ChangeHero Review

ChangeHero scores 8.0 out of 10 in our instant crypto exchangers ranking, second of eight, behind FixedFloat at 8.6 and ahead of SideShift at 7.4. It was rescored on 1 November 2026, and two marks were corrected on 6 November without changing the total. The basis is desk research of ChangeHero's own FAQs, terms of use and AML/KYC policy; we placed no test swaps. Its highest mark is for naming the company behind the service. Its lowest, 7, is custody and KYC, because refusing an identity check carries a deduction of at least US$100 equivalent.

How ChangeHero scores in instant exchangers

The category uses five criteria, each marked 0 to 10 and each worth one fifth of the total, as set out in our ratings methodology.

The arithmetic is a plain average: (8 + 8 + 7 + 8 + 9) / 5 = 40 / 5 = 8.0. No criterion is weighted more than another, and no bonus or penalty is applied.

Changes from the previous scoring: on 1 November fee transparency rose from 3 to 9, moving the overall score from 6.8 to 8.0. On 6 November we corrected two marks: fee transparency fell from 9 to 8, because the homepage FAQ calls the figures maximums rather than flat rates, and rate options rose from 7 to 8, because the homepage FAQ does state a fixed-rate lock that our earlier check missed. The overall score stays at 8.0.

Strongest criteria: who runs it and what happens when a swap fails

Entity transparency (9)

Most services in this category name no operator. ChangeHero's footer names HEROFINTECHS LIMITADA with a Costa Rican company number and a San José address; the terms call it Herofintechs Ltd. The footer also names the providers it says handle trading and optional custody: UAB FINCH TECHNOLOGIES, described as supervised by Lithuania's Financial Crime Investigation Service (FCIS), and MONEYMAPLE TECH LTD, described as registered with FINTRAC in Canada under MSB number M21565803. These are the company's own statements; we did not confirm the registry entries, and a registration is not a guarantee of safety. Under our rubric it is still the fullest disclosure in the category.

Refund policy (8)

Section 3 of the terms spells out the main failure cases. A fixed-rate order can be refused, with the deposit returned, if the rate moves by more than 2%. A fixed-rate deposit sent more than 10 minutes after confirming, or in the wrong amount, may be refunded instead of exchanged, and only one deposit is accepted per fixed-rate transaction ID. Refund requests are accepted for one calendar month. Executed orders are final, and extra work caused by a user's own error can cost US$50.

Fees, rate locks and the weakest criterion

Fee transparency (8): two figures, described two ways

Its help-centre FAQ states a fee of 0.5% for Best Rate and 0.7% for Fixed Rate, with no qualification. Its homepage FAQ gives the same numbers as ceilings that depend on market conditions and liquidity: "no more than" 0.5% and "up to" 0.7%. On a $1,000 swap that is at most $5 or $7, but the company's own pages disagree on whether that is the fee or its cap, and the network-fee component is not quantified. Figures for both modes keep the mark above Changelly's 7, which states one mode only; the conflicting description keeps it below the 9 we give for exact figures in both modes, and below FixedFloat's 10. For how spreads hide inside a quote, see where crypto exchange fees actually hide.

Rate options (8): a lock is stated, inconsistently

Best Rate floats and is set when the transaction is processed. Fixed Rate, according to the homepage FAQ, is locked for 15 minutes from creating the transaction, but the terms list a fixed-rate deposit sent more than 10 minutes after confirming as a refund case, and the help-centre FAQ gives no duration. The terms also let ChangeHero refuse a fixed-rate order if the rate moves by more than 2%. A stated window with conditions matches the 8 for ChangeNOW and Changelly; FixedFloat, SideShift and SimpleSwap each state one lock duration and score 9.

Custody & KYC (7): a threshold, and a costly refusal

ChangeHero says it does not hold user funds. Its AML/KYC policy, last updated June 2022, says flagged transactions are held until the user passes verification, without disclosing the flagging criteria, and lists occasional transactions of €1,000 or more as a case for customer due diligence. That corrects our earlier statement that no threshold was published. The mark stays at 7 because of what refusal costs: the terms allow the deposit to be returned minus network fees and a 10% operational fee, at least US$100 equivalent. The same standard holds SimpleSwap at 7 for its 1% release fee with a US$100 minimum.

What the score does not cover

• Execution quality: we did not compare quoted against delivered amounts, so the score says nothing about how competitive a given rate is.
• Availability: the terms exclude users in the European Union and the United States, among others, and the footer says the site's information is intended for authorized and professional clients only. Availability is not a criterion here.
• Asset and network coverage: the coin counts on ChangeHero's pages differ from page to page, and coverage is not scored.
• Support speed, dispute outcomes and regulatory standing beyond what the company states about its providers.

ChangeHero vs FixedFloat, ChangeNOW and Changelly

These services are marked against the same evidence standard. FixedFloat is at 8.6, 0.6 points ahead. It leads on fees (10 vs 8), rate options (9 vs 8) and custody and KYC (9 vs 7); ChangeHero leads on entity transparency (9 vs 7), and both score 8 on refunds. ChangeNOW, at 7.0, beats ChangeHero on refunds (9 vs 8) and matches it on rate options (8), but publishes no fee figure (3 vs 8). Changelly, at 6.4, also scores 8 on rate options, but publishes a figure only for its floating-rate fee (7 vs 8) and names its operator only by a trade name (3 vs 9).

Who it suits

The score fits a user outside the excluded jurisdictions for whom knowing the operator matters most, who wants a fee figure for both rate types, and who wants written rules for failed or late swaps. On a fixed rate, the binding limit in the terms is 10 minutes. It suits less well someone who cannot accept a possible KYC hold, given the published deduction for refusing one. This is an assessment of published policies, not a recommendation to use the service.