Who AI recommends, and when it changes.
Data as of Apr 11, 2026 · Based on 19 AI answers · A buyer need in Blockchain Platform and Payment Tokens. · See how Parse measures this
AI assistants consistently recommend as the primary choice for low-cost contract execution, citing transaction fees as low as $0.01–$0.05 and strong predictability. follows as the mature option for complex dApps, with Era and noted for ZK-rollup efficiency.
Where a different pick wins:
ArbitrumAI recommends Arbitrum as the most mature and battle-tested environment for complex smart contract logic. · 2 sources
AI points to Arbitrum Nova for its focus on ultra-low-cost, high-frequency transactions. · 1 source
zkSync Era is highlighted as the best pick for ZK-rollup compatibility within the Ethereum ecosystem. · 1 source
Recommendation share
Base leads at 37% of AI recommendations; Arbitrum follows at 32%.
By platform
Platforms disagree: Arbitrum leads on Google AI Overviews, Base on ChatGPT.
Representative prompts behind this market ranking, and how AI tends to answer.
Why here: Consistently named as the cheapest and most predictable L2, with fees often below $0.01–$0.05 per transaction. · 6 sources
Why here: Mature Optimistic rollup offering low fees ($0.05–$0.30) and strong developer tools, ideal for complex applications. · 4 sources
Why here: ZK-rollup benefiting from lower data posting costs after 2025 protocol improvements. · 2 sources
“I'm a developer planning to deploy a complex dApp. Which Layer 2 token's network has the cheapest and most predictable gas fees for smart contract execution?”
AI typically names 
zkSync
