Taker and maker orders: how choosing a strategy affects fees and trading results

In cryptocurrency trading, the style of order execution directly impacts payment sizes and overall profit. Taker and maker orders are two fundamentally different approaches to market interaction, each with its own advantages and costs. Understanding the differences between taker and maker is key to optimizing trading strategies.

Taker Orders: When Urgency Matters More Than Savings

A taker order is executed immediately at the current market price. A trader using a taker strategy does not add liquidity to the order book but “takes” existing liquidity by matching with orders placed earlier by other participants.

This approach provides maximum execution speed — positions can be opened or closed almost instantly. This makes taker orders attractive for:

• Quickly entering a position before an expected market move
• Urgently closing a position in unfavorable conditions
• Trading volatile assets where every second counts

However, convenience comes at a price: taker orders are charged higher fees, averaging around 0.05-0.06% of the trading volume.

Maker Orders: Providing Liquidity with Rewards

A maker order is placed in the order book and remains there until filled. A trader acting as a maker adds liquidity to the market, narrowing the spread between bid and ask prices.

As a reward for providing liquidity, makers pay reduced fees, typically in the range of 0.01-0.02%. This requires patience — the order may wait some time to match with a taker order.

The maker strategy is preferred for:

• Long-term trading where slight delays are not critical
• Saving on commission fees
• Maximizing profit by minimizing costs
• Trading large volumes where every percentage point of fee matters

Cost Comparison: Typical Fee Table

Real-World Impact: How Choice Affects Final Profit

Let’s consider an example trading the BTCUSDT pair:

Position parameters:

• Size: 2 BTC
• Entry price: 60,000 USDT
• Exit price: 61,000 USDT
• Direction: Long (buy)

Scenario A: Trader uses maker orders

Opening: 2 × 60,000 × 0.01% = 12 USDT
Closing: 2 × 61,000 × 0.01% = 12.2 USDT
Total fees: 24.2 USDT

Profit calculation:

• Gross profit: 2 × (61,000 – 60,000) = 2,000 USDT
• Net profit: 2,000 – 24.2 = 1,975.8 USDT

Scenario B: Trader uses taker orders

Opening: 2 × 60,000 × 0.06% = 72 USDT
Closing: 2 × 61,000 × 0.06% = 73.2 USDT
Total fees: 145.2 USDT

Profit calculation:

• Gross profit: 2,000 USDT
• Net profit: 2,000 – 145.2 = 1,854.8 USDT

Result: a difference of 121 USDT (6.1% less profit)

This example shows that choosing a taker order instead of a maker order costs the trader over $100 on the same trade. Over a year of active trading, this difference can amount to thousands of dollars.

How to Choose the Optimal Strategy

The choice between maker and taker depends on:

Market conditions:

• High volatility → taker (speed is more important than fees)
• Calm markets → maker (there’s time to wait)

Your trading style:

• Scalping and short-term trading → taker is often necessary
• Swing trading and position trading → maker is preferable

Capital size:

• Large volumes → maker (significant savings on fees)
• Small volumes → flexibility of taker may be more convenient

Practical Tips for Placing Maker Orders

If you want to minimize fees using a maker strategy, follow these steps:

1. Place limit orders at favorable prices, not at the current market price.
2. Consider order book depth — place your order in a zone with sufficient activity.
3. Use passive orders (Post-Only) if available on your platform — this prevents accidental execution at taker prices.
4. For buying (long): set your price below the best ask. For selling (short): set your price above the best bid.
5. Allow sufficient time — your order may take minutes or hours to fill.

Conclusion

Taker and maker orders are not just different trading methods but represent different philosophies of market approach. Takers pay for convenience and speed, while makers are rewarded for patience and providing liquidity.

Experienced traders often combine both approaches depending on the situation: use taker when in a hurry, switch to maker when time permits. Understanding these mechanisms enables more informed decisions and helps optimize long-term trading results.