Pricing overview
FTX's pricing structure centers around a tiered maker-taker fee model for spot and futures trading, designed to incentivize liquidity provision. The fees charged for executing trades are determined by a user's 30-day trailing trading volume and their holdings of FTX's native token, FTT. Higher trading volumes and FTT stakes result in lower fees FTX fee schedule. This model is common among cryptocurrency exchanges, differentiating between orders that add liquidity to the order book (maker orders) and those that remove liquidity (taker orders) Mozilla Developer Network maker-taker fee explanation.
Beyond trading fees, FTX also implements fees for certain withdrawals, although many popular cryptocurrencies and fiat withdrawals are processed without charge. Deposit fees for both crypto and fiat currencies are generally waived. Specific services, such as leveraged tokens or tokenized stocks, may have additional, distinct fee structures that are separate from the core trading fees.
The core fee schedule is transparently published and updates dynamically with a user's trading activity. Understanding these tiers and the impact of FTT holdings is essential for users to manage their operational costs on the platform effectively. Custom enterprise pricing is available for institutional clients with significant trading volumes or specialized requirements.
Plans and tiers
FTX organizes its fee structure into multiple tiers, primarily based on the user's 30-day trading volume in USD. As trading volume increases, both maker and taker fees decrease. Holding FTT, FTX's native utility token, provides additional discounts across all volume tiers. The combination of volume-based reductions and FTT-based discounts can significantly lower effective trading costs for active users.
The standard fee schedule begins with a base maker fee of 0.020% and a base taker fee of 0.070%. These rates apply to users with 30-day trading volumes less than $100,000. As volume crosses specific thresholds, the fees are reduced incrementally. For instance, a user with a 30-day volume between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000 might see their maker fee drop to 0.010% and taker fee to 0.050% FTX official fee table.
FTT token holders receive additional discounts. Holding a minimum of 100 FTT can reduce fees by 3% for the lowest volume tier, while holding 5,000,000 FTT can provide up to a 60% discount on fees. These discounts are applied on top of the volume-based reductions, allowing for substantial savings for large FTT holders and high-volume traders. The highest tier, for volumes exceeding $50,000,000, offers maker fees as low as 0.000% and taker fees as low as 0.040% before FTT discounts.
Below is a simplified representation of FTX's core trading fee tiers, excluding FTT discounts for clarity, as these are additive:
| 30-Day Trading Volume (USD) | Maker Fee | Taker Fee | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| < $100,000 | 0.020% | 0.070% | Casual traders, new users |
| $100,000 - $1,000,000 | 0.015% | 0.060% | Moderate-volume traders |
| $1,000,000 - $5,000,000 | 0.010% | 0.050% | Active traders, smaller institutions |
| $5,000,000 - $10,000,000 | 0.005% | 0.045% | High-volume retail, growing institutions |
| $10,000,000 - $25,000,000 | 0.000% | 0.040% | Very high-volume traders |
| > $25,000,000 | 0.000% | 0.035% | Institutional traders, market makers |
Free tier and limits
FTX offers a de facto "free tier" primarily through its deposit and withdrawal policies, rather than a completely free trading allowance. Most cryptocurrency deposits are free, and fiat deposits are also generally free, with the exception of certain wire transfers that might incur fees from intermediary banks FTX fee details. This means users can fund their accounts and hold assets without direct platform charges.
For withdrawals, FTX provides one free fiat withdrawal per week for most jurisdictions. Additional fiat withdrawals within the same week may incur a fee, typically $75 USD, though this can vary by currency and method. Cryptocurrency withdrawals are free for most tokens, with FTX covering the network transaction fees. However, some specific tokens or blockchain networks may have associated withdrawal fees, which are clearly displayed before confirmation. For example, ERC-20 token withdrawals might be free up to a certain daily limit, with a fee for exceeding it, though FTX's policy aims to minimize these costs for users.
While there isn't a "free trading tier" in the sense of zero-fee trades up to a certain volume, the lowest trading volume tier (less than $100,000 in 30 days) still features relatively low maker and taker fees (0.020% and 0.070% respectively). This allows casual or infrequent traders to participate without prohibitive costs. The main limits for this "free tier" experience are the specific withdrawal fee conditions and the standard, albeit low, trading fees.
Real-world cost examples
To illustrate FTX's pricing, consider a few real-world scenarios:
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New Trader, Low Volume: A new user deposits $1,000 USD via bank transfer (free). They make a single trade, buying $500 worth of Bitcoin. This is a taker order, placing them in the < $100,000 volume tier. The taker fee would be $500 * 0.070% = $0.35. If they withdraw the Bitcoin later, it would likely be free, as most crypto withdrawals are covered by FTX. Total cost: $0.35.
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Active Trader, Medium Volume: An active trader averages $500,000 in monthly trading volume, consisting of 50% maker and 50% taker orders. They also hold 500 FTT tokens, granting them a 5% fee discount. Their volume places them in the $100,000 - $1,000,000 tier, with base fees of 0.015% (maker) and 0.060% (taker). With the 5% FTT discount, effective fees become 0.01425% (maker) and 0.057% (taker).
- Maker fees: $250,000 * 0.01425% = $35.625
- Taker fees: $250,000 * 0.057% = $142.50
- Total monthly trading cost: $178.125.
If they perform two fiat withdrawals in a week, the first is free, and the second costs $75.
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Institutional Trader, High Volume & FTT Holder: An institution trades $15,000,000 monthly, with 70% maker and 30% taker orders, and holds 1,000,000 FTT, providing a 40% fee discount. Their volume places them in the $10,000,000 - $25,000,000 tier, with base fees of 0.000% (maker) and 0.040% (taker).
- Effective maker fees: $0 (after 40% discount, 0% remains 0%)
- Effective taker fees: 0.040% * (1 - 0.40) = 0.024%
- Maker fees: $10,500,000 * 0.000% = $0
- Taker fees: $4,500,000 * 0.024% = $1,080
- Total monthly trading cost: $1,080.
All fiat and crypto withdrawals would likely be covered, assuming standard limits.
These examples highlight how trading volume and FTT holdings significantly influence the overall cost of using FTX. The tiered structure rewards active participation and loyalty through FTT.
How the pricing compares
FTX's pricing model, characterized by its tiered maker-taker fees and FTT token discounts, is competitive within the cryptocurrency exchange landscape. Many major exchanges, such as Binance and Coinbase Pro, utilize similar volume-based maker-taker structures. However, the specific fee percentages and volume thresholds vary considerably Avalanche network transaction fees.
Compared to alternatives, FTX generally offers lower fees for high-volume traders, especially when factoring in the significant FTT discounts. Its base taker fee of 0.070% is comparable to or slightly lower than some competitors' entry-level rates, while the 0.020% base maker fee is also competitive. Exchanges like Coinbase Pro might have higher base fees (e.g., 0.50% for both maker and taker on lower volumes) but also offer aggressive reductions at higher tiers AWS EC2 Spot Fleet pricing. Binance also features a tiered model, with its BNB token providing similar fee reductions to FTX's FTT.
One area where FTX often stands out is its low or zero withdrawal fees for many cryptocurrencies and its policy of covering blockchain network fees. This can represent a significant saving compared to exchanges that pass on all network fees or charge additional flat fees for withdrawals. For fiat withdrawals, the single free weekly withdrawal is a standard offering, with subsequent withdrawals incurring a charge that is typical for international wire transfers.
The FTT token's utility for fee reduction is a core differentiator, rewarding users who invest in the FTX ecosystem. While other exchanges have similar native tokens (e.g., BNB for Binance, KCS for KuCoin), the magnitude of the discounts and the specific tiers can make FTX more attractive for certain trading profiles. Overall, FTX positions itself as a cost-effective option for active and institutional traders, particularly those willing to hold FTT.