Photon was the default Solana memecoin terminal through 2024. Axiom launched in January 2025 and, by mid-year, was matching or beating it on volume. Traders still ask which one to use, so here is a direct comparison of what each does today.
The short version
| Axiom Pro | Photon | |
|---|---|---|
| Launched | January 2025 | 2023 |
| Platform fee | 1% per swap, 0.8% with code trading20 | 1% per swap, referral discount available |
| Discovery | Pulse: new pairs, final stretch, migrated | Memescope: similar three-column layout |
| Wallet tracking | Wallet and X tracker with in-feed buy buttons | Wallet tracker |
| Copy trading | Built in, rule-based | Built in |
| Limit orders | Server-side TP/SL by price or market cap | Server-side TP/SL |
| Perps and yield | Yes, same account | No |
| Mobile | iOS and Android apps, Chrome extension | Web app |
| Backing | Y Combinator W25 | Private |
If you trade Solana only and want everything in one account, Axiom is the more complete product. If you have muscle memory on Photon and it fills fast for you, there is no urgent reason to move. Fees are the same.
Discovery: Pulse vs Memescope
Both terminals show new tokens in three stages: freshly created on a launchpad, close to migrating, and migrated to a DEX. Photon's Memescope pioneered the layout; Axiom's Pulse copied the structure and added denser row data, including bundle detection, dev history and top-holder share on the row itself rather than a click away. Filters on Pulse are saved per column, which matters when you run tight filters on New Pairs and loose ones on Migrated.
In practice the feeds surface the same tokens within a second or two of each other. The difference is how fast you can judge a row without opening it.
Execution and MEV protection
Both route through their own infrastructure with MEV protection and let you save presets for amount, slippage, priority fee and tip. Neither publishes benchmark data, and independent tests are anecdotal because Solana congestion dominates fill times. Our experience: on quiet blocks both fill in one to two blocks; during a hot launch, priority fee and tip settings matter more than which terminal you are on.
Tracking and social signals
This is where Axiom pulled ahead. Its tracker covers wallets and X accounts in one feed, with buy buttons inline, and the Chrome extension puts the same buttons next to contract addresses on X itself. Photon's wallet tracker is solid but stops at wallets. If narratives on X drive your entries, Axiom saves real tab-switching time.
Automation
Both offer copy trading and server-side take-profit and stop-loss. Axiom's copy-trade rules have more filters, including minimum liquidity, maximum buy size and skipping tokens the target already traded, which cut down on junk copies. Details in our copy trading guide.
Perps, yield and mobile
Axiom adds perpetual futures and yield on idle USDC inside the same account, plus native iOS and Android apps. Photon is a web terminal focused on spot. For traders who move between memecoins and leveraged majors, one account is a genuine convenience; for pure memecoin traders it is neutral.
Fees, honestly
Same base rate, similar referral discounts. Over a month the difference is noise. Pick on workflow, then apply a referral code on whichever you choose. Axiom's is on the referral code page.
Verdict
Axiom for Solana-only traders who want tracking, automation, perps and mobile in one place. Photon if you are already fast on it and do not need perps or the X tracker. Many traders keep both open and trade on whichever fills better that day; nothing stops you from doing the same.
Trading memecoins on either terminal carries a high risk of total loss. Size positions accordingly.