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Honest Technical Comparison

Solana vs Polygon: Which Should You Choose?

We build on Solana—but we'll honestly tell you when Polygon is the better choice. Here's the real comparison from developers who've evaluated both.

Updated January 2026 with latest network data

SChoose Solana For:

  • Need 1,500-4,000 real-world TPS
  • Ultra-low fees critical ($0.00025/tx)
  • Sub-second finality required
  • High transaction volume (gaming, DeFi, NFTs)

PChoose Polygon For:

  • Have existing Solidity smart contracts
  • Team only knows Solidity (not Rust)
  • Need multi-chain EVM presence
  • Enterprise prefers longer track record

Technical Comparison: The Numbers

Side-by-side comparison across all key metrics

Performance

Transactions Per Second

1,500-4,000 TPS
Real-world capacity
✓ Solana wins
200-300 TPS
Practical throughput

Block Time

400ms
Sub-second blocks
✓ Solana wins
2 seconds
Fast but not instant

Finality

<1 second
Near-instant confirmation
✓ Solana wins
2-3 seconds
Good for most apps

Economics

Transaction Cost

$0.00025 - $0.001
Extremely low
✓ Solana wins
$0.01 - $0.50
Still low vs mainnet

Total Value Locked

$8B+
6x more TVL
✓ Solana wins
$1.2B+
Growing ecosystem

Development

Smart Contract Language

Rust/Anchor
Modern, safe
Solidity (EVM)
Largest dev base
Polygon wins

Developer Ecosystem

Growing
Rust expertise needed
Large
More Solidity devs
Polygon wins

Network Type

Layer 1
Independent consensus
Layer 2/Sidechain
Ethereum security

Time in Market

Since 2020
4+ years
Since 2017
Longer track record
Polygon wins

When Solana Is the Better Choice

Performance and cost-critical applications

Maximum Performance Required

High-frequency DEX, gaming, real-time apps needing 1,000+ TPS

Why: 5-20x faster real-world throughput than Polygon

Ultra-Low Transaction Costs

Mass consumer apps, NFT minting, micro-transactions

Why: 10-2,000x cheaper per transaction

Sub-Second Finality Critical

Trading, gaming, payments where every millisecond counts

Why: <1 second finality vs 2-3 seconds on Polygon

Native DeFi Ecosystem

Access to Jupiter, Orca, Raydium, Kamino without bridging

Why: $8B TVL with mature, battle-tested protocols

When Polygon Is the Better Choice

EVM ecosystem and Solidity-first teams

Existing Solidity Infrastructure

You have audited Solidity contracts or EVM tools

Why: Reuse existing code, libraries, and security audits

Large Solidity Team

Your developers know Solidity but not Rust

Why: More Solidity developers available to hire globally

Ethereum Ecosystem Compatibility

Need seamless interoperability with Ethereum mainnet

Why: Native bridge to Ethereum with shared tooling

Longer Track Record Needed

Enterprise requirement for established infrastructure

Why: Since 2017, proven at scale with major brands

Honest assessment: If the alternative better serves your needs, we will tell you even if it means we do not work together. Your project success matters more than our deal.

Still Not Sure Which to Choose?

We build on Solana—but we'll honestly evaluate your project and tell you if Polygon is the better fit. Your success matters more than closing a deal.

✓ No sales pressure · ✓ Technical deep-dive · ✓ Honest recommendations