On a $1,000 bitcoin buy, the cheapest published fee on a CSA-registered Canadian platform is NDAX at a flat 0.20%, or $2.00, followed by Kraken Pro at $4 to $8. Simple-buy apps cost more: Wealthsimple Crypto charges 0.5% plus a spread, Newton 1.00% to 1.15% on BTC, and Coinbase's fee on a simple buy can reach 1.875%. Spreads and funding costs change the ranking, so the table below shows both.
- Lowest published fee, registered: NDAX, 0.20% flat, $2.00 on $1,000
- Lowest with maker orders: Kraken Pro, 0.40% maker, $4.00 on $1,000
- Cheapest for beginners with no spread surprises: Wealthsimple Active Trader tiers, with a 0% spread, from 0.5% down to 0%
"Cheapest" depends on how you buy. A limit order, a market order and a one-tap simple buy are three different prices on the same platform. I took every figure below from the exchanges' own fee pages or official APIs, checked on October 1 and 2, 2026, and where a spread is not published I say so instead of guessing. That is why some rows have no total. If a row shows a range, the low end applies to patient limit orders and the high end to market orders.
What Does It Cost To Buy $1,000 Of Bitcoin In Canada?
| Platform | Published Fee Or Spread | Cost On $1,000 | What Is Not In The Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coinbase (rank 1) | Simple buy: Coinbase fee up to 1.875% by payment method; 1% on simple limit orders | Up to $18.75, or $10 on a simple limit order | A spread shown in the order preview; Advanced rates unconfirmed for Canada |
| Kraken Pro (rank 3) | 0.40% maker, 0.80% taker at the entry tier | $4.00 to $8.00 | A spread; higher tiers pay less |
| Kraken Instant Buy | 1% fee | $10.00 | A spread |
| Wealthsimple Crypto (rank 4) | 0.5% flat plus a spread on market orders; its own example is 0.50% plus 1.00% spread | $5.00 plus spread, $15.00 in its example | CAD 1 surcharge only under CAD 100 |
| Wealthsimple Active Trader | 0.5% under CAD 10,000 of 30-day volume, spread 0% | $5.00 | Tiers fall to 0% only at very high volume |
| Newton (rank 6) | 1.00% to 1.15% spread on BTC, ETH, USDC | $10.00 to $11.50 | Signature status can lower this with volume |
| NDAX (rank 8) | Flat 0.20% on every buy and sell | $2.00 | I found no published spread figure |
| Bull Bitcoin (rank 5) | No processing fee; displayed spread about 2.0% from mid-price on my October 1 quote | About $20.00 | Derived from a live quote, not a published rate |
| Bitcoin Well (rank 7) | 1.5% spread to buy by Interac e-Transfer for verified accounts; Lite Accounts 4.0% | $15.00, or $40.00 on Lite | Not applicable to ATM or OTC |
| Shakepay (extra) | Spread of 0.5% to 2.0% over benchmark, up to 1.5% more in adverse conditions | $5.00 to $20.00 | The adverse-conditions add-on |
| Netcoins | No separate fee; the price includes a spread that is not published | Not published | Everything |
| Crypto.com (extra) | Canadian app fee schedule not retrievable; marketing says as low as 0.08% maker and 0.18% taker | Not verified | Everything else |
The ranking numbers are from my overall ranking, where fees are 21% of the weight and safety is 41%. A cheap fee on a platform I would not trust with my money is not a bargain. All the platforms in the table are registered with the CSA or FINTRAC, and I mark the difference below.
Which Platforms Cost The Least Over A Full Round Trip?
A round trip is a buy followed by a sell of the same value. Spread-only platforms charge you twice, and the sell side is often wider than the buy side.
| Platform | Buy Side | Sell Side | Round Trip Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| NDAX | 0.20% | 0.20% | 0.40%, or $4.00 |
| Kraken Pro | 0.40% to 0.80% | 0.40% to 0.80% | 0.80% to 1.60%, or $8 to $16 |
| Newton | 1.00% to 1.15% spread (BTC) | Same band, not separately published | About 2.0% to 2.3% if symmetric |
| Bitcoin Well | 1.5% spread | 2.0% spread | 3.5%, or $35.00 |
| Bull Bitcoin | About 2.0% from mid | About 2.0% from mid | About 4.0%, or $40.00 |
| Shakepay | 0.5% to 2.0% spread | 0.5% to 2.0% spread | 1.0% to 4.0% |
Newton's sell-side spread is not published separately, so its round trip is my assumption of symmetry, labelled as such. Bull Bitcoin's figure is derived from the gap between its quoted buy and sell price on October 1, so it can differ on another day.
What Do The Headline Fees Look Like Side By Side?
Headline fee only, without unpublished spreads. A bar is scaled to 2%.
Do Offshore Exchanges Charge Less, And Should You Use Them?
Several offshore exchanges publish lower spot fees, and I list them so you can see why the numbers tempt people. They carry a label for a reason.
| Exchange | Published Spot Fee | Status For Canadians |
|---|---|---|
| MEXC | 0% maker, 0.05% taker | Offshore Canada named as a prohibited jurisdiction in its terms |
| BloFin | 0.1% spot | Offshore Canada named as prohibited in its terms |
| Bitunix | 0.08% maker, 0.10% taker | Offshore Prohibits Canada including Alberta in its own notice |
| BTCC | 0.3% taker, 0.2% maker | Offshore Not on the CSA list; its academy says Ontario and Quebec are restricted |
A lower fee is not worth an account that can be closed because of where you live, with no Canadian investor protection and, on several of them, no CAD funding I could verify. If you want to see my reasoning on each, read the ranking page. I do not recommend any of these for a Canadian first buy.
How Do Funding And Withdrawal Costs Change The Picture?
The trading fee is only part of the cost. Funding and withdrawals add to it, and on small buys they dominate.
| Platform | Interac Deposit | CAD Withdrawal | Other Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coinbase | Free | Interac and EFT cash-out supported; fee not published | Network fee on sends; Lightning sends 0.2% |
| Kraken | Free | CA$10 for Interac e-Transfer | Debit card deposit CA$0.25 plus 3.75%; BTC withdrawal 0.000015 BTC |
| Wealthsimple | Free | Not retrieved | CAD 1 surcharge under CAD 100 |
| Newton | Free | Not retrieved | EFT withdrawal limit CAD 50,000 per transaction |
| NDAX | Free | Not retrieved | Crypto deposits free |
| Bitcoin Well | No separate fee, spread applies | No withdrawal fees on the online portal | ATM fees shown before you confirm |
| Shakepay | Free, min $5, max $10,000 | Not retrieved | ERC-20 auto-swap 1.5% on BTC, 2% on others |
A $10 e-Transfer withdrawal on Kraken is 1% of a $1,000 withdrawal and 10% of a $100 one. If you plan to cash out small amounts often, that matters more than the trading fee. For the steps on selling, see how to sell Bitcoin in Canada.
How Do You Pay Less On Your Next Buy?
- Use a limit order. Maker pricing is cheaper than taker pricing on Kraken Pro (0.40% versus 0.80%), and a simple limit order on Coinbase carries a 1% fee against up to 1.875% on a simple buy.
- Fund by Interac e-Transfer. It is free on every platform in the table. A card is not: Kraken charges 3.75% plus CA$0.25 for a debit card.
- Buy less often, in larger amounts. Flat fees such as a CA$10 withdrawal or CA$1 surcharge weigh most on small orders.
- Check the live spread before you click. Many apps show a price that already includes the spread. Compare it with a second platform at the same moment.
- Look at volume tiers. Wealthsimple Active Trader and Kraken Pro both cut their rates as your 30-day volume grows.
I do not tell you to switch platforms for a few dollars. A good rule is to pick a registered platform you trust and then lower the cost with order type and funding method. If you are unsure which suits you, try my exchange quiz, and read the full Kraken review and NDAX review, which are the two cheapest registered options in the table.
What Changed In Canadian Crypto Fees In October 2026?
- Kraken republished its fee schedule, which still lists 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker for Pro spot at the entry tier.
- Wealthsimple updated its crypto fee schedule: 0.5% flat plus spread, Active Trader tiers down to 0%, and a CAD 1 surcharge under CAD 100.
- Coinbase announced lower Advanced spot fees; Canada was not named, so I show no Canadian Advanced rate.
- Newton became a CIRO investment dealer, with spreads from 1.00% on BTC.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Cheapest Crypto Exchange In Canada?
On published trading fees among CSA-registered platforms, NDAX at a flat 0.20% is the lowest I found, followed by Kraken Pro at 0.40% maker. Spread-based platforms may cost more or less depending on the quote.
Which Canadian Exchange Has The Lowest Fees For Bitcoin?
For a $1,000 buy, NDAX costs $2.00 in fees, Kraken Pro $4 to $8, Wealthsimple $5 plus spread, Newton $10 to $11.50 and Bitcoin Well about $15 through its online portal.
Does Coinbase Charge High Fees In Canada?
Its simple buy can include a Coinbase fee of up to 1.875% plus a spread, depending on payment method. Simple limit orders carry a 1% fee, and I could not confirm Canadian Advanced rates.
Are Spreads Included In The Fee?
Not always. NDAX, Kraken and Wealthsimple publish a fee and may add a spread. Newton, Bitcoin Well, Bull Bitcoin and Shakepay charge through the spread. Netcoins publishes none, so I cannot compare it.
Are Offshore Exchanges Cheaper For Canadians?
Their published spot fees are lower, but MEXC, BloFin and Bitunix name Canada as a prohibited jurisdiction, and none offers Canadian investor protection. I do not recommend them for a first buy.
Does The Payment Method Change The Fee?
Yes. Interac e-Transfer is free to deposit on the platforms I checked, while a debit card on Kraken costs 3.75% plus CA$0.25.
How Do I Calculate The Cost Of A Crypto Buy?
Multiply your buy amount by the fee percentage, add the spread if it is published, then add funding and withdrawal costs. For a round trip, double the buy and sell sides.