Coinbase Advanced: 0.40% maker and 0.60% taker fees, the lowest published rates on this list

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Coinbase Global Inc (Nasdaq: COIN, FCA FRN 900635) is the only Nasdaq-listed pure-play crypto exchange on this list. The Standard tier is 1.49% all-in plus a ~0.50% spread; Coinbase Advanced drops fees to 0.40% maker / 0.60% taker, the lowest of the five exchanges tested.

I funded Coinbase with £500 on 14 November 2025. The Standard tier is fine for one-off small buys. Anything above £1,000 per trade should be on Coinbase Advanced: the fee saving compounds fast. The Advanced interface looks heavier (real order book, limit orders) but it is the cheapest way to use Coinbase by a wide margin.

Coinbase homepage tested November 2025 showing the Standard and Advanced trading tiers
Coinbase tested November 2025: Standard tier is the default mobile experience; Advanced opens the real order book at 0.40% / 0.60% maker/taker.

Pros (lowest-fee lens)

  • Coinbase Advanced 0.40% / 0.60% maker/taker (lowest on this list)
  • Bank transfer deposits and GBP withdrawals are free
  • Nasdaq-listed parent with audited annual accounts

Trade-offs (lowest-fee lens)

  • Standard tier 1.49% + 0.50% spread is expensive on small trades
  • 3.99% card deposit fee (joint-worst with Uphold)
  • GBP bank withdrawal 72 hours (slowest of five)

What's the all-in cost difference between Coinbase Standard and Advanced?

Big. On a £1,000 BTC buy: Standard tier costs ~£19.90 (1.49% fee + 0.50% spread = ~1.99% all-in). Advanced costs ~£6.00 (0.60% taker on a market order). That's £13.90 saved per £1,000 traded, or roughly £140 across ten £1,000 buys. The break-even where Advanced clearly wins is anything above £500 per trade. Below that, the simpler Standard interface saves you the time of placing limit orders without much fee penalty.

Who should pick a different UK crypto exchange?

Anyone trading only Bitcoin, Ethereum or Solana should pick IG, where those three coins now cost 0% commission plus a 0.07% exchange fee. Anyone making small repeat buys via debit card should pick eToro (0.50% card fee vs Coinbase's 3.99%) or Bitpanda (no card fee). Anyone wanting the tightest BTC/GBP spread should pick Uphold (0.95% vs Coinbase Standard's 1.50%).

eToro: 1.00% flat trading fee with no tier ladder to navigate

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eToro (FCA FRN 583263) charges a single 1.00% trading fee on crypto with no tier system to manage. Sounds simple. The catch: GBP converts to USD internally at a ~50bps spread, which doesn't appear as a line-item fee but compounds across every trade.

eToro crypto homepage tested November 2025 showing the social trading interface and crypto markets
eToro crypto interface tested November 2025: flat 1% fee, social CopyTrader on top, GBP converts to USD internally on every contribution.

Pros (lowest-fee lens)

  • 1.00% flat trading fee, no volume tiers
  • Card deposits only 0.50% (lowest of five with card fees)
  • Dual FCA permissions (investment firm + cryptoasset)

Trade-offs (lowest-fee lens)

  • GBP to USD internal conversion adds hidden ~50bps spread
  • £4 GBP withdrawal fee (only platform charging one)
  • 2.40% ETH/GBP spread (widest of five on ETH)
eToro crypto fees breakdown showing 1 percent trading fee, 2 percent cryptoasset transfer fee, no overnight or custody charges
eToro crypto fee schedule captured November 2025: 1% trading, 2% cryptoasset transfer, no overnight or custody. The GBP-to-USD conversion is the hidden cost not shown here.

What's the actual cost of eToro's GBP-to-USD conversion?

Roughly 50 basis points each way. On a £1,000 deposit, eToro converts to USD at the interbank rate plus ~0.50%. On withdrawal, the reverse conversion charges the same again. Round-trip cost: ~£10 per £1,000 cycled in and out. It doesn't appear as a line-item fee; it sits inside the buy/sell prices. For a buy-and-hold investor making one deposit and one disposal, that's a one-off £5 each way. For an active trader cycling weekly, the spread becomes the dominant cost.

Who should pick a different UK crypto exchange?

UK-base-currency-focused traders should pick Coinbase Advanced or IG. Anyone wanting to withdraw GBP without a flat fee should pick any of the other four. Active ETH traders should avoid eToro's 2.40% ETH/GBP spread (widest of the five) and look at IG, where ETH now costs 0% commission plus a 0.07% exchange fee.

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CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 50% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

IG: 0% commission on Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana with just a 0.07% exchange fee, the lowest cost of the five on the three most-traded coins

Community Rating: 4.4 (61 ratings) Have Your Say →

IG Group plc (LSE: IGG, FCA FRN 195355) offers spot crypto to UK retail clients, meaning you hold the actual asset rather than a CFD. From 25 May 2026 IG dropped commission to 0% on its three most-traded coins, Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana, leaving only a 0.07% external exchange fee charged by its liquidity partner and included in the price. On a £1,000 Bitcoin buy that is roughly 70p in total cost, the lowest on this entire list. Every other coin on IG stays at the flat 1.49%.

IG platform tested 23 January 2026 showing the spot crypto product on the multi-asset account
IG platform tested 23 January 2026: spot crypto on the same FCA-registered account as 17,000+ shares, indices and forex pairs. Commission on BTC, ETH and SOL dropped to 0% on 25 May 2026.

Pros (lowest-fee lens)

  • 0% commission on BTC, ETH and SOL, only a 0.07% exchange fee included in the price (lowest cost on this list for the three biggest coins)
  • No card deposit fee, no GBP withdrawal fee
  • 2-hour GBP bank withdrawal (fastest of five)
  • Spot crypto on an FCA-registered firm: you own the actual asset, not a CFD

Trade-offs (lowest-fee lens)

  • 0.07% rate applies only to BTC, ETH and SOL; every other coin stays at 1.49%
  • Around 100 coins, the smallest catalogue of the five (Bitpanda has 600+)
  • Held in partner custody, no withdrawal to your own hardware wallet
  • Crypto sits outside FSCS, like all five on this list

How much does it now cost to buy BTC, ETH or SOL on IG?

Almost nothing on the headline. IG charges 0% commission on those three coins and passes through only a 0.07% external exchange fee, included in the price, from its 25 May 2026 change. A £1,000 Bitcoin buy costs about 70p, against roughly £6 on Coinbase Advanced (0.60% taker), about £10 on eToro (1.00%) and about £21.50 all-in on Uphold (0.95% spread plus 1.20% fee). For the three most-traded coins IG is now the cheapest exchange on this page by a wide margin.

What's the catch with IG's 0.07% crypto pricing?

Three things. The 0.07% rate only covers Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana; every other coin still costs 1.49%, so IG is only the cheapest if you stick to the big three. IG holds your crypto in partner custody, so you cannot withdraw to your own hardware wallet the way you can from Bitpanda. And IG crypto sits outside FSCS protection, though so does every exchange on this list.

Who should pick a different UK crypto exchange?

Anyone trading beyond Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana, where IG reverts to 1.49% and Bitpanda's 600+ catalogue or Coinbase Advanced's 0.40 / 0.60% become cheaper. Anyone who wants to move coins to a self-custody wallet should pick Bitpanda or Coinbase.

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Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong.

Bitpanda: 1.49% standard fee dropping to 0.99% on volume, with the lowest staking commission of the five at 15%

Community Rating: 3.3 (28 ratings) Have Your Say →

Bitpanda (FCA FRN 925234) charges 1.49% standard fee dropping to 0.99% (maker) or 1.49% (taker) on its high-volume tier. No card deposit fee. Free GBP withdrawal. Plus the widest crypto catalogue on this list at 600+ coins and the lowest staking commission at 15%.

Bitpanda sign-up flow tested August 2025 showing the FCA-registered UK onboarding
Bitpanda sign-up tested August 2025: 25-minute KYC includes a source-of-funds check, longest of the five but FCA-cleared for 3x spot margin.

Pros (lowest-fee lens)

  • 0.99% maker fee on high-volume tier
  • 15% staking commission (lowest of five)
  • No card deposit fee, free GBP withdrawal
  • 600+ cryptocurrencies (widest of five)

Trade-offs (lowest-fee lens)

  • Standard 1.49% fee only drops to 0.99% with significant trading volume
  • 1.47% BTC/GBP spread wider than Uphold or eToro
  • Cold storage disclosed at 80% (below Coinbase's 98%)

When does Bitpanda's 0.99% high-volume tier actually kick in?

The Pro tier discount applies above £1,000 of cumulative 30-day trading volume on the maker side. Below that, you pay the 1.49% Standard fee. For a UK retail buyer doing £100 monthly purchases, Bitpanda is closer to a 1.49% platform than a 0.99% platform. For an active trader cycling £5,000+ a month, the Pro tier becomes the de facto rate. The "0.99% maker" claim is real but conditional.

Who should pick a different UK crypto exchange?

Anyone trading only Bitcoin, Ethereum or Solana should pick IG (0% commission plus 0.07% exchange fee on those three). Large-volume traders moving £1,000+ per trade across the wider catalogue should pick Coinbase Advanced (0.40 / 0.60% vs Bitpanda's 0.99% maker). Anyone wanting the tightest BTC/GBP spread should pick Uphold (0.95%).

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Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 mins to learn more. This marketing communication does not constitute investment advice, a solicitation, or an offer to buy or sell any cryptoassets. In no way are performance or results guaranteed. You should keep yourself informed and understand the risks involved in buying and holding cryptoassets.

Uphold: 0.95% BTC/GBP spread, tightest of the five with monthly proof-of-reserves disclosure

Community Rating: 3.6 (35 ratings) Have Your Say →

Uphold (FCA FRN 938277) charges 1.20% trading fee and has the tightest BTC/GBP spread of the five at 0.95% across 50 market orders tested. The trade-off lives on the deposit side: 3.99% card deposit fee, joint-worst with Coinbase. The pro-rata cost picture flips depending on whether you fund by bank or card.

Uphold desktop crypto interface tested February 2026 with portfolio and multi-asset conversion
Uphold desktop tested February 2026: crypto, 27 fiat currencies, gold and US-listed stocks all convertible from a single balance.

Pros (lowest-fee lens)

  • 0.95% BTC/GBP spread (tightest of five)
  • 1.20% trading fee (second-lowest of five)
  • Monthly proof-of-reserves attestation (Merkle-tree verifiable)
  • Free GBP withdrawal in 18 hours

Trade-offs (lowest-fee lens)

  • 3.99% card deposit fee (joint-worst with Coinbase)
  • Multi-asset conversion spreads vary wildly (gold pairs especially)
  • 75% cold storage disclosed (lowest published of five)

Is Uphold's tightest BTC/GBP spread actually the best deal?

If you fund by bank transfer, yes. The 0.95% spread plus 1.20% trading fee gives ~2.15% all-in cost on a BTC market order, the second-best on this list behind Coinbase Advanced for trades up to ~£5,000. If you fund by debit card, the 3.99% card fee dominates: a £100 card-funded buy costs ~£6 in fees alone. Uphold's pricing is genuinely competitive only when you use bank transfers and trade BTC specifically. Other pairs (ETH, SOL) carry wider spreads (1.20% and 1.50% respectively).

Who should pick a different UK crypto exchange?

Anyone buying Bitcoin, Ethereum or Solana should pick IG, where those three now cost 0% commission plus a 0.07% exchange fee, below Uphold's spread plus trading fee. Card-deposit-only buyers should pick eToro (0.50% card fee). Active large-volume traders should pick Coinbase Advanced.

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Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong.

How did I actually test these UK crypto exchange fees?

I funded all five platforms with my own capital between 1 November 2025 and 30 April 2026: Coinbase, eToro, Bitpanda and Uphold at £500 each; IG via existing £300 account. I sampled 50 BTC/GBP market orders per exchange across London-session hours to capture the real trading fee plus spread combination, not just the headline rate.

A note on IG's May 2026 repricing

IG moved its Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana commission to 0% (a 0.07% external exchange fee remains, included in the price) on 25 May 2026, after my main test window closed. The 0.07% figure on this page is IG's published rate rather than one I have round-tripped across 50 orders myself. I will re-test BTC, ETH and SOL on IG and replace this with a first-hand cost on the next update.

What I almost got wrong during testing

I started this test ready to crown Coinbase Advanced the cheapest by a country mile because the 0.40% maker / 0.60% taker fees blow every competitor out of the water on the spec sheet. Then I priced the same £100 BTC buy on the Standard tier (which most retail clients use by default): 1.49% trading fee plus 0.50% spread plus 3.99% card deposit fee. Total cost ~6% on a £100 card-deposit buy. The Advanced fees only matter once you're moving meaningful size on bank transfers. For small one-off buys, Bitpanda's no-card-fee, free-withdrawal combo can come in cheaper than Coinbase Standard despite the higher trading fee. The headline number is rarely the all-in cost.

Download the full testing dataset

The data behind this page lives in the TIC dataset hub: see the UK Crypto Exchanges dataset for the full per-exchange fee breakdown, spreads, withdrawal timestamps and FCA cryptoasset registration data.

Are low-fee UK crypto exchanges legal and safe?

The fee question only matters once the safety baseline is met. All five exchanges on this list hold FCA cryptoasset registration. The catch: FCA registration is anti-money-laundering supervision only, not the FCA-authorised investment-firm regime.

FCA registration is not FSCS protection on your crypto

None of the five exchanges offer FSCS £85,000 cover on your crypto holdings. FCA registration means the firm passed KYC, source-of-funds and financial-crime checks. It does not mean the FCA has authorised them as investment firms or that your coins are protected if the exchange fails. Cash balances on some platforms may be FSCS-eligible because they sit with FCA-authorised banking partners; the crypto itself is not covered.

Coinbase account security guidance highlighting 2FA, hardware key support and withdrawal whitelisting
Coinbase account security guidance: 2FA, hardware key support and withdrawal whitelisting are the practical safety steps every exchange recommends but few users enable on first sign-up.

How is UK crypto actually taxed?

HMRC treats crypto as property, not currency. Capital Gains Tax applies on disposal.

CGT on every disposal above the £3,000 allowance

For 2025-26 the CGT rates are 18% basic and 24% higher (Autumn Budget 2024 alignment). The annual exempt amount is £3,000 (cut from £12,300 in 2022-23). Losses can be carried forward and offset against future CGT gains. Selling crypto for fiat, swapping one coin for another, gifting (other than to a spouse) and spending crypto all count as disposals.

Income Tax on staking and lending rewards

Rewards from staking, lending or as payment for goods are taxed as income at fair market value on the date received. National Insurance may also apply if HMRC treats the activity as a trade. Subsequent disposal of those coins triggers CGT on any gain between value-at-receipt and value-at-sale.

So which UK crypto exchange should you actually pick for lowest fees?

A note for first-time UK crypto buyers before the picks below. There is no single "lowest fee" exchange. The right one depends on your trade size, your deposit method and how often you withdraw.

IG for the lowest cost on Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana

0% commission and only a 0.07% exchange fee on the three most-traded coins, live from 25 May 2026. The cheapest way to buy BTC, ETH or SOL on this list. The catch: every other coin reverts to 1.49%, and IG holds the crypto in partner custody with no self-custody withdrawal.

Coinbase Advanced for active traders moving meaningful size

0.40% maker / 0.60% taker fees are unmatched across the wider catalogue. The catch: only worth it above £1,000 per trade and only when funding by bank transfer (3.99% card fee will eat the saving on small buys).

eToro for hands-off simplicity at small trade sizes

1.00% flat trading fee, no tier ladder, 0.50% card deposit fee. Hidden GBP-to-USD conversion adds ~50bps but the all-in cost stays competitive for small repeat buys.

FAQs

Which UK crypto exchange has the actually lowest fees?

IG for the three most-traded coins: 0% commission on Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana with just a 0.07% exchange fee from 25 May 2026, the lowest on this list. Coinbase Advanced is cheapest across the wider catalogue (0.40% maker / 0.60% taker). eToro wins on flat-fee simplicity (1.00%). Uphold has the tightest BTC/GBP spread (0.95%). The "lowest" depends on which coins you trade and your deposit method.

What's the cheapest way to deposit GBP to a UK crypto exchange?

Bank transfer on all five exchanges. Card deposits range from 0.50% (eToro) to 3.99% (Coinbase, Uphold) to 4.50% (MoonPay - not on this list). Always use bank transfer where possible.

Are crypto exchange profits taxed in the UK?

Yes. Disposals trigger Capital Gains Tax (18% basic, 24% higher rate for 2025-26, £3,000 annual allowance). Staking and lending rewards trigger Income Tax. Holding crypto is not a taxable event.

Is my crypto protected by FSCS if the exchange fails?

No. The FSCS £85,000 limit applies to FCA-authorised investment firms and covers cash and traditional investment products, not cryptoasset holdings. Cold storage percentage and proof-of-reserves disclosure are the only practical safety signals.

References