← Back to BlogExact NumbersApril 2026 · 12 min read
Exact Cost to Launch on Pump.fun in 2026 — Every Fee Explained
Before you launch, you need to know exactly what it costs — not "a few SOL," not "it depends." Every single fee in a Pump.fun token launch, with exact numbers, so you can budget accurately and make informed decisions about your launch size and strategy.
Every Cost Covered
- 1. Token creation fee — exact amount
- 2. Jito bundle tip — variable by time
- 3. Bundle wallet buy amounts
- 4. Transaction fees per wallet
- 5. Dev wallet buy
- 6. RPC provider cost
- 7. SolBundler platform fee
- 8. Hidden costs most people miss
- 9. Complete cost scenarios — 3 SOL, 8 SOL, 15 SOL launches
- 10. FAQ — specific cost questions
Cost #1 — Token Creation Fee
Token Creation Fee
0.02 SOL
Fixed fee charged by Pump.fun for creating a token on the platform. Paid by the dev wallet at token creation. Non-refundable regardless of launch outcome. At $120/SOL = approximately $2.40.
Type: Fixed, non-refundable
Paid by: Dev wallet
When: At token creation
USD at $120/SOL: ~$2.40
Additionally, token creation involves on-chain account creation costs — mint account, metadata account, and associated accounts. These rent costs add approximately 0.012-0.015 SOL (~$1.44-$1.80). Total token creation cost: ~0.032-0.035 SOL (~$3.84-$4.20).
Cost #2 — Jito Bundle Tip
| Launch Time (UTC) | Minimum Tip | Recommended Tip | USD Cost |
|---|
| 00:00–08:00 (off-peak) | 0.001 SOL | 0.002 SOL | ~$0.24 |
| 08:00–14:00 (medium) | 0.002 SOL | 0.004 SOL | ~$0.48 |
| 14:00–18:00 (high) | 0.004 SOL | 0.006 SOL | ~$0.72 |
| 18:00–22:00 (peak) | 0.006 SOL | 0.009 SOL | ~$1.08 |
| Major market events | 0.01 SOL | 0.02+ SOL | ~$2.40+ |
The Jito tip is paid once per bundle, not per wallet. Always use at minimum the "recommended" tip for your launch window — the "minimum" tip has a 20-30% failure rate during normal conditions. The $0.50-1.00 difference between minimum and recommended is trivial compared to the cost of a failed launch.
Cost #3 — Bundle Wallet Buy Amounts
This is the largest variable cost — the SOL you allocate to each bundle wallet for buying tokens on the bonding curve. This is your primary capital at risk and also your primary investment that generates returns.
| Configuration | Total Bundle Cost | USD at $120/SOL | Trending Probability |
|---|
| 5 wallets × 0.2 SOL | 1 SOL | ~$120 | Low (10-18%) |
| 10 wallets × 0.3 SOL | 3 SOL | ~$360 | Medium (32-48%) |
| 15 wallets × 0.3 SOL | 4.5 SOL | ~$540 | High (52-65%) |
| 15 wallets × 0.5 SOL | 7.5 SOL | ~$900 | High (60-70%) |
| 20 wallets × 0.5 SOL | 10 SOL | ~$1,200 | Very High (72-82%) |
| 20 wallets × 1 SOL | 20 SOL | ~$2,400 | Very High (75-85%) |
Cost #4 — Transaction Fees Per Wallet
Each bundle wallet executes its own Solana transaction. Base transaction fees are negligible (~0.000005 SOL per signature = $0.0006), but each wallet needs a buffer for priority fees within the bundle transaction.
Base fee per wallet~0.000005 SOL
Priority fee buffer per wallet~0.001-0.002 SOL
Rent exemption buffer per wallet~0.002 SOL
Total buffer needed per wallet~0.005 SOL
For a 20-wallet bundle: 20 × 0.005 SOL = 0.1 SOL (~$12) in transaction overhead. Always fund each wallet to your intended buy amount plus 0.005 SOL minimum. Wallets funded to exactly their buy amount frequently fail on edge cases.
Cost #5 — Dev Wallet Buy
The dev wallet buy is optional but strongly recommended. It establishes your position, signals commitment, and contributes to the unique buyer count. Typical dev buy amounts:
0.3-0.5 SOL
Minimal
Signals basic commitment. Keeps dev wallet percentage under 5-8% of supply for most launch sizes.
0.5-1 SOL
Standard
Recommended for most launches. Creates meaningful position while keeping percentage reasonable.
1-2 SOL
High conviction
Appropriate for large bundles where 1 SOL dev buy represents a smaller supply percentage.
Cost #6 — RPC Provider
Free public endpoints
Unreliable during peak hours, stale blockhashes, rate limiting. Causes bundle failures that cost far more than saved subscription fees.
Helius Developer
Sufficient for occasional launches. 10 req/sec limit may be hit during rapid bundle construction.
Helius Growth (recommended)
150 req/sec, fee estimation API, webhooks. Ideal for active launching operations of 5-30 launches/month.
QuickNode Build
Comparable to Helius Developer tier. Good reliability, slightly lower throughput.
Per-launch RPC cost at $49/month with 50 launches: $0.98/launch. This is the cheapest line item in your budget and the one that most directly prevents catastrophic failures.
Cost #7 — SolBundler Platform Fee
SolBundler Fee
1% of bundle buy
1% of total bundle wallet buy amount, collected automatically as part of the bundle transaction. Does not apply to dev wallet buy.
3 SOL bundle0.03 SOL (~$3.60)
5 SOL bundle0.05 SOL (~$6.00)
10 SOL bundle0.10 SOL (~$12.00)
20 SOL bundle0.20 SOL (~$24.00)
Cost #8 — Hidden Costs Most People Miss
Failed launch creation fees
0.035 SOL per failure
If your token creation succeeds but bundle fails, you've paid creation fees for a token with no holders. Over 10 launches with 60% failure rate (normal for beginners): 6 × 0.035 = 0.21 SOL (~$25) in failed creation costs.
Wallet funding transaction fees
~0.0001 SOL per transfer
Sending SOL to 20 bundle wallets requires 20 transactions. Negligible individually but adds up over many launches. Use SolBundler's bulk funding feature to minimize these.
Retry bundle costs
Jito tip again
When a bundle fails and you retry, you pay a new Jito tip. Budget for 1-2 retries per serious launch, especially during peak hours where first-attempt success is not guaranteed.
SOL opportunity cost
Variable
SOL in bundle wallets isn't staked or deployed elsewhere. At 10 SOL locked in wallets at 7% staking yield: ~0.7 SOL/year in foregone yield. Meaningful at scale.
Complete Cost Scenarios
Small Launch — 3 SOL Bundle
Token creation + rent0.035 SOL
Jito tip (peak hours)0.008 SOL
10 wallets × 0.3 SOL3.0 SOL
Dev buy0.5 SOL
Transaction overhead (10 wallets)0.05 SOL
SolBundler fee (1% of 3 SOL)0.03 SOL
RPC (Helius $49/mo ÷ 30 launches)0.014 SOL
Total Cost~3.64 SOL (~$437)
Entry-level serious launch. 32-48% trending probability. Positive expected value requires good narrative and timing.
Standard Launch — 8 SOL Bundle
Token creation + rent0.035 SOL
Jito tip (peak hours)0.009 SOL
15 wallets × 0.5 SOL7.5 SOL
Dev buy0.5 SOL
Transaction overhead (15 wallets)0.075 SOL
SolBundler fee (1% of 7.5 SOL)0.075 SOL
RPC cost per launch0.014 SOL
Total Cost~8.2 SOL (~$984)
Professional standard configuration. 60-70% trending probability. Clearly positive expected value for experienced devs.
Aggressive Launch — 20 SOL Bundle
Token creation + rent0.035 SOL
Jito tip (peak hours, aggressive)0.012 SOL
20 wallets × 1 SOL20.0 SOL
Dev buy1.0 SOL
Transaction overhead (20 wallets)0.1 SOL
SolBundler fee (1% of 20 SOL)0.2 SOL
RPC cost per launch0.014 SOL
Total Cost~21.4 SOL (~$2,568)
High-conviction launches only. 75-85% trending probability. Reserve for narratives with strong pre-built communities.
FAQ
Q: What's the absolute minimum I can spend to launch on Pump.fun?
A: The absolute minimum is approximately 0.1 SOL (0.035 SOL creation + 0.002 SOL Jito tip + 0.05 SOL in bundle + 0.01 SOL overhead). At this level, success probability is extremely low. A more realistic minimum for a launch with any chance of success is 1-2 SOL total.
Q: Are there any fees I can avoid?
A: The token creation fee (0.02 SOL) and Jito tip are non-negotiable for Pump.fun launches. The SolBundler platform fee covers the infrastructure costs of multi-endpoint Jito submission. The only real variable is bundle size — you control how much you invest per wallet.
Q: Do I get any fees back if the launch fails?
A: No. Token creation fees, Jito tips, and SolBundler platform fees are non-refundable. If your bundle fails and wallets don't buy, the SOL allocated to buys stays in your wallets — only the overhead fees are lost. This is why checking wallet balances before launching is critical.
Q: What's the most cost-efficient launch configuration?
A: 15 wallets × 0.3 SOL each with 0.3 SOL dev buy = 4.8 SOL total investment. This crosses the 13-wallet threshold for positive expected value while keeping per-launch cost manageable. For active developers running 10-20 launches per month, this configuration generates the best expected ROI per SOL invested.
Full Cost Transparency Before Every Launch
SolBundler shows you the exact total cost breakdown before you commit — bundle total, Jito tip, platform fee — so you always know what you're spending before you launch.
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