Pick your network and follow along
A swap works identically everywhere. What changes is which wallet you need, which exchange has the liquidity, what token pays for gas, and how much a mistake costs you.
If this is your first time, start with Base or Solana. Every step is the same as on Ethereum, and getting something wrong costs a fraction of a cent instead of thirty dollars.
| What you need | Why |
|---|---|
| A self custody wallet | The trade executes from your address, so you need one you control |
| Tokens to swap | Moved from an exchange or received from someone |
| Gas in the native token | ETH, SOL, BNB or POL depending on the chain. Beginners forget this constantly |
| Five minutes | Less once you have done it twice |
Six walkthroughs
Swap on Ethereum
Using MetaMask or Rabby and Uniswap or KyberSwap. Gas paid in ETH, verified on Etherscan.
Open the walkthroughUsually well under one centSwap on Base
Using Coinbase Wallet or Rabby and Uniswap, Aerodrome or KyberSwap. Gas paid in ETH, verified on BaseScan.
Open the walkthroughA small fraction of a centSwap on Solana
Using Phantom or Backpack and Jupiter. Gas paid in SOL, verified on Solscan.
Open the walkthroughA few centsSwap on Arbitrum
Using MetaMask or Rabby and Uniswap, Camelot or KyberSwap. Gas paid in ETH, verified on Arbiscan.
Open the walkthroughA few centsSwap on BNB Chain
Using MetaMask or Trust Wallet and PancakeSwap or KyberSwap. Gas paid in BNB, verified on BscScan.
Open the walkthroughA fraction of a centSwap on Polygon
Using MetaMask or Rabby and Uniswap, QuickSwap or KyberSwap. Gas paid in POL, verified on PolygonScan.
Open the walkthroughWhat the same swap costs on each chain
| Network | Typical swap cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Ethereum | Usually a few dollars, sometimes far more when the network is busy | Deepest liquidity and largest trades |
| Base | Usually well under one cent | Learning and small trades |
| Solana | A small fraction of a cent | Learning and small trades |
| Arbitrum | A few cents | Learning and small trades |
| BNB Chain | A few cents | Learning and small trades |
| Polygon | A fraction of a cent | Learning and small trades |
Cost is gas plus the pool fee. On cheap chains the pool fee is almost the whole cost. On Ethereum mainnet, gas usually dominates.
Do your first one with us
We pick the chain, set up the wallet, fund it, walk through every setting and check the result on a block explorer together. About an hour.