How to buy Ethereum (ETH): compare your options
Buying Ethereum online comes down to how you pay, where you buy, and which wallet and network the ETH is delivered to. The payment methods available to you, and what each costs, are shown by the provider before you confirm. For a full comparison of buying routes across crypto generally, including exchanges and peer-to-peer marketplaces, see the guide to buying crypto. What follows covers the parts that are specific to Ethereum.
Which network is your ETH delivered on?
ETH is the native asset of Ethereum mainnet, and it is also represented on other networks, including Ethereum layer-2 networks. When you buy, the ETH is delivered on a specific network, and the receiving Ethereum wallet has to support that network for the balance to appear and be usable.
This is easy to get wrong because Ethereum and EVM-compatible networks share the same address format, beginning with 0x. An address can look correct and still belong to a network your wallet does not support. Check which network the purchase is being delivered on, and that your wallet supports it, before you confirm.
Sending ETH using an unsupported address or network can make the funds difficult or impossible to recover.
Ethereum gas fees
Gas is the mechanism Ethereum uses to price computation and transaction execution. Users pay transaction fees in ETH based on the gas used and the network's fee conditions, so the same action can cost more when the network is busier.
This matters after the purchase as well as during delivery. Any later transaction from your wallet needs ETH available to cover the fee, including moving tokens that live on Ethereum. Keeping a small ETH balance for fees is a practical consideration if you intend to use the wallet rather than only hold.
ETH and ERC-20 tokens
ETH is Ethereum's native asset. ERC-20 tokens are separate tokens issued on Ethereum by other projects, following a common standard. Buying an ERC-20 token is not the same as buying ETH, even though both are held in the same wallet and use the same address.
On Ethereum mainnet, transaction fees are normally paid in ETH. That is why a wallet holding only ERC-20 tokens, with no ETH, can be unable to move them.
Using ETH after you buy it
Once ETH is in a wallet you control, it can be used as well as held. In practice that means you can:
- pay gas on Ethereum, including when moving ERC-20 tokens;
- send ETH to any address on a network your wallet supports;
- connect to supported Ethereum applications;
- swap it for other supported tokens;
- stake it, where the conditions and risks depend on how you stake.
Where does your ETH go after you buy it?
When ETH is delivered to a self-custody Ethereum wallet, you control the recovery credentials and can hold, send or use it on-chain without asking a provider to release it first. If you buy on a centralized exchange, or through some payment apps, the ETH may initially stay in an account that the provider controls until you withdraw it.
That distinction matters more for ETH than for assets you only intend to hold. Custodial balances generally cannot be connected to Ethereum applications, so taking self-custody is a prerequisite for using ETH on-chain.
Self-custody puts backup and key management on you, while custodial holding makes you dependent on the provider. The guide to buying crypto sets out the full comparison.
Do you need ID to buy Ethereum?
Identity verification may be required when buying ETH with fiat currency. What is required depends on the payment provider, the transaction, the payment method and your location, and the provider tells you during the purchase what it needs. Verification requirements are covered in more depth in our guide to buying crypto.
Comparing what you pay for ETH
Beyond the processing fee shown at checkout, the cost of buying ETH includes the spread built into the quoted rate and any Ethereum network costs when the ETH is delivered or later moved. If you buy on an exchange and withdraw afterwards, a withdrawal fee may apply as well. The final amount of ETH you receive is the most useful comparison, because it reflects the quoted rate and the costs included in the purchase.
Buying Ethereum on an exchange
Buying on an exchange works for ETH as it does for any asset: the ETH stays in the exchange's custody until you withdraw it. The Ethereum-specific part is the withdrawal. Exchanges often let you withdraw ETH over more than one network, so select the network your receiving wallet supports, check the address, and expect a withdrawal fee on top of any network cost.
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