Software · head to head
dYdX vs Phantom
The short version
- They diverge on capability: dYdX covers Perpetual Contracts, Phantom covers Wallet.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which dYdX and Phantom actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in dYdX
- Perpetual Contracts
- Cross Margin
- Portfolio Margin
- Governance
- DYDX Token
- Cosmos SDK
- Web support
Only in Phantom
- Wallet
- NFT Gallery
- Token Swaps
- Staking
- dApp Browser
- Solana
- Ethereum
- Polygon
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
dYdX
- Definot Phantom
- Dexnot Phantom
- Derivativesnot Phantom
Phantom
- Walletsnot dYdX
- Solananot dYdX
- Nftnot dYdX
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
dYdX
- Newer platform with smaller liquidity pools compared to centralized exchanges
- Requires cryptocurrency wallet for trading, adding friction for new users
- Limited fiat on/off ramps compared to centralized alternatives like Coinbase
Phantom
Nothing recorded yet. See the Phantom review.
Pricing, plan by plan
dYdX
Free- FreeFree
- Perpetual trading
- Governance
- Staking
Phantom
Free- FreeFree
- Multi-chain wallet
- NFT gallery
- Swaps
Which should you pick?
Choose dYdX if
- You need perpetual contracts.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want cross margin.
Choose Phantom if
- You need wallet.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Chrome, Firefox, Ios, Android.
- You also want nft gallery.
Questions people ask
- Is dYdX or Phantom better?
- Neither clearly leads. dYdX starts at Free and Phantom at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, dYdX or Phantom?
- dYdX starts at Free and Phantom at Free.
- Does dYdX or Phantom run on more platforms?
- dYdX runs on Web. Phantom runs on Chrome, Firefox, Ios, Android.
- Can I use dYdX for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is dYdX best used for?
- dYdX is most often used for defi, dex, derivatives. Of those, defi and dex are not what Phantom is typically brought in for.
- What can dYdX do that Phantom cannot?
- dYdX covers Perpetual Contracts, Cross Margin, Portfolio Margin, Governance. Phantom covers Wallet, NFT Gallery, Token Swaps, Staking.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
dYdX: What type of trading does dYdX specialize in?
dYdX is a decentralized platform for perpetuals and margin trading, allowing professional traders to trade crypto derivatives without expiry dates. Built on ZK-rollup technology, it enables trading 143+ cryptocurrencies with leverage up to 50x on selected contracts.
SourcedYdX: How does dYdX maintain decentralization?
dYdX governance is fully community-driven, meaning token holders decide on protocol upgrades, fee structures, and risk parameters. The platform distributes 100% of its trading fees to stakers.
SourcedYdX: What are dYdX's gas fee advantages?
Built on StarkWare's ZK-rollup technology, dYdX enables trading with near-zero gas fees while users maintain full custody of their assets.
SourceRelated pages
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