Best Crypto Apps of 2026: Top Picks for Beginners, Low Fees and Rewards

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The best crypto apps make it easy to buy, sell and hold Bitcoin and other coins from your phone, without high hidden fees. We compared the most popular US crypto apps on cost, safety, coin selection, staking and ease of use. Here are our picks for 2026, including the best app for beginners, for low fees and for earning rewards.

Quick answer: The best crypto app for most people is Coinbase, thanks to its beginner-friendly design, hundreds of coins and a new-user bonus. Kraken is the best app for low fees through Kraken Pro, Gemini is best for security and is available in all 50 states, Robinhood is best if you also trade stocks, and Crypto.com is best for card rewards. Whichever app you choose, fund it by bank transfer, use the advanced trading screen to cut fees, and move long-term holdings to a hardware wallet.

Fees, features and availability were checked in October 2026 and change often, especially by state. Confirm the details in each app before you sign up.

Best crypto apps compared

App	Best for	Highlights
Coinbase Best overall	Beginners	Easiest app, hundreds of coins, new-user bonus	Open account
Kraken Best for low fees	Regular buyers and stakers	Kraken Pro from 0.40% maker / 0.80% taker	Visit Kraken
Gemini Best for security	Cautious investors	All 50 states, crypto rewards credit card	Visit Gemini
Robinhood Best for stocks and crypto	Investors who want one app	Commission-free crypto alongside stocks	Visit Robinhood
Crypto.com Best for rewards	Card users	Large coin list, Visa card rewards	Visit Crypto.com

App	Low-fee option	Coins	Staking	Availability
Coinbase	Coinbase Advanced	Hundreds	Yes, varies by state	Nearly every state
Kraken	Kraken Pro	Hundreds	Yes, 20+ assets in most states	Not in New York or Washington
Gemini	ActiveTrader	Curated list of major coins	Yes, varies by state	All 50 states
Robinhood	Commission-free (spread applies)	Dozens of major coins	Limited	Most states
Crypto.com	Crypto.com Exchange	Hundreds	Yes, varies by state	Most states

Our picks for the best crypto apps

1. Coinbase: best overall and best for beginners

Coinbase is the largest US crypto exchange and a public company, and its app is the easiest way to buy your first crypto. Sign-up takes minutes, the design is clean, and you can buy, sell, stake and set up recurring purchases from one screen. It also lists newer tokens faster than most rivals.

• Pros: simplest onboarding, hundreds of coins, staking, recurring buys, new-user bonus, available in nearly every state.
• Cons: the simple Buy button charges a spread plus a fee, so small purchases are expensive; support can be slow at busy times.

Tip: switch to Coinbase Advanced inside the app to pay lower maker-taker fees. Read our Coinbase review.

Get the Coinbase app

2. Kraken: best for low fees

Kraken has run since 2011 without a major exchange hack and is one of the cheapest places to buy crypto if you use Kraken Pro. The main Kraken app is simple for quick buys, while the Kraken Pro app gives you an order book and fees from 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker that fall as your volume grows.

• Pros: low Kraken Pro fees, 20+ stakeable assets, proof-of-reserves reports, 24/7 live chat.
• Cons: not available in New York or Washington; staking excluded in states such as California and New Jersey; the simple app charges 1% plus a spread.

Read our Kraken review and Coinbase vs Kraken.

Visit Kraken

3. Gemini: best for security

Gemini is a New York–regulated trust company with SOC 2 audits, and it’s one of the few crypto apps available in all 50 states. The app is clean and simple, and its standout extra is the Gemini Credit Card, which pays up to 4% back in crypto with no annual fee.

• Pros: strong security and regulation, all 50 states, crypto rewards credit card, ActiveTrader for lower fees.
• Cons: higher fees than Kraken Pro, smaller coin list, staking not offered in every state.

Read our Gemini review.

Visit Gemini

4. Robinhood: best for stocks and crypto in one app

Robinhood lets you trade crypto alongside stocks, ETFs and options in one familiar app, with no commission on crypto trades. Instead, Robinhood earns money from the spread built into each price. It supports major coins like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP and Dogecoin, and you can transfer crypto in and out of your account.

• Pros: one app for stocks and crypto, no commissions, simple design, crypto transfers supported.
• Cons: smaller coin list than crypto-only exchanges, limited staking, and the spread can make large trades costlier than an advanced exchange.

Compare it with other brokers in Robinhood alternatives and Webull vs Robinhood.

Visit Robinhood

5. Crypto.com: best for rewards

Crypto.com offers one of the largest coin selections of any US app, plus the Crypto.com Visa Card, which pays rewards in its CRO token. The best card tiers require you to lock up CRO, so weigh the rewards against that risk. The app is feature-packed, which some users love and beginners can find busy.

• Pros: large coin selection, Visa card rewards, staking, a separate exchange for lower fees.
• Cons: app prices include a spread, the top card perks require holding CRO, and the interface is cluttered for beginners.

Read our Crypto.com review and Crypto.com vs Coinbase.

Visit Crypto.com

How to choose a crypto app

• Fees: almost every app charges more on its simple Buy button. Check whether it offers an advanced trading screen with maker-taker fees, and fund with a bank transfer rather than a debit card.
• Safety: choose a regulated, US-licensed company with a long track record, strong two-factor authentication and proof of reserves or audited financials.
• Coin selection: if you want smaller altcoins, choose Coinbase, Kraken or Crypto.com. If you only want Bitcoin and Ethereum, any of our picks will do.
• Your state: staking and some coins aren’t available in every state, and Kraken doesn’t serve New York or Washington.
• Extras: staking, recurring buys, credit or debit card rewards and stock trading can tip the balance.

New to crypto? Start with our guide to investing your first $100 and see the best crypto exchanges for desktop trading.

How we chose the best crypto apps

Are crypto apps safe?

The major US apps are regulated and use strong security, but when you keep crypto in an app, the company holds your keys. If it’s hacked, freezes withdrawals or goes bankrupt, as FTX did in 2022, you can lose access to your money. Crypto held on an exchange isn’t protected by FDIC or SIPC insurance.

1. Use an authenticator app or security key instead of SMS codes.
2. Never share your password or codes, and ignore anyone who contacts you claiming to be support.
3. Move larger long-term holdings to a hardware wallet such as the Ledger Nano X or Trezor Safe 5.

Learn the most common tricks in our guide to crypto scams.

How to buy crypto with an app

1. Download the app from the official App Store or Google Play listing, then sign up with your email and a strong password.
2. Verify your identity with a photo ID, as US law requires.
3. Turn on two-factor authentication.
4. Link your bank account and deposit by bank transfer, which is usually free.
5. Buy your first crypto, ideally on the app’s advanced trading screen to save on fees.

See step-by-step guides for buying Bitcoin and buying Ethereum.

The bottom line

Coinbase is the best crypto app for most people, especially beginners. If you want to save on fees, Kraken Pro is hard to beat, while Gemini is the safest-feeling choice for cautious investors and Robinhood is the easiest option if you already invest in stocks there. Start small, fund with a bank transfer, and move long-term holdings into your own wallet.

Frequently asked questions