Binance vs OKX, what is the difference?

Binance vs OKX compares two of the biggest crypto exchanges outside the United States. Both offer spot trading and futures, and both have pleaded guilty in major US criminal cases. The clearest differences are how each is licensed, how their base fees are set and whether they serve US customers. For each exchange on its own, see what is OKX and Binance vs Binance.US.

OKX vs Binance, what is the difference?

Binance.com moved its global platform under Abu Dhabi Global Market's regulator. Gulf News reported in December 2025 that the FSRA authorised three Binance entities, covering an exchange, a clearing and custody house and a broker-dealer, with regulated operations scheduled from January 5, 2026.

OKX works through regional companies. In Europe, OKX Europe Limited, a Maltese company, holds a MiCA licence from the Malta Financial Services Authority, according to OKX's EU site, which says the platform is used by more than 120 million traders.

Both firms have US criminal histories. On November 21, 2023, Binance pleaded guilty to Bank Secrecy Act, money transmitting and sanctions violations and agreed to pay about $4.3 billion. The wider fallout is covered in why is Binance banned in some countries. On February 24, 2025, OKX's Seychelles-based operator, Aux Cayes Fintech, pleaded guilty to running an unlicensed money transmitting business and agreed to pay more than $504 million. Prosecutors said it must keep an outside compliance consultant through February 2027.

How do OKX vs Binance fees compare?

For regular users, Binance's fee page lists 0.100% for both maker and taker spot orders, or 0.075% when fees are paid in BNB.

OKX's global fee framework, in effect since November 25, 2025, sorts pairs into groups. For regular users, its main spot groups are 0.08% maker and 0.10% taker, and a few pairs carry no trading fee. OKX says it may review groups and rates every three months.

On futures, Binance's help center uses 0.02% maker and 0.05% taker in its regular-user examples, with a 10% discount on USDⓈ-M futures fees paid in BNB. OKX lists the same 0.02% maker and 0.05% taker for its main futures groups. See maker and taker fees for how the two rates differ.

Is OKX available in the US?

Yes, through a separate US platform. Fortune reported that OKX relaunched its US exchange and a new wallet on April 15, 2025, with a regional headquarters in San Jose, California, and Roshan Robert as US CEO. The global OKX platform remains a different service from the US one.

The fee figures above are from OKX's global schedule, and US users should check the fee page for the US platform as of October 2026.

Binance.com does not serve US customers. The Justice Department says Binance announced in 2019 that it would cut off US users and launched Binance.US as a separate exchange, though it kept many US customers for years afterward. Fee rates on all of these platforms change often, so check each one's own fee page before trading.