Today’s blog ranks nine Layer 2 networks by transaction cost, so you can pick a cheap chain for real business use without guessing.

Fees are not the whole story, yet they are the fastest way to burn budget when you pick wrong. So we’ll start with cost, then we’ll check the business bits people keep asking about, like bridging, stablecoin payouts, and what happens when fees spike.

Quick answers – jump to section

What “transaction cost” means in plain English
The 9 Layer 2 networks ranked by transaction cost
Quick pick guide for business use
Questions people keep asking about cheap L2s
Final Thoughts
Frequently Asked Questions

What “transaction cost” means in plain English

An image of how 9 Layer 2 Networks are ranked

Transaction cost is what you pay to get your action written to the chain. That action could be sending a token, swapping, minting, or calling a contract.

On most Ethereum L2s, you pay in ETH. The cost moves because the chain is busy, ETH price moves, and the L2 has its own pricing rules.

The 9 Layer 2 networks ranked by transaction cost

This ranking is based on public fee trackers that compare common actions across L2s. The order can change week to week, so treat it like a live leaderboard, not a tattoo.

1) Starknet

Starknet often shows up near the bottom for cost on simple actions. It can be a strong pick if your team is fine with its tooling and account model.

For business use, the question is not “is it cheap” because it often is. The question is “can my dev team ship fast here” and “do my users already hold assets here.”

2) zkSync Era

zkSync Era is usually priced aggressively for common actions. It also gets attention because teams want zk style security properties without waiting years.

If you run a product with lots of small actions, low fees help. Yet you still need to test the full user path, because bridging and swapping can add extra cost.

3) Base

Base can be cheap for basic transfers and some swaps, and it has strong distribution because it sits close to Coinbase rails.

For a business, that last bit can be a real win. Lower friction onboarding can beat a tiny fee difference. That’s the same idea behind a simple page change that can lift results when you stop overthinking and fix the first bottleneck.

4) OP Mainnet

OP Mainnet is often competitive on cost, and it has a big app set. It is a common default for teams that want a known path and broad support.

If you care about predictable ops, pick the chain where your users already are. A cheap chain with no users is like a cheap shop in a desert.

5) Arbitrum One

Arbitrum One is not always the cheapest, yet it is often cheap enough. It also has deep liquidity and a huge app set.

For business use, “cheap enough” can be the right answer. If your users already bridge here, you avoid support tickets, and that is a cost too.

6) Linea

Linea often competes on fees and tries to keep the dev path familiar for Ethereum teams.

If you are shipping a consumer app, you still need to test the full flow. Users do not care that your chain is cheap if the bridge feels slow or confusing.

7) Scroll

Scroll is another zk rollup option that can be cost competitive depending on the action.

If you are comparing zk options, do not only compare fees. Compare wallet support, exchange support, and how often your users will need to bridge.

8) Polygon PoS

Polygon PoS is often cheap in day to day use, and it has wide support. Still, it is not an Ethereum rollup in the same way as the others, so the security model discussion is different.

For business teams, the practical question is simple. Does it fit your risk rules and your customer expectations.

9) Arbitrum Nova

Nova can be cheap for certain use cases, especially high volume apps that want low costs.

Yet you need to be honest about your product. If you are settling high value trades, you may prefer a different setup even if it costs more.

Quick pick guide for business use

If you run lots of tiny actions, pick a chain that stays cheap on swaps and contract calls, not only transfers. Fee tables can look great for transfers and then punch you in the face on real app usage.

If your onboarding is clunky, cheap gas will not save you. People quit when the path feels confusing. That’s why small fixes that reduce drop-off often beat adding more features.

Questions people keep asking about cheap L2s

People keep asking the same things on forums and Q&A sites, even when the chain names change.

Is the cheapest chain always the best chain?

No. Fees are one line item. Downtime, wallet support, liquidity, and support load can cost more than gas.

So the better question is this. Which chain keeps the full user journey cheap, from first deposit to final payout.

Why do L2 fees change so much?

Fees depend on demand, and many L2s still post data back to Ethereum, which has its own fee swings.

That is why “cheap” is a moving target. It can be cheap at 10am, then less cheap after a big airdrop, mint, or market move.

What should a business team measure instead of one fee number?

Measure the full customer journey cost, not a single action. Count bridging, swaps, approvals, and the extra clicks that create drop off.

If you want a simple way to think about it, good copy removes friction and good product flows do the same thing.

Should I pick optimistic rollups or zk rollups?

Most teams start with what their devs can ship fast, then they move once the product has traction.

If you are early, speed and support often beat perfect theory. If you are later, you can afford to be picky.

Final Thoughts

If you run payouts, focus on stablecoin support, exchange rails, and how easy it is for users to get funds in and out. First impressions win in product flows too, which is why better first lines often beat more content when you want people to keep going.

If you are picking an L2 for business use, start with fees, then zoom out. Cheap gas feels great, yet it does not pay salaries.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest Layer 2 right now?

It changes often. Use live trackers, then test your exact actions, because “cheap transfer” does not always mean “cheap swap.”

If you need one rule, pick the chain that stays cheap on contract calls, because that is where apps live.

Are Layer 2 fees always paid in ETH?

On many Ethereum L2s, yes. Some chains support paying fees in other tokens in certain setups, yet ETH is still the common base.

For business payouts, you can still pay users in stablecoins even if fees are in ETH.

Do low fees mean lower security?

Not automatically. Fee level is a pricing choice plus a scaling design choice. Security depends on the chain’s design and how it settles.

If you have strict risk rules, get your technical team to review the settlement model before you commit.

Should I pick the chain with the most apps?

It depends on your product. If you need liquidity and integrations, a big app set helps.

If you are running a closed loop app, you may care more about cost and wallet support than app count.

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9 Layer 2 Networks Ranked by Transaction Cost for Business Use