Pionex vs Kucoin | Who Offers Best Trading & Fees?

pionex vs kucoin image
Jack Moreau
Feb 2024
10 min read
Fact checked

Pionex vs Kucoin: Our comprehensive analysis of each platform looks at their product range, supported cryptocurrencies, country availability, trading fees and much more. Read on to discover the differences between Pionex vs Kucoin!

Kucoin

+700 Cryptocurrencies

Spot, Margin, Perps, Bots

125X Leverage & Copy Trade

0.1%-0.3% Spot Trading Fees

Visit Kucoin
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
MEXC

1780 Cryptos & Deep Liquidity

Spot/Perps/Copy Trading

Low Fees & 200X Leverage

KYC Not Required

Visit MEXC
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.

Pionex vs Kucoin Comparison

Pionex
Kucoin
MEXC
Founded
2019
2017
2018
Registered
Singapore
Seychelles
Seychelles
Countries N/A
OFAC countries
US, CA, CN
OFAC
Users
1M
30M
6M
Cryptos
+370
+700
1780
Spot Fees
0.05%
0.1%-0.3%
0.2%
KYC Required
Yes
Yes
No
Best for
Cheap altcoin trading
Altcoins & Perps
Altcoins & 200X Leverage
Rating
Signup
Pionex
Your Capital is at risk.
Kucoin
Your Capital is at risk.
MEXC
Your Capital is at risk

Pionex and Kucoin are two popular cryptocurrency exchanges that offer a range of services to traders worldwide.

Pionex is a relatively new exchange that was founded in 2019 and has quickly gained popularity among traders due to its unique feature of automated trading bots.

With over 360 different trading pairs, including major cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Cardano, Pionex is a great choice for traders looking to automate their trading strategies.

Pionex exchange
Pionex exchange

The exchange is available to users in over 100 countries across Europe, North America, and Asia, with over 1 million users worldwide.

The Pionex app has been downloaded over 500,000 times and has an average rating of 4.2 stars based on 10,000 reviews.

The exchange offers a wide selection of over 370 cryptocurrencies, making it a great choice for traders looking to diversify their portfolio.

Pionex app
Pionex app

Kucoin is a more established exchange that was founded in 2017 and has grown to become one of the most popular exchanges on the market.

With over 700 cryptocurrencies available for purchase and sale, including its native token KuCoin Shares (KCS), Kucoin offers one of the widest ranges of altcoins available.

Kucoin exchange
Kucoin exchange

The exchange is available to users in over 200 countries worldwide and has grown an impressive user base of over 20 million users. The Kucoin app has been downloaded over 5 million times and has an average rating of 4.3 stars based on 120,000 reviews.

Kucoin app
Kucoin app

Kucoin is known for its user-friendly interface, competitive trading fees and wide range of altcoins that are hard to find in most other exchanges.

Pionex vs Kucoin Signup & KYC

Are you looking for a cryptocurrency exchange with speedy signup and verification processes? Look no further than Pionex and Kucoin!

While both exchanges require KYC verification, they differ in their mandatory verification process for all users.

Pionex requires verification for all services, while Kucoin allows unverified users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies. Signing up for Pionex is a breeze with quick registration through either email or phone number.

Pionex level 1 verification
Pionex level 1 verification

Users can immediately deposit crypto and start trading but must complete at least Level 1 verification to access all services.

The verification process is very fast typically taking only 15-60 minutes. In my case, I was verified within 2 minutes of submitting my ID and conducting a face scan.

Similar to Pionex, Kucoin's basic email signup takes just seconds with no mandatory verification required.

However, unverified users are limited in their trading capabilities. Basic verification can be approved within hours, but KYC verification can take up to 2-3 business days.

KYC on Kucoin
KYC on Kucoin

Overall, both Pionex and Kucoin offer seamless signups where KYC is not required for basic cryptocurrency trading. However, Pionex's speedy verification process sets it apart for those looking to quickly access all of the exchange's offerings.

Pionex vs Kucoin Products & Services

Pionex is an exchange that is notable for its unique and innovative approach to trading services.

The exchange offers a range of products including spot trading, leverage trading and a derivative product called Lotto which allows users to bet on price direction with leverage.

Spot trading on Pionex
Spot trading on Pionex

Additionally, Pionex provides staking for ETH with different durations and over 16 grid bots that enable users to automate different trading strategies such as DCA and rebalancing bots.

Pionex trading bots
Pionex trading bots

The user experience on Pionex is quite good, with both level 1 and level 2 verification available for users to easily get started.

Pionex has a significant daily spot trading volume of $1.5 billion and the maximum leverage that can be taken on Pionex is 3X in the spot-future arbitrage bot.

Kucoin on the other hand has established itself as a leading exchange standing shoulder to shoulder with the biggest exchanges in terms of product offering.

Central to Kucoin's appeal is its robust spot trading platform where users can trade an impressive array of over 700 cryptocurrencies and altcoins.

Kucoin Spot Trading
Kucoin Spot Trading

This diverse selection is continuously expanding with Kucoin adding new coins and tokens every week, making it a prime destination for those seeking lesser-known altcoins.

Kucoin Crypto Markets
Kucoin Crypto Markets

For traders looking to amplify their potential gains (or losses), Kucoin offers margin trading with up to 10X leverage.

Kucoin Margin Trading
Kucoin Margin Trading

This feature allows users to make more substantial bets on the price movements with the option to go long or short on over 100 cryptocurrencies.

This can be done using either cross or isolated margin, providing flexibility depending on the user's risk tolerance and strategy.

For those that prefer less risky leveraged positions, Kucoin also features leveraged tokens where anyone can long or short with smaller leverage ( 2-4X), without the complexities of managing loans or facing the risk of liquidations.

Kucoin Leveraged Tokens
Kucoin Leveraged Tokens

Futures trading is another significant aspect of Kucoin's offerings with over 250 tradable futures contracts. This includes a variety of futures products like USDT and USDC margin contracts, Coin-margin contracts, and grid bots.

Kucoin Futures
Kucoin Futures

For the high-risk traders (degens) who thrive on high stakes and gambeling like drunken sailors, Kucoin offers the option of up to 125X leverage.

Kucoin Perpetual Trading
Kucoin Perpetual Trading

Automation in trading has gained traction and Kucoin accommodates this trend by offering a variety of trading bots.

Kucoin Trading Bots
Kucoin Trading Bots

These include options such as spot grid, futures grid, martingale, smart rebalance, infinity grid, and Dollar-Cost Averaging (DCA).

Kucoin holds a strong position in the market in terms of trading volumes, currently ranking in the top 20 for spot trading with $1 billion in 24-hour volume, and over $2 billion in futures trading.

Kucoin Trading Volume
Kucoin Trading Volume

Beyond trading, Kucoin has a comprehensive earn section for those interested in generating yield on their digital assets.

Kucoin Earn
Kucoin Earn

This section includes options like earn savings, staking, and dual investments, offering users various ways to earn passive income on their crypto holdings.

Kucoin Staking
Kucoin Staking

In staking, Kucoin provides opportunities to earn rewards on a wide range of popular blockchains, including Ethereum, Solana, Cosmos, Polkadot, Injective, and many others.

Keeping up with the evolving crypto ecosystem, Kucoin has joined the ranks of exchanges offering launchpads for new token launches.

Kucoin Launchpad
Kucoin Launchpad

Through Kucoin Spotlight users get access to exciting new investment opportunities, often with allocations determined by the amount of assets they hold on Kucoin.

Additionally, Kucoin has ventured into the NFT marketplace with its dedicated platform called Wonderland so that users can buy and sell NFTs on the KCC blockchain and Polygon.

Kucoin NFTs
Kucoin NFTs

For those who prefer trading in a non-custodial manner, Kucoin has introduced the Halo Wallet which is downloadable as a mobile app or a Chrome extension.

Kucoin Wallet
Kucoin Wallet

This offers a secure and user-friendly way to manage crypto assets outside the confines of traditional exchange platforms.

When comparing Pionex and Kucoin, it's clear that both exchanges offer unique features and trading services that cater to different types of traders.

Pionex is notable for its innovative products such as the Lotto derivative and grid bots. In contrast, Kucoin excels in its wide range of cryptocurrencies and the ease of use of its platform. Additionally, Kucoin provides a wider range of leverage options for futures and margin trading.

Pionex
Kucoin
MEXC
Spot Trading
Yes
Yes
Yes
Futures
Yes
Yes
Yes
Perps
Yes
Yes
Yes
Margin
-
Yes
-
Options
-
-
-
OTC Desk
-
-
-
Copy Trading
-
Yes
Yes
Trading Bots
Yes
Yes
-
Staking
Yes
Yes
Yes
Lend & Borrow
-
Yes
Yes
NFTs
-
Yes
-
Web 3 Wallet
-
Yes
-
Debit Card
-
-
-
Signup
Pionex
Your Capital is at risk.
Kucoin
Your Capital is at risk.
MEXC
Your Capital is at risk

Pionex vs Kucoin Fees

Let's dive into the world of trading fees and start with Pionex. This exchange offers some of the lowest spot trading fees in the market with a maker and taker fee of just 0.05%. The fees for leveraged products are still quite reasonable at 0.1% for makers and takers.

Pionex spot trading fees
Pionex spot trading fees

On the other hand, Kucoin has a maker and taker fee of 0.1% for spot trading, a bit higher than Pionex. When it comes to futures trading, Pionex has a maker fee of 0.02% and a taker fee of 0.04%, while Kucoin has a maker fee of 0.02% and a taker fee of 0.06%. Overall, Pionex has the lower spot trading fees compared to Kucoin while Kucoin has the lower futures fee.

Pionex
Kucoin
MEXC
Spot (mkr)
0.05-0.1%
0.1%-0.3%
0.2%
Spot (tkr)
0.05-0.1%
0.1%-0.3%
0.2%
Futures (mkr)
-
0.02%
0%
Futures (tkr)
-
0.06%
0.02%
Signup
Pionex
Your Capital is at risk.
Kucoin
Your Capital is at risk.
MEXC
Your Capital is at risk

Pionex vs Kucoin Deposit Methods

Let's take a closer look at the deposit options for Pionex and Kucoin. Starting with Pionex, the exchange supports only one fiat currency for deposits, EUR. Deposits can be made via SEPA bank transfers and there is no deposit fee for this method. However, it's worth noting that Pionex does not offer other deposit methods for fiat currencies.

Kucoin offers a wider range of fiat currencies for deposits including 28 options such as EUR, AUD, CHF, GBP, RUB, and SEK. Almost all fiat deposit options on Kucoin are with Visa and Mastercard but the exchange charges a high 3.8% deposit fee for deposits with these cards. While Kucoin supports many more fiat currencies than Pionex, users should be aware of the relatively high deposit fees.

Pionex
Kucoin
MEXC
USD
-
Debit/Credit card
-
EUR
SEPA (Free)
Debit/Credit card
-
GBP
-
Debit/Credit card
-
Signup
Pionex
Your Capital is at risk.
Kucoin
Your Capital is at risk.
MEXC
Your Capital is at risk

Pionex vs Kucoin Withdrawal Methods

When it comes to the range of withdrawal methods, Pionex only supports for cryptocurrency withdrawals. The fees for withdrawing cryptocurrencies vary depending on which blockchain you use. For example, withdrawing Bitcoin requires a fee of 0.0004 BTC. If you wish to withdraw Ether (ETH), that has a fee of 0.0004 ETH. Solana withdrawals meanwhile, come with a fee of 0.01 SOL.

Kucoin allows for fiat currency withdrawals but only in the form of euros. The fee for withdrawing euros via SEPA is 5 euros. As for cryptocurrency withdrawals, Kucoin charges different fees depending on which currency you're withdrawing.

Kucoin fiat withdrawals
Kucoin fiat withdrawals

For instance, withdrawing Bitcoin incurs a fee of 0.001 BTC while withdrawing Ethereum has a fee of 0.01 ETH. Solana withdrawals come with a 0.005 SOL fee, and withdrawing ERC-20 USDT requires a fee of 5 USDT plus a percentage of the amount.

Kucoin crypto withdrawals
Kucoin crypto withdrawals
Pionex
Kucoin
MEXC
USD
-
Debit/Credit card
-
EUR
-
SEPA
-
GBP
-
SEPA
-
Signup
Pionex
Your Capital is at risk.
Kucoin
Your Capital is at risk.
MEXC
Your Capital is at risk
Pionex
Kucoin
MEXC
Bitcoin
0.0004 BTC
0.001 BTC
0.0003 BTC
Ethereum
0.0004 ETH
0.01 ETH
0.0001 ETH
Solana
0.01 SOL
0.01 SOL
0.01 SOL
USDT (ERC-20)
10 USDT
5 USDT
$4 USDT
Signup
Pionex
Your Capital is at risk.
Kucoin
Your Capital is at risk.
MEXC
Your Capital is at risk

Is Pionex better than Kucoin?

In conclusion, Pionex and Kucoin are both reputable cryptocurrency exchanges each with its own unique features and benefits to offer traders. Pionex, the younger of the two exchanges, has quickly gained popularity among traders due to its automated trading bots and innovative products such as the Lotto derivative and grid bots.

The exchange boasts over 360 different trading pairs with a daily spot trading volume of $1.5 billion and a user base of over 1 million traders. Pionex's speedy verification process also sets it apart from other exchanges with verification typically taking only 15-60 minutes.

When it comes to trading fees, Pionex provides users with some of the lowest fees in the market for both spot and leveraged trading. With a maker and taker fee of just 0.05%, Pionex makes trading more affordable for its users.

In contrast, Kucoin has grown to become one of the most popular exchanges on the market with over 20 million users worldwide. The exchange offers a wide variety of trading services, including futures, margin trading, and trading bots.

Kucoin's user-friendly interface and ease of use make it ideal for both beginners and experienced traders alike. With over 700 cryptocurrencies available for trading and a daily spot trading volume in the range of $600-$900 million, Kucoin's liquidity is among the top 10 on the market.

Kucoin

+700 Cryptocurrencies

Spot, Margin, Perps, Bots

125X Leverage & Copy Trade

0.1%-0.3% Spot Trading Fees

Visit Kucoin
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
MEXC

1780 Cryptos & Deep Liquidity

Spot/Perps/Copy Trading

Low Fees & 200X Leverage

KYC Not Required

Visit MEXC
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
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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