# Is This DeFi Site Free? Costs and Wallets

> Reading this publication and using its research calculators is free. No account or wallet connection is required. The newsletter is optional. External exchanges and DeFi protocols have their own fees, eligibility rules and risks; a link from this site does not make those services free or establish an endorsement.

Canonical: https://decentralized-finance.io/help/costs-and-wallet-connections/
Updated: 2026-09-30
Audience: Readers checking costs and access

## Research outcome
Distinguish free research tools from external financial services.

## Scope and fit
The site cannot manage deposits, execute transactions, recover wallets or resolve another service’s account problems.

## What can I use without an account?

Articles, guides, comparisons, news, the glossary, learning paths and public research downloads are available without a login. Our [calculators](https://decentralized-finance.io/tools/) work with the assumptions you enter; they do not read your wallet or place transactions. You can use fictional values to learn how the model behaves.

Interactive calculators and market tables need JavaScript. The written explanation and related research remain readable without it. You do not need to connect a wallet to unlock research, prove eligibility, verify ownership or receive a download on this site.


## Which costs belong to an external protocol?

Network transaction charges, trading fees, borrowing interest, bridge charges and withdrawal conditions belong to the network or service you use. These costs can differ by network, route, token and transaction size. They are separate from the cost of reading this publication.

The [net-yield calculator](https://decentralized-finance.io/tools/defi-risk-calculator/) lets you include modelled borrowing and one-off costs. Its output depends on your assumptions; it does not fetch a guaranteed rate or a transaction quote. Verify the full cost in the official interface before treating an illustrative result as applicable to a real position.


## How is free research funded?

The site is an editorial portfolio project published by Elite Digital AI Solutions Ltd. Its [funding statement](https://decentralized-finance.io/about/#funding) describes the operator and independence rules. There are no paywalls or paid editorial placements. Any affiliate relationship must be disclosed on the relevant page and must not determine editorial rankings.

A protocol’s inclusion, a favourable design observation or a high displayed APY is not a paid certification. We describe source-based research and clearly separate editorial responsibility from claims of individual testing or review. See the [editorial policy](https://decentralized-finance.io/editorial-policy/) for those standards.


## Is newsletter registration required?

No. The [newsletter](https://decentralized-finance.io/newsletter/) is an optional route to publication updates; it does not gate the research. Read the [privacy policy](https://decentralized-finance.io/privacy-policy/) before submitting personal information. The ability to browse research is independent of whether a subscription request succeeds.

If someone claims that you must send funds or reveal a seed phrase to use this publication, treat that message as unrelated to the site’s research service. Use [Contact](https://decentralized-finance.io/contact/) to report it without sharing sensitive credentials.


## Next steps

1. [Use free research tools](https://decentralized-finance.io/tools/)
2. [Read the funding statement](https://decentralized-finance.io/about/#funding)
3. [Find the right research](https://decentralized-finance.io/help/using-this-site/)

Original editorial text: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Third-party material retains its own rights.