Comparison
Changelly alternative without KYC: the honest guide
Last updated
Changelly has been swapping crypto since 2015, lists more coins than almost anyone and charges a low headline fee. For most swaps, most of the time, it simply works. The problem shows up in the minority of swaps its risk system flags. Then the transaction goes on hold, and the way out is identity verification through Sumsub: a government ID, a selfie and, for larger amounts, documents showing where the money came from.
Changelly is open about this. Its own developer documentation tells partners to warn users that a transaction may be held for KYC procedures, and its policy says the risk criteria are not published. So the question is not whether Changelly is honest. It is whether you want your coins already inside a service when that question gets asked.
The one sentence verdict: keep Changelly for its huge coin menu and low fee; use CoinVast when you would rather have the check happen before you send, so a flagged deposit comes back to you instead of waiting on a document review.
0.25%
headline exchange fee, plus network fee
From Changelly's app listing
1,200+
coins Changelly says it lists
Its own about page
3
things a held swap can ask for: ID, selfie, source of funds
Changelly's KYC guide and Coin Bureau's review
2/10
kycnot.me score, with a shotgun KYC warning
Community contributed listing, read October 2026
The short version
Three honest verdicts
Stay with Changelly if…
- You need a coin almost nobody else lists. Changelly claims over 1,200.
- You buy crypto with a card and want it in the same app.
- Your swaps are routine sizes from wallets with a clean history, so holds are unlikely.
- You are comfortable passing KYC if a swap is ever flagged.
Switch to CoinVast if…
- You never want to be asked for an ID, a selfie or a bank statement to get your coins back.
- You want the risk check to run before you send, not after the coins are inside.
- You want a failed check to end with a refund, minus only the network fee.
- You want one printed fee: a flat 2% spread locked at quote time.
- You want Monero settled against the swap service's own node.
Use both if…
- You need a long tail token. Get it on Changelly, from a clean wallet.
- Swap the majors and Monero here, without an account or documents.
- Each tool does a different job, and neither pretends to do the other's.
Dated, sourced
What a Changelly hold looks like, step by step
Changelly describes this process in its own KYC guide and developer documentation. The links are in Sources.
- Step 1
You create a swap and send your coins. Changelly's risk scoring system checks the transaction, using criteria it does not publish. Sudden large swaps can score as low, medium or high risk.
- Step 2
If the score is too high, the transaction's status changes to hold. The coins are inside Changelly at this point, and the swap stops.
- Step 3
You are asked to pass verification through Sumsub from your transaction history: a government ID, a selfie and, for larger amounts, documents showing where the funds came from.
- Step 4
Changelly's security team reviews the documents by email. Third party reviews describe holds lasting weeks or months, and completing KYC does not mean the transaction is released straight away.
- Step 5
If the deposit was flagged by the AML system, a refund can also require verification, according to the kycnot.me listing, which also notes that access can be ended at any time without notice.
Side by side
Changelly and CoinVast, grouped by what matters
✓ and ✗ mark what is better or worse for you, not a feature checklist. Changelly cells trace to its own pages and the listings in Sources.
Identity and access
Account
Changelly
✗ Account required, per kycnot.me
CoinVast
✓ None. There is nothing to sign up for
Identity checks
Changelly
✗ Can hold a swap for ID, selfie and source of funds
CoinVast
✓ Never. The deposit is screened, not the person
When the check runs
Changelly
✗ After your coins arrive
CoinVast
✓ When you create the order, before you send
When something is flagged
Your coins
Changelly
✗ Held until review finishes
CoinVast
✓ Returned to your refund address minus the network fee
Getting a refund
Changelly
✗ Can require KYC when the AML system flagged the deposit
CoinVast
✓ No documents for a failed screening
Sanctions match
Changelly
Held under its AML policy
CoinVast
Held and reported, the single stated exception to auto refund
Coins and features
Coins listed
Changelly
✓ 1,200+ claimed
CoinVast
✗ A short list of majors, shown live below
Monero
Changelly
✓ Accepted
CoinVast
✓ Native XMR, against our own Monero node
Fiat
Changelly
✓ Card purchases through partners
CoinVast
✗ No fiat, crypto to crypto only
Liquidity
Changelly
Third party liquidity providers
CoinVast
Self hosted BTC, LTC, BCH, DASH and Monero nodes
Trust signals
Operating since
Changelly
✓ 2015
CoinVast
✗ 2026. We are the new kid and we know it
Legal entity
Changelly
✓ Marella LLC, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
CoinVast
Operating entity in formation; details publish on /trust when registered
Independent rating
Changelly
✗ 2/10 on kycnot.me (community listing)
CoinVast
Not yet listed
What you can swap here today
15 coins with live settlement right now- BTC
- ETH
- XMR
- SOL
- USDT · TRC-20
- USDT · ERC-20
- USDC · ERC-20
- LTC
- BCH
- TRX
- DASH
- BONK
- WIF
- USDT · SPL
- USDC · SPL
This list is read from our settlement backend when the page loads, so it only shows coins we can take and pay out at this moment. Any two of them make a pair.
Credit where due
What Changelly does better. Yes, really
1. The coin menu
Changelly says it lists over 1,200 coins across many networks. If you need an obscure token, it is far more likely to have it than we are. Our list is short on purpose, and it is printed live on this page.
2. A low headline fee
Changelly's app listing quotes a 0.25% exchange fee plus the network fee. That is lower than our 2% spread, and for a routine swap that never gets flagged, Changelly will usually cost you less.
3. Fiat in the same place
Changelly sells crypto for card payments through partners. We are crypto to crypto only, by design, so if you start with a card, we cannot help.
4. Eleven years of operating history
Changelly has run since 2015 and names its legal entity. We launched in 2026 and our entity is still in formation. That difference is real, and you should weigh it.
The uncomfortable part
What you trade away for it
1. A review that starts after you have sent
Changelly's risk check runs once your coins are already in. If it flags you, the swap stops and the coins wait inside Changelly while you decide whether to hand over documents. Our guide to shotgun KYC explains why this pattern catches people out.
2. Criteria you cannot see
Changelly's own policy says its risk scoring criteria are not published. You cannot know in advance whether your amount, your coin or your wallet's history will trigger a hold.
3. Documents that may not be enough
Passing KYC does not guarantee an immediate release, according to reviews of the process, and holds have been described as lasting weeks or months while the security team works through email.
4. A refund that can need your passport
If a deposit is flagged by the AML system, the kycnot.me listing says identity verification is required before funds are returned. With us, a deposit that fails screening comes back with no documents asked.
Our own fine print, stated just as plainly: CoinVast screens every deposit before the exchange starts. Pass means the swap runs and is final. Fail means it never starts and your coins return to your refund address minus the network fee, no documents. The one exception is a government sanctions list match, which the law requires us to hold and report.
Order of operations
Where the check happens
Changelly, when a swap is flagged
- 1You send coins
- 2Risk scoring runs after they arrive
- 3The swap goes on hold
- 4ID, selfie and source of funds through Sumsub
Your coins wait inside Changelly until the review ends
CoinVast
- 1You create the order and get a locked quote
- 2We screen the deposit before any exchange
- 3Pass: we exchange at the locked rate
- 4We send the coins to your wallet
Fail: your coins come back minus the network fee. No documents.
The difference is the order of operations. A check that runs after the coins arrive turns a flag into a hold. A check that runs first turns it into a refund.
The numbers
Fees, with no dancing
Changelly quotes a 0.25% exchange fee plus the network fee, and on most routine swaps it will cost less than we do. Compare the amount you receive, not just the fee label, because floating rates can move between the quote and the payout.
CoinVast charges a flat 2% spread on every swap, locked the moment you create the order, with the payout network fee on its own line. On a $1,000 swap that is $20 of spread, printed before you send anything. You are paying for the check happening first and for never being asked for documents.
Questions
Changelly and CoinVast, asked and answered
Does Changelly require KYC?
Not for every swap. Changelly's risk scoring system can put a transaction on hold, and the way to release it is verification through Sumsub: a government ID, a selfie and, for larger amounts, proof of where the funds came from. Its developer documentation tells partners to warn users that this can happen.
Why is my Changelly transaction on hold?
Its risk scoring system flagged the transaction. Changelly does not publish the criteria, but its policy says sudden large swaps can be scored as risky. Contact its security team from the transaction page. Completing verification does not always mean an immediate release.
How long do Changelly holds last?
Changelly does not publish a time. Third party reviews and user reports describe holds lasting from days to weeks, and in some cases months, while the security team reviews documents by email.
Is there a Changelly alternative with no KYC?
CoinVast never asks for identity. We screen the deposit when you create the order, before you send. Pass and the swap runs; fail and your coins return to your refund address minus the network fee, with no documents asked. A sanctions list match is held and reported, as the law requires.
Is Changelly cheaper than CoinVast?
On the fee label, yes. Changelly quotes 0.25% plus the network fee and we charge a flat 2% spread. Ours is printed on the quote and locked when you create the order, and it comes with a check before you send and no document requests.
Does Changelly support Monero?
Yes, Changelly accepts Monero. CoinVast also swaps native XMR, settled against our own Monero node, without an account.
Do I need an account for Changelly?
The kycnot.me listing records that an account is required, and held transactions are handled from your account's transaction history. CoinVast has no accounts at all: you paste an address, send one payment and bookmark the order page.
Can I use both?
Yes. Changelly is useful for long tail tokens and card purchases. For swaps between major coins and Monero without an account or documents, use CoinVast. Send from wallets with a clean history to either.
Receipts
Sources
Claims about Changelly trace to the pages below, read in October 2026. If a fact changes, tell us at [email protected] and we will fix the page.
- https://docs.changelly.com/usage/kyc-amlChangelly developer docs: KYC/AML policy, transactions may be held · read October 2026
- https://changelly.com/blog/changelly-kyc-guide/Changelly: how to pass KYC/AML, Sumsub flow for held transactions · read October 2026
- https://kycnot.me/service/changellykycnot.me: Changelly listing (community contributed, 2/10) · read October 2026
- https://coinbureau.com/review/changelly-reviewCoin Bureau: Changelly review, hold behaviour and documents requested · read October 2026
- https://apps.apple.com/app/id1435140380Changelly app listing: 0.25% exchange fee plus network fee · read October 2026
- https://changelly.com/zh/aboutChangelly about page: 1,200+ cryptocurrencies listed · read October 2026
Keep reading
The check happens before you send.
No account, no documents, and a deposit that fails screening comes back to you. The spread is printed on the quote. Test it with a small swap.
Start a swap