Methodology

How we compare exchanges

Where our numbers come from, what we estimate, and how often we check.

Sources

We start with each platform's official fee schedule, help-center articles and state-availability pages. When a platform doesn't publish a figure, such as the spread built into its simple-buy price, we use estimates from independent reviews and mark the result as an Estimate. When we can't find a reasonable estimate, we show Not published and leave the platform out of cost rankings rather than guess.

How the cost estimate works

For each platform and payment method we record:

• Trading fee: a flat fee, a percentage, or a table of either by order size.
• Spread: the markup over the market price, as a percentage.

Estimated cost = trading fee + (purchase amount × spread). The amount of crypto you receive is (purchase amount − estimated cost) ÷ market price. "Advanced" uses the platform's lowest-tier taker fee for a market order on its order-book trading screen.

What we don't include

Withdrawal and blockchain network fees, wire fees, the cost of selling later, promotions, and price movement between your quote and your order. Your actual cost will appear on the platform's preview screen before you confirm, and that is the number that counts.

State availability

We record the states each platform says it doesn't serve, plus partial restrictions such as staking limits. Platforms update these lists, so check the platform's own page if you're in a state with restrictions.

How often we check

We review fee and availability data at least monthly and show the date each platform was last checked. If you see something out of date, please let us know.

Prices

Coin prices, market caps and history come from CoinGecko, refreshed every few minutes. They are market averages across many exchanges, not the price any one platform will charge you.

Independence

Affiliate commissions don't affect any of the above. See our disclosure.