Gate.io vs Kucoin: Weighing The Pros & Cons

gate io vs kucoin image
Jack Moreau
Aug 2023
4 min to read
Fact checked

Introduction: Are you trying to decide between Gate.io vs Kucoin to purchase digital coins but feel stuck? This article will provide you with a breakdown and comparison of the two exchanges. We will look at how simple they are to use, deposit methods, fees and more to help you in your decision.

Kucoin

+800 cryptocurrencies

Spot, Margin, Futures

0.1% spot fees & 100X Leverage

Quick signup & No KYC

Visit Kucoin
eToro USA LLC: Investments are subject to market risk.
Including the possible loss of principal.
MEXC

+1600 Cryptos & Deep Liquidity

Spot/Perps/Copy Trading

Low Fees & 200X Leverage

KYC Not Required

Visit MEXC

Gate.io vs Kucoin Comparison

Gate.io
Kucoin
MEXC
Founded
2013
2013
2018
Registered
Cayman Islands
Seychelles
Seychelles
Countries N/A
US, CH, CA, SG, MY
US, China
OFAC
Users
12M
20M
6M
Cryptos
+1700
+800
+1600
Spot Fees
0.2%
0.1%
0.2%
KYC Required
Yes
Yes
No
Best for
Altcoin hunters & 100X Leverage
Altcoin hunters
Altcoins & Traders
Rating

Gate.io is a globally recognized cryptocurrency exchange that was founded in 2013 by Lin Han.

Based in the Cayman Islands, Gate.io has established itself as a reputable platform offering a wide range of services to cryptocurrency traders. With a workforce of over 350 dedicated employees, the exchange operates in 184 countries, catering to a vast international user base.

The platform supports various trading functionalities, including spot trading, margin trading, futures, and options trading. Gate.io also offers an extensive array of over 1500 cryptocurrencies, making it an altcoin heaven.

With over 12 million users globally, Gate.io has garnered a significant user base, primarily concentrated in Europe and Asia.

While it is available in a vast number of countries, there are restrictions in place for users from the United States and Canada. Additionally, users in the United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Germany, and Italy are limited to utilizing only spot trading services on the platform.

The exchange's popularity is further reinforced by its availability on both Android and iOS platforms, with the Gate.io app being downloaded over 1 million times. The app has received positive ratings, boasting a solid 4.4-star rating based on over 40,000 user reviews.

Gate.io app
Gate.io app

Kucoin is also a globally recognized cryptocurrency exchange that was established in 2017 by Michael Gan. As a subsidiary of Seychelles registered MEK Global Limited, the exchange boasts a global workforce of over 600 employees. Kucoin operates in over 200 countries with restrictions in place for users from the United States and China, due to regulatory considerations.

Kucoin exchange
Kucoin exchange

As a comprehensive cryptocurrency exchange, Kucoin offers a diverse range of services to its users. These include spot trading, margin trading, futures, staking, and lending. The platform supports +700 cryptocurrencies, including popular ones like Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), Cosmos (ATOM) and many others.

Kucoin has successfully amassed an impressive user base of over 20 million users. The availability of the Kucoin app on both Android and iOS platforms further enhances its accessibility. The app has been downloaded over 5 million times and has a favorable rating of 4.3 stars based on more than 120,000 user reviews.

Kucoin app
Kucoin app

Gate.io vs Kucoin: Signup & KYC

Gate.io and Kucoin both make it easy for users to sign up for an account.

It takes less than a minute to sign up for Gate.io and Kucoin, and the KYC verification process is relatively straightforward. However, Gate.io requires users to verify their identity via KYC, whereas Kucoin does not.

As such, no trading can occur on Gate.io unless users provide all the necessary information and documents for the KYC verification.

Gate.io KYC
Gate.io KYC

Signing up only takes less than a minute as only basic email signup is required. KYC verification is not mandatory on KuCoin and unverified accounts can buy and sell the same cryptocurrencies that verified accounts can.

Kucoin KYC
Kucoin KYC

Basic verification can be approved in hours and KYC verification can take up to 2-3 business days.

Gate.io vs Kucoin: Products & Services

With a comprehensive selection of financial products and services, Gate.io has established itself as a go-to platform for both experienced professionals and newcomers to the cryptocurrency market.

One of the key strengths of Gate.io is its extensive array of trading options. The exchange facilitates spot trading and margin trading, enabling users to trade with borrowed funds with a leverage of up to 10X.

Trading on Gate.io
Trading on Gate.io

For those seeking more advanced trading strategies, Gate.io provides a range of derivatives products. Futures trading is available on the platform with up to 50X leverage. Moreover, Gate.io offers perpetual swaps (perps), which are perpetual contracts tied to the underlying cryptocurrency.

Gate.io derivatives
Gate.io derivatives

By participating in staking on Gate.io, users can also passively generate additional income while supporting the network of their chosen cryptocurrencies. Lending and borrowing is also available Gate.io which enables Users to lend their cryptocurrencies to earn interest.

Gate.io earn
Gate.io earn

The platform has also launched it's own Gate card, which enables users to conveniently spend their cryptocurrencies in the real world. Recognizing the surging interest in non-fungible tokens (NFTs), Gate.io also operates an NFT marketplace. This marketplace caters to the growing demand for digital art, collectibles, and other unique digital assets.

Gate.io NFTs
Gate.io NFTs

In terms of liquidity, Gate.io boasts a commendable standing, consistently ranking within the top 20 exchanges in terms of trading volumes. With daily spot trading volumes ranging from $500 million to $900 million, Gate.io provides ample liquidity for users to execute their trades swiftly and efficiently.

Kucoin is also a well-established and globally recognised cryptocurrency exchange that offers a wide range of services and features to cater to the needs of both professional traders and beginners.

With 700 cryptocurrencies and altcoins available for trading, users can easily buy and sell a wide range of digital assets. In addition to spot trading, Kucoin also provides it's users to borrow funds in order to margin trade and bet on the future via futures trading.

Kucoin orderbook
Kucoin orderbook

Leveraged tokens are also available, providing users with exposure to leveraged positions without the complexity of managing margin trading directly. Moreover, the exchange offers trading bots that allow users to automate their trading strategies.

Kucoin leveraged tokens
Kucoin leveraged tokens

In addition to trading services, Kucoin offers various financial services to its users. These include lending and borrowing, and staking opportunities for a wide range of coins and tokens.

Kucoin staking
Kucoin staking

Kucoin has expanded its offerings by introducing an NFT marketplace called Windvane. This marketplace caters to the growing demand for digital art and collectibles, allowing users to buy, sell, and trade non-fungible tokens.

Kucoin NFTs
Kucoin NFTs

To enhance security and control, Kucoin offers its own Web 3 wallet, which allows users to store their digital assets securely while maintaining control over their private keys. This feature provides users with greater peace of mind and aligns with the principles of decentralization and self-custody.

Kucoin Halo Wallet
Kucoin Halo Wallet

Kucoin consistently demonstrates strong liquidity, frequently ranking in the top 10 exchanges in terms of trading volume. The daily spot trading volumes on Kucoin typically range from $600 to $900 million, indicating the platform's ability to provide sufficient liquidity for traders to execute their orders efficiently.

Gate.io
Kucoin
MEXC
Spot Trading
Yes
Yes
Yes
Futures
Yes
Yes
Yes
Perps
Yes
yes
Yes
Margin
Yes
Yes
Yes
Options
Yes
-
-
OTC Desk
Yes
-
-
Copy Trading
Yes
Yes
Yes
Trading Bots
Yes
Yes
Yes
Staking
Yes
Yes
Yes
Lend & Borrow
Yes
Yes
Yes
NFTs
Yes
Yes
-
Web 3 Wallet
Yes
Yes
-
Debit Card
Yes
Yes
-

Gate.io vs Kucoin Fees

When it comes to trading fees, both Kucoin and Gate.io have an advantage over the other in different categories.

Kucoin offers lower spot trading fees of 0.1% for makers and takers compared to the 0.2% offered by Gate.io. Trading fees on Kucoin can be lowered for both spot and futures trading once monthly trade volumes exceed 50 Bitcoins or if the user holds at least 1000 KCS tokens.

Kucoin spot fees
Kucoin spot fees

Gate.io however offers lower futures trading fees for makers (0.015%) and takers (0.05%) compared to the 0.02% and 0.06% offered by Kucoin. Similar to Kucoin, the trading fees on Gate.io can be lowered if monthly trade volumes exceed $60,000 or if users hold enough GT tokens.

Gate.io spot fees
Gate.io spot fees


Gate.io
Kucoin
MEXC
Spot (mkr)
0.20%
0.10%
0.2%
Spot (tkr)
0.20%
0.10%
0.2%
Futures (mkr)
0.015%
0.02%
0%
Futures (tkr)
0.05%
0.06%
0.02%

Gate.io vs Kucoin: Deposit Methods

When it comes to deposit options, Kucoin and Gate.io have distinct differences. Kucoin offers a wide range of fiat deposit options, including support for 28 different currencies via Visa and Mastercard, which makes it the better choice for those looking to deposit fiat. However, it's important to note that these deposits come with a high 3.8% fee.

Gate.io, on the other hand, does not support fiat deposits, but provides instant crypto purchases with credit/debit card via MoonPay, Banxa, Advacash and Simplex. Despite this convenience, the transaction fees for these options range from 2-5%.

Gate.io
Kucoin
MEXC
USD
-
Debit/Credit card
-
EUR
-
Debit/Credit card
-
GBP
-
Debit/Credit card
-

Gate.io vs Kucoin: Withdrawal Methods

When it comes to fiat withdrawals, Gate.io does not offer any while Kucoin currently only offers SEPA withdrawals for EUR. Kucoin charges a 5 EUR fee for SEPA withdrawals. While Kucoin is obviously better than Gate.io when it comes to fiat withdrawals, this is not a strength for either exchange.

Gate.io
Kucoin
MEXC
USD
-
Debit/Credit card
-
EUR
-
SEPA
-
GBP
-
SEPA
-
Gate.io
Kucoin
MEXC
Bitcoin
0.001 BTC
0.001 BTC
0.0003 BTC
Ethereum
0.0035 ETH
0.01 ETH
0.0001 ETH
Solana
0.0046 SOL
0.01 SOL
0.01 SOL
USDT (ERC-20)
5 USDT
5 USDT
$4 USDT

Is Gate.io better than Kucoin?

You should go with Gate.io if:

  • You want to access over 1500 cryptocurrencies
  • You don't mind paying slightly higher trading fees
  • You are comfortable using a more clunky interface

You should go with Kucoin if:

  • You want to access low 0.1% trading fees
  • You want access to over 700 cryptocurrencies
  • You want to trade crypto without KYC
Kucoin

+800 cryptocurrencies

Spot, Margin, Futures

0.1% spot fees & 100X Leverage

Quick signup & No KYC

Visit Kucoin
eToro USA LLC: Investments are subject to market risk.
Including the possible loss of principal.
MEXC

+1600 Cryptos & Deep Liquidity

Spot/Perps/Copy Trading

Low Fees & 200X Leverage

KYC Not Required

Visit MEXC
Author
Jack Moreau
Jack is a crypto writer and reviewer who has been active in the space since he caught the crypto bug in 2017. With a passion for trying out new shiny things, Jack is always eager to try the latest cryptocurrency exchanges, wallets or DeFi applications.

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