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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteShort answer: Solana usually has the lowest protocol base fee for a like-for-like transfer: 5,000 lamports per signature, plus any optional prioritization fee. Polygon PoS and Base are often inexpensive alternatives, while Ethereum mainnet is more sensitive to congestion and gas demand. That is a comparison method, not a permanent league table. The cheapest end-to-end route depends on the same asset and transaction type, live token prices, the recipient’s support, and any bridge or exchange-withdrawal charge.
What “cheapest” means in a network comparison
A transfer has more than one price. The wallet may show a protocol fee, but the amount that leaves your account can also include a token conversion spread, an exchange withdrawal charge, a bridge transaction, or a second transaction needed to make funds usable on the destination network.
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For a fair comparison, hold these variables constant:
- Asset: compare the same native coin, or the same stablecoin representation, on each network.
- Transaction type: a native-coin payment is not equivalent to an ERC-20 or SPL token transfer, a swap, or a contract interaction.
- Time: quote all networks close together because gas prices and token exchange rates move continuously.
- Route: include any bridge, exchange withdrawal, or conversion needed to get the asset to the recipient.
- Destination requirements: verify that the recipient, wallet, exchange, or application supports that network and token.
A network can have the lowest on-chain fee and still be the most expensive practical choice if it requires an extra bridge transaction or leaves the recipient with an unsupported token.
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At-a-glance comparison
| Network | How the protocol fee is calculated | What is established about cost | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solana | 5,000 lamports per signature as the base fee, plus an optional prioritization fee based on compute-unit price and compute-unit limit. | The Solana payment guide illustrates a 5,000-lamport base transaction fee at approximately $0.0007. | The dollar value changes with SOL’s price; a busy application can add a prioritization fee. |
| Ethereum mainnet | Gas used × (base fee + priority fee). | A simple ETH transfer uses 21,000 gas. Ethereum documentation gives about 65,000 gas as an example for an ERC-20 transfer. | Gas is paid in ETH and the base fee changes with network demand, so token transfers can cost substantially more than simple ETH payments. |
| Base | A gas price is exposed by Base’s RPC; the final charge reflects execution and Ethereum data-publication costs. | Base documentation promotes “sub-cent global payments.” | The quoted amount is dynamic and is not a guaranteed universal dollar price. |
| Polygon PoS | Polygon mainnet gas is paid in POL; the required amount is dynamic. | Polygon is commonly a low-cost option, but no fixed current dollar fee is established here. | POL’s exchange rate and the transaction’s gas demand affect the final amount. A bridge can add another fee. |
For historical context only, a January 2026 table attributed to Token Terminal listed three-year average transaction fees of $0.0146 for Base and $0.0128 for Polygon. Those are historical averages, not quotes for a transaction you send now, and they do not establish a permanent ranking against Solana or Ethereum.
How each network arrives at its fee
Solana: a tiny base fee with optional prioritization
Solana documentation states that every transaction requires a fee paid in SOL. The base is 5,000 lamports for each signature. A lamport is the smallest unit of SOL, so the base charge is exceptionally small in ordinary dollar terms; the Solana payment guide’s example places it at about $0.0007 under the exchange rate used in that guide.
That base is not necessarily the complete quote. A transaction can add a prioritization fee, calculated from the requested compute-unit price and compute-unit limit. The application or wallet may set these values to improve the chance of prompt processing. Consequently, two Solana transfers can have different totals even when they move the same asset.
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When comparing Solana with another network, check whether the wallet’s displayed total includes the prioritization component. Also check the number of signatures: the stated base is per signature, not a universal flat charge for every possible transaction.
Ethereum mainnet: gas units multiplied by a changing price
Ethereum’s fee is expressed as gas used multiplied by the base fee plus the priority fee. The base fee responds to demand for block space, while the priority fee is the amount offered to the validator for inclusion. Gas is paid in ETH.
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A basic ETH transfer uses 21,000 gas. An ERC-20 token transfer executes contract code and therefore consumes more gas; Ethereum’s documentation uses approximately 65,000 gas as an example. Multiplying either gas requirement by the current fee environment explains why a token payment can cost much more than a simple ETH payment at the same moment.
Ethereum documentation describes gas fees as the total cost of the actions in a transaction. That wording matters when a wallet interaction does more than send: approvals, swaps, contract calls, and other actions each consume gas. A low-demand period can make a 21,000-gas transfer reasonable, but there is no fixed Ethereum dollar price that applies across times and transaction types.
Base: an Ethereum layer 2 with execution and data costs
Base is an Ethereum Layer 2 promoted in its documentation for “sub-cent global payments.” Its RPC provides the current gas price, but the final amount is not determined by that number alone. The transaction’s execution cost and the cost of publishing its data to Ethereum both contribute.
This makes a Base quote different from simply copying an Ethereum mainnet gas figure. The wallet or application should calculate the complete estimate for the exact operation. A basic native transfer, an ERC-20 transfer, and a contract interaction can have different execution requirements.
Base can therefore be a low-cost choice for transfers that remain on Base, provided the recipient supports the Base version of the asset. Moving the funds to another network may introduce a bridge or withdrawal charge that changes the end-to-end result.
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Polygon PoS: dynamic POL gas
Polygon’s documentation instructs users to hold POL to pay gas on Polygon mainnet. The required POL amount is dynamic, so a fixed dollar claim would be misleading. The wallet’s estimate at send time is the relevant protocol quote.
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POL’s market price creates a second conversion variable: the same quantity of POL represents a different dollar cost as the market moves. The transaction itself also matters. A simple native transfer and a token transfer should not be assumed to consume identical gas.
If assets arrive through a bridge, the recipient may need POL on the Polygon side before being able to transact. Planning for that gas balance is part of the real cost, not an optional detail.
Compare identical transfers, not unlike operations
The most common mistake is comparing a SOL transfer with an ERC-20 payment or comparing a native-coin send with a swap. Use a matrix like this before looking at prices:
| Operation being compared | What must match | Why the distinction matters |
|---|---|---|
| Native-coin transfer | SOL, ETH, POL, or the native asset on the selected network; one sender and one recipient. | Each network uses a different fee unit and market price for its gas token. |
| Stablecoin transfer | The same stablecoin representation and the same destination network. | An ERC-20 transfer on Ethereum, an ERC-20 transfer on Base or Polygon, and an SPL transfer on Solana are different transaction programs with different fee mechanics. |
| Swap or conversion | The same input, output, route, and slippage conditions. | Liquidity-provider fees, price impact, approvals, and multiple contract calls can dominate the protocol fee. |
| Bridge transfer | The same source asset, destination asset, direction, and bridge route. | A bridge normally adds at least one extra on-chain action and may impose its own charge or waiting period. |
For a stablecoin payment, the sender also needs the correct gas token. An ERC-20 transfer needs ETH on Ethereum, while a Polygon mainnet transaction needs POL and a Solana transaction needs SOL for its fee. A recipient who receives tokens but has no gas token may be unable to move them later.
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A repeatable method for finding the cheapest route
- Write down the exact payment. Record the asset, amount, source network, destination network, recipient address type, and whether a bridge or exchange is involved.
- Separate native transfers from token transfers. Do not use an ETH-transfer estimate for an ERC-20 payment or a SOL estimate for an SPL token operation.
- Request a live wallet quote on each viable network. Capture the protocol fee, the fee token, and any displayed priority or data-publication component.
- Check the asset’s exchange value. Convert SOL, ETH, and POL fee amounts using the same time-stamped market rates. A lower token quantity is not automatically a lower dollar cost.
- Add platform charges. Include exchange withdrawal fees, conversion spreads, bridge charges, and any minimum or fixed fee shown by the service you are using.
- Verify recipient compatibility. Confirm the exact network and token contract or token mint supported by the recipient. Sending to an address on an unsupported network can make recovery difficult or impossible.
- Check the destination gas requirement. If the recipient must make a follow-up transaction, budget the destination network’s gas token as part of the plan.
- Compare the total delivered amount. Choose the route that leaves the recipient with the intended asset after every required fee, not the route with the smallest isolated protocol number.
Repeat the quote immediately before signing. Ethereum base fees, Solana prioritization fees, Base execution estimates, POL prices, and the SOL or ETH exchange rates can all change between an initial comparison and the actual send.
When a bridge erases the apparent saving
A bridge is an additional transaction path, not a free label change. The source-side action, bridge service charge where applicable, destination-side action, and gas needed to use the received funds all belong in an end-to-end comparison.
Polygon’s official bridge instructions specifically require POL for the Polygon-side gas fee before funds arrive on Ethereum. That means a user moving value through the bridge must plan for a fee token on the destination side as well as the transfer itself. If the bridge route leaves the recipient without POL or ETH for the next action, the practical cost includes obtaining that gas token.
Bridging can also change the asset representation. A stablecoin on one network may be a different token contract on another. Confirm the recipient’s supported representation before initiating the transfer, and retain enough gas on both sides for any required claim, approval, or follow-up transaction.
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The January 2026 figures of $0.0146 for Base and $0.0128 for Polygon are three-year averages attributed to Token Terminal. They answer a historical-average question, not “What will my wallet charge right now?” Averages blend different transaction types, periods of congestion, and changing token prices.
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They are useful as broad evidence that both networks have often operated at low average fee levels. They cannot prove that Polygon is cheaper than Base for your particular token transfer, nor can they substitute for a live quote on Solana or Ethereum. Use the figures as context, then price the exact operation at send time.
Decision guide by use case
You are sending a simple native-coin payment
Start with a same-time quote on Solana, Base, Polygon, and Ethereum. Solana’s 5,000-lamport-per-signature base is a strong starting point for low protocol cost, but include any prioritization fee and SOL’s current dollar price. Ethereum’s 21,000-gas requirement is straightforward to estimate, yet its gas price can make it expensive during demand spikes. Base and Polygon require live estimates rather than fixed assumptions.
You are sending a stablecoin
Match the token representation first. Compare the complete ERC-20 or SPL transfer, including the required gas token and the recipient’s network support. An apparently cheap network is not a saving if the recipient accepts only another representation and you must bridge or exchange afterward.
You are moving funds from an exchange
Look at the exchange’s withdrawal fee and supported networks before comparing protocol fees. A fixed withdrawal charge can be larger than the on-chain fee, especially on low-cost networks. The amount displayed at confirmation is the relevant exchange-side cost; do not infer it from a blockchain gas estimate alone.
You need to move between networks
Price the bridge route as a sequence of transactions. Include source gas, bridge charges, destination gas, and the cost of acquiring POL, SOL, or ETH if the destination wallet lacks it. A direct withdrawal to a recipient-supported network can be cheaper and simpler than withdrawing to one network and bridging to another.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Using a fixed dollar ranking: fee-token prices and network demand move. Use current quotes.
- Comparing different transaction types: a 21,000-gas ETH transfer does not represent an ERC-20 transfer that may use about 65,000 gas.
- Ignoring optional fees: Solana prioritization and Ethereum priority fees can change the total from the base estimate.
- Reading a gas price as the final Base charge: Base’s execution and Ethereum data-publication costs also matter.
- Assuming Polygon has a fixed POL price: the required amount is dynamic and must be estimated for the transaction.
- Treating averages as quotes: the January 2026 Base and Polygon numbers are three-year historical averages.
- Leaving out the bridge: an extra transaction can outweigh a small difference in protocol fees.
- Forgetting destination gas: a recipient may receive tokens but be unable to move them without the network’s fee token.
- Sending before checking support: verify the exact network and token representation with the recipient or exchange.
What the evidence supports—and what it does not
The available documentation supports a clear fee-mechanics comparison: Solana has a 5,000-lamport base fee per signature; Ethereum prices gas used against a changing base and priority fee; Base combines execution and Ethereum data costs; and Polygon requires dynamically priced POL gas. It also supports the historical Base and Polygon averages quoted above.
It does not establish a guaranteed current dollar fee for all four networks, or a permanent cheapest-to-most-expensive order. Your transaction’s asset, program or contract calls, live demand, exchange rates, recipient support, and extra routing steps determine the result.
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