One small trading fee looks harmless. Trade often, though, and it adds up fast.
So if you’re hunting for the lowest fees crypto exchange, don’t stop at the headline number. Look at how maker and taker orders are charged too.
What Are Maker and Taker Orders?
Exchanges run on an order book. It matches buyers with sellers.
Your order either adds liquidity or takes it away. That’s what decides whether you’re a maker or a taker.
Maker Orders
A maker order adds something new to the book.
Say Bitcoin trades at ₹60 lakh. You place a limit buy at ₹59.5 lakh. No one is selling at that price yet, so your order sits and waits.
You’ve added liquidity. That makes you a maker.
Taker Orders
A taker order matches something already sitting in the book.
Say there’s a sell order at ₹60 lakh. You buy at that price. Your order eats up liquidity that was already there.
That makes you a taker.
Market orders are typically taker orders. They execute against liquidity already in the book. A limit order can turn into a taker order too. If it matches something instantly.
Why Do Maker and Taker Fees Differ?
Exchanges need liquidity to function well. A deeper order book makes matching easier.
Makers add liquidity. Takers use it up.
That’s why some exchanges charge makers less than takers. Others charge both the same.
The structure changes from platform to platform. If you’re after the lowest fees crypto exchange, check the full fee schedule. One number on the homepage rarely tells the whole story.
How Maker and Taker Fees Affect Your Trading Cost
Here’s a simple example.
Say you trade ₹1,00,000 worth of crypto.
- At 0.10%, that’s ₹100 in fees.
- At 0.20%, that’s ₹200.
- Trade often, and the gap grows quickly.
Active traders feel this the most, simply because they trade more often.
Still, don’t pick an order type based on fees alone. A maker order might not fill at all — the market can move away from your price before it does.
A taker order may carry a higher fee. But it fills right away. It matches existing liquidity instantly.
What Should You Compare Before Choosing an Exchange?
Finding the lowest fees crypto exchange takes more than a quick look at the homepage.
Check:
- Maker trading fees
- Taker trading fees
- Fee tiers based on trading volume
- Bid-ask spreads
- Deposit and withdrawal charges
- Network fees for crypto withdrawals
- Order execution speed and available liquidity
A low trading fee doesn’t help much if spreads are wide. Weak liquidity can quietly push up your real cost too.
Always read the fine print. Some discounts kick in only at higher trading volumes. Others depend on a subscription or some other condition.
Can Limit Orders Help Reduce Trading Costs?
Limit orders can sometimes qualify for maker fees. But they usually need to sit on the order book first, before they execute.
Placing a limit order doesn’t automatically make it a maker order.
If your price matches an existing order right away, it becomes a taker trade instead. Some platforms offer post-only orders, built specifically to stop an order from taking liquidity immediately.
Beginners should get these basics down before chasing fee savings. Order type matters. So does timing.
Make Every Trading Cost Count
The lowest advertised fee isn’t always the lowest real cost.
Compare maker and taker charges. Check the spreads. Look at liquidity. Factor in any other fees that might apply.
Then think about how your order type changes what you actually end up paying.
Small differences add up over time. Understanding them helps you trade smarter — and avoid paying more than you need to.
