ChangeNOW vs SimpleSwap: compared on open data
ChangeNOW scores 10/10 and SimpleSwap 8.24/10 on data collected October 19, 2026. The whole 1.76-point gap comes from one criterion: ChangeNOW publishes a machine-readable status page and SimpleSwap publishes none. On track record, latency and hack history both take full marks. Both are fully measured, and they rank #1 and #3 of 13 instant exchangers.
Data collected October 19, 2026 · No affiliate links · How scores are built
ChangeNOW scores higher: 10/10 against 8.24/10. It leads on 1 of 4 criteria, SimpleSwap on 0.
Criterion by criterion
Same category, same weights, heaviest criterion first. Open a row for each side’s reasoning and evidence.
Track record34% of the scoreLevelChangeNOW10SimpleSwap10Why these marks ↓Hide ↑
Latency24% of the scoreLevelChangeNOW10SimpleSwap10Why these marks ↓Hide ↑
Status transparency22% of the scoreChangeNOW leadsChangeNOW10SimpleSwap2Why these marks ↓Hide ↑
Security record20% of the scoreLevelChangeNOW10SimpleSwap10Why these marks ↓Hide ↑
The single criterion behind the gap
Status transparency carries 22% of the score. ChangeNOW's statuspage site publishes an incident history anyone can read and check, which scores 10. The collector found no public status page for SimpleSwap, which scores 2. That is (10 − 2) × 22% = 1.76 points, the full difference. Every other criterion is level. The raw latency differs (80 ms against 197 ms, one probe location, category median 107.5 ms), but both values are in the top band.
ChangeNOW's 10 in context
The archive that earns ChangeNOW its transparency score also shows how often it has incidents: 15.67 per 30 days over the 90-day window, a 100-minute median repair time, and a "major outage" showing at collection time. These numbers are shown for context and are not scored. SimpleSwap publishes no comparable record, so a reader cannot tell whether it has fewer incidents or simply does not report them. The score rewards being auditable. It does not measure how reliable either service actually is.
What neither score covers
The scores leave out ChangeNOW fees and SimpleSwap fees, as well as rates and spreads, fixed versus floating rate terms, when either provider may ask for identity checks or hold a swap, restricted countries, and support. The site does not score real cost because measuring it honestly would take repeated live swaps on every service. Get quotes for your exact pair and amount from both before choosing.
Which fits which reader
- If outside verification of outages matters to you (for example, before moving a large amount), ChangeNOW is the only one of the two you can check. Look at its recent incidents first.
- If you mainly care about the measured basics (age, responsiveness, no hack on record), the two are level.
- If price decides it, this comparison cannot answer that. Compare live quotes.
The numbers side by side
| Measured | ChangeNOW | SimpleSwap |
|---|---|---|
| Track record | 9.3 yr | 8.3 yr |
| Latency (our probe) | 80 ms | 197 ms |
| Hacks on record | 0 | 0 |
| Status feed | statuspage | none |
Where each one falls short
SimpleSwap
Status transparency: No public status page found. Nothing about its reliability can be verified from outside — including by us.
Not for: Anyone who needs to know when it breaks: no status feed, so you find out it is down by discovering it yourself.
Which to choose
Which scores higher, ChangeNOW or SimpleSwap?+
ChangeNOW, with 10/10 against 8.24/10 on the October 19, 2026 data. The status-page criterion accounts for the entire difference.
Which is cheaper, ChangeNOW or SimpleSwap?+
This ranking does not measure fees or rates. Compare live quotes for the same pair and amount.
Has either been hacked?+
Neither appears in DefiLlama's public hack database as of the October 19, 2026 check. That is not a guarantee. More comparisons: ChangeNOW vs SideShift · SideShift vs SimpleSwap · SimpleSwap vs Changelly · Full ranking