| FEATURE | DRIFT | GMX |
|---|---|---|
| Type | DEX | DEX |
| Taker Fee | 0.06% | 0.06% |
| Maker Fee | -0.0025% | 0.04% |
| Max Leverage | 20x | 100x |
| Perp Pairs | 4 | 103 |
| Spot Trading | No | Yes |
| KYC Required | No | No |
| Rating | 2.5 | 4.4 |
Drift vs GMX: key differences
Drift is still in recovery after a security incident. Read the status notice in the Drift review before depositing.
Trading costs are level at the base tier: both charge a 0.06% taker fee, so opening and closing a $10,000 position with market orders costs $12.00 on either exchange.
For limit orders, Drift pays makers a 0.0025% rebate, while GMX charges makers 0.04%.
GMX allows up to 100x leverage against 20x on Drift. The headline figure usually applies to a few markets only, so check the limit on the pair you trade.
GMX lists 103 perpetual markets, Drift lists 4.
GMX also has spot trading; Drift is perpetuals only.
Neither exchange requires KYC: both are used by connecting a wallet.
Margin is posted in USDT, SOL, wBTC, wETH on Drift and in USDC, USDT, WETH, ETH +4 more on GMX.
Figures as of 2026-10-04, from each exchange's documentation, CoinGecko and DeFiLlama.
Costs, liquidity and safety in detail
| Drift | GMX | |
|---|---|---|
| Taker round trip on $10,000 | $12.00 | $12.00 |
| Maker round trip on $10,000 | $0.50 rebate | $8.00 |
| Best-tier taker fee | 0.02% | 0.054% |
| BTC max leverage | 20x | 100x |
| Margin modes | cross-margin | isolated |
| 24h volume | — | $83M |
| TVL | $343M | $246M |
| Custody | non-custodial | non-custodial |
| Collateral | USDT, SOL, wBTC, wETH | USDC, USDT, WETH, ETH +4 more |
| Deposit networks | Solana | Arbitrum, Avalanche, MegaETH +4 more |
| Minimum order | — | $2 |
| Order types | 11 | 6 |
| Options | No | No |
| Mobile app | Yes | No |
| Testnet or demo | No | No |
| Vaults or copy trading | No | No |
| Insurance fund | Yes | No |
| Audited | Yes | Yes |
| Restricted jurisdictions | — | 9 |
| Founded | 2021 | 2021 |
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 trade from a phone: Drift has a mobile app.
Choose GMX if
- You want higher leverage: up to 100x against 20x.
- You trade smaller or newer markets: 103 perpetual pairs against 4.
- You want spot and perpetuals in one account.
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
GMX
PROS
- + Perpetual position fees of 0.04% for trades that improve the long/short balance and 0.06% otherwise; gold, silver, QQQ, and SPY markets charge 0.01% or 0.02% during market hours
- + Up to 100x leverage on BTC, ETH, gold, silver, and oil markets, and up to 50x on the QQQ and SPY index markets during trading hours
- + 103 perpetual markets on Arbitrum covering crypto assets, commodities (gold, silver, WTI, Brent, natural gas), and US indices (QQQ, SPY)
CONS
- − The Terms and Conditions bar U.S. Persons and residents of countries under US, UK, or EU sanctions, and prohibit using a VPN to get around the restriction
- − No native mobile app; mobile trading requires a wallet browser or WalletConnect
- − Staking rewards have been suspended since 4 March 2026: bought-back GMX stays in the Treasury until the GMX price reaches 90 USD
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Drift or GMX better?
GMX has a higher rating (4.4 vs 2.5). Choose Drift for its features, and GMX for higher leverage.
What are the fees on Drift vs GMX?
Drift charges 0.06% taker / -0.0025% maker. GMX charges 0.06% taker / 0.04% maker for perpetuals.
Which has higher leverage, Drift or GMX?
Drift offers up to 20x, and GMX offers up to 100x. Maximum leverage applies to selected markets and falls as position size grows on both exchanges.
Do Drift and GMX require KYC?
Drift does not require KYC. GMX does not require KYC. Both restrict some jurisdictions (Drift publishes no list we could verify; GMX lists 9), so check the terms of service for your country before depositing.
Is Drift or GMX safer?
Drift has been audited and runs an insurance fund, and custody is non-custodial. GMX has been audited and has no insurance fund on record here, and custody is non-custodial. Neither audits nor insurance funds remove smart contract risk, so size deposits accordingly.