What Solana network fees apply when swapping out of SOL

05 September 2026

When you swap out of SOL using an exchanger, two Solana network fees apply: the standard Solana transaction fee and a rent-exemption fee for any newly created token accounts. The transaction fee is tiny and predictable; the rent fee is a one-time cost that is fully refundable.

Solana transaction fee

Every transaction on Solana, including a swap deposit or withdrawal, requires a small fee paid in SOL. This fee is set by the network, not by the exchanger, and fluctuates based on network congestion. In normal conditions, a single transaction costs a fraction of a cent - roughly 0.000005 SOL per signature. A typical swap involves two signatures (deposit and withdrawal), so the total transaction fee is about 0.00001 SOL. The exchanger deducts this fee from your deposited SOL before executing the swap. You do not pay it separately.

Rent-exemption fee for token accounts

Solana requires every token account (for example, a USDT or USDC account) to hold a minimum amount of SOL to remain "rent-exempt." This is not a fee paid to the exchanger; it is a network-level requirement. When the exchanger creates a new token account on your behalf to receive the swapped asset, it must deposit that minimum SOL into the account. The amount varies by token but is typically around 0.002 SOL per account.

Crucially, this rent-exemption SOL is not spent. It remains in the token account and is returned to you when you close the account. If you keep the account open, you can use it for future transactions without paying the rent fee again. The exchanger should disclose whether the rent-exemption amount is included in the quoted exchange rate or deducted separately. Most reputable exchangers build it into the rate, meaning you see a slightly lower output amount rather than an explicit line item.

When the rent fee applies

You only pay the rent-exemption fee if the exchanger must create a new token account for you. If you already hold a token account for the asset you are receiving (for example, you already have a USDT account in your Solana wallet), the exchanger can send directly to that existing account, and no rent fee is charged. This is one reason why using the same wallet for multiple swaps can save you small amounts.

Total network cost for a typical swap

For a straightforward SOL-to-USDT swap, the total Solana network fees are roughly 0.00201 SOL - 0.00001 SOL in transaction fees plus 0.002 SOL in rent-exemption. This is a fixed cost regardless of swap size. Swapping $10 worth of SOL incurs the same network fees as swapping $10,000. The relative impact is therefore much larger on small swaps.

How this compares to other chains

Solana's network fees are far lower than Ethereum's and roughly comparable to Binance Smart Chain or Polygon. The rent-exemption model is unique to Solana; other chains either do not require minimum balances or use a different mechanism. This means swapping out of SOL is cheap in absolute terms but can feel expensive relative to the swap amount if you are moving very small sums.

The hub page explains the bigger picture

These fees are only part of what you pay when swapping Solana tokens without a DEX. The hub page covers the full cost structure, including the exchanger's spread and any additional network fees on the destination chain. If you want to understand why your final amount differs from the quoted rate, that page is the next logical read.

Practical takeaway

When swapping out of SOL, expect to lose about 0.002 SOL to network fees on a typical swap. Most of that is refundable if you later close the token account. For swaps under $20, these fees become a meaningful percentage of your total. For larger swaps, they are negligible. Always check whether the exchanger's quoted rate includes the rent-exemption amount; if it does not, your received amount will be lower than expected.

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