SideShift Review
Fixed and variable rates with a clear refund window
of 10
SideShift states its fees are included in the displayed rate and dynamic, with a default 0.5% affiliate commission adjustable between 0 and 2%. It offers 15-minute fixed rates and 7-day variable rates, and documents fee-free refunds within three days.
No money changes hands. This is a non-commercial project: no advertising, no sponsored placements, and no affiliate or referral links. Links to the services below earn us nothing. Every overall score is the plain average of the criteria shown on the page, so you can check the arithmetic yourself — see our rating methodology and how the site is funded.
Affiliate commission
0.5% default, adjustable 0-2%
Fixed rate
Locked 15 minutes
Variable rate
Set on deposit, 7-day expiration
Refunds
Fee-free within 3 days
Coverage
42 blockchains, 200+ cryptocurrencies
Scores
Each criterion carries equal weight. The overall score is the average of these 5 scores — (6.0 + 9.0 + 4.0 + 9.0 + 3.0) ÷ 5 = 6.2.
Pros
- Fixed rate locked for 15 minutes; variable rate set on deposit with a 7-day expiration
- Default affiliate commission stated at 0.5%, adjustable between 0 and 2%
- Refunds documented for wrong amounts, expiry and out-of-range deposits, without any fee, within 3 days
- Supports 42 blockchains and 200+ cryptocurrencies, stated
Cons
- The service's own spread is described as included and dynamic, without a headline figure
- Custody and KYC are not stated on the fetched documentation
- The operating entity is not named on the pages read
- It will not recover a deposit if the network fee to do so exceeds its value
Rate options and refunds, both clear
SideShift documents a fixed-rate shift locked for 15 minutes and a variable-rate shift whose rate is set when the deposit arrives, with a 7-day expiration. Its refund policy is one of the fullest here: refunds occur for a wrong amount on a fixed shift, for expiry, and for below-minimum or above-maximum deposits, without any fee and within three days — with the honest caveat that it will not recover a deposit if the network fee to do so exceeds the deposit's value.
Fees, partly published
The service states fees are already included in the displayed rate and are dynamic, and publishes a default affiliate commission of 0.5%, adjustable between 0 and 2%. That gives a partial picture — the affiliate layer is stated, the underlying spread is not.
What is missing
Custody and KYC are not stated on the fetched documentation, and the operating entity is not named. Both hold their scores down and are noted plainly.
The company behind it
SideShift.ai is associated with Andreas Brekken — its XAI white paper allocates a share of the token supply to "the founder of SideShift.ai," who is publicly Brekken — and its help centre references an entity, Brekken Com Limited, though it makes no clean incorporation statement. Its XAI token is a capped ERC-20. That the founder is effectively acknowledged through the token allocation, if not stated outright, sets SideShift slightly apart from the fully anonymous exchangers.
How it compares
LetsExchange
Non-custodial, but figures are undisclosed
Swapzone
Zero aggregator fee, undisclosed underlying spread
Godex
No-registration swaps, undisclosed spread
Changelly
A stated floating-rate fee, little else
ChangeNOW
Detailed refund rules, undisclosed spread
SimpleSwap
Fixed and floating rates, non-custodial by default
ChangeHero
The one exchanger that names its operator
FixedFloat
The rare exchanger that publishes its fee
Sources
Scored from published primary sources rather than hands-on use. Every figure above comes from one of the pages below, on the date shown. Manufacturers change prices and specifications without notice — if something here no longer matches the source, tell us and we will correct it.
- 1.SideShift — FAQ (fees, rates, refunds, coverage) — checked
- 2.SideShift — legal — checked
- 3.SideShift.ai — XAI white paper — checked
Frequently asked questions
What does SideShift charge?
Fees are included in the displayed rate and described as dynamic, with a default affiliate commission of 0.5% that can be set between 0 and 2%.
What happens to a failed SideShift swap?
Refunds occur for wrong amounts, expiry and out-of-range deposits, without any fee and within three days, unless the network fee to recover exceeds the deposit's value.
Nothing here is financial advice. Editorial policy · How we score · How we're funded.