Side-by-side comparison of two perpetual futures exchanges — updated in real time.
Aster and GMX v2 represent the orderbook versus oracle-pool divide. Aster offers 302 markets with extreme leverage on BNB Chain, while GMX v2 provides battle-tested oracle pools with multi-collateral support on Arbitrum.
Aster's orderbook on BNB Chain delivers 302 markets with up to 1001x leverage and fees of 0.01% maker / 0.035% taker. GMX v2 uses isolated GM pools with Chainlink oracles on Arbitrum, listing 113 markets with up to 100x leverage and higher fees at 0.04% maker / 0.06% taker. GMX v2's key differentiator is multi-collateral support — traders can use USDC, USDT, ETH, or BTC as margin — while Aster only accepts USDC. GMX v2's isolated pool architecture provides robust risk management, with each market operating independently. The protocol has been battle-tested since August 2023 with the original GMX running since 2021. Aster is newer (November 2024) but has quickly scaled to significant volume, backed by YZi Labs. GMX v2 sits within Arbitrum's deep DeFi ecosystem, enabling composability with lending, yield, and other protocols. Aster's BNB Chain base provides its own ecosystem advantages but with different DeFi dynamics.
Choose Aster for lower fees, more markets, and extreme leverage options. Choose GMX v2 if you want multi-asset collateral, battle-tested smart contracts, and deep composability within the Arbitrum ecosystem.
