Aster vs Paradex Comparison
| 0% maker / 0.04% taker (USDT perps) | Fees | 0% for retail; pro/API 0.002% / 0.02% |
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% for retail; pro/API 0.002% / 0.02% |
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
- Fee-free trading for retail across 100+ markets
- Dedicated appchain with CEX-grade execution
- Privacy perpetuals with position data not openly visible
- Self-custody
- Clearly separated fee model for professional and API accounts
- No EU authorisation
- Smaller market selection than the largest competitors
- Support runs through community channels
- Tax reporting rests entirely with the user
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 for retail users
- Dedicated Starknet appchain
- Privacy perpetuals
- Own token DIME since March 2026
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.
Retail accounts trade more than 100 perpetual markets with no maker and no taker fee. Professional accounts and API access pay 0.002% maker and 0.02% taker. No separate per-trade network fee applies on the dedicated appchain. 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 clean and built for order-book trading; access is by wallet connection. Working knowledge of margin and funding is assumed. 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.
The venue offers more than 100 perpetual markets on its own appchain in the Starknet ecosystem. Alongside the usual order types there are reduce-only orders. As a distinguishing feature, positions can be held as privacy perpetuals whose data is not openly visible. An own token, DIME, has existed since March 2026. As of August 2026.
Details
| Aster (merger of Astherus & APX Finance) | Company | Paradigm / Paradex |
| Seychelles | Headquarters | United States |
Verdict
In our overall rating Aster leads with 4.7 against 4.5 for Paradex.
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.
Paradex comes out of the Paradigm orbit and operates its own appchain in the Starknet ecosystem. The benefit of a dedicated chain shows in execution: latency and throughput sit closer to a centralised exchange than to conventional on-chain trading, while self-custody is preserved.
Retail users trade more than 100 perpetual markets without fees; professional and API accounts pay 0.002% maker and 0.02% taker. In March 2026 the platform added its own token, DIME. Privacy perpetuals let users hold positions whose data is not openly visible.
The platform holds no EU authorisation; perpetuals sit outside MiCA in any case, and tax reporting rests entirely with the user. Paradex is an option for experienced traders looking for execution quality and zero cost who assess the regulatory position with open eyes.