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DEX · POOL FEE TIERS

Pool Fee Tiers: How to Read the Number Before a Swap

The same pair can exist in several pools with different fee tiers. The tier is charged on every swap; the cheapest tier isn't always the cheapest trade.

By ChartsPod Editorial Team · Reviewed by ChartsPod Research
Published · Updated · 5 min read

Short answer

AMMs such as Uniswap offer pools with different fee tiers for the same pair (for example 0.05%, 0.3% and 1%), and the fee is taken from the swap input. For a $10,000 swap, those tiers cost $5, $30 and $100. But a low-fee pool with little liquidity near the price can cost more through price impact than a higher-fee pool with deep liquidity. Before a swap, compare total cost — fee plus quoted impact — across tiers, not the fee alone.

What the number means

ReadingInterpretation
0.05%Usually stable or highly liquid pairs
0.3%Common default
1%Volatile or exotic pairs
Fee + impactThe number to compare
Total cost of a $10k swap ($, illustrative)Total cost of a $10k swap ($, illustrative): 0.05% pool, thin 185 $; 0.3% pool, deep 62 $; 1% pool 128 $.TOTAL COST OF A $10K SWAP ($, ILLUSTRATIVE)0.05% pool, thin$1850.3% pool, deep$621% pool$128
Fee plus impact decides. Original ChartsPod editorial graphic.

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Checks before the swap

Pool Fee Tiers checksPool Fee Tiers checks: Fee tier per pool; Quoted impact per pool; Liquidity near price; Route used; Total cost.POOL FEE TIERS CHECKSFee tier per poolQuoted impact per poolLiquidity near priceRoute usedTotal cost
Each takes under a minute. Original ChartsPod editorial graphic.

Example

Illustrative: the 0.05% pool charges $5 in fees but quotes $180 of impact; the 0.3% pool charges $30 with $32 of impact. The higher tier is cheaper overall.

Related: DEX Trading Fees: How to Read the Number Before a Swap, Concentrated Pool Liquidity: How to Read the Number Before a Swap.

AMMs such as Uniswap offer pools with different fee tiers for the same pair (for example 0.05%, 0.3% and 1%), and the fee is taken from the swap input.

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Questions readers ask

What are pool fee tiers?

Different fee rates for pools of the same pair.

Is the lowest fee cheapest?

Not if its liquidity is thin.

What should I compare?

Fee plus price impact.

Sources and methodology

DEX Screener behaviour comes from its official documentation; pool and token concepts from CoinGecko, Uniswap, Raydium and Solana documentation, as read on 17 October 2026. Examples use illustrative numbers and do not refer to any real token. Nothing here is a recommendation to trade any token.

  1. Uniswap: Concentrated liquidity — active liquidity within price ranges.

This article explains research tools and workflows. It is not financial advice, does not recommend buying or selling any asset and does not predict prices. Crypto derivatives carry a risk of rapid and total loss of margin.

CHARTSPOD EDITORIAL EDITION · RESEARCH AND EDUCATION ONLY · NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE.