Universal Accounts take a fundamentally different approach to cross-chain UX. Instead of requiring developers to manage intents, quotes, or execution steps, everything is abstracted at the account level —one account, one balance, automatic routing.
This page compares Universal Accounts with three popular alternatives: Relay , OneBalance , and Avail Nexus .
At a Glance
Universal Accounts Account-level abstraction One account + one balance. Cross-chain, gas, and routing are always on by default.
Avail Nexus Intent-based interoperability Coordinates cross-chain execution from user-defined intents.
Relay Execution-level abstraction Orchestrate cross-chain execution via quotes, steps, signatures, and status tracking.
OneBalance Account abstraction + aggregation Manage smart contract accounts with unified balances, requiring explicit quote requests.
Feature Comparison
vs Relay
vs OneBalance
vs Avail Nexus
Feature Universal Accounts Relay Abstraction layer Account Execution / bridging Unified balance ✅ Aggregated Assets ✅ Aggregated Assets One address across chains ✅ EVM + Solana ⚠️ EVM - Solana supported but with additional account configuration Cross-chain txs ✅ Same API as single-chain ⚠️ Quote + steps Gas abstraction ✅ Automatic ⚠️ Via quote / sponsorship Pay gas in any token ✅ Automatic ✅ Automatic Liquidity routing ✅ Fully automatic ⚠️ Explicit via quote Bridging logic ✅ Hidden ⚠️ Needs configuration 7702 Delegation ✅ Server-side and WaaS ⚠️ For specific use cases Setup required Low High configuration workload
Feature Universal Accounts OneBalance Abstraction layer Account Account Unified balance ✅ Aggregated assets ✅ Aggregated assets One address across chains ✅ EVM + Solana ⚠️ Based on account type Cross-chain txs ✅ Same API as single-chain ⚠️ Quote + sign + execute Gas abstraction ✅ Automatic ✅ Automatic Pay gas in any token ✅ Default ✅ Default Liquidity routing ✅ Automatic ✅ Automatic Bridging logic ✅ Hidden ⚠️ Exposed via operations 7702 Delegation ✅ Server-side and WaaS ⚠️ With multi-input limitation Setup required Low Moderate
Feature Universal Accounts Avail Nexus Abstraction layer Account Intent Unified balance ✅ Aggregated assets ✅ Aggregated assets One address across chains ✅ EVM + Solana ⚠️ Provider-based, no Solana Cross-chain txs ✅ Same API as single-chain ⚠️ Intent creation + submission Gas abstraction ✅ Automatic ✅ Automatic Pay gas in any token ✅ Default ✅ Default but fewer assets available Liquidity routing ✅ Fully automatic ✅ Via solvers Bridging logic ✅ Hidden ⚠️ Explicit via configuration Environment support ✅ Browser + server ⚠️ Browser only 7702 Delegation ✅ Server-side and WaaS Not needed Setup required Low Moderate
Speed Comparison
Real-world latency measurements across common cross-chain routes:
Route Universal Accounts Relay OneBalance Avail Nexus Base → Arbitrum ~1,605 ms ~2,528 ms ~2,982 ms ~11899 ms Base → Solana ~578 ms ~3,360 ms ~2,803 ms N/A Solana → Base ~1,348 ms ~9,820 ms ~2,803 ms N/A
Universal Accounts achieve faster execution through a single abstracted flow, while alternatives require multiple API calls (quote → sign → execute → poll).
Integration Effort
Compare the integration complexity across all providers:
Universal Accounts
Relay
OneBalance
Avail Nexus
import { CHAIN_ID , SUPPORTED_TOKEN_TYPE , UniversalAccount } from '@particle-network/universal-account-sdk' ;
import { getBytes , Wallet } from 'ethers' ;
const wallet = new Wallet ( process . env . PRIVATE_KEY || '' );
const universalAccount = new UniversalAccount ({
projectId: process . env . PROJECT_ID || '' ,
projectClientKey: process . env . PROJECT_CLIENT_KEY || '' ,
projectAppUuid: process . env . PROJECT_APP_UUID || '' ,
ownerAddress: wallet . address ,
});
// Create and send a cross-chain transaction
const transaction = await universalAccount . createConvertTransaction ({
expectToken: { type: SUPPORTED_TOKEN_TYPE . USDC , amount: '1' },
chainId: CHAIN_ID . ARBITRUM_MAINNET_ONE ,
});
const result = await universalAccount . sendTransaction (
transaction ,
wallet . signMessageSync ( getBytes ( transaction . rootHash ))
);
Summary
Choose Universal Accounts if you want...
Zero configuration for multichain UX
Fastest execution times
EVM + Solana support
Server-side compatibility
Simplest integration (2 API calls)
Consider alternatives if you need...
Relay : Fine-grained control over bridging steps
OneBalance : Smart account infrastructure and 7702 delegation
Avail Nexus : Intent-based architecture with solver networks
Ready to integrate? Get started with Universal Accounts in minutes →