Arbitrum One
SolanaKey comparison
Choose Arbitrum One for Ethereum-style apps that run on a separate Ethereum-connected network. Choose Solana for fast-moving apps outside Ethereum's toolset. Arbitrum One uses the Ethereum rollup model; Solana uses the Layer 1 model. Execution, validation, data publication, and settlement therefore are not interchangeable fields.
This page compares Arbitrum One with Solana. It looks at what each chain is for, how it works, what its token does, and which apps it can run. Live fees, speed, trading depth, safety, and future value can change, so this page does not rank them.
What are Arbitrum One and Solana designed for?
Arbitrum One
Arbitrum One is for Ethereum-compatible applications that want to move execution off mainnet without moving final settlement away from Ethereum.
The problem. Running every application transaction directly on Ethereum competes for limited mainnet blockspace and carries its associated cost.
How Arbitrum One responds. Nitro sequences and executes transactions in the rollup, then batches transaction data and state assertions to Ethereum. Its dispute system lets Ethereum arbitrate a challenged assertion.
What remains dependent. Final settlement, data-posting costs, and the withdrawal path still depend on Ethereum rather than on an independent base layer.
Solana
Solana is a high-throughput Layer 1 for applications, with SOL used for fees and staking.
How do Arbitrum One and Solana work?
Arbitrum One
Arbitrum One is an Ethereum-connected Layer 2 network. It runs Nitro, the software that processes its transactions away from Ethereum.
Arbitrum One is an optimistic rollup: it groups transactions, runs them away from Ethereum, and posts compressed data plus a result claim to Ethereum. A validator can challenge a bad claim, so Ethereum remains the final arbiter.
Solana
Its non-EVM runtime combines proof-of-stake validation with proof-of-history-based time ordering.
Arbitrum One uses the Ethereum rollup model; Solana uses the Layer 1 model. Execution, validation, data publication, and settlement therefore are not interchangeable fields.
Arbitrum One and Solana smart-contract and execution support
Arbitrum One
Arbitrum One runs Ethereum-style apps, so an app written for Ethereum will probably work there too.
Trade-off: it resembles Ethereum and Optimism for app compatibility, but deposits, withdrawals, and final settlement still depend on Ethereum.
Solana
Solana runs on-chain programs, usually written in Rust, with program code kept separate from the accounts that hold changing data.
Trade-off: it is similar to Aptos as a non-EVM app platform, but Ethereum contracts and EVM tools need to be rewritten for Solana's account model.
Source: Solana program documentation.
How does Arbitrum One compare with Solana?
These stable design fields keep the comparison like-for-like. They are not a live performance or market scorecard.
| Criterion | Arbitrum One | Solana |
|---|---|---|
| Designed for | Ethereum-settled EVM execution | high-throughput non-EVM apps |
| Network model | Ethereum rollup | Layer 1 |
| Token roles | Arbitrum One uses ETH as its native gas token. ARB is a separate governance token, not the token that pays everyday network fees. | SOL is Solana's native token. It pays fees, secures the network through staking, and funds account storage requirements. |
| Execution | EVM-compatible | non-EVM smart-contract |
| Validation | Arbitrum One executes transactions in Nitro, posts data and result claims to Ethereum, and allows incorrect claims to be challenged before final settlement. | Proof-of-stake validators vote on blocks while proof of history supplies the ordered timing information used by the protocol. |
| Application scope | Arbitrum One runs Ethereum-style apps, so an app written for Ethereum will probably work there too. | Solana runs on-chain programs, usually written in Rust, with program code kept separate from the accounts that hold changing data. |
What are the trade-offs between Arbitrum One and Solana?
Arbitrum One
Arbitrum One keeps Ethereum-style apps and settlement while moving everyday app activity to a separate rollup.
- Transaction experience: Swaps, lending actions, and token transfers run on Arbitrum One instead of Ethereum mainnet, but their cost still reflects the rollup's connection to Ethereum data.
- Compatibility: Solidity, Ethereum wallets, and common EVM tools carry over, making Arbitrum One closer to Ethereum and Optimism than to non-EVM chains.
- Security and control: Ethereum settles the rollup, while sequencing and the withdrawal path add their own operational assumptions.
Solana
Solana is built for application activity and token accounts with a runtime that differs sharply from Ethereum's EVM.
- Efficiency: Its program and account model is designed for frequent app actions, but a published maximum transaction figure is not the same as an application's observed throughput.
- Compatibility: Rust and Anchor tooling differ from Solidity and the EVM, so Ethereum contracts and wallet integrations need dedicated Solana work.
- Security and access: Proof-of-stake validators secure the network; compare validator operation, current prioritization costs, and the exact app workflow rather than relying on a headline speed claim.
What should you check before choosing Arbitrum One or Solana?
Current conditions can matter as much as the underlying design. Check these before making a decision:
- Arbitrum One: the total fee for the app action, how long moving funds back to Ethereum takes, who orders transactions first, and the Ethereum cost included in the price.
- Solana: how many transactions the actual app processes, the wallet fee shown before sending, and any extra payment for faster processing.
Arbitrum One vs Solana: common questions
Do Arbitrum One and Solana serve the same purpose?
Arbitrum One is designed for Ethereum-settled EVM execution; Solana is designed for high-throughput non-EVM apps. They overlap only where a reader's required payment, asset, or application exists on both networks.
Is Arbitrum One or Solana faster and cheaper?
The stable design fields on this page cannot establish a current winner. Compare the same wallet action, asset route, confirmation target, and observation window on both networks, then separate the network fee from bridge, swap, spread, or liquidity costs.
Is Arbitrum One or Solana the better investment?
Arbitrum One uses ETH as its native gas token. ARB is a separate governance token, not the token that pays everyday network fees. SOL is Solana's native token. It pays fees, secures the network through staking, and funds account storage requirements. This page does not contain current comparable price, liquidity, supply, exchange-access, governance-concentration, or regulatory evidence, so it cannot identify a better investment.
Official Arbitrum One and Solana technical sources
Use these primary documents to validate the design claims, then check live conditions separately.