I was confused about this too when I started. Let me break it down simply:
- Maker: You place a limit order that doesn't fill right away. You're "providing liquidity" to the market, so exchanges charge you less — like a thank you.
- Taker: You place a market order that fills instantly. You're "taking liquidity" from the order book, so they charge a bit more.
Example: You want to buy BTC. If you set a limit order at $60,000 and wait — that's Maker. If you just click "market buy" — that's Taker.
The difference? On Bybit, Maker is 0.02%, Taker is 0.06%. That's 3x. Now I just use limit orders. Not in a rush anyway.