Drift vs Hyperliquid
Detailed side-by-side comparison of features, fees, and trading experience
| FEATURE | DRIFT | HYPERLIQUID |
|---|---|---|
| Type | DEX | DEX |
| Taker Fee | 0.035% | 0.045% |
| Maker Fee | -0.0025% | 0.015% |
| Max Leverage | 101x | 50x |
| Perp Pairs | 40 | 311 |
| Spot Trading | Yes | Yes |
| KYC Required | No | No |
| Rating | 2.0 | 4.8 |
Drift
PROS
- + Up to 101x leverage available on SOL, BTC, and ETH perpetual markets via High Leverage Mode
- + Maker rebates up to -0.0033% at VIP tier, meaning makers earn a rebate on each trade
- + Cross-collateral system lets any supported asset (USDT, SOL, JLP, etc.) serve as margin for any position
CONS
- − MAJOR EXPLOIT: $270M stolen on April 1-2, 2026 via Solana durable nonces — protocol under recovery, relaunch pending
- − Only available on Solana — users on other chains must bridge assets
- − High Leverage Mode (up to 101x) charges 2x the bottom taker fee tier
Hyperliquid
PROS
- + Low perpetuals taker fee of 0.045% at base tier, reducing to 0.024% at VIP 6 ($7B+ volume), with up to 40% additional discount for HYPE stakers
- + Up to 40x leverage on BTC perpetuals (25x on ETH, 20x on SOL), with cross, isolated, and strict isolated margin modes
- + No KYC required — fully non-custodial trading by connecting any EVM-compatible wallet, with complete onchain transparency
CONS
- − Only USDC as primary perpetuals collateral — multi-collateral (uBTC, uETH, uSOL) requires third-party tokenization via Hyperunit
- − Restricted in the US, Russia, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria — frontend blocks restricted IP addresses
- − No official mobile app — any app store listing claiming to be Hyperliquid is a scam per official support documentation
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Drift or Hyperliquid better?
Hyperliquid has a higher rating (4.8 vs 2). Drift offers lower fees (0.035% vs 0.045%). Choose Drift for lower fees, and Hyperliquid for its features.
What are the fees on Drift vs Hyperliquid?
Drift charges 0.035% taker / -0.0025% maker. Hyperliquid charges 0.045% taker / 0.015% maker for perpetuals.