This article provides relevant information on the catalysts’ morphological characteristics that allow for the optimal combination of activity and durability of the materials for proton-exchange membrane fuel cells. The home-made Pt/C and PtCu/C catalysts have been established to have at least by 20% higher values of the mass activity in the oxygen reduction reaction than the commercial Pt/C analogue (HiSPEC 3000, Johnson Matthey). The detailed analysis of the microstructure by transmission electron microscopy and the electrochemical parameters by electrochemical surface-sensitive methods after the stress testing has allowed estimating the contribution of various mechanisms to the degradation process. After the stress testing, the residual activity in the oxygen reduction reaction of the home-made materials has proved to be at least more than double that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst. A specific feature of this work is the presented correlation between the morphology and the electrochemical behavior of the catalysts, with this interconnection appearing to be a valuable resource for a wide range of scientists. Display omitted •The rapid and facile synthesis methods of the highly active catalysts are presented.•The PtCu/C catalyst is 2.5 times more active in the ORR than the commercial Pt/C.•The testing is conducted within the protocols with the long-term cycling and the potential hold.•The home-made materials are more robust against degradation than the commercial one.•The integrated approach to studying the catalysts' durability is presented.