A head-to-head comparison of Arbiscan and Basescan — pricing, the features that actually differ, and which one fits which use case.
The Etherscan-built block explorer for Arbitrum One and Nova
The official Etherscan-family explorer for Coinbase's Base L2
| Feature | Arbiscan | Basescan |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction History | ✓ | ✓ |
| Contract Verification | ✓ | ✓ |
| Token Tracking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Nft Tracking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Api Access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi Chain Support | ✗ | ✗ |
| Gas Tracker | ✓ | ✓ |
| Source Code Viewer | ✓ | ✓ |
| Address Labels | ✓ | ✓ |
| Private Notes | Pro plans | Pro plans |
Arbiscan has the lower entry price of the two.
Arbiscan
Free
Arbiscan
$19/mo
$190/yr billed annually
Arbiscan
$99/mo
$990/yr billed annually
Basescan
Free
Basescan
$19/mo
$190/yr billed annually
Basescan
$99/mo
$990/yr billed annually
Watch out: Closed-source and centrally operated.
Watch out: Closed-source, centrally operated.
Arbiscan edges ahead on our editorial score (4.5/5), but these tools aren’t straight substitutes. Pick Arbiscan when canonical, best-maintained explorer for arbitrum matters most to your workflow; pick Basescan when reference explorer for the high-activity base l2 is the priority. The deciding factor is usually the trade-off you can least afford — Arbiscan means accepting that closed-source and centrally operated, while Basescan means closed-source, centrally operated.
Arbiscan carries the higher editorial rating (4.5/5 vs 4.4/5), but they solve different problems. Arbiscan is the stronger pick when you need canonical, best-maintained explorer for arbitrum. Basescan wins when reference explorer for the high-activity base l2.
Arbiscan starts lower, at $19/month versus $19/month. Both also offer a free tier.
Arbiscan's main limitation is that closed-source and centrally operated. For Basescan, closed-source, centrally operated. Weigh these against how you actually plan to use the tool.
In most cases yes — many teams run both, using each where it's strongest. Since Arbiscan leads on canonical, best-maintained explorer for arbitrum and Basescan on reference explorer for the high-activity base l2, the two are often complementary rather than mutually exclusive.