SundaeSwap Fees: What You Really Pay on Cardano’s Top DEX
When you trade on SundaeSwap, a decentralized exchange built on the Cardano blockchain that lets users swap tokens without intermediaries. It's one of the most used DEXs on Cardano, and for good reason—its fees are tiny compared to Ethereum-based platforms. But low doesn’t mean zero. Every swap, stake, or liquidity add comes with a cost, and if you don’t know what you’re paying, you’re leaving money on the table.
Here’s the real breakdown: SundaeSwap charges a flat 0.3% trading fee on every swap. That’s it—no hidden layers, no surprise gas spikes. Compare that to Uniswap on Ethereum, where fees can jump to $20+ during peak times, and SundaeSwap looks like a steal. But here’s what most people miss: you’re still paying Cardano’s native transaction fee, called ADA, the native cryptocurrency of the Cardano blockchain used for transactions, staking, and governance. It’s not part of SundaeSwap’s fee, but it’s still required to send your trade on-chain. That fee? Usually under $0.01. So your total cost for a $100 swap? Around $0.31. That’s not just cheap—it’s practically free.
Now, what about adding liquidity? If you’re supplying tokens to a pool, you’re not just giving up your assets—you’re also paying the same tiny Cardano fee to lock them in. And if you want to pull your liquidity out later? Same fee. No extra charges from SundaeSwap, but you’re still subject to impermanent loss, the risk of losing value when the price of two tokens in a liquidity pool moves apart. That’s not a fee, but it’s a cost you can’t ignore. And if you’re staking your SPL tokens to earn rewards? That’s free too—no withdrawal fees, no lock-up penalties.
Why does this matter? Because on other DEXs, you’re paying for speed, for complexity, for hype. On SundaeSwap, you’re paying for simplicity and reliability. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t have 500 tokens. But it works, consistently, at rock-bottom cost. If you’re trading on Cardano, you’re already saving on gas. SundaeSwap just makes sure you don’t pay extra on top of that.
What you’ll find below are real reviews, breakdowns, and comparisons from traders who’ve used SundaeSwap daily. Some found hidden traps. Others saved hundreds by timing their swaps right. No fluff. No marketing. Just what people actually paid—and what they wish they’d known before hitting confirm.
SundaeSwap v3 is still Cardano's top DEX in 2025, but it's slow, has high fees, and lacks advanced features. Here's who should use it - and who should look elsewhere.
Jonathan Jennings Nov 12, 2025