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Arbitrum

Best Ethereum Layer 2 Alternatives to Blast for Low-Cost Transactions

Base, Arbitrum One, OP Mainnet, Scroll and Starknet showed low average fees in Ethereum.org’s October 1, 2026 snapshot. Compare live costs and check Blast’s withdrawal instructions before moving assets.

By TheFinanceBase Team 4 min read
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For low-cost Ethereum transactions, shortlist Base, Arbitrum One, Optimism (OP Mainnet), Scroll and Starknet—but check the live estimate for the exact action before choosing. Ethereum.org’s network explorer showed displayed average fees from $0.00 to $0.008 for those networks in its October 1, 2026 snapshot. Those figures are not quotes, and Optimism’s rounded $0.00 does not mean every transaction is free. Blast is a separate, urgent concern: its account has announced a wind-down and an October 26, 2026 deadline for withdrawals through the normal interface. Verify Blast’s current official instructions before moving assets.

Which Layer 2s are alternatives to Blast for low fees?

Ethereum.org’s network explorer, updated October 1, 2026, displayed these average transaction fees. Treat them as a dated screening snapshot, not a prediction of what your transfer, swap or app interaction will cost.

Network Displayed average fee What to check
Base $0.001 Ethereum.org describes it as an Optimistic Rollup built with the OP Stack. Check that your intended apps and assets are supported.
Arbitrum One $0.004 Confirm app support and review current network risk information; the snapshot fee alone is not a reason to choose it.
Optimism (OP Mainnet) $0.00 The displayed value is rounded; it is not a promise that every transaction costs nothing. Ethereum.org describes OP Mainnet as an EVM-equivalent Optimistic Rollup.
Scroll $0.003 Confirm the apps and assets you need are available and review current network information.
Starknet $0.008 It uses STARK proofs and the Cairo VM, so its tooling and app experience differ from EVM-equivalent options. Check wallet and app support.

All fees in the table are Ethereum.org explorer figures from its October 1, 2026 snapshot, not fixed prices or a like-for-like quote for a particular transaction. Transaction type, network demand and the live fee estimate can change the cost. Ethereum.org’s overview separately displayed an average cost of $0.0015 across Ethereum-backed networks and $0.082 on Ethereum in that snapshot; those are also dated averages, not guaranteed fees. Read Ethereum.org’s Layer 2 overview and check its network explorer for current information.

How to choose a network for your transaction

Price the action you will actually make

Compare the current estimate for the specific transfer, swap or contract call you intend to perform. A network’s displayed average can help narrow the list, but it does not establish your cost for that action. Recheck before confirming, especially if network demand or transaction details change.

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Check apps, assets and wallet workflow

Ethereum L2s are separate networks, not interchangeable destinations. Confirm that the app you use, the asset you want and your wallet’s transfer workflow are supported on the destination network. Ethereum.org lists multiple distinct networks and notes that they work differently; a familiar app or token on one L2 should not be assumed to exist on another. Ethereum.org’s overview provides background on the ecosystem.

Consider design and maturity, not just the fee

Base and OP Mainnet are optimistic rollups; Starknet is a STARK-based ZK rollup using Cairo. Different designs bring different tooling and operating assumptions. Ethereum.org’s maturity framework considers factors including time in production, value locked and risk assessment, and cautions that many projects are young and somewhat experimental. Review the current information for the network and applications you plan to use rather than treating the L2 label as a security rating. See Ethereum.org’s Layer 2 material and L2BEAT’s scaling-risk dashboard.

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Check the route for moving assets

Bridges and routes differ in supported networks, assets, fees and withdrawal conditions. Ethereum.org names Superbridge and Portal as ecosystem bridge examples and Hop and Across as independent tools; their mention is not an endorsement or a guarantee that a particular route supports your asset. Verify the exact route and its current terms before sending funds. See Ethereum.org’s bridge information.

What Blast offered—and what these alternatives do not establish

Blast’s own materials describe native yield for bridged ETH and stablecoins, EVM equivalence, and a developer feature that returns gas-fee revenue programmatically. These are product descriptions and claims from Blast, not independently verified yields or guarantees. See Blast’s product information.

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Native yield and low transaction fees are different features. If your priority is cheaper transactions, compare fee estimates and network support. If you also need Blast’s yield mechanics, the sources available here do not establish that Base, Arbitrum One, OP Mainnet, Scroll or Starknet replicates them.

Blast withdrawals: check the current deadline and instructions

A post attributed to Blast’s official account announces a wind-down, cites operating economics and asks users to withdraw assets to Ethereum mainnet. It states that October 26, 2026 is the deadline for withdrawals through the normal interface. The notice also describes a temporary withdrawal pause during the Lido asset withdrawal process and says assets remain withdrawable after the deadline through direct interaction with Blast’s Ethereum bridge contracts. Because this is time-sensitive operational guidance, confirm the live announcement and current withdrawal availability before acting; do not assume the normal interface will remain available after the stated deadline. Check Blast’s announcement on X.

L2BEAT’s Blast risk assessment says fault proofs are not in use and that state correctness relies on permissioned proposers and challengers. It warns that an invalid state root could lead to loss of funds. Its dashboard is dynamic, so consult the current assessment rather than relying on a static comparison. Read L2BEAT’s Blast risk page.

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Other networks to investigate

Ethereum.org’s explorer also lists Ink, Unichain, ZKsync Era, Linea and Zircuit. In its October 1, 2026 snapshot, Linea displayed an average fee of $0.025; ZKsync Era’s fee was not listed. These are discovery leads, not a current ranking. Check live costs, app support and risk information before selecting any of them. View the network explorer.

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