Full Comparison Table
| Category | 🟡 Binance | 🔵 MEXC |
|---|---|---|
| Spot trading fee | 0.10% (VIP: 0.075%) | 0.10% maker / 0.10% taker |
| BNB/MX fee discount | −25% with BNB | −20% with MX |
| Number of coins listed | ~400 | 2,000+ (new listings fast) |
| Daily volume (spot) | ~$10B+ (most liquid) | ~$300M |
| KYC requirement | Required for full access | Optional (low limits w/o KYC) |
| Withdrawal fees (BTC) | 0.0002 BTC (on-chain) | 0.0004 BTC |
| Fiat on-ramp | Yes — card, bank, P2P | Limited regions |
| Regulated / licensed | Yes — multiple jurisdictions | Offshore, fewer licenses |
| Arbitrage spread vs Binance | — | 0.05%–0.25% on altcoins |
| API rate limits | High (1200 req/min) | Lower limits, occasional 429s |
| Mobile app quality | Excellent (4.5★ iOS) | Good (4.2★ iOS) |
Arbitrage: Binance → MEXC
The most profitable direction is typically buy on Binance, sell on MEXC — because Binance has higher liquidity and tighter bid-ask spreads, while MEXC often shows slightly higher ask prices on altcoins.
Historically observed spreads (from our live monitor):
- ATOM/USDT — 0.10%–0.25% spread on typical days
- DOT/USDT — 0.08%–0.20%
- ADA/USDT — 0.05%–0.18%
- SHIB/USDT — 0.10%–0.30% (higher volatility)
Profitable threshold: You need a spread above ~0.20% to break even after two legs of trading fees (0.1% each). Any spread above 0.30% is clearly profitable. Check live spreads →
Fees Deep Dive
Trading Fees
Both exchanges charge 0.10% per trade at base tier. A round trip (buy + sell) costs 0.20% — this is the break-even line for arbitrage.
With Binance's BNB discount you can reduce this to 0.075% per leg (0.15% round trip), giving you 5 more basis points of margin.
Withdrawal Fees
Binance generally has lower on-chain withdrawal fees, especially for BTC, ETH, and major ERC-20 tokens. MEXC charges roughly 2× more for BTC withdrawals.
For cross-exchange arbitrage, you'll also need to consider transfer time — typically 10–30 minutes for on-chain transfers, during which the spread can move.
Who Should Use Binance?
- Traders who want maximum liquidity and tight spreads on BTC, ETH, SOL
- High-volume traders who qualify for VIP fee tiers
- Users who need reliable fiat on/off ramps
- Anyone doing arbitrage against other exchanges (Binance is usually the "buy" side)
Who Should Use MEXC?
- Traders looking for new/small altcoins listed early
- Users who want to avoid KYC for small trading volumes
- Arbitrage traders who use MEXC as the "sell" side
- Users in regions where Binance has restricted access
💡 Pro tip: For maximum arbitrage effectiveness, open accounts on both exchanges. Keep funds pre-positioned on each so you can execute instantly without waiting for transfers.
Our Verdict
Binance wins overall for liquidity, reliability, and fee structure. But MEXC is the better "sell" exchange for arbitrage — it frequently shows higher prices on altcoins compared to Binance, creating the spread you profit from.
If you're serious about arbitrage, you need accounts on both.
Get started today
Open both accounts and start tracking spreads
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