THORSwap vs TorrentSwap at a glance
Both let you swap native coins across chains (real BTC, not a wrapped token) without a centralised exchange account. The differences are in how you pay, which protocols compete for your order, and how the fee is shown.
- Protocols: THORSwap routes mainly through THORChain (plus aggregated DEXs); TorrentSwap puts THORChain next to NEAR Intents, Chainflip, Flashnet and Pact Swap and ranks them by what you receive
- Deposit: THORChain deposits carry a memo that encodes the swap; on TorrentSwap you either send a plain transfer to a one-time address (any wallet or exchange withdrawal works) or sign a THORChain route in your wallet with the memo built for you
- Wallet: THORSwap is built around connecting a wallet; on TorrentSwap connecting a wallet is optional and only needed for wallet-signed routes such as THORChain
- Fees: every fee is included in the amount you receive, and the swap box shows the total before you confirm
- AI agents: TorrentSwap has a public MCP server and REST API, so Claude, ChatGPT and other agents can quote and create swaps
Why the memo matters when bridging Bitcoin
A THORChain swap is described by a memo inside the deposit transaction: which asset to buy, the destination address and the minimum output. A wallet that supports THORChain adds it for you. Many exchange withdrawals and basic wallets cannot add a memo, and a deposit without the right memo is not executed as the swap you intended.
TorrentSwap never asks you to type a memo. Every deposit address it shows takes a plain transfer of the exact amount, which is why you can pay straight from an exchange withdrawal or any Bitcoin wallet. THORChain routes are offered only as wallet-signed transactions from Ethereum, Base, BNB Chain or Avalanche: TorrentSwap builds the memo from a fresh quote and checks the destination and minimum before you sign.
Fees: what you actually receive
Every cross-chain swap pays three kinds of cost: the protocol's swap or liquidity fee, the network fees on both chains, and the app's own fee. Every amount shown on a TorrentSwap quote already includes all three, so the figure under “You receive” is what arrives at your address, before any slippage up to the minimum shown.
To compare fairly, enter the same amount on THORSwap and on TorrentSwap and compare the amount received, not the rate or the fee line.
When THORSwap or THORChain may suit you better
THORChain supports assets TorrentSwap does not list, such as XRP and ATOM, and THORSwap can send BTC into THORChain, which TorrentSwap does not offer yet. If your wallet already speaks THORChain and that is your pair, use it. For everything else, TorrentSwap shows THORChain's own quote next to the alternatives, so you can see which pays more.
Swaps for AI agents (MCP)
TorrentSwap publishes an MCP server at torrentswap.com/mcp and a REST API at /api/v1 with no API key. An agent can list assets, compare routes, validate addresses and create a deposit swap, then track it. The agent never touches the user's keys: the user still sends the deposit.