Kraken Pro is the same exchange as the consumer app with the training wheels removed, and the difference in cost is the first thing any new user should understand. The simple buy screen bundles a spread into a convenience price; the Pro ticket charges a published maker or taker fee. On a mid-sized order the gap is not marginal.
The terminal itself is what a working trader wants: configurable panels, depth alongside the chart, limit, stop and conditional orders, and an API that behaves predictably enough to build against. Nothing about it is fashionable, which is a compliment.
Liquidity held up in testing during two high-volatility sessions, with slippage on majors staying inside expectations for the size traded. Kraken's operational record through past market shocks — no withdrawal halts during the events that took down several peers — remains the most substantive point in its favour, alongside recurring proof-of-reserves attestations.
The frustrations are ordinary ones. Which products you can access depends heavily on where you live, and the discovery of that fact usually happens after signing up. Support has improved but still slows noticeably when markets move, which is exactly when it matters.
As a place to execute and to hold working balances while trading, it earns its reputation. Just do the arithmetic on the interface you use, and keep long-term holdings in self-custody. Four out of five.
