Hyperliquid vs Lighter vs Aster

The best perp DEX comparison for 2026 — fees, liquidity, supported coins, and UX side by side.

Hyperliquid

Market leader

Highest volume and deepest liquidity among perp DEXs. Own L1 chain (HyperEVM) with sub-100ms finality. Best for active traders and high-frequency strategies.

  • Deepest liquidity
  • Most coins (150+)
  • Vaults & copy trading

Aster

CEX-like UX

Binance-style interface with on-chain settlement. High leverage (125×), familiar order types, and growing liquidity. Best for traders migrating from CEXs.

  • Highest leverage (125×)
  • CEX-familiar UX
  • Deep BTC/ETH markets

Lighter

zkSync native

Central limit order book on zkSync Era. Ultra-low fees with negative maker rebates. Best for high-frequency traders who want Ethereum security.

  • Lowest fees
  • zkSync security
  • CLOB matching
FeatureHyperliquidAsterLighter
ChainHyperEVM (own L1)AsterChainzkSync Era
Taker fee0.025%0.045%0.020%
Maker fee-0.002%-0.015%-0.005%
Max leverage50×125×20×
No KYC
Perp markets150+80+30+
Spot trading
Cross-margin
Copy trading
Vaults / strategies
Available on Tangerine

Why choose when you can use all three?

Tangerine aggregates Hyperliquid, Aster, and Lighter into one interface. Compare live funding rates, execute on the best rate, and track your multi-platform portfolio — without switching apps.

Compare live funding rates

Hyperliquid review 2026

Hyperliquid launched its own L1 blockchain (HyperEVM) in 2024, optimised entirely for trading. Block times are under 100ms and the chain processes thousands of orders per second with near-zero gas costs. By 2026, Hyperliquid consistently does $2–5B in daily perp volume — more than all other perp DEXs combined.

The platform offers 150+ perpetual markets, spot trading, vaults, and a builder API for custom strategies. Taker fees are 0.025% with maker rebates of 0.002%. Hyperliquid also supports copy trading, a referral program, and has the most active ecosystem of third-party tools.

Aster DEX review 2026

Aster DEX is designed to feel like trading on Binance — same order types, same UX patterns, but fully on-chain with no KYC. It supports up to 125× leverage on major pairs, making it attractive for traders who want CEX-level leverage without giving up self-custody.

Aster has 80+ perpetual markets with strong liquidity in BTC, ETH, and SOL. Taker fees are 0.045% with maker rebates of 0.015%. The platform is particularly popular with traders migrating from Binance Futures or Bybit who want to stay on-chain.

Lighter DEX review 2026

Lighter operates on zkSync Era and uses a pure central limit order book (CLOB) model. It offers the lowest fees of the three — taker fees of 0.020% with maker rebates of 0.005% — making it the best option for high-frequency traders and market makers.

Lighter has a smaller coin selection (~30 markets) but strong liquidity in its core markets. Withdrawals go through zkSync's L2→L1 bridge, which takes approximately 2 hours. Best suited for systematic traders who prioritise fee efficiency and Ethereum-level security.

Hyperliquid vs Lighter vs Aster — Best Perp DEX Comparison 2026