# Best Perp DEX for Beginners in 2026 Updated: 24 September 2026 / Books polled 19 September 2026 / Spaces Research ## Readout Extended is the best perp DEX for beginners in our 24 September 2026 test of 7 venues that offer a practice mode or email sign-in, scoring 7.8/10: a public testnet, one flat 0.025% taker fee and a bug bounty. Hyperliquid, edgeX, ApeX Omni, dYdX and Aster take an email sign-in instead of a browser wallet. ## Order-book readings BTC perpetual books polled on a ten-minute tick, 18 September 2026 12:02 UTC to 19 September 2026 09:10 UTC; medians of all successful snapshots. | Venue | $10,000 round trip | Spread | Depth, 10 bps | Impact, $100,000 | Snapshots | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Extended | $5.00 | 0.12 bps | $7.4 million | 0.06 bps | 114 | | Aster | $8.00 | 0.01 bps | $16.1 million | 0.38 bps | 113 | | edgeX | $9.00 | 0.04 bps | $29.5 million | 0.02 bps | 109 | | ApeX Omni | $10.00 | 0.71 bps | $1.8 million | 0.38 bps | 114 | | Hyperliquid | $9.00 | 0.12 bps | $9.6 million | 0.06 bps | 114 | | EVEDEX | $9.00 | 4.12 bps | $18.3 million | 2.06 bps | 111 | | dYdX | $10.00 | 1.23 bps | $845,322 | 6.95 bps | 114 | ## Best perp DEX for beginners, venues with practice modes or email sign-in Only venues with a testnet, a demo mode or email sign-in qualify here, ordered by the overall score. Read the fee column first, then each card for its minimum deposit and the terms it trades under. | # | Venue | Score /10 | Maker / taker | Perp markets | Model | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | Extended | 7.8 | 0% / 0.025% | 325 | Hybrid | | 2 | Aster | 7.7 | 0% / 0.040% | 578 | Own layer 1, operator-run | | 3 | edgeX | 7.6 | 0.040% / 0.045% | 172 | Hybrid | | 4= | ApeX Omni | 6.9 | 0.020% / 0.050% | 125 | Hybrid | | 4= | Hyperliquid | 6.9 | 0.015% / 0.045% | 324 | On-chain order book | | 6 | EVEDEX | 6.5 | 0.015% / 0.045% | 52 | Hybrid | | 7 | dYdX | 5.8 | 0.010% / 0.050% | 78 | App-chain, validator-held book | Facts as of 18 September 2026; entry-tier fees on the BTC perpetual. Access differs by country. Weights: cost 25 · liquidity 25 · custody 20 · security 15 · coverage 10 · access 5, fixed 18 September 2026. Method: https://spacesdao.org/methodology ## What the numbers say 1. Practise first: Extended and Hyperliquid run public testnets, ApeX documents a testnet, and EVEDEX Academy offers courses and demo trading. 2. Email sign-in without a browser wallet: Hyperliquid, edgeX, ApeX Omni, dYdX and Aster. 3. Small first deposits: edgeX from 10 USDT and EVEDEX from 6 USDT. 4. Not on this page: Lighter, which needs a browser wallet and documents no practice mode. ## 1. [Extended](https://extended.exchange/) — a public testnet and one flat fee Score 7.8 of 10. Extended runs a public testnet on Starknet Sepolia and charges every account 0% maker / 0.025% taker ([Extended fee schedule](https://docs.extended.exchange/extended-resources/trading/trading-fees-and-rebates), checked 18 September 2026). Sign-in needs an EVM or Starknet wallet. Every transaction settles on Starknet, and its bug bounty pays up to $500,000. - Works: Public testnet; One flat fee for every account. - Falls short: Wallet needed to sign in; Most markets are request-for-quote. - Not for: a beginner reading a market count as a count of books. ## 2. [Aster](https://www.asterdex.com) — email login and a 0% maker fee Score 7.7 of 10. Aster accepts email login with a 6-digit code, which creates a wallet that accepts only USDT on Arbitrum ([Aster docs](https://docs.asterdex.com/getting-started/login-via-web3-wallet.md), checked 18 September 2026). Makers pay 0% at every VIP tier, takers 0.040% at VIP 1. - Works: Email login; 0% maker fee. - Falls short: Wrong-asset deposits to email wallets are not refunded; Closed-source chain. - Not for: a beginner who wants an audit covering the chain that matches the order. ## 3. [edgeX](https://pro.edgex.exchange) — email sign-in and a 10 USDT minimum Score 7.6 of 10. edgeX lets you register with an email through an MPC wallet, and the minimum deposit is 10 USDT ([edgeX docs](https://edgex-1.gitbook.io/edgeX-documentation/edgex-v2), checked 18 September 2026). Fees are 0.040% maker / 0.045% taker, and a documented exit works if the operator stops. - Works: Email sign-in; 10 USDT minimum deposit. - Falls short: 0.040% maker fee; No bug bounty programme. - Not for: makers at the entry tier. ## 4. [ApeX Omni](https://omni.apex.exchange/) — email sign-up and card deposits Score 6.9 of 10. ApeX Omni accepts wallet or email sign-up, with card deposits through Alchemy Pay for email accounts ([ApeX docs](https://apex-pro.gitbook.io/apex-pro/apex-omni/onboarding/how-to-deposit-funds-to-apex-omni), checked 18 September 2026). Its docs describe a testnet on the trade page. Fees are 0.020% maker / 0.050% taker. - Works: Email sign-up; Card deposits for email accounts. - Falls short: 0.050% taker fee; Card deposits may need identity checks with Alchemy Pay. - Not for: frequent takers. ## 4. [Hyperliquid](https://hyperliquid.xyz) — email login and a testnet Score 6.9 of 10. Hyperliquid accepts a wallet or an email login with a 6-digit code ([Hyperliquid docs](https://hyperliquid.gitbook.io/hyperliquid-docs/onboarding/how-to-start-trading.md), checked 18 September 2026), and runs a testnet with a faucet for addresses that have deposited on mainnet. Fees are 0.015% maker / 0.045% taker, and BTC goes to 40x. - Works: Email login; Testnet with a faucet. - Falls short: Testnet faucet needs a prior mainnet deposit; HLP vault losses in 2025. - Not for: a beginner who would not want a winning position closed to cover someone else's. ## 6. EVEDEX — learning with EVEDEX Academy demo trading Score 6.5 of 10. EVEDEX offers EVEDEX Academy with courses and demo trading, and a deposit minimum of 6 USDT (EVEDEX documentation as of 18 September 2026). Trading needs only a wallet, with no traditional KYC; deposits pass automated AML screening. Fees are 0.015% maker / 0.045% taker. - Works: Courses and demo trading in EVEDEX Academy; 6 USDT minimum deposit. - Falls short: Wallet needed to sign in; Cross margin only. - Not for: UK retail clients. ## 7. [dYdX](https://www.dydx.xyz) — Google, Apple or email sign-in Score 5.8 of 10. dYdX lets you sign in with Google, Apple or email through Turnkey and get a self-custodial wallet ([dYdX blog](https://www.dydx.xyz/blog/use-google-apple-or-email-to-start-trading-on-dydx-social-logins-now-live-with-dydx), checked 18 September 2026). Deposits arrive in 10 to 30 seconds from several chains. Fees are 0.010% maker / 0.050% taker. - Works: Google, Apple or email sign-in; Fast USDC deposits from several chains. - Falls short: Median BTC depth of $845,322; Chain halt in October 2025. - Not for: large orders. ## What a beginner should check first 1. **Practice before money.** A testnet or demo account shows how orders, margin and liquidation behave with play funds. Extended's testnet runs at starknet.sepolia.extended.exchange; Hyperliquid's faucet requires a prior mainnet deposit from the same address. 2. **Sign-in you can recover.** Email and social logins create a self-custodial wallet for you, so there is no seed phrase to lose on day one; a browser wallet gives you more control but more to manage. 3. **Leverage settings.** Start well below the cap. Leverage shortens the distance between the entry price and the liquidation price, and the whole margin sits inside that distance. At 20x a 5% move against you erases the initial margin; at 50x it takes 2%. 4. **Access in your country.** Every venue here restricts some countries in its terms. Read them before you deposit. ## How the readings were taken Two kinds of number reach this screen. Depth, spread and price impact are ours — every BTC perpetual book polled on a ten-minute tick, 18 September 2026 12:02 UTC to 19 September 2026 09:10 UTC, no account opened and no order sent, each median printed with the count of readings behind it. The rest is read off each venue's own documentation and trading terms on 18 September 2026: rate cards, market lists, leverage ladders, sign-in and access rules, audit history. Six weighted criteria, fixed on 18 September 2026 and unmoved since, turn those readings into the 7 totals on this page ([How we rate](/methodology)). Venues qualified with a documented practice mode or email sign-in; minimum deposits come from each venue's documentation. Custody, settlement and the security record are marked off documents, and a document is a statement of intent — none of it has been put under stress here. The fee column is the entry-tier rate a new account is quoted, with volume tiers, rebates and cashback left out of it. Depth was read on the BTC book alone, the deepest contract every one of these venues runs, so a venue that reads well on this screen can still be thin in a smaller market. Venues priced from an oracle or a pool never had a resting book to read, and carry their facts without a total on the [perp DEX list](/perp-dex-list). ## Sourced quotes > "You can trade on Hyperliquid with a normal defi wallet or by logging in with your email address." — Hyperliquid documentation, How to start trading, 18 September 2026. https://hyperliquid.gitbook.io/hyperliquid-docs/onboarding/how-to-start-trading > "Extended is compatible with all EVM and Starknet wallets." — Extended documentation, Account creation, 18 September 2026. https://docs.extended.exchange/extended-resources/account-operations/account-creation > "EVEDEX is a hybrid cryptocurrency exchange combining CEX-level user experience with DEX self-custody security." — CertiK Skynet, project profile, 18 September 2026. https://skynet.certik.com/projects/evedex ## FAQ ### What are the best futures to trade for a beginner? Large, liquid contracts such as BTC and ETH perpetuals, because their books are deepest and spreads tightest. In the snapshots the BTC book held a median $7.4 million within 10 bps on Extended and $9.6 million on Hyperliquid. Practise on a testnet first, and keep leverage low. ### Is this best perp DEX to trade BTC and other coins for beginners? For a first account, pick a venue where you can practise and recover access. Extended runs a public testnet, Hyperliquid and ApeX Omni offer email sign-in plus testnets, and EVEDEX Academy has demo trading. Extended scores highest here at 7.8/10. ### How do you approach perp DEX trading & which platforms are actually good? Start on a testnet, then trade small sizes at low leverage on a liquid market. Among venues with practice modes or email sign-in, Extended leads our scores at 7.8/10, then Aster at 7.7 and edgeX at 7.6. Read each venue's terms for your country first. ### How risky is 100x leverage? Very risky, especially for a beginner. At 100x the initial margin is 1% of the position, so a 1% move against you wipes it out, and maintenance margin liquidates you before that. Most venues here let you choose far lower leverage, and the cap is a limit, not a target. ### Which DEX is best for perps? Across all order-book venues, Lighter leads our scores at 8.5/10, but it needs a wallet and documents no practice mode, so it is not on this beginners list. Among venues with practice modes or email sign-in, Extended scores highest at 7.8/10. ### where to trade crypto futures using a dex? For a first trade, a venue with email sign-in removes the browser-wallet step, and five of the venues scored here offer it: Hyperliquid, edgeX, ApeX Omni, dYdX and Aster. Check the venue's own terms for your country, fund a small amount, start at low leverage and keep the first position small enough to lose. ### Which Perp DEX has the highest volume? Hyperliquid, with $13.4 billion of 24-hour volume on CoinMarketCap on 22 September 2026. For a beginner, volume matters less than depth on the market you trade and a way to practise; Hyperliquid also offers email login and a testnet. Volume is a venue figure rather than a market one, so a busy exchange can still be thin on your pair. ### What is a perp dex? A decentralized venue for perpetual futures: leveraged contracts with no expiry that follow a price through funding payments. You keep collateral in smart contracts rather than on an exchange's balance sheet, and you can lose the whole margin behind a position. ### Is there any Dex to trade legit cryptocurrencies? Yes. Every venue here lists BTC, ETH and SOL perpetuals, and most add hundreds of other markets. These are futures contracts that track prices, so you never hold the coin, and a leveraged position can be liquidated. Read the market list before depositing rather than the venue name, because breadth varies more than the headline suggests. ### What exchange you guys using for futures? We do not trade on the venues we rate. For beginners the choice follows the first step you need: a public testnet on Extended, email login on Hyperliquid or dYdX, or courses and demo trading in EVEDEX Academy. Whichever you pick, open the terms of use first and read what the venue says about your jurisdiction. ## Editorial note One published formula, every figure dated and sourced. Corrections: editorial@spacesdao.org. Spaces Research, 24 September 2026 Publication on this site is commissioned and paid for, and a venue compared here may be the sponsor behind the page.