Best rug checker (2026): 4 apps + free scanners

The best rug checker inside a trading tool, on our scores, is BasedBot (4.6), followed by Axiom (4.0), Terminal (Padre) (3.6) and GMGN (3.5). A rug checker reads a token’s contract and wallets and flags signs of a rug pull, such as a dev who can still mint, unlocked liquidity or a few wallets that hold most of the supply. If you want a free scanner with no account, use RugCheck for Solana and Honeypot.is for EVM tokens.

BasedBot leads because its checks sit in the same screen where you buy: taxes, clogged supply, holder data and a contract audit. See the BasedBot review for fees and safety.

Built-in rug checks compared

A trading tool with built-in checks saves you a step: you read the risk data and buy on the same page. The four tools check different things, so the table shows what each one covers in its docs.

Sources: BasedBot Audit (opens in a new tab), BasedBot docs text (opens in a new tab), Axiom Pulse (opens in a new tab), Axiom FAQs (opens in a new tab), Terminal Trenches docs (archived) (opens in a new tab), GMGN CA Security Check (opens in a new tab).

BasedBot

When you paste a contract address, the token monitor opens with four checks: the clogged percentage (supply locked or restricted from trading, a possible honeypot sign), any max transaction limit, the burn percentage and the buy, sell and transfer taxes. The Audit page (opens in a new tab) says taxes can change over time.

The Audit button runs a partner analysis of the contract that looks for malicious code, per the buying tokens page (opens in a new tab). It can take up to 3 minutes. In the web terminal, the Token Info section adds top 10 holders, dev holding, snipers, insiders, bundlers, LP burned and the holder count.

You can also add tokens or developer addresses to a blacklist in settings (opens in a new tab). The bot then blocks buys and sells for them, including every token from a blacklisted developer.

Two limits matter. Turbo mode, which is only for sniper targets, skips token checks, per the transaction speed page (opens in a new tab). And the rewards page (opens in a new tab) lists an unlimited AI audit only at the X3 Pro cashback tier, from 10,000 USD of total volume; the docs do not say what limit applies below it.

Axiom

Axiom’s checks are filters, not a verdict. Pulse (opens in a new tab) filters tokens by top 10 holders, dev holding, snipers, insiders, bundle percentage, total holders and pro traders. Explore Tokens also filters by top 10 holder share.

The bundle checker flags a possible bundle when four or more transactions land in the same block, and it checks at any time, not only at launch. Axiom’s FAQs (opens in a new tab) say no bundle detection method is 100% foolproof. Trader Scan (opens in a new tab) shows each wallet’s buys, sells, balance, realized PnL and hold time, so you can see whether early wallets already sold.

The docs do not describe a mint or freeze authority check, so check those in a scanner such as RugCheck. See the Axiom referral code for 10% off trading fees.

Terminal (Padre)

Terminal, formerly Padre and now owned by Pump.fun, shows its strongest checks in Trenches, the feed for bonding-curve tokens on Pump.fun and Four.Meme. On Solana, each card can show bundles (wallets that trade in the same direction in the same slot), which exchange funded the dev wallet, and buys from wallets funded in the last 2 hours. You can hide up to 200 dev addresses with a blacklist.

On the token page, the Holders tab marks liquidity pool, vesting and burn addresses, and the Jeet Grid marks snipers with an S and shows what they still hold. A lock icon next to liquidity means it cannot be withdrawn for a set period. The FAQ (opens in a new tab) warns that with freeze authority on, the dev can block your sells.

These facts come from archived docs (most from April 2025), because the docs site now redirects to the app. Bundle flags stop for new wallets after migration.

GMGN

GMGN has the most complete ready-made check of the four. The CA Security Check (opens in a new tab) shows, on Solana: whether minting is disabled, whether the top 10 holders own less than 30%, a blacklist flag, the share of LP burnt, a rug probability and the creator’s rug history. On Ethereum it shows honeypot, verified source, renounced, LP locked or burned, and buy and sell tax.

The holder views (opens in a new tab) list insiders, snipers, the first 70 buyers and wallets labelled as scammers. The docs say the checks are for reference only, may not be 100% accurate, and that honeypot data comes from third parties and may be delayed. The check page lists no other chains.

Free rug checkers (no referral links)

We have no deal with any of these six scanners. Five have a free version you can use today; Token Sniffer’s API is paid, and we could not confirm its web price. They do not trade for you: you paste a contract address and read the result. RugCheck is the best free rug checker for Solana, and Honeypot.is is the best for EVM chains.

Sources: RugCheck API spec (opens in a new tab), Honeypot.is chains (opens in a new tab), Bubblemaps homepage (opens in a new tab), Bubblemaps Premium (opens in a new tab), GoPlus Security APIs (opens in a new tab), DEX Screener token page (opens in a new tab), Token Sniffer API (Solidus Labs) (opens in a new tab).

RugCheck

RugCheck (opens in a new tab) is a Solana and Fogo token risk scanner. Open a token at rugcheck.xyz/tokens/ followed by the mint address. A full report lists mint and freeze authority, top holders with their share of supply, the locked share of liquidity, any transfer fee, a risk list with a level for each item, and a rugged flag.

The API spec (opens in a new tab) also has insider network endpoints and community reports and votes. The spec does not say which score direction means safer, so read the risk list rather than the number alone. Best for: Solana memecoins, including pump.fun tokens.

Honeypot.is

Honeypot.is (opens in a new tab) simulates a buy and a sell to decide whether a token is a honeypot. It returns a verdict with a reason, the buy, sell and transfer tax, any max buy or sell limit, and a risk level from 0 to 100, per the API docs (opens in a new tab).

Its summary flags (opens in a new tab) mark a high tax when the average tax is above 40%, and an extremely high tax above about 50%. The site says the method is not foolproof and a token that is not a honeypot now can change. Best for: EVM tokens on Ethereum, BNB Chain and Base.

Bubblemaps

Bubblemaps (opens in a new tab) draws the top 250 holders as bubbles sized by their share of supply, with lines for past transfers. Wallets it believes one entity controls share a color, and wallets funded by the deployer count as insiders, per its rug pull guide (opens in a new tab).

A bundle checker estimates the supply bought by coordinated wallets at launch. Bubblemaps’ own holder guide (opens in a new tab) calls one cluster above 30% of supply high risk and bundled supply above 30% a reason to avoid the token. It does not read contract code, so it cannot show mint functions or hidden admin keys. Best for: spotting a hidden team wallet on any major chain.

GoPlus Security

GoPlus Security (opens in a new tab) is mainly an API that wallets and sites build on; GoPlus says DEX Screener uses it. Its token check covers more than 30 detection items, including honeypot, mintable, proxy, hidden owner, self-destruct, taxes, top 10 holders and LP holders, per the API reference (opens in a new tab).

Many fields return no value when the result is unknown, and a missing value does not mean safe. GoPlus also markets a browser extension that scans transactions. Solana coverage is unclear in its official docs. Best for: EVM contract flags, through the tools that already use it.

DEX Screener

DEX Screener (opens in a new tab) is a chart site, not a full scanner, but its token page has an Audit row. On the Solana token we checked, it showed Mintable and Freezable fields and a holder count. The row warns that audits may not be 100% accurate and that DEX Screener does not validate data from its external auditors.

Listing is automatic, with no human moderation, per its FAQ (opens in a new tab), so a listed token is not a checked token. Type the site address yourself: a PCrisk report (opens in a new tab) describes a fake DEX Screener site that drains wallets. Best for: a quick first look before a deeper scan.

Token Sniffer

Token Sniffer (opens in a new tab) gives a token a score out of 100 and a scam status. Its owner, Solidus Labs, says it checks whether Solana LP tokens are burned or locked and flags concentrated holdings, and it advises institutions to avoid tokens rated below 80, per a Solidus Labs report (opens in a new tab).

A Solidus Labs example shows a token that scored 80 and was still flagged for centralized holdings and unlocked liquidity, so a high score is not a pass. The full API costs $99 a month on the Sniffer Pack Pro plan. We could not open tokensniffer.com itself, so check its chain list there. Best for: a second opinion on Base and Solana tokens.

How to check a token for a rug pull

Use one built-in check and one free scanner, and walk through these steps in order. Any single red flag is a reason to skip the token. For the background, read how rug pulls work.

1. 1

   Check mint and freeze authority

   On Solana, the mint authority lets the creator print more tokens, and freeze authority lets the creator block your sells. Both should be off. RugCheck and DEX Screener show both fields, and GMGN shows whether minting is disabled.

2. 2

   Check that liquidity is locked or burned

   If the team can remove the liquidity pool, it can drain it in one transaction. Look for LP burned (BasedBot, GMGN), LP locked (RugCheck) or the lock icon in Terminal.

3. 3

   Read the top holders and the dev wallet

   Check the top 10 holders and the dev wallet. GMGN’s check uses 30% for the top 10 as its line. Ignore pool and burn addresses, which Terminal’s Holders tab marks for you.

4. 4

   Look for bundles, insiders and snipers

   Bundling lets a creator buy a large part of the supply at launch from many wallets. Check bundle, insider and sniper shares in Axiom, Terminal, GMGN or BasedBot, and the cluster map in Bubblemaps.

5. 5

   Test the sell side

   On EVM chains, run the token through Honeypot.is and check the sell tax. Then buy a tiny amount and sell it before you buy more. A sell that fails or loses most of its value is a honeypot.

6. 6

   Check the socials and the official address

   Open the project’s website and X account, and compare the contract address there with the one you scanned. Treat a new account or a copied ticker as a warning sign of a possible rug pull.

Trading on pump.fun? Read is pump.fun safe for the risks of bonding-curve launches.

What a rug checker cannot catch

A rug checker shows the state of a token at one moment. It cannot see the future, and it cannot see deals off the chain.

• Later changes: a team can sell, pull unlocked liquidity or raise taxes after your scan. Honeypot.is and BasedBot both say taxes and status can change.
• Hidden wallets: Bubblemaps says sophisticated actors may avoid clustering patterns, and off-chain deals are invisible to the map.
• False positives: Axiom says bundle detection is not foolproof, and Honeypot.is says legitimate transfers are sometimes flagged.
• Skipped checks: fast modes can turn checks off. BasedBot’s Turbo mode skips token checks on sniper targets. See our best sniper bots guide before you automate buys.
• Trending lists: in September 2024, scam tokens on GMGN’s trending list let the developer take holders’ tokens, per a Cointelegraph report (opens in a new tab). A trending list is not a safety check.

Reviews and referral codes on this list

Bottom line

BasedBot is the best rug checker inside a trading tool on our scores (4.6): taxes, clogged supply, holder data and a contract audit sit in the screen where you buy. For a free scan, use RugCheck on Solana and Honeypot.is on EVM chains, and never trust one checker alone.

Changelog

• 2026-10-16: first version published with four ranked trading tools (BasedBot, Axiom, Terminal (Padre), GMGN) and six rug checkers with no referral links (five free).