# Hyperliquid vs Lighter for trading bots (2026)

> Hyperliquid vs Lighter for bots and AI agents: API keys, testnet, fees, rate limits, public data and who's restricted, from each exchange's docs.

Canonical: https://tradingagentstack.com/hyperliquid-vs-lighter-for-trading-bots/

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3. Hyperliquid vs Lighter

# Hyperliquid vs Lighter for trading bots (2026)

Pick Hyperliquid if you want keys that can't withdraw at all and every account's record public, so a bot's results can be checked. Pick Lighter if fees matter most: Standard accounts pay 0% (with a 300 ms speed bump), and keys can only withdraw back to your own address.

Side by side from each exchange's own docs, checked Oct 30, 2026. Full setup guides: [Hyperliquid](https://tradingagentstack.com/hyperliquid-trading-bot/) · [Lighter](https://tradingagentstack.com/lighter-trading-bot/).

|  | Hyperliquid | Lighter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Safety score | [Safety 50%](https://tradingagentstack.com/tool/hyperliquid/) | [Safety 68%](https://tradingagentstack.com/tool/lighter/) |
| Bot key | API (agent) wallets can trade for your account but can't withdraw or transfer. [source](https://app.hyperliquid.xyz/API) | Any API key can trade and move funds between your own accounts, and can withdraw only back to your own Ethereum address. Sending to anyone else needs your wallet's signature. Read-only tokens and maker-only keys exist. [source](https://docs.lighter.xyz/developers/integration-guides/api-keys) |
| Testnet | Public testnet (api.hyperliquid-testnet.xyz). | Public testnet app and API (settles to Sepolia). |
| Base fees | Base tier: 0.015% maker, 0.045% taker (14-day volume tiers). [source](https://hyperliquid.gitbook.io/hyperliquid-docs/trading/fees) | Standard accounts: 0% maker and taker, with a 300 ms taker and cancel delay and 60 requests per minute. Premium (for fast bots): 0.004% maker, 0.028% taker before staking discounts. [source](https://docs.lighter.xyz/trading/trading-fees) |
| Rate limits | REST: 1,200 weight per minute per IP. | Standard: 60 requests per minute. Premium: 24,000 weight per minute; order sends from 4,000 per minute, more with LIT staked. |
| Public account data | Any account's fills, positions and PnL can be read from the public info API; vaults are public. | Account snapshots with positions and PnL and every public pool are public; full trade history needs the owner's read-only token. |
| Builder codes | Up to 0.1% on perps and 1% on spot; the user approves a max fee from the main wallet. | Partner attribution: an app can charge a fee the user approves with a wallet signature; the programs page caps perps at 0.1%. |
| Referrals | Create a code after $10,000 of volume; 10% of referees' fees, less their discount. | Open to anyone: 10% of referees' fees (20% at Silver), and referees get 10% off. Paid weekly in LIT. |
| Restricted | US and Ontario (Canada) restricted by the terms, plus sanctioned places. | US, Canada, UK, China, Russia, Ukraine and several sanctioned countries; Robinhood Chain adds Singapore, Switzerland and the UAE. |
| AI agent tools | No official MCP server; community ones only. | Experimental agent kit in its official GitHub org (it can also withdraw); no official MCP server. |
| Code and audits | Our directory lists no public source code or audit report for its core software. | Circuits and contracts are public (contracts under a source-available licence); the docs link 9 audit reports. |
| Watch out | Market-manipulation losses have landed on the HLP vault twice in the past year. | The zero-fee tier is slow on purpose; serious bots need Premium. |

## FAQ

### Is Hyperliquid or Lighter better for a trading bot?

Pick Hyperliquid if you want keys that can't withdraw at all and every account's record public, so a bot's results can be checked. Pick Lighter if fees matter most: Standard accounts pay 0% (with a 300 ms speed bump), and keys can only withdraw back to your own address.

### Which is safer for an AI agent, Hyperliquid or Lighter?

Hyperliquid: API (agent) wallets can trade for your account but can't withdraw or transfer. Lighter: Any API key can trade and move funds between your own accounts, and can withdraw only back to your own Ethereum address. Sending to anyone else needs your wallet's signature. Read-only tokens and maker-only keys exist.

### Which has lower fees, Hyperliquid or Lighter?

Hyperliquid: Base tier: 0.015% maker, 0.045% taker (14-day volume tiers). Lighter: Standard accounts: 0% maker and taker, with a 300 ms taker and cancel delay and 60 requests per minute. Premium (for fast bots): 0.004% maker, 0.028% taker before staking discounts.

More: [all 9 perp DEXs compared for bots](https://tradingagentstack.com/best-perp-dex-for-trading-bots/). No referral links. Not financial advice.

[Still deciding? Tell me what you trade and I'll recommend one and build it →](https://tradingagentstack.com/go/build?from=/hyperliquid-vs-lighter-for-trading-bots/&cta=compare)

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