Skip to main content
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 abstractionOne account + one balance. Cross-chain, gas, and routing are always on by default.

Avail Nexus

Intent-based interoperabilityCoordinates cross-chain execution from user-defined intents.

Relay

Execution-level abstractionOrchestrate cross-chain execution via quotes, steps, signatures, and status tracking.

OneBalance

Account abstraction + aggregationManage smart contract accounts with unified balances, requiring explicit quote requests.

Feature Comparison

FeatureUniversal AccountsRelay
Abstraction layerAccountExecution / 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 requiredLowHigh configuration workload

Speed Comparison

Real-world latency measurements across common cross-chain routes:
RouteUniversal AccountsRelayOneBalanceAvail Nexus
Base → Arbitrum~1,605 ms~2,528 ms~2,982 ms~11899 ms
Base → Solana~578 ms~3,360 ms~2,803 msN/A
Solana → Base~1,348 ms~9,820 ms~2,803 msN/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:
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 →