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Curio

Exchange review · Updated August 2026

Binance Review (2026)

Binance.US publishes 0% maker and 0.01% taker at its base tier, with no volume requirement. That is the cheapest entry pricing we have found. The complication is that there are two Binances, and most reviews do not tell you which one they mean.

By Curio Editorial Figures checked August 16, 2026 Independent · no paid placement

The verdict

The cheapest entry pricing, on whichever platform you can actually access. Binance.US undercuts every major rival at the base tier by a wide margin, publishing 0% maker and 0.01% taker. The real work is establishing which entity you are eligible for and what funding costs you before you decide.

Visit Binance.US

Not currently an affiliate link. Scores reflect our criteria, not payment. Disclosure.

Sourced, not summarized

Published fees, Binance.US

Binance key facts
Base maker fee (Binance.US) 0%
Base taker fee (Binance.US) 0.01%
Volume requirement for base tier None stated
BNB fee discount 5% off Advanced Trading fees
USD deposit and withdrawal fees Not published as figures; vary by method
Volume tier thresholds Not published on the fee page

Source: Binance official documentation, checked August 16, 2026. This page quotes Binance.US only. Binance.com runs a separate schedule.

There are two Binances, and it matters

Binance.com and Binance.US are separate platforms with different asset lists, different fee schedules, and different regulatory positions. Which one you can use depends on where you live, and reviews that treat them as one company are describing something that does not exist.

If you are in the United States, you are dealing with Binance.US. That is the entity whose fees are quoted on this page, and it lists materially fewer assets than the global platform.

If you are outside the US, you are most likely on Binance.com, where the asset range is far larger and the fee schedule is a different document entirely.

Before you compare Binance against anything, establish which one you are actually able to sign up for. Everything else follows from that.

The entry pricing is genuinely unusual

Binance.US publishes 0% maker and 0.01% taker at its base tier, with no stated volume requirement. Against Kraken at 0.40% and 0.80% for the same starting position. That is not a marginal difference.

This is the opposite of the normal pattern. Most exchanges advertise a low rate that requires volume you will never reach, and quietly charge everyone else far more.

Worth being clear about what we did and did not verify. The base-tier figures are published and dated. The volume tier thresholds and the USD deposit and withdrawal costs were not stated as numbers on the fee page, and deposit costs are frequently where a cheap exchange stops being cheap.

Check the total cost of getting dollars in and out before concluding this is free. A 0% trading fee alongside an expensive funding method is a familiar trade.

The regulatory question

Binance has faced regulatory action across multiple jurisdictions, and that history is a legitimate input to a decision about where to keep money.

Availability varies by state and country

Product access and even account eligibility differ by where you live. Confirm before submitting identity documents, not after.

Entity risk is not the same as breach risk

The question here is not whether the platform gets hacked. It is whether regulatory pressure changes what you can access, or how quickly you can withdraw.

Keep the balance you need, not the balance you have

This applies to every exchange and applies with extra force where regulatory posture is contested.

We have not verified specific case outcomes

Widely reported, but we have not confirmed the details against primary regulatory filings, so we do not summarize them here.

Your situation, our answer

If this is you, do this

You are in the US and trade regularly

The fee case is strong

A 0% maker rate at the base tier is genuinely hard to beat. Verify the funding costs for your deposit method before committing.

You are outside the US and want maximum asset range

Binance.com, with eyes open

The global platform has the deepest asset list of any major exchange. Weigh that against the regulatory picture in your jurisdiction.

You are buying your first crypto ever

Something simpler

The interface surfaces margin, futures and earn products a first-time buyer does not need and can lose money on. Start with a gentler platform.

You want a specific altcoin

Check which entity lists it

This is the most common Binance disappointment. An asset on the global platform is frequently absent from the US one.

You want to hold long term

Buy here, store elsewhere

Cheap execution is a good reason to trade somewhere. It is not a reason to leave assets on any exchange indefinitely.

The honest ledger

Pros and cons

What we like

  • 0% maker and 0.01% taker at the Binance.US base tier
  • No stated volume requirement to get the base rate
  • A further 5% discount when paying fees with BNB
  • Very deep liquidity, particularly on the global platform
  • Broad product range for users who genuinely want it

What to watch

  • Binance.com and Binance.US are different platforms and the distinction is poorly signposted
  • Volume tier thresholds are not published on the fee page
  • USD deposit and withdrawal costs are not published as figures
  • A long history of regulatory action across jurisdictions
  • The interface pushes leveraged products at inexperienced users

Show your working

How we scored this review

This is a documentary review. Every figure above was read from published documentation on August 16, 2026 and is cited. We did not open a funded account, and we do not claim hands-on testing we did not do.

Scoring rubric with weights
Criterion Weight Mark Why
Cost at retail trade size 30% 4.9 Binance.US publishes 0% maker and 0.01% taker at the base tier with no volume requirement, which is the cheapest entry pricing we have found on any major US exchange.
Clarity about which entity you are using 20% 2.0 Binance.com and Binance.US are different platforms with different assets, fees and regulatory status. Almost every review conflates them and the sites do little to help.
Asset range and liquidity 20% 4.0 Deep global liquidity on Binance.com. The US entity lists materially fewer assets, which is the trade-off Americans actually face.
Regulatory standing 15% 2.5 A long history of regulatory action across jurisdictions. Availability and product access vary considerably by where you live.
Ease of use 15% 3.5 Powerful but dense. The interface assumes more familiarity than Coinbase and surfaces a lot of products a beginner does not need.

Weights total 100. Weighted average: 3.6 / 5. Read our editorial policy.

What we could not verify

  • Volume tier thresholds. The Binance.US fee page referenced volume-based discounts without stating the thresholds when we checked on August 16, 2026.
  • USD deposit and withdrawal fees for ACH, wire and debit card. Stated as varying by method, with no figures published.
  • Binance.com fee schedule. This review quotes Binance.US only. The global platform runs a separate schedule we have not verified here.
  • Specific regulatory case outcomes and their current status. Widely reported, not confirmed by us against primary filings.
  • The current list of restricted US states.

Binance FAQs

Is Binance.US the same as Binance?

No, and this is the single most useful thing to understand before signing up. They are separate platforms with different asset lists, different fee schedules and different regulatory positions. US residents use Binance.US; most other users are on Binance.com. A review that does not say which one it is describing is not much use to you.

Are Binance fees really 0%?

The Binance.US base tier publishes 0% maker and 0.01% taker with no stated volume requirement, which we verified on August 16, 2026. That is genuinely the cheapest entry pricing we have found among major US exchanges. What is not published is the cost of getting dollars in and out, and funding costs are the usual place a nominally free exchange recovers its margin. Check those for your specific deposit method.

What is a maker versus a taker fee?

A maker order rests on the order book and waits, adding liquidity. A taker order fills against an order that is already there, removing liquidity. Exchanges charge takers more because makers make the market work. If you use limit orders that do not fill instantly, you are usually a maker.

Is Binance safe to use?

On breach history the platform has operated at enormous scale for years, though it is not free of incidents. The more material question for Binance specifically is regulatory rather than technical: access to products and even to accounts has changed by jurisdiction over time. As with any exchange, the safest posture is to keep a working balance rather than your whole position.

Why do fewer coins appear on Binance.US?

The US entity lists a smaller set of assets than the global platform, reflecting a more constrained regulatory environment. This is the most common source of frustration for American users who read a review of the global platform and then cannot find the asset they came for.

Is Binance good for beginners?

The pricing is beginner-friendly and the interface is not. The platform surfaces margin, futures and yield products prominently, and a first-time buyer can reach a leveraged position faster than is comfortable. If you want the cheapest execution and are willing to ignore most of the screen, it works. If you want to be guided, read our Coinbase review. If a mobile app and a card matter more to you than the lowest fee, see our Crypto.com review.

The bottom line

Should you use Binance?

Use Binance.US if you trade regularly in the United States and want the lowest published execution cost available, having first checked what your deposit method costs. Look elsewhere if you are new enough that a screen full of leverage products is a hazard rather than a feature.

This page currently carries no affiliate links. Affiliate disclosure. Nothing here is financial advice. Crypto is volatile and you can lose money.

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