Maple Finance vs Save (Solend): Quick Compare (2026)
Maple Finance is a lending platform rated 8/10 with $1.60B TVL, best for Earning stable yield from institutional borrowers with professional credit underwriting. Save (Solend) is a lending platform rated 8.4/10 with $81M TVL, best for Stablecoin lending and isolated pools.
Need a deeper breakdown? Use editorial comparison pages and full platform reviews before you decide.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Feature | Maple Finance | Save (Solend) |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 8/10 | 8.4/10 |
| TVL | $1.60B | $81M |
| APY | 4-8% | 3-7% on USDC |
| Best for | Earning stable yield from institutional borrowers with professional credit underwriting | Stablecoin lending and isolated pools |
| Not best for | Not ideal for users who want fully permissionless, trustless lending. Some pools require KYC, and Maple relies on underwriter judgment rather than pure overcollateralization. If you want maximum composability and no KYC, use Kamino or MarginFi. | Not ideal for users who prioritize protocol stability history — Save (formerly Solend) experienced a controversial governance incident in 2022 where a single whale's position threatened the protocol. While resolved and rebranded, risk-averse users may prefer Kamino. |
| Founded | 2021 | 2021 |
Fees Comparison
Maple Finance Fees
| Fee | Value |
|---|---|
Save (Solend) Fees
| Fee | Value |
|---|---|
| Lending spread | ~0.5-1% |
| No deposit/withdrawal fee | 0% |
| Liquidation penalty | 5% |
Pros & Cons
Maple Finance
Pros
- $1.6B TVL — one of the largest institutional lending protocols in DeFi
- Institutional borrowers with professional credit underwriting reduce default risk vs DeFi-native lending
- Competitive USDC/USDT yields of 4-8% APY with lower volatility than DeFi farming
Cons
- Some pools require KYC — limited permissionless access compared to Kamino or MarginFi
- Less composable than DeFi-native lending — can't easily use LP tokens as collateral elsewhere
- Previous v1 credit losses during FTX collapse — historical default events
Save (Solend)
Pros
- OG Solana lending — live since 2021
- Isolated pools reduce systemic risk
Cons
- Lower TVL than Kamino/Jupiter Lend after rebrand
When to Choose Maple Finance
Best for: Earning stable yield from institutional borrowers with professional credit underwriting
Honest limitation: Maple suffered significant defaults in 2022 during FTX/Alameda collapse. V2 has stronger underwriting, but institutional lending inherently carries credit risk that DeFi overcollateralized lending doesn't.
When to Choose Save (Solend)
Best for: Stablecoin lending and isolated pools
Honest limitation: Save's $124M TVL is significantly smaller than Kamino ($2.19B) or Jupiter Lend ($1.02B), which means lower liquidity on some lending markets and potentially wider rate spreads.