One of the most common questions in the Solana ecosystem is straightforward: how much does it actually cost to launch a token? The answer ranges from under $5 to over $50,000, depending entirely on your approach, ambitions, and how much effort you put into giving the token a real chance.
This guide breaks down every cost component involved in launching a token on Solana in 2026, from the bare minimum technical costs to the optional but often critical investments in liquidity and marketing. Whether you are launching a memecoin on Pump.fun, creating a DeFi protocol token via Raydium LaunchLab, or deploying manually through the Solana CLI, here is what you will spend.
1. Token Creation: The Mint Account
Every Solana token starts with a mint account, which is the on-chain record that defines your token's existence: its supply, decimal places, and the authorities that can mint or freeze tokens.
Cost: ~0.02 SOL ($2.80 at $140/SOL)
This covers the rent-exempt deposit for the mint account. Solana requires accounts to hold a minimum SOL balance to remain on-chain (rent exemption). For a standard SPL token mint account, this is approximately 0.00145 SOL for the mint itself, plus the associated token account for the creator's wallet.
If you use the Solana CLI (spl-token create-token), you pay only this rent deposit plus a negligible transaction fee (0.000005 SOL). If you use a no-code tool like Pump.fun, this cost is bundled into the platform's flow.
A token without metadata is just a random address. Metadata gives your token its name, ticker symbol, description, and logo image — the information wallets and DEXs display to users.
Cost: ~0.01-0.02 SOL ($1.40-$2.80)
Metaplex is the standard for token metadata on Solana. Creating a metadata account costs roughly 0.01 SOL in rent-exempt deposit. If you upload the token image to Arweave (permanent on-chain storage), that costs an additional small fee depending on file size — typically under $0.10 for a standard logo image.
Alternatives to Arweave include IPFS (via Pinata or similar services, some free tiers available) or simply hosting the image on a regular web server (less decentralized but works fine for most tokens).
Platforms like Pump.fun and LaunchLab handle metadata creation automatically as part of their launch flow, so you do not need to interact with Metaplex directly if you use those tools.
3. Pump.fun Launch: The Zero-Barrier Approach
Pump.fun revolutionized token launches on Solana by making it free to create a token. There is no upfront creation fee. You fill in your token's name, symbol, description, and image, and Pump.fun deploys it to a bonding curve at no cost beyond the standard transaction fee.
Token creation cost: ~0.02 SOL (transaction fee + rent)
The real cost on Pump.fun is the trading fee. Every buy and sell on the bonding curve incurs a 1% fee paid to the platform. This is not a launch cost per se — it is an ongoing cost borne by all traders of the token. But if you are the first buyer of your own token (which most launchers are), that 1% applies to your initial purchase.
Bonding curve graduation cost: When a token's bonding curve fills (reaches approximately 85 SOL in market cap), it automatically migrates to a Raydium liquidity pool. Pump.fun charges a migration fee of approximately 1.5 SOL from the bonding curve proceeds. This is not paid by the creator directly but comes from the curve's accumulated liquidity.
Effective cost for a Pump.fun launch:
| Component | Cost |
|---|
| Token creation | ~0.02 SOL |
| Your initial buy (1% fee on trade) | Variable |
| Graduation (from bonding curve funds) | ~1.5 SOL |
| Total out-of-pocket for creator | ~0.02 SOL + initial buy |
This makes Pump.fun the cheapest way to launch a token on Solana. The trade-off is that you start with a bonding curve rather than a full DEX pool, you have limited control over tokenomics, and the 1% ongoing trading fee affects all traders.
4. Raydium Pool Creation: The Traditional Route
If you want to skip the bonding curve and launch directly on a major DEX, Raydium is the most common choice. Creating a Raydium AMM pool requires creating an associated OpenBook market (order book) and then initializing the liquidity pool.
OpenBook market creation: ~2-3 SOL ($280-$420)
This is the largest fixed cost of a traditional Raydium launch. The OpenBook market requires rent-exempt deposits for several accounts: the market account, bids account, asks account, event queue, and request queue. The exact cost depends on account sizes you choose, but standard configurations run 2-3 SOL.
Raydium pool initialization: ~0.4 SOL ($56)
Once the OpenBook market exists, initializing the Raydium AMM pool requires a small additional deposit.
Effective cost for a direct Raydium launch:
| Component | Cost |
|---|
| Token creation + metadata | ~0.04 SOL |
| OpenBook market | ~2-3 SOL |
| Raydium pool initialization | ~0.4 SOL |
| Initial liquidity (see section 6) | Variable |
| Total (excluding liquidity) | ~2.5-3.5 SOL ($350-$490) |
5. Raydium LaunchLab: The Middle Ground
Raydium LaunchLab is Raydium's answer to Pump.fun — a bonding curve launch platform integrated with Raydium's ecosystem. Tokens start on a customizable bonding curve and migrate to a Raydium AMM pool upon graduation.
Token creation cost: ~0.02 SOL
LaunchLab's creation process is similar to Pump.fun. The key differences are in the fee structure and customization options:
- Trading fee: 1% on bonding curve trades (same as Pump.fun)
- Graduation: Automatic migration to Raydium AMM pool when the curve fills
- Customization: LaunchLab offers more control over curve parameters and initial token distribution compared to Pump.fun
The cost profile is nearly identical to Pump.fun for creators. The difference is primarily in where the token ends up after graduation (Raydium rather than Pump.fun's default pool) and the fee split mechanics.
6. Initial Liquidity: The Variable That Matters Most
Creating a token is cheap. Making it tradeable in a meaningful way requires liquidity, and this is where costs range from trivial to substantial.
For Pump.fun/LaunchLab launches: Your "initial liquidity" is your first buy on the bonding curve. This could be as little as 0.5 SOL ($70) or as much as 50+ SOL ($7,000+). The bonding curve provides initial price discovery, and additional liquidity comes from other buyers.
For direct Raydium pool launches: You need to seed the pool with both tokens. The standard approach is to deposit your token and SOL (or USDC) in equal value. The amount determines your starting liquidity depth and, consequently, how much slippage traders will experience.
Liquidity ranges in practice:
| Liquidity Amount | Typical Use Case |
|---|
| $500-$2,000 | Minimum viable — expect high slippage, suitable only for micro-cap experiments |
| $2,000-$10,000 | Small launch — functional trading but still significant slippage on larger orders |
| $10,000-$50,000 | Solid launch — reasonable trading experience for most retail traders |
| $50,000-$200,000 | Professional launch — smooth trading for most order sizes |
| $200,000+ | Major launch — institutional-grade liquidity |
Keep in mind that initial liquidity is not a sunk cost in the same way as account creation fees. If you provide liquidity, those funds are still in the pool working for you (though subject to impermanent loss). You can remove liquidity later, though doing so on a token you launched will destroy confidence in the project.
Liquidity locking: Serious launches lock their initial liquidity for a set period (usually 6-12 months or permanently) to prove to buyers that the team will not rug pull. Locking itself has minimal cost (a small transaction fee), but it means those funds are inaccessible for the lock duration.
7. Jito Bundle Tips: Priority Landing
If you want your launch transaction to land quickly and reliably — especially important if you are launching with initial buys from multiple wallets — Jito bundle tips help prioritize your transactions.
Cost: 0.001-5 SOL ($0.14-$700)
The range is enormous because it depends entirely on network conditions and how urgently you need priority.
- Low congestion: 0.001-0.01 SOL tips are sufficient for reliable landing.
- Normal conditions: 0.01-0.1 SOL gets you strong priority.
- High congestion (major events, trending launches): 0.5-5 SOL may be needed to ensure landing in a specific slot.
For a standard token launch during normal conditions, budgeting 0.05-0.1 SOL ($7-$14) for Jito tips is reasonable. If you are bundling multiple transactions (token creation, initial buys from several wallets), the tip applies to the entire bundle, not per transaction.
MadeOnSol's Token Launcher handles Jito bundling automatically, optimizing tip amounts based on current network conditions.
8. Token Logo and Branding
A token without a recognizable logo is dead on arrival. Every token listed on DEXs, aggregators, and analytics platforms displays its logo. Getting this right costs either time or money.
Cost: $0-$500
- Free: Design it yourself using Canva, Figma, or AI image generators. Many successful memecoins use simple, meme-inspired logos that do not require professional design skills.
- $20-$100: Commission a logo from a freelance designer on Fiverr or similar platforms.
- $100-$500: Hire a crypto-specific designer who understands the aesthetic expectations of the Solana memecoin or DeFi community.
The logo needs to work at small sizes (32x32 pixels in wallet views) and render clearly on both light and dark backgrounds. Keep it simple — complex logos become unrecognizable at small sizes.
9. Website Costs
While not strictly required, a website significantly increases credibility. Traders who see a token with a working website are far more likely to take it seriously than one with only a Pump.fun page.
Cost: $0-$200/year
- Free: Use GitHub Pages, Vercel free tier, or Netlify to host a simple static site. Templates specifically designed for token projects are available for free on GitHub.
- $10-$15/year: A custom domain name (.com, .io, .fun) through a registrar like Namecheap or Cloudflare.
- $0-$20/month: Basic hosting if you need more than a static site.
Most memecoin projects get by with a single-page site that displays the token name, logo, contract address, social links, and a brief description. This can be built in a few hours with basic web skills.
10. Marketing Costs
Marketing is the most variable and often the most important cost category. A perfectly deployed token that no one knows about will not trade.
Cost: $0-$50,000+
- Free: Organic Twitter/X posts, Telegram group creation, Reddit posts, community engagement in existing Solana communities.
- $50-$500: Paid promotion through crypto influencer shoutouts on Twitter (micro-influencers). Quality varies enormously.
- $500-$5,000: Coordinated marketing campaign with multiple influencers, Telegram call groups, or paid placements on crypto news sites.
- $5,000-$50,000+: Professional marketing agency, major influencer partnerships, or exchange listing fees.
The Solana memecoin ecosystem in 2026 is saturated. Thousands of tokens launch daily, and organic discovery alone rarely drives meaningful volume. Budget at least some amount for initial visibility, even if it is just gas money for community members to spread the word.
Cost Comparison Table
Here is a side-by-side comparison of the three main launch paths:
| Cost Component | Pump.fun | Raydium LaunchLab | Direct Raydium Pool |
|---|
| Token creation | ~0.02 SOL | ~0.02 SOL | ~0.02 SOL |
| Metadata | Included | Included | ~0.02 SOL |
| Market/pool creation | Automatic on graduation | Automatic on graduation | ~2.5-3.5 SOL |
| Trading fee | 1% ongoing | 1% on curve | Standard DEX fee |
| Graduation fee | ~1.5 SOL (from curve) | From curve funds | N/A |
| Initial liquidity | Your first buy | Your first buy | Must seed pool |
| Jito tips (optional) | 0.01-0.1 SOL | 0.01-0.1 SOL | 0.01-0.1 SOL |
| Minimum total | ~0.5 SOL ($70) | ~0.5 SOL ($70) | ~5-10 SOL ($700-$1,400) |
| Realistic total | ~2-10 SOL ($280-$1,400) | ~2-10 SOL ($280-$1,400) | ~20-100 SOL ($2,800-$14,000) |
The "minimum total" assumes the cheapest possible launch with minimal initial buy/liquidity. The "realistic total" includes a reasonable initial buy, Jito tips, and basic branding but excludes marketing.
Hidden Costs Most Launchers Forget
Beyond the line items above, a few costs catch people off guard:
Rent for associated accounts: Every wallet that holds your token requires an associated token account, which costs approximately 0.002 SOL in rent. When hundreds of wallets hold your token, these accounts are created by the holders themselves, but early on you may need to create accounts for initial distribution.
Revoking authorities: After launch, responsible token creators revoke their mint authority (ability to create more tokens) and freeze authority. Each revocation is a transaction costing a negligible fee, but forgetting to do it is a credibility cost — scanners like RugCheck flag tokens with active mint authority.
Token verification on platforms: Getting your token verified (checkmark) on DexScreener, Birdeye, Jupiter's token list, and CoinGecko requires applications and sometimes fees. Jupiter's strict token list requires community verification. DexScreener offers paid boost/promotion options.
Ongoing costs: If your token gains traction, maintaining it costs time and potentially money — community management, website hosting, continued marketing, potential exchange listing fees, and development if your project has utility beyond speculation.
What Is the Real Minimum?
The absolute bare minimum to get a tradeable token on Solana is under $5 through Pump.fun: create the token (free), buy a small initial position (~0.5 SOL), and share the link. That is it.
But a token with a realistic chance of attracting attention and trading volume requires more. A reasonable budget for a small memecoin launch looks like:
| Category | Budget |
|---|
| Token creation (Pump.fun) | 0.02 SOL |
| Initial buy | 2-5 SOL |
| Jito tips | 0.05 SOL |
| Logo design | $0-50 |
| Domain + basic website | $15-30 |
| Initial marketing (micro-influencers) | $100-300 |
| Total | ~$450-$1,100 |
For a more serious launch aiming for a sustained market cap:
| Category | Budget |
|---|
| Token creation + pool (Raydium) | 3-4 SOL |
| Initial liquidity | 20-100 SOL |
| Jito tips | 0.1 SOL |
| Branding + website | $200-500 |
| Marketing campaign | $1,000-$5,000 |
| Total | $4,000-$20,000+ |
Solana's low base costs are a genuine advantage over other chains. Launching an equivalent token on Ethereum would cost $500-$2,000 in gas fees alone, before any liquidity or marketing. On Solana, the technical barrier to entry is nearly zero. The real costs are in doing it well.
