Crypto exchanges

6 Best CEX.IO Alternatives in 2026

We compared six CEX.IO alternatives on fees, US availability, licenses and coin choice, and noted where each one falls short of CEX.IO.

6 alternatives · 5 criteria

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Comparing against
CEX.IO
Crypto exchange with instant buy and spot trading, serving US residents through CEX.IO Corp. in licensed states.
US availability
Licensed states only; New York restricted
Trading fees
0.25% (30-day volume up to $10,000)
Simple buy fee
Not verified
Debit card purchase
0.49% to 4.99% + service charge
Coins available (US)
83 for instant buy, sell and convert
Staking (US)
Not verified

CEX.IO serves US residents only through CEX.IO Corp. in states where it is licensed, and its Terms name New York as a restricted location. Below are six CEX.IO alternatives for US customers, compared on state coverage, spot fees, card costs and coin choice.

Key takeaways

  1. 01Coinbase — best for all 50 states: serves all 50 states, with a New York BitLicense and published order-book fees.
  2. 02Binance.US — best for low fees: 0% maker / 0.02% taker, but not in 12 states.
  3. 03Kraken — best for active traders: Kraken Pro order book at 0.40% maker, plus a Wyoming bank charter.
  4. 04Gemini — best for NY trust custody: all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico, under a New York trust charter.
  5. Switching? Send a small test withdrawal first, and use the same network on both sides.

What is CEX.IO?

CEX.IO is a crypto exchange with instant buy, spot trading and staking. In the US it operates through CEX.IO Corp., a FinCEN-registered MSB (NMLS 1804170). Spot fees start at 0.25% for 30-day volume up to $10,000, and 83 assets are listed for US instant buy. See the full CEX.IO profile →

How we picked these alternatives

  1. 01US availability — whether the exchange serves US residents and which states it excludes, from its own terms or supported-states page.
  2. 02Order-book fees — maker and taker fees at the lowest volume tier, from the published fee schedule.
  3. 03Simple-buy cost — the fee or spread on the one-click buy screen, where the exchange publishes it.
  4. 04Licenses — US registrations the exchange lists: FinCEN MSB, state money transmitter licenses, a BitLicense or charter.
  5. 05Coins and staking — tradable coins for US customers and where staking is offered.

Why look for a CEX.IO alternative?

State limits

CEX.IO serves the US only in licensed states, and its Terms name New York as a restricted location.

Card costs

Card purchases cost 0.49% to 4.99% plus a service charge.

Coin choice

83 assets are listed for US instant buy, sell and convert; Robinhood lists 140+ and Binance.US 200+.

CEX.IO alternatives compared

Select a name to jump to its review.
NameBest forUS availabilityTrading feesSimple buy feeStaking (US)
CEX.IO ORIGINALBaselineLicensed states only; New York restricted0.25% (30-day volume up to $10,000)Not verifiedNot verified
CoinbaseCoverage in every stateAll 50 states0.40% maker / 0.60% takerNot verifiedNot verified
Binance.USLowest fees, where availableNot in AK, CT, GA, ME, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, TX, VT, WA0% maker / 0.02% takerSpread shown before purchaseYes, 25+ assets
KrakenPro trading outside NY, MEAll states except NY and ME0.40% maker / 0.80% taker1% + spreadNot verified
GeminiCustody and stakingAll 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico0.60% maker / 1.20% takerVaries, shown before you confirmYes
Robinhood CryptoStocks and crypto in one appMost states; some coins limited in NY and TXNo commission (spread); 0.50% / 0.95% on Exchange RoutingNo commission, spread in priceYes, 25% commission on rewards
Crypto.comMobile app outside NYAll states except NYNot verifiedVaries, shown in trade previewYes, except NY, CA, MD, NJ, WI

US availability: States the exchange does not serve, from its own page. Trading fees: Lowest-volume tier on the advanced order book: maker / taker. Simple buy fee: Fee or spread on the one-click buy screen. “Not verified” means we have not yet checked the value against the project’s own documentation.

The 6 best CEX.IO alternatives

#1

Coinbase

Best for all 50 states

A US exchange with a simple buy screen and the Coinbase Advanced order book, serving all 50 states. Its entry-tier fees are 0.40% maker / 0.60% taker, and the simple-buy spread is not published.

vs CEX.IO
  • State coverage: Better
  • New York: Better
  • Spot fees: Worse
  • Available in all 50 states
  • NY BitLicense (NMLS 1163082)
#2

Binance.US

Best for low fees

A US exchange run by BAM Trading Services, separately from Binance.com, with 200+ assets and the lowest order-book fees here. It is not available in 12 states, including New York and Texas, and charges 3.99% on card buys.

vs CEX.IO
  • Spot fees: Better
  • Coin choice: Better
  • New York: Equal
  • 0% maker / 0.02% taker
  • Free ACH deposits and withdrawals
#3

Kraken

Best for active traders

A US-available exchange with an instant-buy app and the Kraken Pro order book (0.40% maker / 0.80% taker). It is not available in New York or Maine, and instant buys cost 1% plus a spread.

vs CEX.IO
  • New York: Equal
  • Spot fees: Worse
  • 0.40% maker / 0.80% taker on Kraken Pro
  • Wyoming-chartered bank (SPDI) affiliate
#4

Gemini

Best for NY trust custody

A US exchange and custodian supervised by NYDFS as a New York trust company, serving all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico. Its entry-tier ActiveTrader fees are the highest here: 0.60% maker / 1.20% taker.

vs CEX.IO
  • State coverage: Better
  • New York: Better
  • Spot fees: Worse
  • All 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico
  • Custody and staking
#5

Robinhood Crypto

Best for casual buyers

Crypto inside the Robinhood brokerage app. Default orders carry no commission, with the cost in the price, and 140+ coins are tradable. The spread on default routing is not published, and it keeps 25% of staking rewards.

vs CEX.IO
  • Commission: Better
  • Coin choice: Better
  • New York: Better
  • No commission on default routing
  • NY BitLicense
#6

Crypto.com

Best for staking in an app

A US app for buying, holding and staking crypto, available in every state except New York. It lists CFTC exchange and clearing licenses; app fees are shown in the trade preview, not published as a fixed rate.

vs CEX.IO
  • New York: Equal
  • Fee transparency: Worse
  • Available in all states except NY
  • CFTC exchange and clearing licenses

Which CEX.IO alternative should you choose?

For all 50 states and New York: Coinbase or Gemini. For lower fees and more coins where available: Binance.US.

Bottom line

CEX.IO works for US residents only in states where it is licensed, and not in New York. If you are in New York, Coinbase, Gemini and Robinhood are the options here. If the 0.25% entry fee is the issue, Binance.US charges 0% / 0.02% where it operates, while Coinbase and Kraken cost more per trade.

Educational content, not financial advice. Crypto assets are volatile; do your own research.

How to move from CEX.IO safely

  1. List the coins you hold on CEX.IO and check the new exchange supports each coin and network.
  2. Open and verify the US account first; confirm your state is covered before you move anything.
  3. Withdraw a small test amount to the new deposit address, on the same network, and confirm it arrives.
  4. Move the rest, then download your full transaction history from CEX.IO for US tax records.
  5. Consider moving long-term holdings to a self-custody wallet instead of another exchange.

Sources

  1. CEX.IO: Terms of Use
  2. CEX.IO: Limits and Commissions
  3. CEX.IO: Supported currencies for U.S. customers
  4. CEX.IO: Licenses and Registrations in the US
  5. Coinbase: Advanced trade fees
  6. Coinbase: Licenses
  7. Binance.US: supported states
  8. Binance.US: fees
  9. Kraken: where is Kraken licensed
  10. Kraken: fee schedule
  11. Gemini: areas of availability
  12. Gemini: ActiveTrader fee schedule
  13. Robinhood Crypto: fee schedule
  14. Robinhood: coin availability
  15. Crypto.com: US states where the app is available
  16. Crypto.com: US licenses

CEX.IO alternatives: FAQ

Is CEX.IO available in all US states?

No. CEX.IO Corp. serves US residents only in states where it is licensed, and CEX.IO’s Terms name New York as a restricted location.

What is the best CEX.IO alternative in New York?

Coinbase or Gemini, which serve all 50 states, or Robinhood, which holds a New York BitLicense.

Which alternative has lower fees than CEX.IO?

Binance.US charges 0% maker / 0.02% taker, versus CEX.IO’s 0.25% entry fee. Coinbase Advanced (0.40% / 0.60%) and Kraken Pro (0.40% / 0.80%) cost more.

Which alternative lists more coins?

Binance.US lists 200+ assets and Robinhood 140+, versus 83 on CEX.IO for US instant buy.

What changed in this list

2026-09-26First version: six US alternatives, facts checked Sep 26, 2026.

How this page works

Sources: CEX.IO: Terms of Use, CEX.IO: Limits and Commissions, CEX.IO: Supported currencies for U.S. customers. Data as of Sep 26, 2026.

How we review

Not affiliated with any project listed. Educational content, not financial advice.