How CoW Swap and MetaMask Smart Transactions differ on type, protection, rebates and what they’re built for.
| CoW Swap | MetaMask Smart Transactions | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Batch-auction DEX | Wallet feature |
| How it works | Orders settle in batches at one uniform clearing price, chosen by competing solvers, with Coincidence-of-Wants matching — removing the ordering advantage MEV bots exploit. Same team as MEV Blocker. | Submits your tx to a private “virtual mempool” and auctions it to trusted builders who are financially penalized if they don’t execute at the quoted price. It stays private until confirmed. |
| Protects against | Sandwiching/frontrunning via uniform-price batch auctions | Frontrunning + failed transactions (99.9% success rate) |
| Rebates | Price surplus returned to you | No direct rebate — back-run value funds the free service |
| Chains | Ethereum, Gnosis, Arbitrum, Base | Ethereum, Linea, Base, Arbitrum, BNB Chain |
| Setup | Trade on CoW Swap | Toggle on in MetaMask settings |
| Best for | Spot swaps that want best price + protection | MetaMask users who want zero setup |
Pick CoW Swap for spot swaps that want best price + protection; pick MetaMask Smart Transactions for metamask users who want zero setup.