Most crypto projects hit the same wall eventually. The core product is ready, users are asking for exchange functionality, and the team needs to decide: build from scratch or plug into an existing exchange API. Building means months of work on liquidity aggregation, rate engines, and settlement logic. Plugging in means trusting someone else’s infrastructure with your user experience.
After evaluating the current market, ChangeNOW is the best crypto exchange API for teams that need broad asset coverage, a workable revenue model, and minimal integration overhead in a single provider. The providers on this list operate on different models such as DEX/CEX aggregators. This list covers strong alternatives, each with a different center of gravity.
Best crypto exchange APIs:
- ChangeNOW
- Houdini Swap
- 1inch API
- Kraken
- 0x
Provider Comparison
| Provider | Asset Coverage | Partner Commission | Key Features | Best for |
| ChangeNOW | 1,500+ assets, 90+ networks, 70+ fiat currencies | From 0.4%, customizable by pair/volume | Non-custodial, fixed and floating rates, fiat on/off-ramp, 99.99% uptime, free maintenance | Wallets, exchange aggregators, payment gateways, fintech apps |
| HoudiniSwap | 4,000+ tokens across 100+ chains | tokens across 100+ chains; commission per swap; rate set during onboarding | Privacy-first non-custodial, 12 CEX + 18 DEX/bridge partners, batch swaps, REST API + widget | Wallet apps, Telegram bots, bridge aggregators, privacy-focused products |
| 1inch | Thousands of tokens across 17 chains | Configurable from 0% to 3% | DEX aggregation, optimized on-chain routing, Fusion mode | DeFi applications, DEX frontends, trading interfaces on EVM chains |
| Kraken | 640+ crypto assets, spot + futures + xStocks | Tiered lifetime partner commissions through API Partner Program | Deep CEX liquidity, REST + WebSocket + FIX, partner dashboard | Trading platforms, algorithmic trading, institutional products |
| 0x | 10M+ tokens across 20+ chains | Affiliate fees supported; trade surplus available on custom plan | Smart order routing, 150+ liquidity sources, gasless swaps | On-chain swap products, DeFi dashboards, DEX monetization |
1. ChangeNOW
ChangeNOW operates as a non-custodial crypto exchange API that handles the full exchange flow, from quote to settlement, without holding user funds. Users swap directly inside the app while ChangeNOW manages liquidity routing in the background.
Asset coverage: ChangeNOW supports 1,500+ crypto assets across 90+ networks, with over 2 million exchange pairs. Fiat on- and off-ramp support covers 70+ currencies, removing the need for a separate fiat provider. Both CEX and DEX liquidity sources feed into the routing engine, so even less common cross-chain pairs typically have workable rates.
Commission: Partner revenue starts at 0.4% per transaction and can be customized. There are no setup or monthly fees stated for the API, so the exchange feature can become a revenue channel rather than only an infrastructure cost. Partner profit can be withdrawn in supported crypto assets, with fiat availability.
Key features: Non-custodial execution, fixed-rate and floating-rate swaps, private transfers, fiat on/off-ramp, 99.99% uptime, 350 ms response time, free post-integration maintenance, 24/7 support with a dedicated partner manager. The API works for both web and mobile products through standard REST endpoints.
Best fit: crypto wallets, exchange aggregators, payment gateways, and fintech apps that need a full exchange backend without building one.
2. Houdini Swap
Houdini Swap is a non-custodial cross-chain swap aggregator with a privacy layer built into the routing. The platform sources liquidity from 12 CEX partners and 18 DEX and bridge protocols across 100+ chains.
Asset coverage: 4,000+ tokens across 100+ supported blockchains, covering EVM chains, Solana, Bitcoin, Cardano, TON, Cosmos-based networks, and dozens of others. All routing runs through vetted, non-custodial exchange partners. No native fiat on-ramp; this is crypto-to-crypto only.
Commission: Partners earn USDC commission on every eligible swap routed through their integration. Houdini’s own revenue comes from rebated commissions paid by the exchange partners, and the platform charges no fees on top of exchange partner rates to end users. A separate referral program with tiered rewards also exists for individual users sharing referral links.
Key features: The Partner API (v2, REST with WebSocket for order status updates) supports four swap types: private swaps that break the on-chain link between sender and receiver through multi-hop CEX routing, standard single-hop CEX swaps, on-chain DEX swaps, and batch swaps to multiple wallets in a single request. Fixed-rate quotes are available for standard swaps. A drop-in iframe widget offers faster integration with no custom UI work. AML/KYT screening and OFAC sanctions checks are handled by the exchange partners at each leg. The platform has processed $3B+ in cumulative volume across 1.1M+ completed swaps.
Best fit: wallet apps, Telegram trading bots, bridge aggregators, and products where transaction privacy or cross-chain coverage without building in-house liquidity infrastructure is the priority.
3. 1inch API
1inch is the major DEX aggregator by volume. Its API suite gives businesses access to the same routing engine that powers the consumer product, splitting transactions across multiple on-chain liquidity sources for optimized execution.
Asset coverage: 1inch Swap API supports 18 networks: Ethereum, BNB Chain, Polygon, Optimism, Arbitrum, Gnosis, Avalanche, zkSync, Base, Linea, Unichain, Sonic, Solana, Cronos, Monad, HyperEVM, Arc, and Robinhood Chain. Solana is the only non-EVM network on the list. The API also supports tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) from issuers. The number of tokens is up to thousands.
Commission: Integrator fee set in basis points, deducted from swap output tokens during execution. The model requires calibration — too high and the product becomes uncompetitive against direct DEX access, too low and margins are thin. No subscription fees for the base plan.
Key features: DEX aggregation with Pathfinder routing, Fusion mode for intent-based gasless swaps, additional APIs for order books, portfolio tracking, and token data. The learning curve is steeper than plug-and-play alternatives, and products needing fiat flows or non-EVM coverage will need a second provider.
Best fit: DeFi-native applications, DEX frontends, and trading interfaces on EVM chains.
4. Kraken
Kraken brings 14 years of exchange infrastructure and some of the deepest CEX liquidity pools in the market. The API was built for trading systems that need order-book-level depth and institutional-grade execution.
Asset coverage: 640+ crypto assets, with access to spot markets, futures contracts, and tokenized equities (xStocks). The asset list is smaller than aggregator-type APIs, but liquidity depth on supported pairs is among the strongest available. No native cross-chain swap functionality.
Commission: Kraken’s API Partner Program offers tiered lifetime commissions tied to partner trading activity. This is different from a fixed swap commission model, since earnings depend on how users trade through the connected platform.
Key features: REST, WebSocket, and FIX protocols for different integration needs. Documentation with guides for every stage. Deep order book data and support for algorithmic strategies. However, there is a certain limitation. The API was designed for trading platforms, not for embedding a simple swap inside a wallet. No non-custodial execution, and every transaction requires a Kraken account.
Best fit: trading platforms, algorithmic trading systems, and institutional products needing deep order book liquidity.
5. 0x
The 0x Swap API serves as a DEX liquidity aggregation layer, routing token swaps through 150+ on-chain liquidity sources across 20+ EVM chains with smart order routing that splits transactions to minimize slippage.
Asset coverage: 10 million+ tokens accessible across supported chains, though practical liquidity concentrates in the most actively traded pairs. Cross-chain swaps are available through an early-access API. No fiat currencies, no centralized exchange assets.
Commission: 0x supports affiliate fees, so businesses can add a fee to swaps made through their app. Trade surplus monetization is also available, but only for select custom-plan integrators.
Key features: Gasless swaps via a dedicated API, AI-assisted development tools, and well-maintained documentation. Like 1inch, 0x is on-chain only which is strong for DeFi products, but does not replace a full-stack exchange API for teams needing fiat or non-EVM support.
Best fit: on-chain swap products, DeFi dashboards, and applications that need flexible DEX monetization.
Conclusion
The right crypto exchange API depends on the product model, so you need to research what actions your users usually perform. Non-custodial instant exchange APIs handle the full swap flow without user registration that is best for wallets and payment apps. DEX aggregators give raw on-chain routing for DeFi-native products. CEX APIs offer deep order books but require user accounts and heavier integration. Some products need two types at once.
Most teams will end up building with diverse options like ChangeNOW API. Fiat, crypto-to-crypto, cross-chain: it handles all three from a single integration, the partner earns from the first transaction, and there is no infrastructure to maintain afterward. For a wallet, payment app, or fintech product that needs exchange functionality without a multi-provider stack provider covers it all.
The other providers on this list serve narrower use cases. 1inch and 0x are worth evaluating if the product lives entirely on-chain and EVM execution quality is the priority though both lack fiat and require more engineering work. Kraken’s deep order books suit dedicated trading platforms, but the integration model is heavier than what most teams need. Houdini Swap adds a privacy layer that none of the others offer, which matters for products where transaction confidentiality is part of the pitch.
