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BeginnerLesson 5 of 6 · 3 min read

Fees side by side, and how to pick one

Every platform's fee in one table, why the platform fee is only one layer, and six questions that help you choose.

On this page
  1. The platform fee is only one layer
  2. How to pick a platform
  3. Quiz

Most trading apps charge a percent of every buy and every sell. The numbers look small. They add up fast, because memecoin traders trade a lot.

PlatformKindFee per tradeNotes
AxiomTerminal0.95% to 0.75%Falls as your volume grows
GMGNTerminal and bots1%Nothing else added by GMGN
PhotonTerminal1%On each buy and each sell
Terminal (Padre)TerminalNot publishedPays cashback; read the order panel
TrojanTelegram bot1%20% back as cashback, about 0.8% net
BONKbotTelegram bot1%On each successful swap
MaestroTelegram bot1%Optional paid Premium plan
BloomTelegram bot1%0.9% through a referral
pump.fun appLaunchpad app0.45%0.40% with a referral code
FOMOSocial app0.5% to 2%, or more0.5% only from $190 up. A $20 Solana trade pays 2% on its cheapest route, 4.75% on routes with a $0.95 minimum. FOMO pays the Solana network fees
TrenchpilotAutomatic bot1%On each buy and each sell
Read from each platform's own site or docs on 30 October 2026. Fees change, so check the trade screen.

The platform fee is only one layer

Whatever app you use, the coin's own pool charges a fee too. On pump.fun's bonding curve that fee was 1.25% of each trade in October 2026, and part of it goes to the coin's creator. After graduation, the PumpSwap fee starts at 1.25% and falls as the coin's market cap grows. On top of that come the network fee, the priority fee and any tip you set.

The costs on one tradeA bar for one buy. Most of it reaches the coin, and six slices come off the end: the network fee paid to Solana, which is tiny; an optional priority fee so validators pick your transaction first; a tip some apps add to land the trade faster; the trading app's platform fee on each buy and sell; the fee the coin's launchpad or pool takes on every swap, part of which often goes to the coin's creator; and slippage, the price moving against you before you fill. You pay them again when you sell. Not to scale.One buy, and what it costsWhat reaches the coinNot to scaleNetwork feePaid to Solana for every transaction. Tiny.Priority feeOptional extra so validators pick yours first.TipA bonus some apps add to land the trade faster.Platform feeThe trading app's cut of each buy and sell.Pool or launchpad feeThe launchpad's or pool's cut, part to the creator.SlippageThe price moving against you before you fill.You pay them again when you sell.
Every trade pays several layers. The app's fee is only one of them.
Example

A busy week, in fees

You make 10 round trips a week at 0.5 SOL each. That is 20 trades and 10 SOL of volume. Your app charges 1%, and you leave its priority fee and tip at 0.001 SOL each.

  1. Step 1: Platform fee: 1% of 10 SOL is 0.1 SOL a week.
  2. Step 2: Priority fee and tip: 0.002 SOL on each of 20 trades is 0.04 SOL a week.
  3. Step 3: Together: 0.14 SOL a week, or about 7.3 SOL over a year.
  4. Step 4: That is before the pool's own fee, which on the pump.fun curve would add another 1.25% of every trade.
  5. Step 5: If you started with 5 SOL, a year of these fees would cost more than your whole starting stack. You would have to win just to stand still.
Why fees add up

How to pick a platform

  1. Where you trade. At a desk, a terminal. On the move, a bot or a social app. Many traders use one of each.
  2. How much you want to see. If you check coins yourself, you want a terminal's holder and chart tools. If you only buy coins you researched somewhere else, a bot or a wallet swap is enough.
  3. The fee on your trade size. Work it out on the size you really trade, after any cashback, and watch for minimum fees.
  4. Track record. How long has it run? Has it been hacked, shut down or caught in a scandal? Search its name with the word hack before you deposit.
  5. How you get your money out. Can you export the key or withdraw at any time? Is there a withdrawal password or a two-factor check?
  6. Safety features. MEV protection, warnings on risky coins and a confirm step before big sells all help. None of them makes a bad coin safe.
Every platform on one page

Check what you learned

0 of 4 answered

  1. Question 1You trade 0.5 SOL at a time on an app that charges 1%. What does one round trip (a buy and a sell at about the same price) cost in platform fees?
  2. Question 2TrickyYou move from a 1% app to a 0.75% app. Does a buy on pump.fun's bonding curve now cost 0.75% in total?
  3. Question 3Which question matters most before you deposit in a new platform?
  4. Question 4TrickyA website offers a code for 99% off a terminal's fees. What is most likely?

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This guide is for learning. It is not financial advice. Most memecoins go to zero and most people who trade them lose money. Only ever trade what you can afford to lose.