Fees on Aztec
Every transaction on Aztec requires paying a fee. This page explains how fees work and how to get the tokens needed to pay them.
Mana: Aztec's Unit of Work
On Ethereum, you pay for computation using "gas." On Aztec, we use "mana." Mana measures the computational effort required to process your transaction.
| Ethereum | Aztec | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Gas | Mana | Unit of computational work |
| ETH per gas | $AZTEC per mana | Price per unit |
| Gas fee (in ETH) | Fee (in $AZTEC) | Total cost |
What Fees Cover
Aztec is a Layer 2 rollup on Ethereum, so fees account for costs on both layers:
- L1 costs - Publishing blocks and data to Ethereum
- L2 costs - Operating the Aztec network, including proving
Paying Fees
The Fee Token
Fees on Aztec are paid in $AZTEC, the native token of the network. To pay fees, you need:
- $AZTEC tokens bridged from Ethereum
- An Aztec account to hold them
Getting Fee Tokens
On Testnet:
- Visit the Aztec testnet faucet to get free testnet tokens
- You'll also need Sepolia ETH for bridging - get it from Sepolia faucets
On Mainnet:
- Bridge $AZTEC from Ethereum to Aztec
- The bridging process is similar to other L2 token bridges
How Bridging Works
The fee token is bridged from Ethereum:
- Lock $AZTEC on Ethereum (L1)
- Claim your tokens on Aztec (L2)
- Use them to pay transaction fees
You can even claim bridged tokens and use them to pay for the claim transaction itself.
Fee Payment Options
Aztec offers flexible fee payment:
Pay Directly
If you have $AZTEC, pay for your own transactions directly from your account.
Sponsored Transactions
Fee-paying contracts can pay fees on your behalf. For example, on devnet and local network, a sponsored fee-paying contract covers transaction costs for free. FPCs can also accept other tokens on L1 and bridge $AZTEC to pay fees.
Understanding Your Fee
Transaction fees have several components:
- Base fee - Minimum cost that adjusts based on network demand
- Priority fee - Optional tip to prioritize your transaction
- Congestion pricing - Fees increase when the network is busy (similar to Ethereum's EIP-1559)
Tips for Lower Fees
- Time your transactions - Fees may be lower during off-peak times
- Batch operations - Combine multiple actions in one transaction when possible
- Check fee estimates - Wallets show estimated fees before you confirm
Learn how to implement fee payment in your applications in the Fees documentation.