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Source-backed analysis13

Review basis

Research-based review: the AppDuo Editorial Team compiled it from official pages, documentation, app stores, press and user feedback, without hands-on testing. Every claim links to a source with the date it was checked.

13 reference sources

Information updated Nov 10, 2026

How we review
Kraken logo

Kraken Review

Long-running crypto exchange adding stocks and futures; 3.1/5 on Trustpilot

Editorial Team6.9/10Write the first review

By Official AppDuo editorial team · Updated

  • Web
  • iOS
  • Android
  • API
Freemium · $4.99/mo
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Decide at a glance

Our verdict

Kraken suits people who want an established exchange with a broad pair list, a transparent Pro fee schedule and Proof of Reserves; its app rates 4.7/5 on the App Store and 4.3/5 on Google Play. The trade-offs are a 1% fee on simple trades and 3.1/5 on Trustpilot, with recurring complaints about held funds and slow support.

Best for: Traders comfortable with centralized exchanges who want Kraken Pro's volume-tiered maker/taker fees

Skip it if: Small buyers watching fees, since the simple interface charges 1% per trade unless you pay for Kraken+

Pros

  • Published Pro schedule from 0.40% maker/0.80% taker down to 0.00%/0.05% at the top tier
  • 600+ crypto pairs, margin up to 20x, perpetual futures and options per the homepage
  • Proof of Reserves, ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification and a SOC 2 Type 1 examination per its security page

Cons

  • 1% on instant trades and 1.5% on custom orders, before spreads
  • Trustpilot 3.1/5 (9,523 reviews); complaints centre on held funds, account restrictions and slow support
All pros and cons · Who is it for?

Pros

  • Kraken+ ($4.99 a month) waives trading fees on up to $10,000 a month in the simple app

Cons

  • KYC is mandatory and many products are region-limited: Kraken Equities is US-only, and in the US crypto trading in the app excludes WA, NY and ME

Best for

  • People who want crypto, staking and derivatives from a long-established provider

Skip it if

  • Users in restricted regions, since many products are unavailable in the US or specific countries

Problems it solves

Experience & key features

What Kraken is

Kraken is the crypto exchange run by Payward, Inc., headquartered in San Francisco. Per Wikipedia it was founded in July 2011 and launched publicly in September 2013. Its homepage advertises 600+ crypto pairs, margin up to 20x, perpetual futures, options, staking and Kraken Wallet, plus a claim of $2T+ in total transaction volume (a company figure).

Stocks, xStocks and expansion

Per the Google Play listing, the Kraken app offers 11,000+ US stocks and ETFs, but the homepage says Kraken Equities is US-only. Elsewhere Kraken offers xStocks, tokenized equities; buying them with USDG or USD carries no trading fee, while other assets incur the standard 1%. Per Wikipedia, the company agreed to buy NinjaTrader for $1.5B (May 2025), launched tokenized equities for non-US customers (June 2025), acquired Small Exchange (October 2025) and agreed to buy Bitnomial for $550M in 2026.

Fees and value

Fees depend on the interface. The simple app charges 1% on instant and recurring trades and 1.5% on custom orders; Kraken Pro starts at 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker and falls with 30-day volume. Kraken+ ($4.99 a month or $49.99 a year) waives trading fees on up to $10,000 a month of Buy, Sell and Convert orders in the app and on the web, but not on Kraken Pro; spreads and card fees still apply. Flexible staking and Auto Earn on assets with an on-chain unbonding period carry a 30% commission on rewards.

More analysis

Trust and user feedback

The security page cites periodic externally audited Proof of Reserves, ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification and a SOC 2 Type 1 examination. Per Wikipedia, Kraken settled the SEC staking case for $30M in 2023, and a separate SEC suit from November 2023 was dropped in March 2025. User feedback is mixed: 4.7/5 on the App Store and 4.3/5 on Google Play versus 3.1/5 on Trustpilot, where 49% of reviews are one star, mostly about held funds and support.

Screenshots

Kraken app promotional screenshot on the App Store (1)
Kraken app promotional screenshot on the App Store (1)
Kraken app promotional screenshot on the App Store (2)
Kraken app promotional screenshot on the App Store (2)
Kraken Pro app promotional screenshot on the App Store
Kraken Pro app promotional screenshot on the App Store

Plans & pricing

Prices last verified Nov 10, 2026

Kraken app (Buy/Sell)

Personal

Free

No subscription fee. Per the official fee page, instant and recurring trades cost 1% and custom orders 1.5%; small instant trades may be charged up to $2 instead of 1%. Spreads are included in the price and payment-method fees may apply. The perps section of the fee page lists 0.25% of notional to open and 0.25% to close a position.

Kraken+

Personal

$4.99/mo

$4.17/mo billed yearly

4.99 a month or 49.99 a year in USD, GBP, CAD, AUD or EUR; other regions pay a local-currency equivalent. Zero trading fees on up to $10,000 a month of Buy, Sell and Convert orders in the Kraken app and on the web, excluding Kraken Pro; spreads and payment processing fees still apply. Up to 4.5% APY on USDG, varying by country. One 30-day free trial per user; monthly billing and the trial are mobile-app only, and the web offers annual plans only.

Kraken Pro (spot and futures)

Personal

Free

The Kraken Pro schedule is based on 30-day spot volume: tier 1 ($0+) pays 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker; tier 17 ($500M+) pays 0.00% maker and 0.05% taker. 634 spot pairs get an extra 0.02% off, and stablecoin pairs have a separate, lower schedule.

Free plan limits
Opening an account is free but trading requires identity verification (KYC). Kraken Equities is US-only while some products are unavailable in the US, and geographic restrictions apply across products. Per Google Play, crypto trading in the app is offered to US customers excluding WA, NY and ME.
Free trial
30-day free trial · no credit card
Cancellation & refunds

The official pages reviewed do not state a refund policy for Kraken+. Completed crypto transfers are generally irreversible, so check addresses and networks before withdrawing. Kraken notes staking carries risks, including non-guaranteed rewards and possible slashing.

Privacy

The privacy notice (last updated 21 October 2026) names the local Kraken group entity you contract with as data controller; for MiFID2 financial instruments it is Payward Europe Digital Solutions (CY) Limited. Kraken collects identity, financial and tax data, wallet addresses, trading history, ID documents and selfies (which may be processed to extract biometric data), device data and on-chain activity. Data is shared within the Kraken group and with service providers, banking and payment partners, authorities and some independent controllers such as card issuers. Client data is mainly hosted in European and UK data centres. AML records may be kept for around 5 years after the relationship ends, and data on public blockchains cannot be deleted. Rights include access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability and objection via the Privacy Hub. Because KYC is mandatory, submitted identity documents are sensitive data.

Official pricing page

Kraken alternatives

Phantom logo7.3/10

Phantom

Self-custody multichain wallet now with perps and prediction markets, 0.85% swap fee

Free
OKX logo7.2/10

OKX

A large crypto exchange with a Web3 wallet, but a US legal-compliance record to weigh

Free
All alternatives

Frequently asked questions

How much does Kraken charge?

The simple app charges 1% on instant trades and 1.5% on custom orders. Kraken Pro starts at 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker, falling to 0.00%/0.05% at the top tier. Deposit and withdrawal fees vary by method.

What is Kraken+ and how much does it cost?

Kraken+ is a paid plan at $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year. It waives trading fees on up to $10,000 a month of Buy, Sell and Convert orders in the Kraken app and on the web (not Kraken Pro) and boosts USDG rewards to up to 4.5% APY, depending on country. There is a 30-day free trial; monthly billing is available only through the mobile app.

Is Kraken safe?

Kraken cites Proof of Reserves, ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and SOC 2 Type 1; these are vendor statements, not an independent audit by AppDuo. Any centralized exchange still carries custody risk, and crypto prices are volatile.

Can you buy stocks on Kraken?

Kraken Equities is US-only. Elsewhere the company offers xStocks (tokenized equities) in some regions, subject to local rules.

Review evidence & sources13

Scores

Ease of use
7.5
Why this score

Separate simple and Pro apps; 4.7/5 on the App Store and 4.3/5 (Kraken) and 4.5/5 (Kraken Pro) on Google Play, though some Trustpilot reviewers find navigation confusing.

Features
8.5
Why this score

Spot, margin, futures, options, staking, stocks/ETFs, xStocks, self-custody wallet, card and API.

Value for money
6.5
Why this score

Pro gets competitive at volume, but the entry tier of 0.40%/0.80% and the 1% simple-trade fee are on the high side; Kraken+ at $4.99 a month only pays off for frequent traders.

Performance
7.0
Why this score

Frequent releases (Kraken 3.89.0 on November 10, 2026, Kraken Pro 6.5.0 on November 9, 2026); no independent uptime data, so no high score.

Support
5.5
Why this score

24/7 support with one-tap tickets per Google Play, and Kraken replies to 99% of negative Trustpilot reviews; but many of those reviews complain about automated, slow responses.

Privacy & security
6.5
Why this score

Detailed notice with a stated AML retention period (about 5 years), but mandatory KYC with selfies that may be processed biometrically and broad sharing with providers.

What users say

Sources

Specs & compatibility
Developer
Payward, Inc.
Headquarters
United States
Launched
2011
Category
Finance

Capabilities

  • Public API
  • Mobile app
  • Integrations

Platforms

  • Web
  • iOS
  • Android
  • API

Interface languages

  • English
  • Vietnamese
  • Chinese
  • Spanish
  • French
  • German
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Korean
  • Thai
  • Indonesian

Integrations

  • TradingView
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay
  • Kraken Wallet

Support

  • Help center
  • Email

Change history

  1. Update.Named Official Crypto Exchange Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026 per Kraken's blog.
  2. Feature.Launched tokenized equities for non-US customers.
  3. Company.Agreed to acquire NinjaTrader for $1.5B.
Full change history (6)
  1. Company.Settled the SEC staking case for $30M.
  2. Launch.The exchange launched publicly.
  3. Company.Kraken was founded by Thanh Luu, Michael Gronager and Jesse Powell.
About the author

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