What is a builder fee on Hyperliquid?

An extra fee an app adds to trades it sends to Hyperliquid on your behalf, paid to the app's address. It's capped by the protocol at 0.1% on perps and 1% on spot, and it only applies after you sign an approval for that app's maximum.

Does the official Hyperliquid app charge a builder fee?

No. Orders placed at app.hyperliquid.xyz pay only Hyperliquid's own trading fee (0.045% taker / 0.015% maker on perps at the entry tier).

Does a referral code cancel the builder fee?

No. A referral code takes 4% off Hyperliquid's protocol fee for your first $25M of volume. The builder fee is a separate charge set by the app, and it's added on top.

How many apps can I approve?

Each account can have up to 10 active builder approvals at once. Approvals set a maximum fee per builder and, per the docs, can be revoked at any time.

How do I check what an app charges me?

Hyperliquid's info API answers a maxBuilderFee request for your address and the builder's address, showing the most you've allowed. The builder's actual fills, including the fee charged, are published daily as public files. Our front-end comparison lists typical rates.

Hyperliquid Builder Codes Explained: What Apps Charge (2026)

You don’t have to trade on Hyperliquid’s own website. Wallets like Phantom, MetaMask and Trust, trading apps like fomo and Based, and terminals like Axiom all let you place Hyperliquid trades from their own interface. They get paid through builder codes: a protocol feature that lets the app attach a fee to the orders it sends for you.

The “builder” here means a DeFi app builder, not a blockchain block builder.

How it works

From Hyperliquid’s builder codes docs:

You approve a maximum fee for the app’s builder address, using an ApproveBuilderFee action signed by your main wallet (not an API or agent wallet). Apps usually prompt this the first time you trade.
The app attaches its code to each order: the builder’s address and a fee, set per order, in tenths of a basis point (a value of 10 means 0.01%).
The fee is charged onchain with the trade, alongside Hyperliquid’s own fee, and accrues to the builder. Builders claim it the same way referral rewards are claimed.

The protocol’s limits:

Rule	Value
Maximum builder fee, perps	0.1% of trade value, on both buy and sell
Maximum builder fee, spot	1%, only on the sell side (fees are charged in the quote asset)
Outcome markets (HIP-4)	Work like spot: builders earn on sell orders
Active approvals per user	Up to 10
Revoking	Allowed at any time, per the docs
Builder requirements	At least 100 USDC in perps account value, and standard account mode

What popular apps charge

Observed builder fee rates and 30-day builder revenue, as of 4 November 2026 (DefiLlama 30-day data and observed fills; rates can change at any time, so check before trading):

App	Typical builder fee	30-day builder revenue
Hyperliquid official app	0	—
MetaMask	~0.10% (10 bps)	~$2.02M
Trust Wallet	~0.10% (10 bps)	~$1.52M
Phantom	0.05% (5 bps)	~$1.44M
fomo	~0.043% (~4.3 bps)	~$1.63M
Based	0.025% (2.5 bps)	—
HyperDash	~0.015% (~1.5 bps)	~$0.70M
Axiom	~0.01% (~1 bp)	—
Rabby	—	~$0.54M

Hyperliquid’s own docs say independent teams have earned more than $65M through builder codes, and link a builder dashboard. Our front-end comparison covers features as well as fees.

What it costs you: an example

A $10,000 perp market order at the entry fee tier (0.045% taker):

Where you trade	Hyperliquid fee	Builder fee	Total
Official app	$4.50	$0	$4.50
App charging 1 bp	$4.50	$1.00	$5.50
App charging 5 bps	$4.50	$5.00	$9.50
App charging 10 bps (the max)	$4.50	$10.00	$14.50

At the maximum, the builder fee is more than double Hyperliquid’s own fee. For an active trader, that adds up quickly. Run your own numbers in the fee calculator.

How to check what you’re paying

Your approvals. An info API request {"type": "maxBuilderFee", "user": "<your address>", "builder": "<builder address>"} returns the maximum you’ve allowed that builder.
The fills themselves. Trades that use a builder code are published daily, per builder, as compressed files at stats-data.hyperliquid.xyz/Mainnet/builder_fills/<builder address>/<YYYYMMDD>.csv.lz4 (the address must be lowercase).
The app’s own disclosure. Reputable apps state their fee; compare it with the table above.

Why it matters to you

Convenience has a price. Trading inside a wallet you already use is easy, and that ease can cost up to 0.1% of every perp trade on top of Hyperliquid’s fee.
The rules protect you. No app can charge more than you approved, more than the protocol caps, or keep charging after you revoke.
Discounts don’t stack away the builder fee. A referral code and HYPE staking discounts reduce Hyperliquid’s fee only.
Builder codes are why so many apps exist. They fund the wallets and tools that make Hyperliquid easier to reach, without a company deciding who gets access.

What can go wrong

Max approvals. Approving a builder’s maximum allows up to 0.1% on every perp order that app sends. Approve only apps you trust.
Rates change. An app can raise its per-order fee up to the maximum you approved without asking again.
Fake apps. Phishing sites copy popular front ends. A fake app could ask for approvals or signatures that drain funds. Check our official links.
Market access is the same everywhere. Using a third-party app doesn’t change Hyperliquid’s terms, which restrict the United States, Ontario and other jurisdictions.

New to it all? Start with what Hyperliquid is and how it compares with centralized exchanges.

Builder codes, explained