ChangeNOW: instant exchangers rating breakdown
The most consistent rate we measured — about 1.07% below mid-market on average across both pairs and both sizes. It is also the only service here that states on the record that the quoted figure is all-in, which is what made it a clean comparison rather than an argument.
The most consistent rate we measured — about 1.07% below mid-market on average across both pairs and both sizes. It is also the only service here that states on the record that the quoted figure is all-in, which is what made it a clean comparison rather than an argument.
How the score is built
Each criterion is scored 0–10 and weighted. The median column is the middle score across every entry in this ranking, so a row reads as a position rather than a number.
| Criterion | What we measured | Weight | Score | Category median | Rank | Weighted gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real rate vs mid-market | — | 45% | 8 | 5 | 1 of 4 | +1.35 |
| Freeze risk and AML honesty | — | 25% | 6 | 3.5 | 1 of 4 | +0.63 |
| KYC thresholds and limits | — | 15% | 7 | 4.5 | 1 of 4 | +0.38 |
| Coins and networks | — | 10% | 9 | 8 | 1 of 4 | +0.10 |
| Rate-type honesty | — | 5% | 9 | 8 | 1 of 4 | +0.05 |
Measured 14 July 2026 · weights and method · decided by real rate vs mid-market, worth +1.35 points against the median
Real rate vs mid-market: 8/10
Measured by us. We request a quote for the identical pair and identical amount from every service inside the same short window, and compare the output amount to the mid-market rate at that timestamp. The gap is the true price, expressed as a percentage — regardless of what the fee page says. Quotes only; nothing is executed, so this measurement is free and repeatable, which is exactly why we can run it monthly and nobody else does.
Scored 8 of 10 against a category median of 5, which places it 1st of 4 among instant exchangers on this criterion. At a 45% weight that is 1.35 points above the median contribution of the weighted total. The best score in the category is 8, the worst 0.
Freeze risk and AML honesty: 6/10
This category’s real danger is not the spread — it is sending coins to a no-account service that then demands identity documents before it will release them. We read the published AML policy: does it state, BEFORE you send, what triggers a hold, what is required to clear it, and what happens to your money if you refuse? A service that only discovers its KYC obligations after it has custody of your coins is marked down hard.
Scored 6 of 10 against a category median of 3.5, which places it 1st of 4 among instant exchangers on this criterion. At a 25% weight that is 0.63 points above the median contribution of the weighted total. The best score in the category is 6, the worst 0.
KYC thresholds and limits: 7/10
At what amount verification is demanded, and whether that threshold is published in advance.
Scored 7 of 10 against a category median of 4.5, which places it 1st of 4 among instant exchangers on this criterion. At a 15% weight that is 0.38 points above the median contribution of the weighted total. The best score in the category is 7, the worst 0.
Coins and networks: 9/10
Pairs that actually return a quote when asked — taken from our own measurement run, not from the marketing claim of “900+ coins”.
Scored 9 of 10 against a category median of 8, which places it 1st of 4 among instant exchangers on this criterion. At a 10% weight that is 0.10 points above the median contribution of the weighted total. The best score in the category is 9, the worst 0.
Rate-type honesty: 9/10
Fixed and floating rates are both legitimate. Presenting a floating rate as though it were a guarantee is not. We check what the quote actually commits to.
Scored 9 of 10 against a category median of 8, which places it 1st of 4 among instant exchangers on this criterion. At a 5% weight that is 0.05 points above the median contribution of the weighted total. The best score in the category is 9, the worst 0.
Other measurements
- avg cost vs mid-market
- 1.07% MEASURED
- quote includes network fee
- yes PUBLISHED
Its nearest neighbours in this ranking
Questions about this score
If the commission is 0%, how does ChangeNOW make money?
+
From the spread. The rate you are quoted sits below the market rate at that moment, and the difference is the service's revenue. The fee page is accurate — the commission genuinely is zero — and the cost is real, which is why the only meaningful comparison in this category is quote against mid-market at the same second, on the same pair.
Is a fixed rate worth paying more for?
+
Sometimes, and it should be compared with other fixed rates rather than with floating ones. A fixed quote guarantees the amount you receive regardless of what the market does while the transaction confirms; a floating quote settles at whatever the rate is on arrival. Comparing a fixed quote against a floating one manufactures a markup that is not there — an error we corrected in this rating before publishing.