Aster vs dYdX Comparison
| 0% maker / 0.04% taker (USDT perps) | Fees | 0.05% taker / 0.01% maker |
Cost comparison
The basis is a Bitcoin purchase worth €1,000, including all fees and spreads.
| 0% maker / 0.04% taker (USDT perps) | Fees | 0.05% taker / 0.01% maker |
Pros & Cons
- 0% maker fee on perpetuals
- Four chains — BNB Chain, Ethereum, Solana and Arbitrum — from one interface
- Collateral can keep earning yield while positions stay open
- Non-custodial with on-chain settlement
- No KYC for on-chain trading
- No EU authorisation
- 1001x leverage marketing sets an unrealistic anchor
- Liquidity thinner than the volume leaders in smaller markets
- Tax reporting rests entirely with the user
- Fully decentralised order book — matching runs through validators
- Purpose-built Cosmos chain rather than a rollup dependency
- Long operating history and mature market structure
- 200+ markets
- Low network fees
- Market share has fallen sharply as liquidity moved to newer venues
- Thinner books and higher slippage in secondary markets
- No EU authorisation
- Support runs through community channels
Score Comparison
Features
- Maker fee at 0% since February 2026
- Four chains in one trading interface
- Yield-bearing collateral
- CEX-grade order-book experience
- Decentralised matching at validator level
- Purpose-built Cosmos chain
- Established name in derivatives
- 200+ perpetual markets
The five areas head to head
AI AnalysisFees & Costs
Since February 2026 no maker fees apply on perpetual contracts; takers pay 0.04% on USDT-margined perpetuals and considerably less on USD1 perpetuals. Perpetuals on tokenised equities carry no trading fee. Network fees of the chain in use apply on top and vary by chain. As of August 2026.
Fees run around 0.01% for makers and 0.05% for takers, tiered by trading volume, plus very low network fees on the native Cosmos chain. Against the fee-free newcomers in the segment that is no longer competitive; against centralised exchanges it remains inexpensive. As of August 2026.
Usability & User Experience
The interface follows centralised exchange conventions and is quick to navigate for anyone with futures experience. Access is by wallet connection without registration. Traders using several chains need to watch collateral and gas conditions on each. As of August 2026.
The interface is aimed squarely at professional users and assumes experience with margin and funding. Access runs through a wallet connection. As of August 2026.
Features & Offering
Aster combines perpetuals on cryptocurrencies with perpetuals on tokenised equities and metals. Alongside market, limit, stop-loss and take-profit orders it offers hidden orders and grid trading. A distinguishing feature is yield-bearing collateral: posted capital can continue to earn while a position stays open. As of August 2026.
More than 200 perpetual markets run on a purpose-built Cosmos chain. The architectural distinction is that the order book is not operated centrally but by the network's validators. Market and limit orders are joined by stop-loss, stop-limit and take-profit. As of August 2026.
Details
| Aster (merger of Astherus & APX Finance) | Company | dYdX Trading Inc. |
| Seychelles | Headquarters | United States |
Verdict
In our overall rating Aster leads with 4.7 against 4.3 for dYdX.
For most investors Aster is therefore the better choice.
Aster emerged from the merger of Astherus and APX Finance and positions itself as the multi-chain alternative to single-chain perpetual DEXs. Trading spans BNB Chain, Ethereum, Solana and Arbitrum, settlement stays on-chain and custody stays with the user.
On pricing, Aster moved in February 2026: makers pay 0% on perpetuals, takers 0.04% on USDT-margined perpetuals, and perpetuals on tokenised equities carry no trading fee at all. Collateral posted in certain forms continues to earn yield while a position is open.
The advertised 1001x leverage is mainly a marketing signal and is barely usable in practice — liquidation thresholds at that level are extremely tight. The platform holds no EU authorisation; perpetuals sit outside MiCA in any case, and tax reporting rests entirely with the user. Aster is worth a look for experienced traders who want several chains from one interface.
dYdX set the standard in decentralised derivatives for years and made the most consistent architectural move in the sector with version 4: away from Ethereum, onto a purpose-built Cosmos chain where validators run the order book themselves. Matching, not just settlement, is decentralised — something most competitors still do not offer.
Market position has shifted drastically. From clear leadership in 2023, dYdX has fallen to a low single-digit share of perpetual volume while Hyperliquid and newer order-book DEXs absorbed the liquidity. For traders that mainly means thinner books in secondary markets and more noticeable slippage than at the volume leaders.
Technically the platform remains solid and fees of around 0.01% maker and 0.05% taker are reasonable. Traders who weight decentralisation highly find the most consistent implementation here; those chasing tight spreads are better served elsewhere. The platform holds no EU authorisation; perpetuals sit outside MiCA in any case, and tax reporting rests entirely with the user.