What goes into a crypto swap fee?
A swap can involve a pool or execution fee, an interface charge and network costs. Price impact and the quoted exchange rate also affect your result. Some costs are included in the amount shown; others are charged separately.
Compare the same trade
Match the input amount, token contracts, networks and observation time. Read the net output and identify any separately charged costs. A low percentage does not establish the best final price.
| Assumption | Route A | Route B |
|---|---|---|
| Input value | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Quoted output value, including pool fee | $995 | $997 |
| Separately charged network cost | $2 | $8 |
| Net value after separate cost | $993 | $989 |
Under these assumptions, Route A leaves $4 more after network cost. Subtracting its pool fee again would count a cost twice. Real quotes change with the route, time, liquidity and network conditions.
Which fee belongs to which product?
Uniswap documents different models for v2, v3 and v4. NEAR Intents separates protocol and distribution-channel charges. Chainflip distinguishes execution costs from deposit and broadcast costs. Use the documentation for the exact product and a current quote. Fees across Uniswap versions ↗; NEAR Intents fees ↗; Chainflip swapping basics ↗.
Record what you observed
Save the time, input, networks, token contracts, output and additional charges. Label a quote as a quote. Slippage tolerance is a limit on execution conditions, not a fee you necessarily pay; price impact describes how the trade affects its execution price.