Solana gas fees are tiny in dollar terms: on October 29, 2026, a simple transfer cost under $0.001 and a swap about $0.01 in gas on our live check. Fees are paid in SOL. Below: how the fee works, live numbers and how to get SOL if you have none.
Key Takeaways
- Gas token: SOL.
- Transfer: under $0.001 on our check.
- Swap: about $0.01 of gas on a live route.
- No SOL, no transactions: even sending a stablecoin needs a little SOL.
How Solana Fees Work
Solana charges a base fee of 5,000 lamports per signature (0.000005 SOL) for every transaction. On top, you can add a priority fee priced per compute unit to get included faster when the network is busy; wallets and swap apps usually set it for you.
Live Fees on Solana
| October 29, 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Base fee per signature | 5,000 lamports (0.000005 SOL) |
| SOL price | $99.60 |
| Simple transfer | under $0.001 |
| Swap (live LI.FI route, USDC to SOL) | about $0.01 |
Gas price is protocol-defined; swap gas from a live LI.FI route for $100 of USDC. Fees move with demand, so check the wallet estimate before you sign.
The Rent Deposit Nobody Mentions
The first time you receive a new SPL token, a token account is created for it, which needs a rent-exempt deposit of about 0.002 SOL. It is not a fee: closing the empty token account later returns the deposit. This is why a first swap into a new token can cost more SOL than the next ones.
How to Pay Less
- Batch actions: fewer transactions mean fewer fees.
- Avoid peak moments: big launches and market crashes push gas up.
- Keep a small SOL buffer: running out mid-way forces an extra top-up transaction.
- Compare networks: see gas tokens by chain and ETH gas fees.
No SOL on Solana?
You cannot pay Solana fees with another token. The quickest fix is a one-step swap from a network where you already have funds, straight to SOL on Solana, using the widget on this page. Related: crypto bridge fees, how long does bridging take.
Getting SOL from another chain: ETH to SOL, bridge ETH to Solana.
