Comparison
SideShift alternative without KYC: the honest guide
Last updated
SideShift is the swap many people use without ever visiting its site, because it is built into wallets like Trezor Suite and Edge. No account, no sign up, a few hundred coins and quick shifts. It earned its reputation.
Three things send people looking for an alternative. SideShift blocks residents of nine countries, the United States among them. Its public coin list, read on October 29, 2026, has 203 coins and no Monero. And its own policy reserves the right to freeze a shift while its risk checks run, with identity required before a refund on serious flags. In September 2026 kycnot.me moved its rating back to shotgun KYC.
The one sentence verdict: keep SideShift inside your wallet for quick swaps between the coins it lists; use CoinVast when you need Monero, live in the US, or want the check to happen before you send.
203
coins on SideShift's public coin list
Read from its API, October 29, 2026
0
Monero pairs. XMR is not on the list
Same API read
9
countries whose residents may not use it
Its help centre, dated July 8, 2026
5/10
kycnot.me score, shotgun KYC level 3
Raised from level 2 on September 6, 2026
The short version
Three honest verdicts
Stay with SideShift if…
- You swap from inside Trezor Suite, Edge or another wallet that has it built in.
- The coins you need are on its list of about 200.
- You live outside the nine countries it blocks.
- You hold its XAI token or use its staking program.
Switch to CoinVast if…
- You want to swap into or out of Monero. SideShift no longer lists it.
- You live in the US, which SideShift blocks.
- You want the risk check before you send, with a refund and no documents if it fails.
- You want one printed fee: a flat 2% spread locked at quote time.
Use both if…
- SideShift is available to you and its in wallet flow is convenient. Use it for what it lists.
- Bring Monero swaps here, where XMR settles against our own node.
- Each tool does a different job, and neither pretends to do the other's.
Dated, sourced
What changed at SideShift
Most "SideShift no KYC" reviews were written before these changes. The links are in Sources.
- June 10, 2025
kycnot.me lowers SideShift's rating from shotgun KYC to level 2, rare KYC.
- September 2025
A user on kycnot.me reports a suspended shift refunded with the message that the receiving wallet address had exposure to darknet markets. SideShift checks where you send, not only what you send.
- December 2025
A user reports funds held for human review for several days, with a further four day hold announced.
- July 8, 2026
SideShift's help centre lists nine countries whose residents may not use the service: North Korea, the United States, Iran, Belarus, Cuba, Eritrea, Syria, Russia and Thailand. XAI and staking are unavailable in the US.
- September 6, 2026
kycnot.me raises SideShift back to shotgun KYC, level 3 of 4.
- October 29, 2026
SideShift's public coin list has 203 coins. Monero and Zcash are not among them; Dash and Bitcoin Cash are.
Side by side
SideShift and CoinVast, grouped by what matters
✓ and ✗ mark what is better or worse for you. SideShift cells trace to its help centre, its public API and the listings in Sources.
Who can use it
Account
SideShift
✓ None needed
CoinVast
✓ None. There is nothing to sign up for
Blocked countries
SideShift
✗ Nine, including the US, Russia and Thailand
CoinVast
✓ US residents can swap here
Inside wallets
SideShift
✓ Built into Trezor Suite, Edge and others
CoinVast
✗ Our own site only
When something is flagged
When the check runs
SideShift
✗ While the shift is in progress; its policy allows freezing a shift
CoinVast
✓ When you create the order, before you send
Getting a refund
SideShift
✗ Serious flags need identity before a refund
CoinVast
✓ Returned minus the network fee, no documents
Payout address
SideShift
Screened too: addresses with darknet exposure are refused
CoinVast
Screened as part of the order
Coins
Monero
SideShift
✗ Not listed
CoinVast
✓ Native XMR, against our own Monero node
Coins listed
SideShift
✓ 203
CoinVast
✗ A short list of majors, shown live below
Token and staking
SideShift
XAI and staking, not for US residents
CoinVast
None
Trust signals
Track record
SideShift
✓ Years of operation and large wallet integrations
CoinVast
✗ 2026. We are the new kid and we know it
Independent rating
SideShift
5/10 on kycnot.me, verified 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 SideShift does better. Yes, really
1. It lives inside your wallet
SideShift is integrated into wallets such as Trezor Suite and Edge, so you can swap without leaving the app that holds your keys. CoinVast is a website. If convenience inside a hardware wallet flow matters most, SideShift wins.
2. More coins
About 200 coins against our short list. If what you need is a newer token on a network we do not run, SideShift is more likely to have it.
3. A track record
SideShift has been swapping for years and has a verified listing on kycnot.me. We launched in 2026.
4. It screens payouts too
SideShift checks where you are sending, and refuses addresses with darknet exposure. That is a real safety measure, and one reason legitimate users rarely meet trouble there.
The uncomfortable part
What you trade away for it
1. No Monero
SideShift's coin list has no XMR. If the point of your swap is to move into or out of Monero, it cannot help. Our Monero delisting tracker shows how few large services still handle it.
2. Nine countries locked out
Residents of the US, Russia, Thailand, Belarus and five sanctioned or high risk countries may not use SideShift at all. Using a VPN around that breaks its terms.
3. A freeze can come mid shift
SideShift's terms reserve the right to freeze an exchange transaction for a period of time while its risk checks run, and users have reported holds of several days for human review. The check comes after your coins have arrived.
4. Identity before some refunds
When a shift is seriously flagged, SideShift requires identity verification before it returns the funds, according to the kycnot.me listing. 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
SideShift, when a shift is flagged
- 1You send coins
- 2Risk checks run during the shift
- 3The shift can be frozen for review
- 4Serious flags: ID before a refund
Days in review have been reported before release or refund
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.
Both services check deposits. The difference is when, and what happens to your coins if the check says no.
The numbers
Fees, with no dancing
SideShift builds its fee into the rate it shows you rather than publishing one percentage for every swap, so the fair comparison is the final amount you receive.
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 can check our quote against any price index in seconds.
Questions
SideShift and CoinVast, asked and answered
Does SideShift support Monero?
No. SideShift's public coin list, read on October 29, 2026, has 203 coins and Monero is not among them. CoinVast swaps native XMR to and from Bitcoin and other coins, settled against our own Monero node, with no account.
Can US residents use SideShift?
No. SideShift's help centre lists the United States among nine countries whose residents may not use the service, and says US residents may not transact in its XAI token. Using a VPN to get around that breaks its terms.
Which countries does SideShift block?
As of its help centre article dated July 8, 2026: North Korea, the United States, Iran, Belarus, Cuba, Eritrea, Syria, Russia and Thailand.
Why was my SideShift shift frozen?
SideShift's terms reserve the right to freeze an exchange transaction for a period of time while its automated risk checks run. Users have reported holds of several days for human review, and serious flags can require identity verification before a refund.
Does SideShift require KYC?
Not for ordinary shifts, and there is no account. But kycnot.me rates it shotgun KYC since September 6, 2026, because a flagged shift can lead to an identity request before funds are returned.
Is there a SideShift alternative with Monero and no KYC?
CoinVast swaps Monero with no account and never asks for identity. We screen the deposit when you create the order, before you send, and a deposit that fails comes back to your refund address minus the network fee. A sanctions list match is held and reported, as the law requires.
Is SideShift cheaper than CoinVast?
It depends on the pair and the moment, because SideShift's fee is built into its rate. CoinVast charges a flat 2% spread, printed on the quote and locked when you create the order. Compare the amount you receive.
Can I use both?
Yes. Use SideShift from inside your wallet for the coins it lists, if it is available where you live. Use CoinVast for Monero and for swaps you want checked before you send.
Receipts
Sources
Claims about SideShift 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://help.sideshift.ai/en/articles/2874595-why-am-i-blocked-from-using-sideshift-aiSideShift help centre: blocked countries, dated July 8, 2026 · read October 2026
- https://sideshift.ai/api/v2/coinsSideShift public API: coin list read October 29, 2026 (203 coins, no XMR or ZEC) · read October 2026
- https://help.sideshift.ai/en/articles/6230858-sideshift-ai-s-risk-management-policySideShift risk management policy · read October 2026
- https://kycnot.me/service/sideshift-aikycnot.me: SideShift listing, 5/10, shotgun KYC since September 6, 2026 · read October 2026
- https://exchangeflow.co/instant-swap/sideshiftExchangeFlow: SideShift review, wallet integrations including Trezor · read October 2026
Keep reading
Monero, no account, and open to US users.
The check runs before you send, the spread is printed on the quote, and a deposit that fails screening comes back to you. Test it with a small swap.
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