Maker vs Taker: How Fees Eat Into Your Profits

There are two ways to enter the market in crypto trading, and choosing between them can “eat up” half your profit. Let’s find out why.

What’s really happening?

Taker — This is you when you’re in a hurry. You place a market order and instantly match with someone else’s order from the book. Fast? Yes. But the fee is higher — you pay for convenience.

Maker — This is you when you’re patient. You place a limit order and wait for someone to match with you. You provide liquidity, so the exchange gives you a discount on the fee.

The difference in futures fees: 0.02% (Maker) vs 0.055% (Taker). Sounds small? Take a closer look.

Real account with 2 BTC

Imagine: BTC from 60K to 61K (2000 USDT profit on 2 BTC).

Trader using Maker orders:

• Opening fee: 12 USDT
• Closing fee: 12.2 USDT
• Net P&L: 1975.8 USDT (loss of 24.2 USDT)

Trader using Taker orders:

• Opening fee: 72 USDT
• Closing fee: 73.2 USDT
• Net P&L: 1854.8 USDT (loss of 145.2 USDT)

Difference: 121 USDT on a single trade. Over a month, this can be significant.

How to place a Maker order?

1. Select Limit Order
2. Enable the Post Only (post only) option
3. Set the price inside the spread:
   • To buy: below the best ask price
   • To sell: above the best bid price

If the order is filled immediately, it becomes a Taker order and will be canceled due to Post Only.

Conclusion

Maker orders are not just mechanics, they’re savings on every trade. If you trade frequently, the difference can add up to tens or hundreds of dollars per month. Patience pays dividends.