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Kraken vs Bitvavo

What each one charges, who licenses it, and how they rank against each other country by country.

Kraken logo
Kraken
4 licensed companies · kraken.com
73 Market Signal · ✓ Checked Oct 15, 2026
Bitvavo logo
Bitvavo
1 licensed company · bitvavo.com
Best ranking: #7 of 21 crypto exchanges in Germany
60 Market Signal · ✓ Checked Oct 14, 2026

The short version

We rank both for crypto in 8 countries, and Kraken comes out ahead in every one of them.

We score each country separately, based on the company that would actually hold your account there, so check your own country in the table below.

On the one fee we could check for both, Bitvavo is cheaper.

Both hold top-tier (tier-1) licences: Kraken from CBI, CSA and FCA, Bitvavo from AFM.

  • Bitvavo is cheaper for crypto trades (standard taker fee): 0.25%, compared with 0.8% at Kraken.Edge: Bitvavo
  • We list Kraken in 11 of the 14 countries we cover and Bitvavo in 8. They overlap in 8.Edge: Kraken
  • Kraken gets more search attention than Bitvavo (Market Signal 73 vs 60). That tells you how well known it is, not how good it is.

Where you can use each one

Where each one ranks on our list in every country we cover, its Coinish Score there, and the company that would hold your account. If a broker isn't allowed to take clients from a country, it isn't on that country's list.

Crypto exchanges

CountryKrakenBitvavo
Austria
#4 of 2176/100EU passport
Payward Europe Solutions Limited · CBI
#7 of 2170/100EU passport
Bitvavo B.V. · AFM
Croatia
#4 of 1976/100EU passport
Payward Europe Solutions Limited · CBI
#7 of 1970/100EU passport
Bitvavo B.V. · AFM
Cyprus
#4 of 1976/100EU passport
Payward Europe Solutions Limited · CBI
#7 of 1970/100EU passport
Bitvavo B.V. · AFM
Germany
#4 of 2176/100EU passport
Payward Europe Solutions Limited · CBI
#7 of 2170/100EU passport
Bitvavo B.V. · AFM
Italy
#4 of 1976/100EU passport
Payward Europe Solutions Limited · CBI
#7 of 1970/100EU passport
Bitvavo B.V. · AFM
Netherlands
#4 of 1976/100EU passport
Payward Europe Solutions Limited · CBI
#7 of 1970/100Locally licensed
Bitvavo B.V. · AFM
Portugal
#4 of 1976/100EU passport
Payward Europe Solutions Limited · CBI
#7 of 1970/100EU passport
Bitvavo B.V. · AFM
Spain
#4 of 1976/100EU passport
Payward Europe Solutions Limited · CBI
#7 of 1970/100EU passport
Bitvavo B.V. · AFM
Australia
#3 of 774/100Foreign licence
Bit Trade Pty Limited · AUSTRAC
Not listed
Canada
#3 of 676/100Locally licensed
Payward Canada Inc. · CSA
Not listed
United Kingdom
#2 of 576/100Locally licensed
Payward Ltd · FCA
Not listed

Fees and features side by side

KrakenBitvavo
ProductsCrypto, FuturesCrypto
OwnerPayward, Inc.Not verified yet
Crypto trading fee0.8%, base-tier taker fee on the order book0.25%, base-tier taker fee on the order book
Inactivity feeNoneNot verified yet
Withdrawal feeNot verified yetNone
Minimum deposit€1 (Payward Europe Solutions Limited)Not verified yet
InstrumentsNot verified yetNot verified yet
PlatformsKraken app, Kraken Pro, Kraken DesktopBitvavo app, Bitvavo Pro Mode
Deposit methodsDebit/credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, ACH transferSEPA bank transfer, Credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay
Withdrawal time (stated)most arrive within 24 hours1 business day to Dutch banks, 2 business days to other banks
Demo accountNot verified yetNot verified yet
Supportlive chat, email · 24/7live chat, email

Every figure comes from the broker's own pages or its regulator. You'll find the sources in each review (Kraken, Bitvavo).

Licences

Kraken

  • Payward Europe Solutions Limited: CBI (Tier 1)
  • Payward Canada Inc.: CSA (Tier 1)
  • Payward Ltd: FCA (Tier 1)
  • Bit Trade Pty Limited: AUSTRAC (Tier 2)

Bitvavo

  • Bitvavo B.V.: AFM (Tier 1)

Kraken vs Bitvavo: common questions

Which is better, Kraken or Bitvavo?

We rank both for crypto in 8 countries, and Kraken comes out ahead in every one of them. For reference, Kraken's best ranking is #2 of 5 crypto exchanges in the United Kingdom, and Bitvavo's best ranking is #7 of 21 crypto exchanges in Germany.

Is Kraken cheaper than Bitvavo?

Bitvavo is cheaper for crypto trades (standard taker fee): 0.25%, compared with 0.8% at Kraken.

Is Kraken or Bitvavo better regulated?

Both hold top-tier (tier-1) licences: Kraken from CBI, CSA and FCA, Bitvavo from AFM. Which company you actually sign up with depends on where you live; the country table on this page names it for each one.

Can I use both Kraken and Bitvavo where I live?

We list Kraken in 11 of the 14 countries we cover and Bitvavo in 8. They overlap in 8. For crypto, you'll find both on our lists in Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.

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