on fees.
• Takers (users removing liquidity by placing market orders that get filled immediately) pay a higher fee.
• Fees are tiered based on your 30-day trading volume. Lower volume means higher fees.
• Kraken also offers a discount for using their native token, XMR.

Binance employs a tiered maker-taker fee structure as well, but with some key differences:

• Fees are generally lower than Kraken’s, especially for high-volume traders.
• Binance offers a VIP program with further fee discounts based on your holding of their native token, our reviewed BNB. Holding more BNB unlocks progressively lower fees.

• Kraken: Maker fees start at 0.16% and decrease with higher volume. Taker fees start at 0.26% and can also be reduced with volume. Specific rates depend on your trading volume tier. There’s an additional fee (typically 0.5%) for using their Instant Buy/Sell option.

• Binance: Maker fees begin at 0.1000% for non-VIP users and can decrease to 0.0200% for the highest VIP tiers. Taker fees start at 0.1000% for non-VIPs and reach as low as 0.0400% for top VIPs. Users who pay fees with BNB get an additional discount (typically 25%).

Here is a table summarizing the key aspects:

Choose Kraken if:

• You’re a maker who adds liquidity through limit orders.
• You trade large volumes and can benefit from Kraken’s volume-based discounts (potentially lower fees than Binance for high volume).
• You prioritize simplicity and prefer a straightforward maker-taker structure without a complex VIP system.

Choose Binance if:

• You’re a taker who relies on market orders.
• You trade high volumes and want to take advantage of Binance’s lower base fees and potential for even deeper discounts through its VIP program and BNB payments.
• You’re comfortable with a more intricate fee structure with VIP tiers and additional discounts.

Margin trading allows you to amplify your potential returns (and losses) in the cryptocurrency market by borrowing funds from the exchange. 

Here’s a breakdown of margin trading on Kraken and Binance:

• Kraken: Offers margin trading for a limited selection of cryptocurrencies compared to Binance. Popular choices on Kraken include Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), and some margin-enabled stablecoins.
• Binance: Provides margin trading for a much wider range of cryptocurrencies, including most major coins and a significant number of altcoins.

• Kraken: Provides a conservative maximum leverage ratio, typically 2x to 5x, depending on the asset. This means you can borrow up to 5 times your initial margin to increase your buying power.
• Binance: Generally offers higher maximum leverage ratios, reaching up to 10x or even 20x for some assets. This allows for more aggressive trading strategies but carries significantly higher risk.

• Kraken: Charges competitive margin interest rates, which vary depending on the borrowed asset and market conditions. Rates can be dynamic and change frequently.
• Binance: Employs a similar structure with competitive margin rates that fluctuate based on the asset and market. They also offer tiered margin interest rates, where users with higher borrowing amounts may receive slightly lower rates.

• Kraken: Offers a relatively basic margin trading experience. You can open long positions (buying on margin) and short positions (borrowing to sell an asset you don’t own), but it lacks some advanced features like isolated margin or cross margin.
• Binance: Provides a more feature-rich margin trading platform. It supports long and short positions, isolated margin (limiting risk to a specific position), cross margin (using your entire margin balance for all positions), and advanced order types like stop-loss and take-profit orders to manage risk.

Both Kraken and Binance have similar mechanisms for margin calls and liquidations. 

If the value of your collateral (your initial margin deposit + unrealized profit/loss) falls below a certain threshold (maintenance margin requirement), you will receive a margin call. 

If you don’t add more funds to meet the requirement, the exchange will forcefully liquidate your position to minimize its risk.

Choose Kraken for margin trading if:

• You’re a beginner or risk-averse trader. Their conservative leverage limits and simpler interface can help manage risk.
• You only want to trade a limited selection of major cryptocurrencies with a margin.

Choose Binance for margin trading if:

• You’re an experienced trader comfortable with the risks involved.

Staking allows you to earn rewards on your crypto holdings by supporting Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchains. 

Below is a comparison of staking features on Kraken and Binance:

• Kraken: Offers staking on a limited selection of cryptocurrencies, typically around 14 assets. These include major PoS coins like Tezos (XTZ), Polkadot (DOT), and Cardano (ADA).

• Binance: Provides staking for a significantly wider variety of cryptocurrencies, exceeding 100 coins. They offer staking for most major PoS coins and many lesser-known tokens.

• Kraken: Generally offers moderate staking rewards, typically ranging from 4% to 7% annually, depending on the coin. Rewards are paid out in the same coin you stake.

• Binance: Provides a wider range of staking rewards, with some coins offering high yields exceeding 10% or even 100% APY (Annual Percentage Yield). However, these high yields are often for lesser-known coins with higher risk profiles. Established coins on Binance typically offer rewards similar to those of Kraken.

• Kraken: Often has flexible staking options with no lockup periods for some coins. This allows you to withdraw your staked assets at any time. However, they also offer fixed-term staking options with potentially higher rewards for locking your coins for a set period.

• Binance: Offers a mix of flexible and locked staking options. Flexible staking typically comes with lower rewards, while locked staking periods can significantly increase your APY.

• Kraken: May have minimum staking requirements for some coins. These requirements can vary depending on the asset.

• Binance: Generally has lower or no minimum staking requirements, making it easier to participate with smaller holdings.

• Kraken: Offers a relatively simple staking experience. You can choose your staking options and view your rewards, but it lacks some advanced features like auto-compounding (automatically reinvesting earned rewards for additional gains).

• Binance: Provides a more feature-rich staking platform. They offer auto-compounding for many coins, flexible and locked staking options, and the ability to earn rewards in additional tokens besides the one you stake.

Consequently, choose Kraken for staking if:

• You prioritize security and a straightforward staking experience.
• You prefer flexible staking options with no lockup periods for some coins.
• You’re comfortable with moderate staking rewards on established coins.

Choose Binance for staking if:

• You want access to a wider variety of coins and the potential for higher staking rewards.
• You don’t mind locking your coins for fixed terms to earn higher APY.
• You’re interested in advanced features like auto-compounding and earning rewards in additional tokens.

Here’s a breakdown of the user interfaces (U.I.) on Kraken and Binance to help you decide which might be easier to navigate:

Designed Towards: Experienced traders who value a clear and functional layout.

Designed Towards: A wider audience, including both beginners and experienced traders.

The chart below summarizes the key points:

Choose Kraken if:

• You’re a seasoned trader comfortable with a more technical interface.
• You prioritize advanced order types and in-depth market data analysis.

Choose Binance if:

• You’re a beginner looking for a user-friendly platform to learn the ropes.
• You value easy access to educational resources and a simple buying/selling experience.

Ultimately, the best U.I. depends on your experience level and preferences. If you’re unsure, consider trying both platforms with demo accounts to see which feels more comfortable.

In many instances, both exchanges offer a variety of similar features but with different approaches and fee structures. 

Kraken recently introduced a new feature called right-click trading. This latest trade functionality provides a smarter and faster way to decide on a trade.

With it, traders can place a limit and stop loss orders directly on the chart of the crypto asset they’re interacting with. This will reduce the risk of mistake-prone trading while encouraging precision, speed, and strategic risk management in asset trading. This feature is only available for Kraken Pro account owners.

Right-click trading feature is not available on Binance. Even at that, Binance provides all the neccesary tools such as Analytics Data Sources & Tools for a more seamless trading experience.

Kraken’s personalized OTC trading supports over 150 pairs of assets. It is designed to care for clients who need to execute large orders on their assets. Traders can get instant and single quotes on orders above $100,000 worth of assets.

To get started with Kraken’s OTC trading, users will need to fill out a form. The form requires that you indicate your email and country of residence, as well as details on the amount and the name of the asset you intend to trade. Settlement is within 24 hours.

Similar to Kraken, Binance also offers personalized OTC trading but with a slightly different approach. For instance, while Kraken’s minimum asset value is upwards of $100,000, Binance requires a minimum of $200,000 equivalent assets in the spot wallet to access the OTC chat function.

Binance also offers Algo orders that facilitate large or illiquid trades over a period of time to reduce execution costs and mitigate market impact.   

Kraken offers a pro trading interface for experienced traders looking to power up their trading strategies with up to 5x leverage on liquid markets.

Depending on the margin pair chosen, the trading fee ranges between 0.01% and 0.02% to open a position. There’s a rollover fee that occurs every 4 hours on open trading. Margin trading is currently available on Kraken with just 53 crypto assets, including popular ones like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dash, Cardano, an more.

Similar to margin trading, Kraken lets experienced traders expand their trading experience with over 95 perpetual futures using leverage on liquid markets.

Once a user opens a trade by taking long or short positions, he gets to enjoy one of the lowest fees of as low as 0.01%. It should be noted that Kraken’s Futures trading is subject to national restrictions and limitations in the countries listed:

On Binance, margin trading is available on over 600 crypto pairs – a much wider range of options when compared to Kraken.

Binance offers two types of margin trading: Isolated and Cross-margin. You can trade with either of the options depending on your trading strategy and risk tolerance. Binance offers a competitive margin trading fee for as low as 0.075% with a 25% discount on BNB coin.  

Binance Futures Trading or leverage trading offers massive trading pairs of over 280 with up to 125x leverage on Bitcoin and other assets.

Binance Futures offers 2 different ways to settle Futures contracts and boosts to have one of the highest trading volumes out of all crypto exchanges. Traders may choose to settle in stablecoin (USDⓈ-M Futures) or in the cryptocurrency referenced by the contract (COIN-M Futures).

In addition, Binance Futures offers the ability for traders to trade both quarterly Futures (with quarterly settlement dates ) and perpetual Futures (with no set settlement date). Futures Trading fee is tier-based based on a 30-day cumulative trading volume and coin holding.

Kraken NFT marketplace offers users the opportunity to trade their unique digital assets. It features over 250 NFT collections and supports Ethereum, Polygon, and Solana chains. Kraken also allows NFT clients to list their digital assets using any of the supported fiat or crypto options.

NFT trade is supported by over 200 crypto options and 8 different fiat currencies. NFT trading fee structure: Zero percent on deposits. There‘s a 0.01 ETH fee on Ethereum chain withdrawals and 0.02 SOL on Solana chain. Gas fees also apply on all withdrawals based on the chosen network.

On the other hand, Binance boasts a large and active NFT marketplace where users can buy, sell, bid, mint, burn, or stake their non-fungible assets. Binance NFT marketplace features different categories of NFTs ranging from sports, arts, esports, and entertainment. It features 380 different NFT collections. 

Unlike Kraken’s NFT marketplace that supports multichain blockchain, Binance only supports NFT trading on its native chain, BNB. Transaction fees on the Binance NFT marketplace vary and are calculated based on various factors, which include market conditions and network status.

Now, it is trendy to buy sports NFTs.

Remember, these are just a few examples. Both Kraken and Binance continue to change and introduce new features.

Selecting the right cryptocurrency exchange can significantly impact your overall trading experience. Here’s a detailed breakdown of key factors to consider when choosing between Kraken and Binance:

Kraken is a more seasoned crypto exchange that allows users to purchase their crypto assets with their bank cards or bank accounts, even if they’re doing so for the first time.

It is more suitable for advanced traders, offering them the ‘Kraken Pro’ platform with custom layouts so they can have access to a broader range of assets. Kraken also equips traders with all the usual charts and indicators needed to place, monitor, and conclude a trade.

Binance, on the other hand, offers a more simplified trading experience with easy-to-navigate features like instant purchases for those looking to own their first cryptocurrency.

They also have the instant ‘convert ‘function, which makes it easy to swap crypto from one crypto to another without using complex charts or order books. However, advanced traders also have the option to switch to professional mode, where they can use all the usual charts and indicators for their trades. 

In short, while Kraken is a more pro-centric exchange, it still allows crypto beginners to buy their own cryptocurrency. However, Binance offers a more beginner-friendly crypto trading experience with advanced trading options for professionals. 

• Kraken: Uses a maker-taker fee structure with discounts for higher trading volume and holding their XMR token. However, their base fees may be slightly higher than Binance, especially for low-volume traders.
• Binance: Generally offers lower trading fees, especially for high-volume traders. They also have a VIP program with even deeper discounts for users who hold their BNB token and pay fees with it.

• Kraken: Supports a good selection of cryptocurrencies (over 240) and fiat currencies (around eight). They excel with EUR deposits (SEPA Instant).
• Binance: Offers a significantly wider variety of cryptocurrencies (over 500) and fiat deposit options (depending on your location). They cater to users who want access to a broader market.

• Kraken: Offers OTC trading for high-volume trades, margin funding for experienced users, and staking rewards boosted by holding XMR. They prioritize security and Regulation.
• Binance: Provides a comprehensive DeFi suite with products beyond staking, margin lending with flexible terms, an NFT marketplace, and advanced trading features like futures contracts.

By carefully evaluating these factors and your own priorities, you can make an informed decision about which exchange – Kraken or Binance – is the right fit for your cryptocurrency trading journey.