EigenLayer vs StakeWise
A detailed head-to-head comparison of EigenLayer and StakeWise — pricing, features, and which one wins for different use cases.
EigenLayer
Restaking protocol that extends Ethereum economic security to new services for additional yield
EigenLayer invented restaking — a primitive that allows Ethereum validators and liquid staking token holders to extend their slashable economic stake to additional services beyond Ethereum consensus, …
Full review →StakeWise
Permissionless ETH staking with the osETH liquid token and solo-staker vaults
StakeWise (V3) is a permissionless, modular ETH staking protocol built around 'Vaults' — individual staking pools that can be run by anyone, from solo stakers to professional operators — with osETH as…
Full review →Feature Comparison
| Feature | EigenLayer | StakeWise |
|---|---|---|
| Liquid Token | ✗ | osETH |
| Minimum Stake | No minimum | None |
| Reward Frequency | AVS-determined | Continuous |
| Defi Compatible | ✗ | ✓ |
| Node Operator Model | Permissioned operators (AVS-specific) | Permissionless vaults |
| Governance Token | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi Chain | ✗ | ✗ |
| Slashing Protection | ✗ | ✗ |
| Withdrawal Enabled | ✓ | ✓ |
| Avs Ecosystem | ✓ | — |
| Insurance Fund | — | ✓ |
EigenLayer Pricing
EigenLayer
Free (AVS-determined rewards)
Free
- ✓ETH + LST restaking
- ✓Multiple AVS opt-in
- ✓EigenDA access
- ✓EIGEN rewards
- ✓Ethereum mainnet
StakeWise Pricing
StakeWise
Free (vault fee on rewards)
Free
- ✓Permissionless staking vaults
- ✓Over-collateralized osETH
- ✓Solo + operator vaults
- ✓Decentralization-focused
- ✓SWISE governance
Verdict: Which Should You Choose?
EigenLayer is the better pick if you need invented restaking — incremental yield on already-staked eth. StakeWise wins when permissionless, modular vault architecture. Both are production-ready — the right choice depends on your team's workflow and budget.