A head-to-head comparison of Wormhole and Across Protocol — pricing, the features that actually differ, and which one fits which use case.
Cross-chain messaging protocol connecting Solana, Ethereum, and 30+ chains with arbitrary data transfers
Intent-based cross-chain bridge with the fastest settlement and lowest fees on EVM routes
These are the 6 capabilities where the two tools genuinely diverge — the rest of their feature sets overlap.
| Capability | Wormhole | Across Protocol |
|---|---|---|
| Settlement Time | ~15–30 minutes | ~2 minutes |
| Bridge Model | Guardian network attestation | Intent-based (relayer network) |
| Fee Model | Gas only | Dynamic LP fee only |
| Canonical Security | No | Yes |
| Arbitrary Messaging | Yes | No |
| Non Evm Support | Yes | No |
| Feature | Wormhole | Across Protocol |
|---|---|---|
| Settlement Time | ~15–30 minutes | ~2 minutes |
| Bridge Model | Guardian network attestation | Intent-based (relayer network) |
| Fee Model | Gas only | Dynamic LP fee only |
| Canonical Security | ✗ | ✓ |
| Cross Chain Messages | ✓ | ✓ |
| Governance Token | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi Chain | ✓ | ✓ |
| Self Custody | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arbitrary Messaging | ✓ | ✗ |
| Non Evm Support | ✓ | ✗ |
Both tools are free to use — costs come from network or usage fees.
Wormhole
Free
Across Protocol
Free
Watch out: $320M exploit in 2022 — most expensive bridge hack before Jump Crypto backstop.
Watch out: EVM-only — no Solana, Bitcoin, or non-EVM chain support.
Across Protocol edges ahead on our editorial score (4.6/5), but these tools aren’t straight substitutes. Pick Wormhole when only major bridge with deep solana + evm interoperability in both directions matters most to your workflow; pick Across Protocol when fastest evm bridge — ~2 minutes vs hours for canonical bridges is the priority. The deciding factor is usually the trade-off you can least afford — Wormhole means accepting that $320m exploit in 2022 — most expensive bridge hack before jump crypto backstop, while Across Protocol means evm-only — no solana, bitcoin, or non-evm chain support.
Across Protocol carries the higher editorial rating (4.6/5 vs 4.1/5), but they solve different problems. Wormhole is the stronger pick when you need only major bridge with deep solana + evm interoperability in both directions. Across Protocol wins when fastest evm bridge — ~2 minutes vs hours for canonical bridges.
Both tools are free to use, with costs coming from network or usage fees rather than subscriptions.
Wormhole's main limitation is that $320m exploit in 2022 — most expensive bridge hack before jump crypto backstop. For Across Protocol, evm-only — no solana, bitcoin, or non-evm chain support. Weigh these against how you actually plan to use the tool.
In most cases yes — many teams run both, using each where it's strongest. Since Wormhole leads on only major bridge with deep solana + evm interoperability in both directions and Across Protocol on fastest evm bridge — ~2 minutes vs hours for canonical bridges, the two are often complementary rather than mutually exclusive.