| Metric | Bybit | MEXC |
|---|---|---|
| Max Leverage | 100x | 200x |
| Maker Fee | 0.020% | 0% |
| Taker Fee | 0.055% | 0.020% |
| Trading Pairs | 400+ | 600+ |
| Rating | 8.7/10 | 7.8/10 |
| Founded | 2018 | 2018 |
| Regulated In | Dubai, Cyprus, Kazakhstan | Estonia, Switzerland, Canada |
Feature Comparison
Pros & Cons
Bybit
- Over 400 perpetual futures pairs, one of the widest selections available
- Derivatives-first platform with a clean, trader-oriented interface
- Strong copy trading and native grid/DCA trading bot infrastructure
- Third-party verified Proof of Reserves for transparency
- Does not serve US residents
- Taker fee of 0.055% is slightly above average among top-tier exchanges
- Spot offering is secondary to the derivatives focus
MEXC
- Zero maker fees on futures — the lowest maker cost on this list
- Over 600 perpetual futures pairs, one of the widest altcoin selections available
- Up to 200x leverage on select pairs
- Low taker fee of 0.02%, well below the market average of 0.05%
- Does not serve US residents
- Regulatory presence limited to Estonia, Switzerland, and Canada
- High leverage and broad altcoin listing increases risk for inexperienced traders
Bybit and MEXC both compete hard on bonuses, fees, and altcoin listings. Both offer real value. But fee pricing, leverage, pair count, product depth, and platform maturity create real dollar differences in your results.
Sign-up bonuses & referral deals
Both have large bonuses, but Bybit leads. Bybit offers up to $30,000 through our referral link. MEXC offers up to $10,000. Both include deposit matches and fee coupons with milestone unlocking. For a $50,000 deposit, Bybit typically returns $2,000-$5,000 in bonus value versus $1,000-$2,500 on MEXC. For medium deposits of $1,000-$10,000, both platforms are competitive. Both links also unlock permanent fee discounts.
Trading fees comparison
MEXC has a big fee edge. MEXC charges 0% maker — limit orders are free. Taker fees are just 0.02%. Bybit charges 0.02% maker and 0.055% taker. On a $100,000 taker trade, you pay $20 on MEXC versus $55 on Bybit. For makers, MEXC is free versus $20 per $100,000 on Bybit.
Here is the annual impact. A trader doing $2 million monthly split 50/50 maker and taker: MEXC costs $200/month ($1M x 0% + $1M x 0.02%). Bybit costs $750/month ($1M x 0.02% + $1M x 0.055%). MEXC saves $550/month, or $6,600 per year. This is MEXC's single biggest edge in the market. Even after Bybit's larger welcome bonus, MEXC's fee savings win within 2-6 months for active traders.
MEXC's 0% maker fee is key for limit order traders. Every limit order is free, no matter the size. A trader placing $3 million monthly in limit orders pays $0 on MEXC versus $600 on Bybit (0.02% maker). MEXC is the top choice for patient traders who use limit orders, grid strategies, or any approach that provides liquidity. See the full breakdown in our fee comparison guide.
Leverage & margin
MEXC goes to 200x; Bybit caps at 100x. 200x is extremely risky and only suits experienced traders with tight risk controls. But it gives more room for micro-position scalping. At 200x, a $500 deposit controls $100,000 notional on MEXC versus $50,000 on Bybit. If you need leverage above 100x, MEXC is one of the few major exchanges that offer it. Both platforms support cross-margin and isolated-margin modes.
Market coverage & liquidity
MEXC has more pairs: 600+ versus Bybit's 400+. MEXC is the fastest major exchange at listing new tokens. It often adds perpetual futures within hours of a token going viral on Twitter or Telegram. Bybit is also fast, but typically 12-48 hours behind MEXC for the hottest launches. For early momentum traders, MEXC has the widest selection and fastest access.
The trade-off is liquidity. Many new MEXC listings have thin books and wide spreads — fine for $1,000-$5,000 positions, but not for larger orders. Bybit is more selective, so its listed pairs have better depth.
On major pairs (BTC/USDT, ETH/USDT), Bybit has deeper books. For a $200,000 BTC/USDT market order, expect 2-3 bps of slippage on Bybit versus 5-8 bps on MEXC. That costs $60-$100 more per trade on MEXC. For trades under $50,000, both exchanges execute fine.
MEXC's fee edge compensates for slippage on small and mid-size orders. On a $50,000 taker trade, MEXC saves $17.50 in fees versus Bybit ($10 vs $27.50). The slippage difference at that size is negligible. The breakeven is roughly $150,000-$250,000 per order on major pairs. Below that, MEXC is cheaper despite thinner books. Above it, Bybit's better execution can offset the fee gap.
Platform features & products
Copy trading is a clear Bybit edge. Bybit has thousands of verified master traders, detailed analytics (ROI, drawdown, win rate), and flexible copy modes including fixed-ratio and custom allocation. MEXC offers basic copy trading. It has fewer traders, less filtering, and shorter track records. If copy trading matters to you, Bybit wins easily.
Bybit also has a wider product set: spot, options, a Web3 wallet with DEX integration and cross-chain bridging, and a launchpad. MEXC offers spot, futures, and basic earn products. MEXC is focused almost entirely on trading. Bybit's Web3 wallet lets users move between the CEX and DeFi without leaving the app — MEXC has no equivalent.
Security & regulation
Bybit has stronger regulation. It is headquartered in Dubai with a VARA license and a growing compliance team. MEXC is registered in Seychelles with fewer credentials and a more offshore approach. Both publish Proof of Reserves. Bybit's protection fund exceeds $300 million. If regulatory clarity matters to you, Bybit offers more assurance. MEXC suits traders who put cost first and are comfortable with lighter oversight.
Mobile, API & trading tools
Both have solid mobile apps for futures trading. Bybit's is more polished — copy trading, Web3 wallet, and a cleaner interface. MEXC's app is fast for pure trading but less refined. Bybit has a stronger third-party API ecosystem. If you use bots, check MEXC's API compatibility with your tools before committing.
MEXC's funding rate dashboard
MEXC's funding rate dashboard is worth noting. It shows real-time and predicted rates across all 600+ pairs in one sortable view. You can find pairs where you get paid to hold, or spot rate divergences between MEXC and Bybit for cross-exchange arbitrage. This alone makes MEXC useful for funding rate strategies even as a secondary platform. You can also track rates across both exchanges on our funding rates dashboard.
Many traders use both. Bybit works as the primary platform for copy trading and major pair execution. MEXC handles 0% maker limit orders, early altcoin listings, and funding rate plays. Claim bonuses on both ($30,000 + $10,000 combined) and route each trade to whichever platform offers better economics.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Bybit if you...
- Want the largest welcome bonus in the industry (up to $30,000)
- Value mature copy trading with thousands of verified master traders
- Need deeper order book liquidity on major pairs for larger orders
- Want Web3 wallet integration with DEX aggregation and cross-chain bridging
- Prefer an exchange with Dubai VARA regulatory licensing
Choose MEXC if you...
- Want 0% maker fees and the lowest taker fees of any major exchange (0.02%)
- Need the widest altcoin selection with 600+ perpetual pairs
- Want the fastest new token listings — often within hours of going viral
- Need 200x leverage for micro-position scalping strategies
- Prioritize fee savings over platform features and regulatory coverage
Verdict
MEXC wins decisively on fees (0%/0.02% vs 0.02%/0.055%), leverage (200x vs 100x), and pair coverage (600+ vs 400+). Bybit wins on sign-up bonus ($30,000 vs $10,000), copy trading, liquidity depth, product ecosystem, and regulatory presence. Choose MEXC for the lowest possible fees and widest altcoin access. Choose Bybit for generous onboarding bonuses, copy trading, and a more established platform with deeper liquidity on major pairs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bybit better than MEXC for futures trading?
It depends entirely on your priorities and trading style. MEXC offers dramatically lower fees (0% maker / 0.02% taker vs 0.02% / 0.055%), saving active traders thousands of dollars annually — a trader doing $2 million monthly saves roughly $6,600 per year on MEXC. Bybit offers deeper liquidity on major pairs (2-3x deeper BTC/USDT order books), mature copy trading with thousands of verified master traders, Web3 wallet integration with DEX aggregation, and a larger welcome bonus ($30,000 vs $10,000). For pure cost minimization and altcoin discovery, MEXC wins. For a complete trading platform with social features, Bybit wins. Model the exact costs with our [fee calculator](/tools/fee-calculator).
Which has lower fees, Bybit or MEXC?
MEXC has substantially lower fees — one of the largest fee gaps between any two major exchanges. Maker orders are completely free (0%) on MEXC versus 0.02% on Bybit, saving $200 per $1 million in maker volume. Taker orders cost 0.02% on MEXC versus 0.055% on Bybit — on a $100,000 taker trade, you pay $20 on MEXC versus $55 on Bybit. For a trader doing $2 million in monthly volume split 50/50 maker/taker, MEXC saves approximately $550 per month or $6,600 per year. Even accounting for Bybit's deeper liquidity (which reduces slippage on large orders), MEXC is cheaper for orders under $150,000. See the full comparison in our [cost comparison tool](/tools/cost-comparison).
Which is safer, Bybit or MEXC?
Bybit is generally considered safer due to its Dubai VARA license, $300M+ protection fund, expanding compliance team, and stronger regulatory presence. MEXC is registered in Seychelles with fewer regulatory credentials and a more offshore-oriented approach. Both publish Proof of Reserves and maintain cold storage with multi-signature withdrawal authorization. Neither has suffered a direct platform hack resulting in permanent user fund losses. For risk-averse traders who prioritize regulatory compliance and institutional trust, Bybit's regulatory framework provides meaningfully more assurance. MEXC's lighter regulatory profile has not caused user-facing issues but represents higher counterparty risk on paper.
Which has more trading pairs, Bybit or MEXC?
MEXC lists 600+ perpetual pairs versus Bybit's 400+, making MEXC the clear leader in altcoin coverage across the entire CEX market. MEXC is also faster at listing new tokens, often adding perpetual futures within hours of a token gaining social media virality — typically 12-48 hours ahead of Bybit for the most viral launches. The trade-off is that many of MEXC's newest listings carry thin liquidity and wide spreads, while Bybit's listed pairs generally have better per-pair order book depth. For traders who specialize in catching early momentum on new token launches, MEXC provides the widest selection and fastest access.
Can I use Bybit or MEXC in the US?
Neither Bybit nor MEXC offers perpetual futures to US residents. Both exchanges geo-block US IP addresses and require non-US KYC documentation for derivatives access. Attempting to bypass these restrictions with a VPN violates both exchanges' terms of service and risks account freezing and fund seizure. US-based traders must use regulated domestic platforms like Kraken (which offers futures in select US states) or decentralized perpetual exchanges. For US-accessible regulated alternatives, see our [Binance vs Kraken](/compare/binance-vs-kraken) comparison.
Which has a better welcome bonus, Bybit or MEXC?
Bybit offers up to $30,000 versus MEXC's $10,000, making Bybit's bonus package three times larger in total potential value. Both structures include deposit matches, trading fee coupons, and milestone-based rewards. For a $50,000 deposit, Bybit typically yields $2,000-$5,000 in bonus value versus $1,000-$2,500 on MEXC. However, MEXC's dramatically lower ongoing fees (0% maker / 0.02% taker vs 0.02% / 0.055%) can overtake the bonus difference within 2-6 months for active traders doing $1 million+ monthly volume. For the best of both worlds, claim bonuses on both platforms and route trades based on which offers better economics for each specific position.