Spot vs Futures Trading Fees: What a Round Trip Costs
Published October 16, 2026 · 6 min read
Spot and futures charge different fees, and futures fees are charged on the full position, not on the money you put in. A round trip means opening and then closing, so you pay twice. Here are both side by side, using each exchange's own rates.
mexc-FeeLessTradThese are referral links: we may earn a commission from the exchange if you sign up through them, at no extra cost to you. Any fee discount or promotion for referred users is set by the exchange and can change. Trading crypto carries a high risk of loss; see our risk disclaimer.
Spot and futures fees: the rates
Base rates for regular accounts, read from each exchange's own pages on 30 Sep 2026. Futures figures are for the contract type noted and vary by account level.
| Exchange | Spot maker | Spot taker | Futures maker | Futures taker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEXC | 0%regular users | 0.05%regular users | 0% | 0.02% |
| Bitget | 0.1%base rate | 0.1%base rate | 0.02%USDT-M, varies by account level | 0.06%USDT-M, varies by account level |
Bybit, OKX, KCEX are not in the table because we could not confirm both spot and futures figures on their own pages. See the current fee schedule: Bybit, OKX, KCEX.
A round trip on a hypothetical $1,000.00 position
The amounts below are our arithmetic, not an exchange figure: the rate multiplied by a hypothetical $1,000.00 order, paid once to open and once to close. "Market" assumes taker rates both ways; "limit" assumes maker rates both ways. On futures the $1,000.00 is the position size; at 10x that would be $100.00 of your own margin.
| Exchange | Spot, market orders | Futures, market orders | Spot, limit orders | Futures, limit orders | Sign up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEXC | $1.00 | $0.40 | $0.00 | $0.00 | Sign up |
| Bitget | $2.00 | $1.20 | $2.00 | $0.40 | Sign up |
With market orders, a futures round trip is cheaper than a spot one on MEXC and Bitget at these base rates, per $1,000.00 of position.
Why the cheaper rate is not the whole story
- Futures fees apply to the position, not your margin. At 10x, a $1,000.00 position uses $100.00 of margin, so the fees are measured against a much smaller balance than on spot.
- Futures can have other costs. Perpetual contracts usually charge or pay a funding rate while a position is open. We do not quote funding rates here because they change constantly; check the exchange.
- Spot has no leverage or liquidation. A lower futures rate does not make futures cheaper for a beginner once losses are counted. See the futures trading guide and the leverage and risk management guide.
- Order type matters on both. The maker vs taker guide shows the gap on one side of a trade.
To run your own numbers, use the trading fee calculator, or see every exchange in the exchange fee comparison.
The sources behind the table
Each exchange's confirmed figures, with the date checked and a link to its own page:
MEXC
- Spot maker
- 0% (regular users)
- Spot taker
- 0.05% (regular users)
- Futures maker
- 0%
- Futures taker
- 0.02%
Fee figures per MEXC's own fee pages, checked 30 Sep 2026. Fees change; see the exchange's current fee schedule. MEXC fee schedule · Source: 1, 2
Bitget
- Spot maker
- 0.1% (base rate)
- Spot taker
- 0.1% (base rate)
- Futures maker
- 0.02% (USDT-M, varies by account level)
- Futures taker
- 0.06% (USDT-M, varies by account level)
Fee figures per Bitget's own fee pages, checked 30 Sep 2026. Fees change; see the exchange's current fee schedule. Bitget fee schedule · Source: 1, 2
Open an account and compare for yourself
Every button below is a referral link. Any fee discount for referred users is set by the exchange; check your account's fee page after you register.
MEXC
Spot and futures exchange with a wide range of listed tokens
Sign up on MEXCMEXC fees and sign-up guide
Bybit
Derivatives exchange with copy trading and trading bots
Sign up on BybitBybit fees and sign-up guide
These are referral links: we may earn a commission from the exchange if you sign up through them, at no extra cost to you. Any fee discount or promotion for referred users is set by the exchange and can change. Trading crypto carries a high risk of loss; see our risk disclaimer.
Fees change and depend on your tier, pair and any promotion. This page is education, not financial advice, and trading crypto, especially with leverage, carries a high risk of loss; see our risk disclaimer.