Maker vs taker fees explained without jargon

23 September 2026

Maker fees and taker fees are the two basic costs you pay when you place a trade on most crypto exchanges. The short answer: makers add liquidity to the order book and get lower fees; takers remove liquidity and pay higher fees. Here is how that actually works in practice.

What a maker does

A maker places a limit order that does not fill immediately. You set a price you want to buy or sell at, and the order sits on the exchange's order book until someone else agrees to trade at that price. Because your order adds to the pool of available trades - the liquidity - the exchange rewards you with a lower fee.

Example: You want to buy Bitcoin at $50,000 when the current market price is $50,200. Your limit order goes into the book. You are making liquidity available to other traders. You pay the maker fee.

What a taker does

A taker places an order that fills immediately against existing orders on the book. This is what happens when you use a market order or a limit order that crosses the spread (for example, a buy limit set above the current ask price). You take liquidity away from the book, so the exchange charges you a higher fee.

Example: You want to buy Bitcoin right now at the best available price. Your market order matches against someone else's sell limit order. You take that liquidity. You pay the taker fee.

How Fees Differ

Maker fees are almost always lower than taker fees. The difference varies by exchange. On many major exchanges, the gap is around 0.10% for taker fees versus 0.08% for maker fees at the base level, but those numbers change with volume tiers and token holdings. Check the exchange's fee schedule for current figures.

Some exchanges charge zero maker fees to attract liquidity providers. A few even pay makers a small rebate. Taker fees rarely go to zero.

When you might not get a choice

Many traders assume that using a limit order always gets you the maker fee. That is not correct. A limit order becomes a taker order if it fills immediately because it crosses the spread. For example:

1. You place a buy limit order at $50,200.
2. The current lowest ask is $50,200 or lower.
3. Your order fills instantly.
4. You pay the taker fee.

To reliably get the maker fee, your limit order must be placed away from the current market price and wait for someone else to fill it.

Volume tiers and fee discounts

Exchanges reduce fees as your 30-day trading volume increases. The structure works in tiers. At low volumes you pay the base rate. As you trade more, both maker and taker fees drop. Some exchanges also offer fee discounts if you hold their native token.

These discounts apply to both maker and taker fees. A high-volume trader might pay a fraction of the base rate. The exact thresholds and discount percentages are published on each exchange's fee page.

How this compares to other fee types

Maker-taker fees are only part of what you pay. Withdrawal fees, deposit fees, and network gas fees are separate costs. On decentralized exchanges, the maker-taker model does not exist in the same way. DEX fees are typically a flat percentage of the trade value, plus gas costs. The CEX versus DEX comparison page covers that trade-off.

A practical way to think about it

If you trade frequently and can place limit orders that do not fill instantly, you will save money over time by consistently getting maker fees. If you need fast execution and use market orders, you will pay taker fees. The choice is between speed and cost.

For small trades, the fee difference may be negligible. For large or frequent trades, the gap adds up. Check the specific fee schedule of your exchange before trading, because the numbers change and promotions come and go.

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