Head-to-head · US DCA
River vs Kraken
All-in cost to buy Bitcoin on a weekly schedule for 1 year — fees, estimated spread, and modeled custody. Network miner fees excluded.
Fee data last verified 2026-10-15 (ET). Methodology.
At $100/week for 1 year, River wins on cost — about $77.00 less than Kraken ($1.00 vs $78.00).
Ranked by modeled all-in cost only — not custody preference, UX, or future affiliate relationships.
All-in at $25 / $100 / $500 weekly
Each scenario is 52 weekly buys (1 year). Same fee inputs; only the weekly dollar amount changes.
| Weekly DCA | River all-in | Kraken all-in | Winner | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25/wk $1,300.00 invested | $0.25 0.02% | $19.50 1.50% | River | $19.25 |
| $100/wk $5,200.00 invested | $1.00 0.02% | $78.00 1.50% | River | $77.00 |
| $500/wk $26,000.00 invested | $5.00 0.02% | $390.00 1.50% | River | $385.00 |
Breakdown at $100 / week
River
Weekly recurring buys — zero fee from 2nd order; assume free monthly withdraw.
$1.00
0.02% of $5,200.00 invested
- Buy fees: $1.00
- Spread (estimate): $0.00
- Custody (modeled): $0.00
Kraken
Kraken Instant/Recurring Buy at 1% trading fee + estimated spread (not Pro spot).
$78.00
1.50% of $5,200.00 invested
- Buy fees: $52.00
- Spread (estimate): $26.00
- Custody (modeled): $0.00
River sources
Last verified 2026-10-15 (ET)
- River fees help article · accessed 2026-10-15
- River Proof of Reserves · accessed 2026-10-15
River may include a spread on priced orders; size not publicly fixed — marked estimate 0% for free recurring path until measured.
Kraken sources
Last verified 2026-10-15 (ET)
- Kraken fee schedule · accessed 2026-10-15
- Kraken recurring orders · accessed 2026-10-15
1% documented on instant/recurring. Spread is variable — 0.5% ESTIMATE. Kraken+ waives trading fee up to $10k/mo but spreads still apply. Pro spot starts ~0.40%/0.80% maker/taker.
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