Aavevs
Compound
Compound: Oldest DeFi lending protocol with similar liquidity pool model, algorithmic interest rates, and multi-chain support. Direct competitor for users seeking alternative lending platforms.
Aave
Open source liquidity protocol
As of 30 August 2026, Aave is free to use. Aave is a decentralized lending and borrowing protocol that allows users to earn interest on deposits and borrow assets. Softwr lists it under Crypto. Aave is made by Aave Companies, launched in 2017, available on Web, iOS.
Overview
What Aave does
Aave is a decentralized lending and borrowing protocol that allows users to earn interest on deposits and borrow assets. It pioneered flash loans and operates across multiple blockchain networks.
What people use it for
- Defi
- Lending
- Borrowing
Related searches
The honest half
Where it falls short
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about Aave.
- Bridge and cross-chain vulnerabilities expose protocols to external risks, as demonstrated by 2026 rsETH exploit
- Oracle dependency creates liquidation risk if price feeds fail or experience flash loan attacks
- Liquidation mechanics require users to manage collateral ratios actively or face full position closure
Cross-shopped
What people choose instead of Aave
Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.
- AavevsLido
Lido: Liquid staking protocol with lending capabilities, allows users to earn yield while maintaining liquidity, serves overlapping user base seeking yield strategies.
- AavevsMakerDAO
MakerDAO: Governance-based lending protocol through Spark, offers DAI lending with fixed governance-determined rates. Competes for users seeking alternative collateralized lending models.
Pricing
What Aave costs
Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.
Free
Free
- Lending
- Borrowing
- Flash loans
- Governance
Capabilities
Features
Lending
Borrowing
Flash Loans
GHO Stablecoin
Safety Module
AAVE Token
Integration with AAVE Token
Multi-chain
Integration with Multi-chain
Web support
Available on web
Answered, with sources
Questions people ask
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
Is Aave available on multiple blockchains?
Yes. Aave V4 deployed on Ethereum mainnet with multi-chain support across Arbitrum, Polygon, Avalanche, Base, and Aptos. The protocol's hub-and-spoke architecture enables efficient deployment across different networks.
SourceWhat security measures does Aave have in place?
Aave operates with six years of uninterrupted operation, third-party audits, SOC 2 Type 2 annual security audits, formal verification of smart contracts, open-source code, an active bug bounty program, and governance-controlled code changes.
SourceDoes Aave have a mobile app?
Yes. Aave provides a mobile application available on iOS for everyday users seeking yield, alongside Aave Pro for advanced strategies and the core Aave V3 platform accessible via app.aave.com.
SourceWhat are the main risks of using Aave?
Key risks include liquidation if collateral drops below required thresholds, oracle failures affecting price feeds, composability risks when using aTokens in other protocols, and exposure to bridge vulnerabilities in cross-chain deployments.
SourceBehind it
Who makes Aave
- Company
- Aave Companies
- Based in
- London, United Kingdom
- Founders
- Stani Kulechov
Timeline
Aave over time
- Launch2026-03-30
Aave V4 launched on Ethereum mainnet with modular hub-and-spoke architecture and GHO settlement
Source - Launch2022-03-16
Aave V3 released with efficiency mode and advanced risk management tools
Source - Launch2020-12-03
Aave V2 launched with reduced gas fees and new features including collateral switching
Source - Funding2020-10-12$25m
Series B raised $25 million led by Standard Crypto and Blockchain Capital
Source - Funding2020-07-09$3m
Series A funding round closed
Source - Launch2020-01-08
Aave V1 launched on Ethereum, enabling interest-bearing deposits and borrowing
Source - Renamed2018-09-01
ETHLend rebranded to Aave and switched to liquidity pool model
Source - Funding2017-10-01$16.2m
ICO raised $16.2 million through LEND token sales
Source
Keep looking
Where to go from Aave
- Aave alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- Aave pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- Aave badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
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Compare Aave with
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- Lido
- MakerDAO
- SushiSwap
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- Exodus
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Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for Aave, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
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