Lighter vs Pacifica
A detailed head-to-head comparison of Lighter and Pacifica — pricing, features, and which one wins for different use cases.
Lighter
Verifiable order-book perp DEX with cryptographic proof of fair execution
Lighter is a decentralized order-book perpetual exchange notable for something no other perp DEX offers at scale: cryptographic proof of fair execution, where every trade, liquidation, and match can b…
Full review →Pacifica
High-performance Solana-native perpetuals DEX
Pacifica is a high-performance perpetuals DEX native to Solana, aiming to bring CEX-grade order-book trading — tight spreads, fast execution, deep liquidity — to Solana leveraging the chain's speed an…
Full review →Feature Comparison
| Feature | Lighter | Pacifica |
|---|---|---|
| Max Leverage | Up to 50x | Up to 50x |
| Settlement Model | ZK-rollup order book (verifiable) | Order book (Solana) |
| Oracle Type | Order book + oracle | Order book + oracle |
| Funding Rates | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cross Margin | ✓ | ✓ |
| Isolated Margin | ✓ | ✓ |
| Liquidity Provider Yield | ✗ | ✗ |
| Governance Token | ✗ | ✗ |
| Multi Chain | ✗ | ✗ |
| Self Custody | ✓ | ✓ |
Lighter Pricing
Lighter
Free (fee per trade)
Free
- ✓Non-custodial perpetuals
- ✓Up to 50x leverage
- ✓On-chain settlement
- ✓Funding-rate markets
- ✓Self-custody trading
Pacifica Pricing
Pacifica
Free (fee per trade)
Free
- ✓Non-custodial perpetuals
- ✓Up to 50x leverage
- ✓On-chain settlement
- ✓Funding-rate markets
- ✓Self-custody trading
Verdict: Which Should You Choose?
Lighter is the better pick if you need cryptographic proof of fair execution — unique at scale. Pacifica wins when high-performance perps native to solana. Both are production-ready — the right choice depends on your team's workflow and budget.