| FEATURE | ASTER | DRIFT |
|---|---|---|
| Type | DEX | DEX |
| Taker Fee | 0.04% | 0.06% |
| Maker Fee | 0% | -0.0025% |
| Max Leverage | 1001x | 20x |
| Perp Pairs | 590 | 4 |
| Spot Trading | Yes | No |
| KYC Required | No | No |
| Rating | 4.2 | 2.5 |
Aster vs Drift: key differences
Drift is still in recovery after a security incident. Read the status notice in the Drift review before depositing.
Opening and closing a $10,000 position with market orders costs $8.00 on Aster and $12.00 on Drift at base-tier taker fees, a difference of $4.00 per round trip.
For limit orders, Aster charges makers nothing, while Drift pays makers a 0.0025% rebate.
Aster allows up to 1001x leverage against 20x on Drift. The headline figure usually applies to a few markets only, so check the limit on the pair you trade.
Aster lists 590 perpetual markets, Drift lists 4.
Aster also has spot trading; Drift is perpetuals only.
Neither exchange requires KYC: both are used by connecting a wallet.
Margin is posted in USDT, USDC, USD1, BTC +5 more on Aster and in USDT, SOL, wBTC, wETH on Drift.
Figures as of 2026-10-04, from each exchange's documentation, CoinGecko and DeFiLlama.
Costs, liquidity and safety in detail
| Aster | Drift | |
|---|---|---|
| Taker round trip on $10,000 | $8.00 | $12.00 |
| Maker round trip on $10,000 | $0 | $0.50 rebate |
| Best-tier taker fee | 0.025% | 0.02% |
| BTC max leverage | 1001x | 20x |
| Margin modes | cross, isolated | cross-margin |
| 24h volume | $668M | — |
| TVL | $793M | $343M |
| Custody | non-custodial | non-custodial |
| Collateral | USDT, USDC, USD1, BTC +5 more | USDT, SOL, wBTC, wETH |
| Deposit networks | BNB Chain, Arbitrum, Ethereum +1 more | Solana |
| Minimum order | $1 | — |
| Order types | 8 | 11 |
| Options | — | No |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| Testnet or demo | Yes | No |
| Vaults or copy trading | No | No |
| Insurance fund | Yes | Yes |
| Audited | Yes | Yes |
| Restricted jurisdictions | 11 | — |
| Founded | 2024 | 2021 |
Choose Aster if
- You mostly use market orders: 0.04% taker fee against 0.06% on Drift.
- You want higher leverage: up to 1001x against 20x.
- You trade smaller or newer markets: 590 perpetual pairs against 4.
- You want spot and perpetuals in one account.
Choose Drift if
- You have read its recovery status first: users affected by the earlier incident have not been made whole.
- You place limit orders: makers earn a 0.0025% rebate.
- You want a sign-up discount: 5% off fees through a referral link.
Aster
PROS
- + Up to 1001x leverage on BTC/USD in 1001x mode (250x on ETH, 75x on other crypto, 200x on forex), the highest advertised leverage among the perp DEXes compared on this site
- + 0% maker fee on all perpetual markets since February 2, 2026, a 0.04% base taker fee on crypto perpetuals, and a 5% discount when fees are paid in ASTER
- + 590 perpetual markets, including US and Hong Kong stock perpetuals with up to 50x leverage and a flat 0.0125% taker fee
CONS
- − 1001x leverage on BTC/USD is extremely risky: a price move of roughly 0.1% against the position liquidates it, and profit on 1001x trades is capped at about 300%
- − Prohibited in 11 named jurisdictions including the US, UK, and Canada, and the Terms & Conditions forbid circumventing location restrictions
- − Founding team is pseudonymous, with limited public disclosure of the cap table and of who holds smart-contract upgrade keys
Drift
PROS
- + Trading is open again: the public beta has been available to all users since September 21, 2026, with BTC, ETH and SOL perpetuals at up to 20x leverage and HYPE at up to 10x
- + Makers receive a 0.0025% rebate on post-only orders at every volume tier, and the taker fee falls from 0.06% to 0.02% above 200 million dollars in 30-day volume
- + One cross-margin account accepts USDT, SOL, wBTC and wETH as collateral, and deposits earn lending interest while they back positions
CONS
- − About 286 million dollars was stolen on April 1, 2026 through compromised administrator keys, and verified user losses are about 295.4 million dollars
- − Affected users have recovered about 1 percent so far: each DFX recovery token redeemed for about 0.0104 USDT from a 3.11 million USDT pool in early October 2026
- − The relaunched exchange lists four perpetual markets, down from more than 40 before the exploit, and spot order book trading was removed
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Aster or Drift better?
Aster has a higher rating (4.2 vs 2.5). Aster offers lower fees (0.04% vs 0.06%). Choose Aster for lower fees, and Drift for its features.
What are the fees on Aster vs Drift?
Aster charges 0.04% taker / 0% maker. Drift charges 0.06% taker / -0.0025% maker for perpetuals.
Which has higher leverage, Aster or Drift?
Aster offers up to 1001x, and Drift offers up to 20x. Maximum leverage applies to selected markets and falls as position size grows on both exchanges.
Do Aster and Drift require KYC?
Aster does not require KYC. Drift does not require KYC. Both restrict some jurisdictions (Aster lists 11; Drift publishes no list we could verify), so check the terms of service for your country before depositing.
Is Aster or Drift safer?
Aster has been audited and runs an insurance fund, and custody is non-custodial. Drift has been audited and runs an insurance fund, and custody is non-custodial. Neither audits nor insurance funds remove smart contract risk, so size deposits accordingly.