Top Brokers For Perpetual Futures In 2026
Looking for the best broker for trading perpetual futures? After we opened trading accounts, specifically evaluated their perps, and assigned them ratings, these trading platforms came out on top in our tests.
Written ByMichael MacKenzie
Michael is an analyst and editor with over 10 years experience in publishing. He has investigated many of the industry's best-known brokers. His eye for detail helps ensure BrokerListings.com's resources are accurate and reflect the latest developments.
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Fact Checked ByRoyston Wild
Royston is a seasoned investor and financial writer with over a decade of experience analyzing brokers and investment markets. With a background in stocks, commodities, and forex reporting - he brings a fresh perspective to broker evaluations.
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Edited ByWilliam Berg
William Berg combines his expertise in law and finance to analyze trading brokers. He has checked 3,250+ regulatory licenses, investigated 2,365+ broker clones and trading scams, and placed 3,500+ trades.
William Berg Profile PageJuly 14, 2026
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Crypto.com provides one of the best apps for trading perpetual futures. Despite initial issues with error messages during sign-up, the trading experience was excellent once accessed. It offers BTCUSD-style perpetuals in USD and various TradFi assets like gold, silver, crude oil, and natural gas. US index ETF perps such as SPY and QQQ, along with pre-IPO contracts on OpenAI, Anthropic, and SpaceX, are also available. The fees are among the lowest, especially during promotions like the 2026 offer with 0% maker fees and taker fees starting from 0.02%. TradingView charts offer tools for in-depth analysis of short-term price movements.
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Pionex is designed for traders using bots, like Futures Grid and Futures DCA strategies, making it a strong choice for algorithmic traders. It introduced perpetual futures in 2023, starting with major cryptocurrencies such as BTC and ETH, and later adding USDT-margined perpetuals and tokenized stocks. We tested leverage up to 100x, and BTC/USDT trades executed smoothly at our preferred price and order size without significant slippage. However, perpetual futures fees are higher than some competitors if you have an entry-level account, with 0.020% maker and 0.050% taker fees.
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Kraken offers a wide range of perpetual futures with over 300 assets like crypto tokens and pre-IPO stocks. You can leverage up to 50x on these perpetuals, with quick execution for easy exits at target prices. We found buying a perpetual contract simple: download the app with a QR code, select ‘Perps,’ choose an asset like SOL, enter the amount in fiat or crypto, and set the leverage. You can cash out of your position with one tap.
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Coinbase offers over 180 perpetual futures, fewer than some other providers. However, it has one of the most user-friendly platforms and apps, making it easy for new users to manage trades. It provides useful social data on individual perps, like the number and value of open contracts. The entry barrier is low, with just 1/100th of a Bitcoin needed for a BTC perpetual and a 0.0009% funding rate.
Perpetual Futures Brokers Compared
Review the features available to support perp traders:
| Broker |  |
USD Account |
Margin Trading |
Regulator |
Crypto Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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✓ | ✓ | SEC, FCA, MAS, AMF, CySEC, CBI, ASIC, FINTRAC, CIMA, VARA, OAM, HCMC, CFTC, OSC, KoFIU | 0.075% (spot), 0.034% (derivatives) | |
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✗ | ✓ | NMLS, CBI, AMF | Market | |
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✓ | ✓ | FINTRAC, AUSTRAC | 0-0.26% average | |
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✓ | ✗ | CSSF, CBI, CySEC, BaFin, MAS, OSC, ASIC, BMA | 0.5% - 1% (BTC) | |
| Broker | |
USD Account |
Margin Trading |
Regulator |
Crypto Spread |
Broker Details Comparison
| Broker | Demo Account |
Minimum Deposit |
Minimum Trade |
Leverage |
Assets |
Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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✓ | Varies by payment method | $1 | ✗ | Crypto, Stocks, ETFs, Prediction Markets and Strike Options (US only) | Own, TradingView |
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✓ | $0 | 0.1 USDT | ✗ | Cryptos, Perpetual Futures | Own |
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✓ | $10 | Variable | ✗ | Cryptos, xStocks, Pre-IPO Perpetual Futures | AlgoTrader, Quantower |
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✗ | $0 | $2 | ✗ | Crypto, Stocks, ETFs (US only), Pre-IPO Perpetual Futures (non-US) | Coinbase, Advanced Trade, Wallet, NFT, TradingView |
| Broker | Demo Account |
Minimum Deposit |
Minimum Trade |
Leverage |
Assets |
Platforms |
Safety Comparison
Compare how safe the Top Brokers For Perpetual Futures In 2026 are.
| Broker | Trust Rating |
Guaranteed Stop Loss |
Negative Balance Protection |
Segregated Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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✗ | ✗ | ✓ | |
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✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
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✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
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✗ | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Broker | Trust Rating |
Guaranteed Stop Loss |
Negative Balance Protection |
Segregated Accounts |
Mobile Trading Comparison
Compare the mobile trading features of the Top Brokers For Perpetual Futures In 2026.
| Broker | Mobile Apps |
iOS Rating |
Android Rating |
Smart Watch App |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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iOS & Android | ✗ | ||
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iOS & Android | ✗ | ||
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✓ | ✗ | ||
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iOS & Android | ✗ | ||
| Broker | Mobile Apps |
iOS Rating |
Android Rating |
Smart Watch App |
Comparison for Beginners
Compare how suitable the Top Brokers For Perpetual Futures In 2026 are for beginners.
| Broker | Demo Account |
Minimum Deposit |
Minimum Trade |
Education Rating |
Support Rating |
Fractional Shares |
Demo Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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✓ | Varies by payment method | $1 | ✗ | ✗ | ||
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✓ | $0 | 0.1 USDT | ✗ | ✗ | ||
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✓ | $10 | Variable | ✗ | ✗ | ||
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✗ | $0 | $2 | ✗ | ✗ | ||
| Broker | Demo Account |
Minimum Deposit |
Minimum Trade |
Education Rating |
Support Rating |
Fractional Shares |
Demo Competitions |
Comparison for Advanced Traders
Compare how suitable the Top Brokers For Perpetual Futures In 2026 are for advanced or professional traders.
| Broker | Automated Trading |
VPS |
API |
AI |
Pro Account |
Leverage |
Low Latency |
Extended Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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DCA Auto-Staking | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
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Crypto bots | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
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Kraken Futures is integrated in other platforms which have bots: Bookmap, Caspian, FMZ Quant, Gunbot, HaasOnline, Hyndor, Margin | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
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✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Broker | Automated Trading |
VPS |
API |
AI |
Pro Account |
Leverage |
Low Latency |
Extended Hours |
Accounts Comparison
Compare the trading accounts offered by Top Brokers For Perpetual Futures In 2026.
| Broker | Demo Account |
Interest on Cash |
Islamic Account |
Joint Account |
Managed Account |
PAMM |
MAM |
LAMM |
Pro Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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✓ | USD: 5% | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
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✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
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✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
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✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Broker | Demo Account |
Interest on Cash |
Islamic Account |
Joint Account |
Managed Account |
PAMM |
MAM |
LAMM |
Pro Account |
Ratings Of The Best Perp Futures Brokers Compared
See how our leading perp trading platforms scored in core testing categories:
| Broker | Trust |
Platforms |
Assets |
Mobile |
Fees |
Accounts |
Research |
Education |
Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Broker | Trust |
Platforms |
Assets |
Mobile |
Fees |
Accounts |
Research |
Education |
Support |
Fee and Cost Comparison
Compare the cost of trading with the Top Brokers For Perpetual Futures In 2026.
| Broker | Cost Rating |
Fixed Spreads |
Inactivity Fee |
EUR/USD Spread |
Crypto Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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✗ | $5 | ✗ | 0.075% (spot), 0.034% (derivatives) | |
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✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Market | |
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✗ | ✗ | ✗ | 0-0.26% average | |
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✗ | $0 | ✗ | 0.5% - 1% (BTC) | |
| Broker | Cost Rating |
Fixed Spreads |
Inactivity Fee |
EUR/USD Spread |
Crypto Spread |
How Popular Are The Best Perpetual Futures Brokers?
Find out how many traders have already chosen these providers:
| Broker | Popularity |
|---|---|
| Crypto.com |
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| Coinbase |
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| Kraken |
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| Pionex |
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Why Trade With Crypto.com?
Crypto.com is ideal for new crypto traders looking to buy, sell, and trade over 400 digital tokens. Its strike options and prediction markets cover financial, economic, election, sport, and cultural events. As a CFTC-regulated platform, it provides a secure choice for US traders interested in binary-style contracts using an easy-to-use app.
Pros
- Crypto.com has integrated TradingView charts, offering the precise charting and technical analysis tools traders need to assess short-term price changes.
- Crypto.com now offers more than 9,000 stocks and ETFs in some regions, allowing traders to create diverse portfolios across various sectors.
- Crypto.com uses a cold wallet system with multi-signature technology and geographic distribution to improve security. This method ensures strong protection of user assets with secure offline storage.
Cons
- The app has high bid-ask spreads on many coins, which can be expensive for traders using market orders. Wide spreads mean the buying price is significantly higher than the selling price, reducing profits, especially in low-volume trades.
- Fees apply to crypto and fiat withdrawals, which can be significant for active traders making smaller transfers. The minimum withdrawal limits are also high, limiting flexibility in managing smaller portfolios or immediate liquidity needs.
- Customer support mainly uses chatbots and email, with limited reliable phone support from our testing. This may cause delays in solving urgent issues like account access or transaction problems, which can be frustrating for crypto traders needing quick help.
Why Trade With Pionex?
Pionex is a great choice for crypto traders interested in advanced AI and automated trading.
Pros
- The advanced AI chatbot 'PionexGPT' assists users in setting up trading bots using Pine script.
- Low spot trading fees at 0.05% for both maker and taker, compared to other major exchanges.
- Expanded to offer over 280 tokenized instruments, including U.S. stocks like AAPLX and TSLAX, traditional ETFs, and commodities like Gold, with 24/7 trading and settlement in USDT.
Cons
- Limited contact options
- Trading may involve withdrawal fees and limits.
- Limited regulation increases worries about safety in trading.
Why Trade With Kraken?
Kraken is suitable for traders seeking a variety of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, and a strong history of security.
Pros
- Kraken, through Payward, received VARA approval in the UAE, enabling it to provide local clients with Dirham funding and trading options.
- 3D secure required
- Enjoy low trading fees on Kraken Pro.
Cons
- Slow verification times
- Pro account's verification process is slow.
- Doesn't support many new alternative coins.
Why Trade With Coinbase?
Coinbase is great for beginners who want an easy-to-use platform to buy and sell various cryptocurrencies, with strong security and regulatory compliance. However, its fees are higher than competitors in our tests, and it’s less suited for short-term traders.
Pros
- Platforms are available for all skill levels: beginners can use the simple Coinbase app, while Advanced Trade offers lower fees and professional tools.
- Coinbase offers over 240 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), and new altcoins like $Trump, providing early access to emerging tokens.
- In 2025, Coinbase Advanced expanded its leveraged trading options with new futures products, including Ripple (XRP), Natural Gas (NGS), and Cardano (ADA), offering more ways to trade, hedge, or diversify.
Cons
- Crypto fees are high based on tests, especially when compared to competitors like Kraken and BitMEX, particularly on the regular trading platform.
- Advanced Trade provides TradingView charts but lacks research tools like news feeds, economic calendars, and AI market insights.
- Customer support is frustrating during testing because most help options require login, making it difficult for locked-out users or those without accounts to get assistance.
Filters
Methodology
We went through every broker in our evolving directory and checked whether they offered perpetual futures contracts. For those that did, we opened accounts to test and evaluate the perps, considering the breadth of contracts, fees, tools, and security features. We then rated and ranked every provider to list the top perp trading brokers.
How To Compare Perpetual Futures Brokers
Every perp trader has slightly different needs and interests. To help narrow your search, focus on these five key areas:
- Costs: Many traders and brokers focus on the commission, but a core cost of trading perpetual futures is the funding rate. These are periodic payments that go between longs and shorts to keep the contract in pace with spot prices. A broker may advertise no commission on perps, but their funding process may still bleed your account over days and weeks.
- Liquidity: We’ve seen some brokers advertise high trading volumes, but really look for market depth of 2% (the volume of resting orders close to the mid-price). Thin order books can cause slippage in perp trades, which is especially important for big positions using leverage because if they go through at unfavorable prices, that can erode any ‘cheap fees’.
- Contracts: Check if a provider offers linear contracts (collateralized in stablecoins like USDT) and inverse contracts (collateralized in the underlying crypto). If you go long on an inverse contract in a down market, this can trigger a double-loss: your position loses value, and your collateral simultaneously depreciates.
- Trust: This is vital, because firstly, perpetuals remain a fairly new class of futures contracts. But also because they’re often offered by crypto exchanges from our investigations, which, as a class of trading providers, have experienced their fair share of hacks and security issues, plus regulatory scrutiny. If they’re crypto-focused platforms, check for proof of reserves to get some confidence that your collateral exists and is protected.
- Tools: Perps are generally traded with leverage by experienced traders requiring advanced order types. Examples of orders to look for include Reduce-Only orders (prevents you from accidentally opening opposite positions when stops trigger) and Post-Only orders (guarantees maker rebates and avoid taker fee traps). Access to an API can also help with efficient execution.
Ultimately, in our tests, we saw that brokers with the lowest headline commission may not be the cheapest overall because recurring funding and slow or poor execution can cost more than the transaction fee.
Why The Rise In Perp Futures?
We’ve watched a wave of CFD providers, crypto exchanges, and prediction market platforms roll out perpetual futures contracts in recent years, with Kraken, Coinbase and Pepperstone adding them in June and July of 2026 alone.
There are two reasons for the rise of perps:
- US regulations: In May 2026, the CFTC came out to approve the first perpetual futures contracts, enabling regulated venues in the US to start rolling them out.
- 24/7 trading: Brokerages are increasingly looking to give hungry retail traders opportunities to trade around the clock, so where traditional futures close on weekends, perps are being used to provide additional trading opportunities.
The Real Cost Of Holding A Perpetual Future
Fees when dealing with perps can be complex. To bring it to life, let’s look at an example…
I decide to open a $10,000 BTC perpetual position, taking a long trade. My broker charged a 0.05% taker fee, and the current funding rate is 0.01% every eight hours. To keep this realistic, let’s also factor in a minor 0.02% ($2.00) bid-ask spread and execution slippage cost upon entry.
Here is how the true cost of holding this position for exactly 24 hours comes out:
- Opening Fee: $10,000 × 0.05% = $5.00
- Estimated Daily Funding Cost: Over 24 hours, funding is settled 3 times. Since I am long and the funding rate is positive (+0.01% per interval), I must pay the shorts.
- Calculation: $10,000 × (0.01% × 3) = $3.00
- Slippage/Spread: $2.00
- Closing Fee: $10,000 × 0.05% = $5.00
- Approximate Total Cost (1 Day): $5.00 (open) + $5.00 (close) + $2.00 (slippage) + $3.00 (funding paid) = $15.00
The Formula
To calculate the overall potential overheads on any perpetual position, we can use this basic formula:
Estimated Total Cost = Opening Fee + Closing Fee + Spread/Slippage ± Funding Payments
Perp funding is highly dynamic. If bearish sentiment takes over and the perpetual price drops below the actual spot price of e.g. Bitcoin, the funding rate can turn negative (e.g., -0.01% every eight hours). Because I am still holding my long position, the mechanics flip: instead of paying, I now receive funding from the short traders.
- Adjusted Daily Funding: -$3.00 (credited directly to my margin balance)
- Adjusted Total Cost (1 Day): $5.00 (open) + $5.00 (close) + $2.00 (slippage) – $3.00 (funding received) = $9.00