Bitpanda vs Kraken Pro Comparison

In short: Bitpanda is the convenient way to collect crypto, stocks, ETFs and precious metals in one MiCA-regulated account: more than 650 crypto assets, savings plans from €1 and a Tell-a-Friend bonus of up to €100. The trading fee is 0.99% for Bitcoin and 1.49% for most altcoins.

Is Bitpanda safe and licensed in the EU?

Bitpanda is a Vienna-based broker for crypto assets, stocks, ETFs and precious metals and reports more than 7 million users. Its crypto services in the EU now run under MiCA: the ESMA register lists three authorised Bitpanda companies, Bitpanda GmbH via the Austrian FMA since April 2025, Bitpanda Asset Management GmbH via BaFin in Germany since January 2025 and BP23 CA Limited via the Maltese MFSA. In August 2026 the FMA published a fine of €70,000 against Bitpanda GmbH: a crypto white paper reached the regulator too late and was advertised before it was published. Our analysis of the MiCA penalty explains what it means for investors.

What the 2025 loss means for your funds: Bitpanda GmbH reported a loss of about €14 million for 2025, after a profit of €61.7 million the year before, on adjusted revenue of €371 million. Licensed providers must hold clients' crypto assets and money separately from their own assets under Articles 70 and 75 of MiCA, so a loss-making year does not directly affect client holdings. Our report on Bitpanda’s annual accounts shows what you can check yourself.

What does Bitpanda cost?

Bitpanda does not win on costs. Bitcoin costs 0.99 per cent per buy or sell, most altcoins 1.49 per cent and small caps 2.49 per cent. Frequent traders pay noticeably more with percentage fees at this level than on an exchange with an order book; our crypto exchange comparison puts the cost per €1,000 side by side. In return, Bitpanda bundles savings plans, staking, crypto indices, stocks and ETFs at €1 per trade and physical precious metals in one app, and the account, custody and fiat deposits and withdrawals cost nothing.

Who is Bitpanda for?

User reviews draw the same picture: the app is praised as clear and easy to use, and costs are the most common complaint. Bitpanda suits investors who want to build up crypto and other asset classes over time in a regulated EU account. If the lowest trading fee is your priority, the comparison will point you to a better fit.

Kraken Pro is the separate trading interface from Kraken (pro.kraken.com and Pro mode in the mobile app) and is aimed at active traders. Unlike the standard platform with flat 1% fees, the maker/taker model applies here, starting at 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker and falling across 17 tiers to 0.00% maker and 0.05% taker. Since 9 July 2026 Kraken sets your tier by the best of three measures: 30-day spot volume, 30-day futures volume or assets on the platform. Anyone holding USD 20,000 at Kraken therefore trades in Tier 3 at 0.22% maker and 0.38% taker even without any turnover. Account, verification, and asset balances are shared between both interfaces.

The order set covers market, limit, stop-loss, take-profit, trailing stop, iceberg orders, and bracket/OCO combinations. Margin trading is offered with up to 5x leverage depending on the pair, with selected assets reaching 10x; for EEA customers, margin on fiat pairs is now limited to USD and EUR and funded in USDC and EURC. EEA customers trade futures and, since 26 October 2026, Bitcoin and Ether options on Kraken Pro from a separate derivatives account using the same wallet; the provider is Cyprus-based Payward Europe Digital Solutions (CY) Limited with a MiFID licence from CySEC, and options require an appropriateness assessment. The crypto services themselves are provided by Payward Europe Solutions Limited, authorised under MiCA by the Central Bank of Ireland since 25 June 2025 and passported to 30 EEA countries (ESMA register, file dated 30 October 2026). Charts, order book, and API access (REST and WebSocket v2) are described in user reviews as sufficient for active strategies; the learning curve compared to the standard interface is occasionally criticized.

Kraken Pro is considered particularly suitable for active traders who value pro order types, lower volume-based fees, and margin features. Those primarily looking for savings plans or simple spot investing will find a more fitting setup on the standard interface. This comparison does not constitute investment advice.