How to Swap Crypto Without Fees with Houdini Swap

Want to know how to swap crypto without fees? You’ve come to the right place. 

While trading, transacting, and interacting with crypto has never been easier with hundreds of crypto swap protocols out there, not every user is aware of the exchange fees they might be subject to. 

Most crypto swap protocols are transparent of the fees they charge but there are others that might not make this information easily accessible. Some could be buried in the technical documentation, hidden in the spreads, or somehow lost in the ether. 

Let’s examine the different ways crypto swaps charge fees—and if there is a solution that allows you to swap crypto without fees. 

Fees on CEX/DEX Platforms

Crypto traders most usually swap crypto using centralized exchanges like Binance or Coinbase, or decentralized exchanges like Uniswap. 

One major consideration in selecting an exchange to transact with is to determine the fees they levy on each interaction. In general, crypto exchanges levy a 0.25% exchange fee for both buyers and sellers, but make most of their profits from other fees, such as conversion, withdrawal, and deposit fees.

Notably, Uniswap, the leading DEX platform on Ethereum, levied a 0.15% swap fee last October 2023, only to increase it to 0.25% just last April 2024. 

This means users pay nearly twice per crypto swap using the leading Ethereum DEX. 

Centralized exchanges, on the other hand, incentivize high-volume traders with reduced fees and rebates. 

Fintech and digital wallet apps typically have higher withdrawal limits and restrictively high transaction fees. Let’s take a closer look at how crypto swap fees work, particularly for platforms that offer zero to low swap fees.

Centralized Exchanges (CEXs)

Centralized exchanges like Coinbase and Binance could charge several percentage points on every trade. 

For every $1000 swap, you could expect to pay around $25 to $30 using a CEX. While some CEXs offer advanced modes with lower trading fees, they might levy a withdrawal fee to send it to your private wallet for storage as well as the cost you paid to transact using your selected blockchain, which could vary further. 

Still, centralized exchanges are often the best way for newer, less tech-savvy crypto investors to swap crypto with little to minimal fees, despite the fact that investors doing so surrender custody of their private keys and digital assets to the underlying CEX.

Fintech apps

Fintech apps that offer a host of banking and financial services, such as those that offer stocks and crypto trading, aren’t the most ideal options for traders who wish to swap crypto without fees. In fact, fintech apps often charge the worst trading and withdrawal fees, not to mention withdrawal limits, on offer. 

Since the majority of their user base are new to crypto or lack the appropriate experience, these apps are more liberal in how they apply fee markups. Typically, buying crypto through such apps will have you pay a fixed percentage in fees with a minimum, and sell you the underlying asset at a premium.

Decentralized Exchanges (DEXs)

Decentralized exchanges like Uniswap and Jupiter, on the other hand, are more advisable for intermediate or experienced investors as far as the ability to swap crypto without fees or with as low fees as possible. 

DEXs allow users to swap crypto while retaining full control of their private keys. Investors who wish to gain access to the asset price without intending to take full custody might find a CEX perfectly suitable to their needs . 

However, crypto natives will find DEXs to be better choices. DEXs and DEX aggregators, for instance, use smart contracts to perform on-chain swaps without a central scrutinizer overseeing the flow of transactions. This cuts out the intermediary fees and enables users to swap crypto without fees, or keep them at the barest minimum, while granting them access to a broader selection of cryptocurrencies and low-cap gems.

To ensure that you’re getting the best fees when dealing on a DEX, check the following:

• Hidden fees. Some DEXs charge a frontend fee for using their dapp. Check the platform’s fee schedule to see the full list of fees they charge for using their services.
• Smart contracts. Check the smart contracts of the swap protocol. Are they optimized for gas efficiency?
• Liquidity. Certain swap platforms lack the appropriate liquidity to support frequent or large-scale trades. Make sure that the swap platform that you use has sufficient liquidity to support your trades, otherwise your movements could cause major price impact or not go through at all.

Swap/DEX aggregators

Swap/DEX aggregators that connect multiple liquidity sources to fulfill trades offer some of the best pricing on crypto swaps, finding the best option for users right away. 

DEX aggregators will give you the best price in almost every scenario, with deep liquidity and direct to self-custody trades. 

Houdini Swap charges no fees on private or cross-chain swaps, sources liquidity from its vetted exchange partners, and routes your order efficiently to get you the best price every time you use the platform. 

Getting the best value on crypto swaps with Houdini Swap

Choosing a swap platform with the lowest upfront fees doesn’t necessarily mean you get the best value for money every single time. Platform fees vary, and hidden charges can leave you with fewer tokens than you intended.

Off-chain methods such as CEXs, meanwhile, might appear to be the best option especially if you trade regularly. However, their custodial nature requires you to surrender full custody of your assets and pay extra fees in withdrawing.

On the other hand, trading on-chain using decentralized exchanges keeps your private keys and crypto in your full custody, but could expose users to poorly-written smart contracts, lose money to MEV bots, or pay more than you need to gain access to liquidity. 

Ultimately, DEX aggregators work to give you the best possible price in almost every scenario. While most won’t allow you to swap crypto without fees per se, DEX aggregators will give you the best possible fees based on prevailing market conditions, with deep liquidity and direct to self-custody trades. 

That’s where Houdini Swap comes in. Houdini Swap charges no fees on private swaps or cross-chain swaps, with liquidity over hundreds of liquidity partners and efficient order routing to ensure that you get the best possible price every single time you use the revolutionary platform. 

Houdini Swap allows you to pay the same fees as though you were accessing swaps on Uniswap, while saving you from losing on MEV and sandwich attacks, as well as grant you a level of privacy never before seen in a swap platform. 

Our platform charges zero trading fees and platform fees for cross-chain trades; instead, Houdini Swap earns a commission from its non-custodial exchange partners instead of levying fees on its service. Houdini Swap finds the most efficient possible trade for minimal price impact, gas fee savings, and maximum value extraction from small price discrepancies. 

With Houdini Swap, you can be sure that all swaps you make are optimized for gas efficiency, secure and private, and scalable, regardless of the size of your swap. 

How does Houdini Swap work? 

Houdini Swap is not a CEX or DEX. Simply put, Houdini Swap acts as a liquidity aggregator that determines the most efficient routes from its network of accredited non-custodial exchange partners, while offering a level of privacy never before seen in swaps with its private swap or fast cross-chain swap options.

The platform uses a dual-exchange architecture that leverages a randomized Layer-1 platform serving as a tunnel between exchanges to conceal links between source and destination addresses, preventing exchanges from easily identifying the ultimate beneficiaries in a swap transaction. 

It isn’t only changing the game when it comes to privacy in crypto swaps—-it’s also fully compliant and aboveboard with anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing controls. Here are just some of the reasons why more and more users choose Houdini Swap to perform their swaps:

• Industry-leading security. Whether you choose Houdini Swap’s more comprehensive private swap or its fast cross-chain swap option, you can rest assured that its non-custodial dual-exchange architecture gives users an unmatched level of privacy when transacting. 
• Swap crypto without fees. Houdini Swap charges no fees on users; instead, the platform earns a commission from its exchange partners. Using Houdini Swap ensures that you are as close to swap crypto without fees as possible.
• Best conditions! For every transaction, a quoting algorithm determines which exchange(s) offer the cheapest route.
• Over 60 supported digital assets (and counting).Houdini Swap opens the door to private swaps of over 60 cryptocurrencies and counting.
• 100% compliant. Houdini Swap keeps every swap as discreet as possible whether you choose the privacy swap option or the more conventional semi-private cross-chain swap option. It works with protocols compliant with current AML and ATF standards, and prohibits access from OFAC-sanctioned countries. 

What are the fees on Houdini Swap like?

You won’t be charged any direct fees from using the platform, instead relying on its exchange partnerships to provide the most competitive rates. Houdini Swap’s exchange commission-based revenue model ensures that fees are kept at the lowest possible minimum.

Here’s why Houdini Swap gives you the closest experience to swap crypto without fees:

• No direct fees charged to users. Houdini Swap charges no direct fees to its users.  Network gas fees and spreads are incurred by Houdini Swap’s vetted exchange partners. For every transaction, a quoting algorithm determines which exchange(s) offer the cheapest route.
• Exchange commission-based revenue model. Fees are set by partner exchanges based on prevailing market conditions such as liquidity, volatility, and slippage.
• All-Inclusive quotes. Houdini Swap quotes all-inclusive fees, covering all exchange fees, gas fees, and spreads.
• Most competitive conditions. Houdini Swap ensures that users pay less in most situations thanks to its long-established relationships with its network of partner exchanges.
• Commission-based revenue model. Houdini Swap receives commissions from routing exchanges without affecting the rates users pay.
• No hidden fees. Houdini Swap charges no extra fees beyond the all-inclusive quote it provides.

Swap Crypto Without Fees with Houdini Swap Today

Houdini Swap is the best choice for users who wish to swap crypto at the best possible rates with the highest degree of privacy available. 

With our Semi-Private cross-chain swap option, users can leverage the best possible crypto swap rates with no hidden fees and all-inclusive quotes within 1-4 minutes.