Maker vs Taker Fees: What the Difference Is and What Each Costs
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What is the difference between maker and taker fees? A maker adds an order to the order book and waits for someone to fill it, and pays the maker fee. A taker fills an order that is already on the book, immediately, and pays the taker fee. The maker rate is usually the lower one: on a $1,000 spot trade the gap across these five exchanges runs from $0.00 to $0.50.
In practice, a limit order that rests on the book is a maker order and a market order is a taker order. MEXC has the lowest spot fees at the base tier (0% maker, 0.05% taker), per the exchanges' own fee pages read 9 September 2026.
Maker vs Taker Fees on Five Exchanges
| Exchange | Spot maker | Spot taker | Futures maker | Futures taker | Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitget | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.02% | 0.06% | Sign-up guide |
| Gate.io | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.02% | 0.05% | Sign-up guide |
| MEXC | 0% | 0.05% | 0%–0.04% | 0%–0.10% | Sign-up guide |
| Bybit | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.02% | 0.055% | Sign-up guide |
| OKX | 0.08% | 0.1% | 0.02% | 0.05% | Sign-up guide |
Base-tier rates from each exchange's own fee page: spot and Bitget, Bybit and OKX futures read 9 September 2026; Gate.io and MEXC futures re-read 29 September 2026. Gate.io's futures cells are its USDT-margined perpetual rate and MEXC's are its overall range across contracts. Click an exchange for its fee page, or see spot fees and futures fees compared.
What Are Maker and Taker Fees?
A maker adds an order to the book and waits: the order provides liquidity. A taker accepts a price that is already on the book: the order takes liquidity. Exchanges charge the two sides differently because resting orders build the depth that keeps spreads tight, so they reward makers with a lower rate (MEXC charges no maker fee on spot at the base tier), while takers use that depth up.
Worked Example: a $1,000 Spot Trade on Each Exchange
| Exchange | Maker rate | Taker rate | Maker cost on $1,000 | Taker cost on $1,000 | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitget | 0.1% | 0.1% | $1.00 | $1.00 | None |
| Gate.io | 0.1% | 0.1% | $1.00 | $1.00 | None |
| MEXC | 0% | 0.05% | $0.00 | $0.50 | $0.50 |
| Bybit | 0.1% | 0.1% | $1.00 | $1.00 | None |
| OKX | 0.08% | 0.1% | $0.80 | $1.00 | $0.20 |
Cost = trade size × rate, computed from the base-tier spot rates read from each exchange's official fee page, 9 September 2026. Real accounts may pay less through VIP tiers or fee-token discounts; see the full spot fee comparison and VIP fee tiers.
MEXC and OKX charge less for a maker order than for a taker order, and Bitget, Gate.io and Bybit charge the same on both sides. MEXC has the widest gap, $0.50 on $1,000.
A position is usually two trades, a buy and a sell. Buying and selling $1,000 with both orders as makers or both as takers costs:
| Exchange | Both orders maker | Both orders taker | Saved by using maker orders |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitget | $2.00 | $2.00 | $0.00 |
| Gate.io | $2.00 | $2.00 | $0.00 |
| MEXC | $0.00 | $1.00 | $1.00 |
| Bybit | $2.00 | $2.00 | $0.00 |
| OKX | $1.60 | $2.00 | $0.40 |
Computed from the same base-tier spot rates, 9 September 2026; excludes the spread and any fee-token or VIP discount.
When Are You a Maker, and When a Taker?
- A limit order that rests on the book is a maker order. You set a price that the market has not reached yet, the order waits, and it pays the maker fee when it fills.
- A market order is a taker order. It says “fill now at the best available price”, so it always matches something already on the book.
- A limit order priced across the market is a taker order. MEXC's guide says a buy limit above the current market price, or a sell limit below it, may be treated as a taker order and pay the higher rate; limit orders in general are usually executed as makers. (Source: MEXC Help Center: how to use limit orders in spot trading, page dated 7 September 2026, read 30 September 2026.)
- A post-only option guarantees maker status. Where an order form offers one, a post-only order is a limit order that is cancelled or rejected instead of filling immediately, so it can never pay the taker fee. Check the exact name and behaviour on the exchange you use.
- One order can be both. If part of a limit order matches at once and the rest rests on the book, the matched part pays the taker fee and the resting part pays the maker fee.
How to Pay Maker Fees Instead of Taker Fees
- Choose Limit in the order form rather than Market.
- Set a price the market has not reached: a buy price below the current best sell price, or a sell price above the current best buy price.
- If the form has a post-only option, tick it, so the order is rejected rather than filled as a taker.
- Allow time for it to fill. A resting order fills when the market reaches your price, which is how it earns the lower fee. Limit vs market orders covers the trade-off.
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See limit vs market orders for when each order type makes sense, futures fees for the same two rates on derivatives, and the five-exchange comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are maker and taker fees?
Maker and taker fees are the two rates an exchange charges per trade. A maker adds a resting order to the order book and pays the maker fee when it fills; a taker fills immediately against an order already on the book and pays the taker fee. On a $1,000 spot trade at the base tier, Bitget charges $1.00 as a maker and $1.00 as a taker; Gate.io charges $1.00 as a maker and $1.00 as a taker; MEXC charges $0.00 as a maker and $0.50 as a taker; Bybit charges $1.00 as a maker and $1.00 as a taker; OKX charges $0.80 as a maker and $1.00 as a taker (base-tier rates read 9 September 2026).
Which is cheaper, maker or taker?
The maker fee is usually the lower one. At the base tier, MEXC and OKX charge less for a maker order than for a taker order, and Bitget, Gate.io and Bybit charge the same on both sides. MEXC has the widest gap, $0.50 on $1,000.
Can the same order be partly maker and partly taker?
Yes. If a limit order partially matches existing orders immediately and the remainder rests on the book, the matched portion pays the taker fee and the resting remainder pays the maker fee when it eventually fills.
Does a market order ever pay the maker fee?
No. Market orders always match immediately against the best available price, which by definition makes them taker orders.
How do I pay the maker fee instead of the taker fee?
Place a limit order at a price the market has not reached, so it rests on the book, or use a post-only option where the order form has one. A limit order priced across the market can still be treated as a taker order.
Do maker and taker fees apply to futures too?
Yes. Futures orders are charged a maker or taker rate on the position's notional value, and the rates are usually lower than on spot. At the base tier: Bitget 0.02% maker / 0.06% taker; Gate.io 0.02% maker / 0.05% taker; MEXC 0%–0.04% maker / 0%–0.10% taker; Bybit 0.02% maker / 0.055% taker; OKX 0.02% maker / 0.05% taker. See the futures fees page for a worked example.
Can I get lower maker and taker fees through your link?
Yes: we pass 20% of our referral commission back to you as lower trading fees. It is set in our affiliate accounts on all five exchanges, which do not list it on their own pages; check the rates shown in your account after signing up.