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Swap execution comparison

Orkid vs MetaMask Swap

TL;DR: The in-wallet swap feature powered by 0x, charging 0.875% per swap. Orkid charges a flat 9 bps fee with gasless execution, MEV protection, and surplus returned to you. Orkid charges 9 bps — MetaMask charges 87.5 bps. That is a 9.7x difference. On a $10,000 swap, Orkid costs $9 and MetaMask costs $87.50. Orkid also offers gasless swaps (MetaMask requires gas), MEV detection (MetaMask does not guarantee it), and surplus return (MetaMask keeps it).

Launch Orkid Swap → See MetaMask Swap alternatives →
// QUICK FIT CHECK

Choose Orkid if

you want transparent 9 bps fees, gasless swaps, MEV protection, and surplus returned to you on Base, Ethereum, or Unichain.

Choose MetaMask Swap if

Users who prioritize convenience above cost and are willing to pay a premium for in-wallet swapping.

Decision table

At a glance

Comparison table for Orkid and MetaMask Swap
Category OrkidMetaMask Swap
Fee model 9 bps (0.09%) flat87.5 bps (0.875%) — the highest explicit swap fee among major wallet-integrated swap services.
Gas Gasless via Permit2User pays gas on every swap. No gasless option.
MEV protection Patent-backed MEV detectionLimited. MetaMask routes through 0x which can use private order flow, but the default flow does not guarantee MEV protection.
Surplus return Returned to userNo. Positive slippage is retained by MetaMask and 0x.
Chains Base, Ethereum, UnichainEthereum, Base, Arbitrum, Optimism, Polygon, BNB, and others.
Custody Non-custodialNon-custodial
Best for Cost-conscious users who want transparent 9 bps, gasless, MEV-protected swaps with surplus returned.Users who prioritize convenience above cost and are willing to pay a premium for in-wallet swapping.
Not ideal for Users who need chains Orkid does not support yet (non-EVM, Solana, etc.).Anyone cost-conscious. The 87.5 bps fee makes MetaMask Swap one of the most expensive ways to swap in all of DeFi.

Where MetaMask Swap leads

Established platform

MetaMask Swap has its own strengths. Here is where it performs well:

  • Convenience — swap directly inside the wallet without navigating to a separate dApp
  • Powered by 0x aggregation, so routing quality is inherited from 0x infrastructure
  • Supports a wide range of tokens and chains
  • No separate approval flow — the wallet handles everything in one place

Where Orkid leads

Transparent execution and surplus return

Orkid is built around a simple promise: 9 bps flat, gasless, MEV-protected, surplus returned. No hidden fees, no auction spreads, no gas tokens required.

  • 9 bps flat fee — transparent and competitive. On a $10,000 swap, that is $9.
  • Gasless via Permit2 — sign a message, Orkid handles the transaction. No ETH needed for gas.
  • Patent-backed MEV detection engine — protects against sandwich attacks and front-running.
  • Surplus returned to you — if the route produces positive slippage, you get it back.
  • Routes across 11+ DEX venues and RFQ sources on Base, Ethereum, and Unichain.

Best fit

Who should choose MetaMask Swap

  • Users who prioritize convenience above cost and are willing to pay a premium for in-wallet swapping.

Best fit

Who should choose Orkid

  • Anyone swapping on Base, Ethereum, or Unichain who wants the lowest transparent fee with gasless execution and MEV protection.
  • Users tired of opaque fees, auction spreads, and paying gas on top of swap fees.
  • Traders who want surplus returned to them, not kept by the protocol.
// SWITCHING PATH

Migration view

Switching from MetaMask Swap

You do not need to stop using MetaMask as your wallet. Connect the same MetaMask wallet to Orkid and swap through Orkid instead of the built-in swap button. Same wallet, same security, dramatically lower fees.

Next step

Try Orkid for your next swap

See the difference transparent pricing makes. Swap on Orkid with 9 bps flat, gasless execution, and MEV protection.

Launch Orkid Swap → See MetaMask Swap alternatives → Explore Swap pillar → All pillars →
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