Swap Basics
This page explains how swaps work on Swap.io. If you’re new to DeFi on Solana, start here for a clear overview of routes, slippage, and fees.
🆕 What’s new: Swap.io now sources quotes from multiple aggregators (including Jupiter) and our own CLMM pools to pick the best available rate — with no Swap.io platform fee.
🔄 How swaps work
Quote search (multi-aggregator): Swap.io requests quotes from several route finders (e.g., Jupiter and other integrated aggregators/RFQ sources) at the same time.
Best-route selection: We compare effective output (after LP fees & expected price impact) and pick the best executable route. Routes can be single-hop or multi-hop across different AMMs.
Atomic execution on Solana: When you click Swap, your wallet sends one transaction that executes the chosen route atomically (it either all succeeds or fails).
Auto re-quote on changes: If market conditions shift or a route becomes invalid, we refresh the quote and try the next-best option.
⚠️ Different aggregators use different algorithms and face different transaction size/compute limits on Solana. In some pairs a single LP route wins; in others a multi-hop path does. That’s why checking multiple sources can improve your final rate.
🧩 Liquidity Sources We Route Through
Swap.io is a DEX aggregator of aggregators, combining quotes from multiple independent routing engines and 80+ liquidity protocols across Solana.
Currently, Swap.io fetches and compares quotes from five major sources:
Dflow — intent-based RFQ system for large or protected trades
Jupiter — Solana’s primary aggregator
Hashflow — cross-chain RFQ network with bridgeless swaps
OKX DEX — institutional-grade liquidity aggregator with Solana support
Autobahn (Swap.io version) — a maintained fork of the public Autobahn router, extended to support Swap.io CLMM pools and additional Solana liquidity sources
From these sources, Swap.io aggregates the best available quote and presents it to the user by default.
You can also expand the quote view in the app to see all available routes and their respective rates from each aggregator.
Behind the scenes, this unified routing approach allows Swap.io to tap into virtually every major liquidity venue on Solana, including AMMs and order books such as:
Raydium (CLMM, CP, Stable, LaunchLab)
Orca (V1 & V2)
Meteora (DLMM, DAMM v2, DBC, Vault, Virtual Curve)
Phoenix and OpenBook (on-chain order books)
Whirlpool, Lifinity, Pump.fun AMM, PancakeSwap (Solana), and many others
💡 In practice, any pair with active liquidity on Solana is supported through at least one of these routes.
The route preview in the Swap.io app shows exactly which protocols and tokens were used for your specific swap.
💸 Fees & Pricing
🔹 What your quote includes
Your quoted output already accounts for everything along the selected route, including:
LP/AMM trading fees on each hop,
expected price impact from liquidity depth and path composition,
any aggregator-side overheads relevant to execution.
We do not itemize per-pool fees in the UI. Instead, you see the final amount you’ll receive, net of those fees.
💡 This design focuses on clarity: you know what you’re getting, not just what you’re paying.
🔹 How we choose routes
Our router selects the path with the highest expected output that can be executed within Solana’s compute/size limits. Fees are one factor among many (liquidity depth, hop count, price impact, fill probability, success rate). We do not add any Swap.io platform fee.
🔹 Solana network fees
You need a small amount of SOL to submit transactions. Network fees are typically fractions of a cent; during congestion, priority/compute fees may apply.
⚠️ The first time you use a new token, Solana may create an Associated Token Account (ATA) for your wallet (a tiny, one-time rent-exempt cost). This is a network behavior, not a Swap.io fee.
⚖️ Slippage explained
Slippage is the difference between the price you expected and the final execution price. It happens due to volatility and liquidity depth.
Auto (recommended): We compute a dynamic tolerance based on pair volatility, recent fills, and route depth.
0.1%: Use for deep, stable pairs.
0.5%: Use for more volatile or thinner pairs.
Custom: Set your own tolerance if you know the market.
If execution cannot fit within your tolerance, the transaction fails (your funds stay put), protecting you from unexpected price impact.
💁 Lower slippage = safer but more failures in fast markets. Higher slippage = more fills but more price movement risk. Pick what matches your intent.
🧠 Why multiple aggregators?
Different algorithms, different winners: Some find better single-hop routes; others excel at multi-hop paths.
Chain limits matter: Solana transaction/compute limits cap maximum “hops,” so not all algorithms explore the same space.
Market fragmentation: A single LP can occasionally beat complex paths; checking more sources reduces the chance you miss that better price.
Bottom line: asking several smart routers then choosing the best executable quote improves your expected output.
✅ Summary
Swap.io searches multiple aggregators + our CLMM and executes the best available route.
You’ll need a small amount of SOL for network fees.
Slippage controls protect you against unexpected price movement.
Protocol fees depend on which pools are used and are shown upfront.
Swap.io adds no platform fee.
🕓 Today: Solana-focused. Coming next: broader-chain integrations via our routing stack while keeping the same “best-route, no platform fee” experience.
🔒 Transparency & safety (at a glance)
Route preview: See which protocols are used before you confirm.
Atomic execution: Your swap either completes as quoted (within tolerance) or fails safely.
Our CLMM pools: Optimized for long-tail assets with competitive fees and deep routing support.
For audits, security details, and risk notes, see Security & Audits in the docs.
Last updated