Every comparison
Which one, and why
You are coming from a Coinbase account and you want the shortest path onchain with the least friction.
Full Base pageYou want the deeper DeFi ecosystem and the longer track record as an independent rollup.
Full Arbitrum One pageBase if you are arriving from Coinbase, which is most people, and it is the gentlest first onchain network there is. Arbitrum if you are here for DeFi, where it still has more depth and more mature protocols.
The specifications
| Base | Arbitrum One | |
|---|---|---|
| Consensus | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Throughput | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Finality | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Live since | 2023 | 2021 |
| In one line | Coinbase's Ethereum layer 2, and the easiest onramp from a US exchange into onchain apps. | The largest Ethereum layer 2 by value locked, with the deepest DeFi ecosystem. |
The parts that change the answer
Both are optimistic rollups
Both execute off chain, post back to Ethereum and carry a challenge window on withdrawals. The security model is the same shape, and the differences are ecosystem and governance rather than architecture.
Getting funds in
Base connects directly to Coinbase, so moving in takes seconds and costs almost nothing. Arbitrum usually means a bridge, which is one more step and one more thing to get right.
Who runs it
Base is operated by Coinbase, which is a real centralization tradeoff and also why the onramp is so smooth. Arbitrum has a longer history as an independent network with its own governance.
Ecosystem
Arbitrum has more established DeFi. Base has more consumer and social applications and has grown quickly.
Common questions
Do I need a different wallet for each?
Which has cheaper fees?
Is Base less decentralized because Coinbase runs it?
Want a second opinion on your own setup?
A comparison page cannot see what you already hold or what you are trying to do. On a call we can, and we will tell you when the honest answer is that it does not matter.