🌐 Introduction
Gas fees are the heartbeat of blockchain networks. Whether you're transferring tokens, deploying contracts, or interacting with dApps, you’ll pay a transaction fee.
Two blockchains—Polygon (MATIC) and NEAR Protocol (NEAR)—are among the cheapest platforms today. But how do their fees really compare across different transaction types?
Let’s break it down.
⚡ NEAR Protocol Gas Fees
NEAR uses a gas model measured in Tgas (tera-gas). Each action consumes a fixed amount of gas, multiplied by the gas price, which fluctuates slightly with network usage.
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Base Gas Price: ~0.0001 NEAR per Tgas
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Fee Split: 70% burned, 30% goes to contract developers (if applicable)
Common Transactions on NEAR
| Action |
Gas Used (Tgas) |
Fee (NEAR) |
Approx. USD* |
| Transfer NEAR |
0.45 |
0.000045 NEAR |
~$0.0001 |
| Create Account |
0.42 |
0.000042 NEAR |
~$0.0001 |
| Function Call (simple) |
50 |
0.005 NEAR |
~$0.01 |
| Function Call (complex, max cap) |
300 |
0.03 NEAR |
~$0.06 |
| Deploy Smart Contract (~16KB) |
2.65 |
0.000265 NEAR |
~$0.0005 |
*USD based on NEAR price ~$2.00 (Aug 2025).
👉 Bottom Line: NEAR transactions are fractions of a cent to a few cents max, even for complex smart contract executions.
🔗 Polygon (MATIC) Gas Fees
Polygon is an Ethereum Layer-2 scaling solution that inherits Ethereum’s EVM structure but drastically reduces fees.
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Fee Basis: Gas × Gas Price × MATIC price
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Typical Gas Price: 30–40 gwei
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MATIC Price (Aug 2025): ~$0.55
Common Transactions on Polygon
| Action |
Gas Used (avg) |
Fee (MATIC) |
Approx. USD* |
| Transfer MATIC |
21,000 |
0.00042 MATIC |
~$0.0002 |
| ERC-20 Token Transfer |
50,000 |
0.001 MATIC |
~$0.0006 |
| Approve (ERC-20) |
45,000 |
0.0009 MATIC |
~$0.0005 |
| Simple Contract Call |
100,000 |
0.002 MATIC |
~$0.0011 |
| Complex dApp Interaction |
500,000 |
0.01 MATIC |
~$0.0055 |
| NFT Mint (ERC-721) |
600,000 |
0.012 MATIC |
~$0.0066 |
| Contract Deployment (large) |
2,000,000+ |
0.04+ MATIC |
~$0.02+ |
*USD based on Polygon price ~$0.55 (Aug 2025).
👉 Bottom Line: Polygon fees range from fractions of a cent (basic transfers) up to a few cents for dApps and NFTs. Still cheap, but more variable than NEAR.
📊 NEAR vs Polygon: Fee Comparison
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the two blockchains:
| Transaction Type |
NEAR Fee (NEAR / USD) |
Polygon Fee (MATIC / USD) |
Winner |
| Native Token Transfer |
0.000045 NEAR / $0.0001 |
0.00042 MATIC / $0.0002 |
NEAR |
| ERC-20 / FT Transfer |
0.005 NEAR / $0.01 |
0.001 MATIC / $0.0006 |
Polygon |
| Contract Call (simple) |
0.005 NEAR / $0.01 |
0.002 MATIC / $0.0011 |
Polygon |
| Contract Call (complex) |
0.03 NEAR / $0.06 |
0.01 MATIC / $0.0055 |
Polygon |
| Contract Deployment |
0.000265 NEAR / $0.0005 |
0.04 MATIC / $0.02 |
NEAR |
| NFT Mint |
0.005–0.03 NEAR / $0.01–$0.06 |
0.012 MATIC / $0.0066 |
Tie (Polygon cheaper avg, NEAR cheaper max) |
🚀 Key Insights
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NEAR is cheaper for native token transfers and contract deployments.
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Polygon is cheaper for most smart contract calls and token transfers.
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Both are extremely cost-efficient compared to Ethereum mainnet (where fees often run $1–$50).
In practice:
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If you’re building dApps with heavy contract interactions, Polygon edges out NEAR.
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If you’re focusing on user adoption with frequent micro-transactions or account creations, NEAR crushes fees.
📝 Final Summary
Both NEAR and Polygon are low-cost, developer-friendly blockchains with fees that are a fraction of a cent.
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NEAR = predictable, ultra-low fees (great for scale and onboarding).
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Polygon = slightly higher but still cheap (great for dApps, NFTs, and EVM compatibility).
👉 The choice isn’t just about cost—it’s about ecosystem fit. Polygon benefits from Ethereum’s massive dApp network, while NEAR’s architecture optimizes for scalability and user onboarding.