IntelOracle

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Where to open your first account.

Every fact below comes from the company's own pages, with the date we checked. Fees are described the way each company describes them. We never rank by commission.

A person checking crypto prices on a phone next to a laptop

Exchanges

Custodial apps where you buy with dollars. Easiest start, and the company holds your keys.

Coinbase

Custodial exchange

A US-listed exchange and brokerage where you buy, sell, convert and stake crypto through a custodial account.

Fees
Simple buys include a spread plus a separate Coinbase fee that depends on payment method, order size and asset. Simple limit orders add a 1% execution fee. Fees show on the preview screen before you confirm.
US availability
Available in the US. Coinbase does not publish a state exclusion list for trading. Staking is offered in most jurisdictions, including New York.
Beginner fit
The widest set of US funding options: bank, debit card, PayPal, wire, Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Good

  • Funding options for US users include ACH, debit card, PayPal, wire and Apple/Google/Samsung Pay
  • Two-factor authentication is auto-enrolled with security key support
  • Staking available in most jurisdictions, including New York per Coinbase

Watch out

  • Simple buys include a spread plus a separate Coinbase fee that varies by payment method
  • Simple limit orders add a 1% execution fee on top of the Coinbase fee
  • Staking commission is 35% of rewards for standard members on major assets

Kraken

Custodial exchange

An exchange with a simple app for instant buys and Kraken Pro for order-book trading.

Fees
Instant and recurring buys cost 1% plus a spread; custom orders 1.5%. Kraken Pro uses lower maker and taker fees. Kraken+ members get app trading fees waived on up to $10,000 a month.
US availability
Not available to residents of New York or Maine. Fiat transfers are unavailable in Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts and Utah. Staking only in listed states, not including California or Texas.
Beginner fit
Publishes periodic proof of reserves that account holders can verify themselves.

Good

  • Kraken+ waives app trading fees on up to $10,000 of monthly volume
  • Kraken Pro maker-taker fees for users who outgrow instant buys
  • Periodic Proof of Reserves that account holders can verify

Watch out

  • Not available to residents of New York or Maine
  • Instant and recurring buys cost 1% plus a spread, custom orders 1.5%
  • Staking limited to listed states, excluding large ones such as California and Texas

Gemini

Custodial exchange

A New York trust-chartered exchange and custodian with an app for instant buys and ActiveTrader for maker-taker trading.

Fees
Instant and recurring orders include a spread plus a fee that depends on payment method and order size. ACH and wire deposits are free; debit card purchases cost 3.49% and PayPal deposits 2.50%.
US availability
Available in the US, including New York. Staking is offered in certain US jurisdictions; check New York status in the app.
Beginner fit
Two-factor authentication is required on every account, and New York residents can use it.

Good

  • Licensed as a New York trust company and available to New York residents
  • 2FA required on every account and SOC 1 Type 2 / SOC 2 Type 2 compliance stated
  • ACH and wire deposits are free

Watch out

  • Debit card purchases carry a 3.49% fee and PayPal deposits 2.50%
  • Instant and recurring orders include a spread on top of fees
  • Debit card and PayPal purchases capped at $1,000 per day

Crypto.com

Custodial exchange

An app-first platform for buying, selling and staking 400+ tokens, with a paid Level Up membership that waives trading fees up to a limit.

Fees
Zero trading fees up to the limit of your Level Up tier, but spreads and other transaction fees may apply. USD deposits are free. Instant debit card purchases usually carry a percentage fee.
US availability
Available in 49 US states plus Puerto Rico and Guam; not available in New York. Staking is unavailable in New York, California, Maryland, New Jersey and Wisconsin.
Beginner fit
The biggest token catalog here, which is also a reason to be careful about what you click.

Good

  • Available in 49 US states plus Puerto Rico and Guam
  • Large catalog: 400+ tokens in the app
  • Zero-fee USD deposits and zero trading fees within Level Up tier limits

Watch out

  • Not available to New York residents
  • Staking excluded in California, Maryland, New Jersey, Wisconsin and New York
  • Fee waiver depends on a paid Level Up tier, and spreads still apply

Robinhood Crypto

Custodial exchange

Crypto trading inside the Robinhood investing app, with commission-free default routing.

Fees
No commission on default routing, which sends orders to market makers that pay Robinhood volume rebates. Optional exchange routing charges maker and taker fees from 0.95% taker on small accounts.
US availability
Available in every US state, DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands; some coins cannot be traded in New York or Texas. Staking (SOL, ETH, ADA) excludes California, Maryland, New Jersey and Wisconsin.
Beginner fit
Buy from $1, in an app many people already have for stocks.

Good

  • Available in every US state, DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands
  • No commission on default market-maker routing and a $1 minimum
  • Crypto, stocks and banking in one app

Watch out

  • Default routing earns Robinhood volume rebates from market makers
  • Exchange Routing fees start at 0.95% taker for small accounts
  • Staking limited to three assets and excluded in four states, with a 25% commission

Hardware wallets

Devices that hold your keys offline. The step after an exchange, once you own enough to care. Read the wallets guide first.

Ledger

Self-custody hardware wallet

Hardware wallets with a Secure Element chip, used with the free Ledger Wallet app (formerly Ledger Live).

Fees
The app is free. You pay once for the device; the official shop listed models from $69 (Nano S Plus) to $249 (Flex) on 2026-10-14. Buys and swaps in the app carry third-party provider fees.
US availability
Sold in the US through ledger.com, Amazon (seller: Ledger Official) and Best Buy. In-app buy and staking depend on third-party providers.
Beginner fit
Keys stay on the device, never on your phone or computer. The Nano S Plus does not work with iPhones.

Good

  • Keys stay offline in a certified Secure Element, never on the phone or computer
  • Free Ledger Wallet app supports 100+ blockchains and compares buy, swap and staking providers
  • Official US retail channels: ledger.com, Amazon (Ledger Official) and Best Buy

Watch out

  • Buys and swaps in the app carry provider fees that vary by provider and payment method
  • Nano S Plus does not work with iOS devices
  • Ledger Recover backup is an optional paid subscription ($9.99 a month per Ledger Academy)

Trezor

Self-custody hardware wallet

Open-source hardware wallets (Safe 3, 5 and 7) used with the Trezor Suite app.

Fees
You pay once for the device; the official shop listed the Safe 3 at $59 and the Safe 7 at $249 on 2026-10-14. Staking rewards carry a 10% commission on ETH and 7% on SOL.
US availability
Ships to the US from US fulfillment centers in 3 to 5 business days.
Beginner fit
Open-source firmware and the cheapest entry device in this list.

Good

  • Open-source firmware and design with an NDA-free EAL6+ Secure Element
  • Low entry price: Safe 3 at $59
  • US orders ship from US fulfillment centers in 3 to 5 business days

Watch out

  • Safe 3 has a small non-touch screen and no Bluetooth
  • In-app staking covers only ETH, ADA and SOL and relies on Everstake for ETH and SOL
  • Staking commissions of 10% (ETH) and 7% (SOL) of rewards

Tax tools

In the US, selling, swapping and staking can all create tax events. These tools read your exchange history and build the report.

Koinly

Software only, never holds funds

Crypto tax software that imports your exchange and wallet history and builds the reports, including IRS Form 8949 and a TurboTax export.

Fees
Free plan to import and preview. Downloading a report starts at $49 per tax year for up to 100 transactions; $99 for up to 1,000.
US availability
US reports on paid plans: Form 8949, Schedule D, TurboTax and TaxACT export.
Beginner fit
Preview your gains free before you pay anything.

Good

  • Free plan lets you import and preview gains before paying
  • Unlimited wallets and exchanges on every plan, with Form 8949 and TurboTax export on paid plans
  • States SOC2 Type 2 and ISO27001 certification and encrypts stored API keys with AES-256-GCM

Watch out

  • You must buy a plan for each tax year you want a report for
  • Tax report download needs a paid plan, from $49 for only 100 transactions
  • Active traders above 1,000 transactions start at $199 per tax year

CoinLedger

Software only, never holds funds

US-based crypto tax software that syncs wallets and exchanges and sells each tax report as a one-time purchase.

Fees
Portfolio tracking is free. Reports are a one-time purchase per tax year: $49 up to 100 transactions, $99 up to 1,000.
US availability
US company based in Saint Louis, Missouri, with TurboTax integration.
Beginner fit
14-day money-back guarantee and free report regeneration within your tier.

Good

  • Free portfolio tracking with unlimited exchange and wallet syncs
  • 14 day money back guarantee and free report regeneration within tier
  • Reports available for any year from 2010 to 2025

Watch out

  • Report download requires purchase, from $49 for 100 transactions
  • Each tax year's report is a separate purchase
  • Over 3,000 transactions costs extra beyond the $199 Pro tier

How we pick and check

We only list companies that are available to US users and publish their fees. Each row is checked against the official fee, availability and staking pages, and dated. If a company changes its terms, the row changes. If we have an affiliate relationship, that is disclosed above, and it never changes the order or the facts.

Questions people ask

What is the easiest exchange for a first purchase?

The table above lists fee model, custody and US availability for each one so you can judge for your situation. Simple-buy interfaces are easiest but usually cost more per trade than the advanced interface on the same exchange.

Why do you use affiliate links?

They fund the free content. The comparison facts come from each company's official pages and are dated, and every partner link is marked. Having an affiliate relationship does not change the order or the facts.

Are my coins safe on an exchange?

An exchange holds the keys for you, which is convenient and also a risk. Our wallets guide explains when to move coins to self-custody.