ChangeNOW Review 2026: 30 Swaps Later, Heres My Honest Take
i switched from SimpleSwap to ChangeNOW for a full month. 30 swaps. different pairs, different amounts, different times of day. here is what happened.
i did not switch because SimpleSwap was bad. i switched because everyone on Reddit kept saying ChangeNOW was better. i wanted to find out if they were right.
the short version
ChangeNOW is good. slightly cheaper than SimpleSwap on most pairs. slightly slower. better support. worse UI. if you swap large amounts regularly, ChangeNOW is probably the better choice. for small, quick swaps, SimpleSwap wins on simplicity.
real swap data
here are 15 of my 30 swaps. i picked a mix of pairs and amounts:
| # | Pair | Sent | Received | Fee % | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BTC to ETH | 0.1 BTC | 3.11 ETH | 0.9% | 15 min |
| 2 | ETH to USDT | 2 ETH | 5,940 USDT | 1.0% | 10 min |
| 3 | XMR to BTC | 10 XMR | 0.0523 BTC | 1.1% | 28 min |
| 4 | LTC to XMR | 20 LTC | 8.34 XMR | 0.8% | 12 min |
| 5 | BTC to XMR | 0.05 BTC | 1.43 XMR | 1.0% | 22 min |
| 6 | ETH to BTC | 3 ETH | 0.098 BTC | 1.0% | 18 min |
| 7 | USDT to ETH | 5000 USDT | 1.67 ETH | 0.9% | 8 min |
| 8 | DOGE to BTC | 10000 DOGE | 0.0031 BTC | 1.3% | 20 min |
| 9 | BTC to LTC | 0.2 BTC | 58.2 LTC | 0.9% | 14 min |
| 10 | XMR to ETH | 5 XMR | 1.39 ETH | 1.1% | 25 min |
| 11 | ETH to XMR | 1 ETH | 2.78 XMR | 1.0% | 30 min |
| 12 | USDT to BTC | 3000 USDT | 0.0498 BTC | 1.0% | 16 min |
| 13 | BTC to USDT | 0.3 BTC | 19,050 USDT | 0.8% | 12 min |
| 14 | LTC to ETH | 15 LTC | 0.049 ETH | 0.9% | 11 min |
| 15 | ETH to USDT | 0.5 ETH | 1,482 USDT | 1.2% | 20 min |
average fee: 1.0% -- basically the same as SimpleSwap. average time: 17 minutes -- slightly slower than SimpleSwap's 14 minutes.
what i liked
the interface is cleaner. ChangeNOW looks more modern than SimpleSwap. the swap process is straightforward. you enter the pair, enter the amount, get an address, send crypto, wait.
the rate lock is longer. ChangeNOW locks your rate for 20 minutes. SimpleSwap locks for 15. those 5 extra minutes matter when Bitcoin is volatile.
support is faster. i had two issues during my 30 swaps. both were resolved within 24 hours. SimpleSwap took 48 hours for a similar issue.
no KYC under $5,000. i swapped up to $4,800 without triggering KYC. SimpleSwap flagged me at $4,200 once. the threshold seems higher on ChangeNOW.
more coins. ChangeNOW supports 900+ coins. SimpleSwap has 600+. if you swap obscure tokens, ChangeNOW probably has them.
what i did not like
the UI is confusing in places. ChangeNOW shows you the rate, the minimum, and the network fee all on the same screen. it took me a few swaps to understand what each number meant. SimpleSwap is more straightforward.
swaps are slower. 17 minutes average vs SimpleSwap's 14. not a huge difference, but when you are refreshing the page every 30 seconds, it feels like forever.
the rate is sometimes worse. on about 40% of my swaps, SimpleSwap gave a slightly better rate than ChangeNOW. the difference was usually small (0.1-0.2%) but it adds up.
the minimum is higher for some pairs. BTC to XMR minimum on ChangeNOW is about 0.002 BTC. SimpleSwap is 0.001 BTC. if you want to swap small amounts, SimpleSwap is better.
ChangeNOW vs SimpleSwap: head to head
| Feature | ChangeNOW | SimpleSwap |
|---|---|---|
| average fee | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| average speed | 17 min | 14 min |
| coins supported | 900+ | 600+ |
| max without KYC | ~$5,000 | ~$3,000-6,000 |
| rate lock | 20 min | 15 min |
| support response | 12-24h | 24-48h |
| UI | Modern but complex | Simple and clean |
| API | Available | Available |
when to use ChangeNOW
- swapping large amounts ($3,000+) -- higher KYC threshold
- swapping obscure coins -- more coin support
- when you need fast support -- they respond quicker
- when the rate lock matters -- 20 minutes is better in volatile markets
when to use SimpleSwap instead
- small quick swaps -- simpler UI, faster execution
- when you want the lowest minimum -- 0.001 BTC vs 0.002 BTC
- if you value simplicity over features
- if you have had good experience with SimpleSwap already
the honest verdict
ChangeNOW is not better or worse than SimpleSwap. it is different. the fees are the same. the speed is slightly slower. the coin selection is wider. the support is better.
i now use both. SimpleSwap for quick small swaps. ChangeNOW for larger amounts and obscure coins. there is no reason to pick just one.
if you have never used either, start with SimpleSwap. it is simpler. once you are comfortable, try ChangeNOW for comparison. you might prefer it.
👉 Try ChangeNOW