How OpenOcean and CoW Swap differ on routing, chains and what they’re best at.
| OpenOcean | CoW Swap | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | DEX aggregator | DEX aggregator |
| Type | Full-chain router | Batch auction |
| How it works | Aggregates the widest set of DEXes across the most chains (EVM + Solana + more) to find the best rate at the lowest cost, in one transaction. | Batches all orders into a ~30s auction; solvers compete to find the settlement that maximizes total surplus, with uniform clearing prices and Coincidence-of-Wants that eliminate sandwich MEV. |
| Chains | 30+ (EVM + Solana + more) | Ethereum, Gnosis, Arbitrum, Base |
| Highlight | Most chains & DEXes aggregated | ~22% of ETH aggregator volume |
| Best for | Widest chain & DEX coverage | Large trades + MEV protection |
Pick OpenOcean for widest chain & dex coverage; pick CoW Swap for large trades + mev protection.