Use these simple examples to see how paying maker fees instead of taker fees can add up over many trades. This page is written around the core ideas behind maker and taker activity: liquidity, order-book depth, execution timing, and fee differences.

Small trade example

Active trader example

Makers add liquidity and usually pay less, while takers remove liquidity and usually pay more for immediate execution.

Fee tables are usually tiered because trading venues want to reward scale while still encouraging liquidity. That means the exact numbers vary, but the economic logic remains the same.

Do not focus only on a headline fee number. Focus on how your own order flow behaves and whether you are usually adding liquidity or taking it away.

Key differences at a glance: makers normally use non-immediate orders, often limit orders, to add liquidity to the book. Takers normally use immediately matching orders, often market orders, to remove liquidity. Makers are typically linked with lower fees or rebates, while takers are typically linked with higher fees and faster execution.