| FEATURE | EDGEX | DRIFT |
|---|---|---|
| Type | DEX | DEX |
| Taker Fee | 0.038% | 0.035% |
| Maker Fee | 0.012% | -0.0025% |
| Max Leverage | 100x | 101x |
| Perp Pairs | 83 | 40 |
| Spot Trading | Yes | Yes |
| KYC Required | No | No |
| Rating | 4.3 | 2.0 |
edgeX
PROS
- + Ultra-low perpetuals taker fee of 0.038% at base tier, reducing to 0.024% at VIP 6 ($2B+ 30-day volume), with zero maker fees from VIP 5 upward
- + Up to 100x leverage on major assets like BTC and ETH, with both cross and isolated margin modes
- + High-performance orderbook processing up to 200,000 orders per second with sub-10ms matching latency, rivaling centralized exchanges
CONS
- − Only USDT as collateral — no multi-collateral support, though native USDC integration is planned via a Circle partnership
- − Restricted in the US, Canada, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Myanmar, and Crimea/Donetsk/Luhansk — VPN usage to bypass is explicitly prohibited
- − Spot trading launched only in December 2025 and remains limited compared to established spot DEXs, with fees of 0.04% maker / 0.07% taker
Drift
PROS
- + Up to 101x leverage available on SOL, BTC, and ETH perpetual markets via High Leverage Mode (pre-suspension product)
- + 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: ~$286M drained on April 1, 2026 via an administrator private-key compromise (suspected DPRK-linked / Mandiant UNC6862); ~$295M in user losses still outstanding
- − Public perpetual trading suspended since the exploit — only a private beta is live as of July 2026, with no announced public relaunch date
- − Recovery pool started at only ~$3.8M and must accrue protocol revenue and Tether/partner funds over time to cover ~$295M in losses, so users are far from being made whole
Frequently Asked Questions
Is edgeX or Drift better?
edgeX has a higher rating (4.3 vs 2). Drift offers lower fees (0.035% vs 0.038%). Choose edgeX for its features, and Drift for lower fees.
What are the fees on edgeX vs Drift?
edgeX charges 0.038% taker / 0.012% maker. Drift charges 0.035% taker / -0.0025% maker for perpetuals.