ComparisonChecked 26 September 2026
A ChangeNOW alternative with one published fee
Ghostex publishes one number, 0.48%, inside every quote; ChangeNOW's terms say its fee is "included in the final rate" without a percentage. Ghostex locks a fixed rate for 30 minutes; ChangeNOW's terms ask for the deposit within 4 minutes. ChangeNOW lists far more coins and offers fiat.
Side by side
Ghostex vs ChangeNOW at a glance
Eleven rows, each ChangeNOW cell citing the changenow.io page that states it. Its Terms of Use (ToS) are linked in the first row, and the Sources list below links every page. Checked 26 September 2026.
| Point | Ghostex | ChangeNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Account | None for anyone | Not needed for standard swaps; US residents need an account (ToS 3.1, 11.1) |
| Identity checks | No ID requested from anyone; orders tied to a prohibited use may be delayed, declined or refunded (Terms, s.6) | Risk-flagged swaps held for Sumsub verification with a 3-day window (AML policy s.2-3); mandatory KYC for residents of the EU, US, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, UAE, Australia and Canada (ToS 3.2) |
| Fee | Flat 0.48%, inside the quote | No percentage stated; "included in the final rate" (ToS 5.4) |
| Fixed-rate window | 30 minutes from order creation (Terms, s.8) | Deposit within 4 minutes (ToS 2.3); the how-it-works page says the rate is locked "for the time shown" |
| Limits | About $10 to $10,000,000 in USD value | From $2; no upper limit (FAQ) |
| Assets | 43 (supported assets) | 1000+ on the homepage, 1500+ on the API page |
| Monero | Receive only | Both directions |
| Lightning | Receive only | Supported; it also runs a public Lightning node |
| Refunds | Automatic, in the asset and network you sent, minus the network cost of returning it, with no fee kept; no automatic refund for a wrong network or missing memo, and recovery is not assured (Terms, s.12) | Due on failed or stuck orders (ToS 6.3); wrong network, coin or memo: $50 plus network fees (ToS 6.16) |
| Model | Five AI agents run each order (how they work) | Third-party liquidity providers and, in limited cases, third-party exchange service providers (ToS 2.4); their FAQ says liquidity comes from CEX and DEX and that partner-routed pairs may face the partners' own KYC |
| Operator | Ghostex.ai, Kutaisi, Georgia (Terms 1) | CHN Group LLC, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (ToS) |
Reading a quote
One published number instead of a rate you have to decode
ChangeNOW's terms (s.5.4) say its margin and fees are "included in the final rate", and its homepage says every fee is already in the rate you see. That is a clear promise of no extra charges, but it leaves no percentage to compare. Its FAQ adds that fixed-rate quotes carry a small reserve, so a fixed quote can differ from a classic one for the same amount.
Ghostex's number is fixed in its Terms, section 8: 0.48% of what you send, on fixed and floating rates alike. On 1 ETH that is 0.0048 ETH, already taken out of the BTC you are quoted. The network fee for sending your payout is covered and already reflected in the quote, so nothing is added at the end.
How to compare two quotes fairly
- Use the same pair and the same amount on both sites, for example 1 ETH to BTC.
- Take both quotes within a minute or two of each other; prices move.
- Compare the amount you would receive, not the headline fee. Both quotes already include the service's cut.
- Check which network fees are inside. Ghostex covers the payout fee; on both services your own wallet pays to broadcast the deposit.
- Compare like with like: a fixed quote against a fixed quote, a floating estimate against a floating one.
The quote that pays more at that moment is the cheaper one, whatever either site's fee wording says.
4 minutes or 30 minutes to send
ChangeNOW's ToS 2.3 lists, among its fixed-rate conditions, that the deposit is sent within 4 minutes of creating the exchange; its how-it-works page describes a countdown timer. Ghostex gives 30 minutes from order creation, provided the deposit matches the order amount. Four minutes is workable from a wallet that is already open and funded. Withdrawing from an exchange account is harder to time, because that platform's own processing counts against the clock. Miss the Ghostex window and the order runs at the market rate at execution or is refunded automatically; the order page shows which.
Honest trade-offs
Where ChangeNOW is the better choice
ChangeNOW is the better choice for swaps Ghostex cannot run: its pages list far more assets plus card purchases through partners, a minimum from $2 with no upper limit, and Monero and Lightning BTC as assets you can swap from. A published fee is one reason to switch; these are reasons to stay, based on ChangeNOW's own pages.
How to switch
Switching from ChangeNOW: four steps
Moving a swap from ChangeNOW takes four steps and no sign-in: pick a pair, enter the receiving address (with a memo only if your wallet asks), send the exact amount on the network the order names (a fixed rate allows 30 minutes, not 4), then save the order ID and follow each stage on the tracking page.
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1. Pick a pair
Start with ETH to BTC, USDT TRC20 to XMR or BTC to USDT TRC20, or any of the 43 assets from the form above.
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2. Enter your address
Give the receiving address, and a memo only if your wallet asks for one. No email field, no sign-in.
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3. Send the exact amount
Use the deposit address shown on your order and the network it names. A fixed rate gives you 30 minutes, not 4.
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4. Track it
Save the order ID; the tracking page shows each stage until the payout or an automatic refund.
FAQ
ChangeNOW alternative: questions
Is Ghostex affiliated with ChangeNOW?
No. Ghostex has no connection with ChangeNOW or CHN Group LLC. This page quotes ChangeNOW's public pages, read on 26 September 2026, only to compare terms side by side.
What fee does Ghostex charge?
A flat 0.48% service fee on every swap, fixed or floating, already inside the quote. The payout network fee is covered and already reflected in your quote, and a refunded order keeps no fee. Your wallet still pays its own network fee to broadcast the deposit.
Does Ghostex require KYC in the EU or US?
Ghostex never asks anyone for identity documents. The Terms ask you to follow the laws that apply to you and exclude sanctioned persons and prohibited jurisdictions.
How long is a fixed rate locked?
30 minutes from the moment the order is created. Send the exact amount inside that window and you receive the locked amount; a late or different deposit runs at the market rate or is refunded automatically, and your order page shows which.
Can I buy crypto with a card on Ghostex?
No: Ghostex swaps crypto to crypto only. To start from a bank card you need a fiat on-ramp first; ChangeNOW's FAQ names partner services such as Guardarian, Banxa and Transak for that.
References
Sources
ChangeNOW pages read on 26 September 2026:
- changenow.io home page: fee wording, coin count, start year, products
- changenow.io FAQ: limits, risk holds, fiat partners, CEX and DEX liquidity, KYC on partner-routed pairs
- ChangeNOW Terms of Use (updated 18 September 2026): accounts, mandatory KYC jurisdictions (s.3.2), fee, 4-minute condition, refunds, liquidity providers (s.2.4), operator
- ChangeNOW AML/KYC policy (updated 17 July 2026): risk-based checks, Sumsub verification and its 3-day window
- How it works: fixed-rate timer
- ChangeNOW API page: 1500+ assets
- Monero page: XMR in both directions
- Lightning page: Lightning support and public node
ChangeNOW, FixedFloat and SimpleSwap are trademarks of their respective owners. Ghostex is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by them. Details were taken from their public pages on 26 September 2026 and may have changed.
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Before trusting any swap service, ours included, read how to vet a no-KYC exchange.
0.48% in the quoteNothing added later
See the number before you send
Enter an amount and the quote shows what you will receive, fee included. Fix it for 30 minutes or let it float.