Aster vs Extended Comparison
| 0% maker / 0.04% taker (USDT perps) | Fees | 0% maker / 0.025% taker |
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% maker / 0.025% taker |
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
- 0% maker fee, 0.025% taker
- Daily maker rebates based on maker share
- Very low network fees on Starknet
- Unified margin across several asset classes
- Self-custody
- Considerably smaller than the market leaders
- Around 50 trading pairs — a narrower list than competitors
- 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
- Fee-free on the maker side
- Team with Revolut roots
- Cross-asset collateral and unified margin
- Network costs in the cents range
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.
Makers pay no trading fee, takers 0.025%. Depending on 30-day maker share, daily rebates of up to 2 basis points apply on top. Network fees on Starknet typically run to a few cents per transaction and barely register against the trading fee. 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 functional and aimed at users with futures experience. 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.
Extended runs more than 50 perpetual pairs and adds spot and lending markets. Collateral can be deployed across asset classes and margin is unified at account level. Alongside standard order types there are TP/SL brackets that set target and stop together. As of August 2026.
Details
| Aster (merger of Astherus & APX Finance) | Company | Extended Finance |
| Seychelles | Headquarters | Unknown (Decentralised team) |
Verdict
In our overall rating Aster leads with 4.7 against 4.4 for Extended.
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.
Extended was built by a team with a Revolut background and runs on Starknet mainnet. The product promise goes beyond plain perpetuals: collateral can be used across asset classes, margin is unified, and spot and lending markets round out the offering.
On price Extended leads: makers pay nothing, takers 0.025%, with daily maker rebates depending on maker share. Network fees on Starknet run to a few cents per transaction, so total costs stay low even for frequent trading.
Scale needs stating plainly: measured by capital locked, Extended is far smaller than Hyperliquid or Lighter, and the market list covers roughly 50 pairs. The platform holds no EU authorisation; perpetuals sit outside MiCA in any case, and tax reporting rests entirely with the user.