Coinbase Advanced is the professional trading interface inside a normal Coinbase account. It replaces the simple buy button with a real order book, limit and market orders, and maker taker pricing that is typically around a tenth of the simple interface cost. Same login, same assets, same custody.
Coinbase Advanced
Open Coinbase Advanced and start trading on the order book rather than the buy button.
Open Coinbase AdvancedReferral disclosure. The link above is a referral link. If you sign up through it, Orca Crypto may receive a commission at no additional cost to you, and in some cases you receive a bonus as well. This does not change what we write. We list the drawbacks of every platform on this page, and we would tell you the same things over a coffee.
Why this page exists
Most people who buy crypto on Coinbase never leave the simple interface, and pay several percent every single time. The Advanced interface is not a different company, a different account or a different risk profile. It is a different screen.
| Simple interface | Advanced | |
|---|---|---|
| Order types | Buy at whatever the price is | Limit, market, stop limit |
| Fee structure | Spread plus a flat or percentage fee | Maker and taker tiers by 30 day volume |
| Typical all in cost | Around 1.5 to 4 percent | Around 0 to 0.6 percent |
| You can see | A price | The full order book and recent trades |
| Learning curve | None | About five minutes |
Reading the screen
It looks busy at first. There are only four parts that matter:
The chart
Price over time. You can ignore it entirely at first, or use it to pick a limit price.
The order book
Green bids below, red asks above. The gap between the best of each is the spread you pay.
The order form
Where you choose buy or sell, market or limit, and the amount. This is the only part you strictly need.
Your orders
Open orders waiting to fill, and your fill history.
Limit orders, in one minute
A market order buys immediately at whatever price is available. A limit order buys only at your price or better, and waits until the market comes to you.
Limit orders are cheaper because you add liquidity to the book rather than taking it, and exchanges charge lower maker fees for that. On Coinbase Advanced the maker fee can be zero at some tiers.
Placing your first order
Log into your existing Coinbase account
Advanced uses the same login and the same balance. Nothing to transfer.
Pick a trading pair
BTC-USD or ETH-USD to start. The pair is what you are trading against what.
Choose Limit
Set your price at or just below the current market price.
Enter the amount
In dollars or in the asset, whichever you prefer. The form shows the total.
Review the fee
It is displayed before you confirm. Compare it mentally to what the simple screen would have charged.
Place the order and wait
It appears under open orders. When the market reaches your price, it fills.
Honest assessment
Strengths
Why we recommend it
- Roughly a tenth of the simple interface cost, on the same account
- Real order types including limit and stop limit
- Maker fees can reach zero at higher volume tiers
- Same custody, same regulation, same security as standard Coinbase
Weaknesses
Where it asks more of you
- Intimidating on first sight, though only briefly
- Easy to mistype an amount or a price if you are rushing
- Fewer assets listed than the simple interface
- Still a custodial exchange, with all that implies
Common questions
Is Coinbase Advanced a separate account?
No. Same login, same identity verification, same balance. It is a different interface on the account you already have.
Is it safe for beginners?
Yes. The risk is mistyping an order, not the platform. Start with a small amount and read the confirmation screen before you submit.
What happened to Coinbase Pro?
Coinbase Pro was retired and its functionality became Coinbase Advanced inside the main app. If you remember Pro, this is its replacement.
What is the difference between maker and taker?
A maker adds liquidity with a limit order that waits on the book. A taker removes liquidity by filling immediately. Makers pay less, sometimes nothing.
Where to go next
Want a hand setting it up?
We do this on a screen share, in about an hour, including two factor authentication, a first purchase and moving funds to a wallet you control.