A head-to-head comparison of BscScan and Arbiscan — pricing, the features that actually differ, and which one fits which use case.
The official BNB Chain block explorer from the Etherscan team — identical UX, full BSC coverage
The Etherscan-built block explorer for Arbitrum One and Nova
| Feature | BscScan | Arbiscan |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
BscScan has the lower entry price of the two.
BscScan
Free
BscScan
$19/mo
$190/yr billed annually
Arbiscan
Free
Arbiscan
$19/mo
$190/yr billed annually
Arbiscan
$99/mo
$990/yr billed annually
Watch out: BNB Chain only — separate from Etherscan and other chain explorers.
Watch out: Closed-source and centrally operated.
Arbiscan edges ahead on our editorial score (4.5/5), but these tools aren’t straight substitutes. Pick BscScan when identical interface to etherscan — zero learning curve for evm developers matters most to your workflow; pick Arbiscan when canonical, best-maintained explorer for arbitrum is the priority. The deciding factor is usually the trade-off you can least afford — BscScan means accepting that bnb chain only — separate from etherscan and other chain explorers, while Arbiscan means closed-source and centrally operated.
Arbiscan carries the higher editorial rating (4.5/5 vs 4.4/5), but they solve different problems. BscScan is the stronger pick when you need identical interface to etherscan — zero learning curve for evm developers. Arbiscan wins when canonical, best-maintained explorer for arbitrum.
BscScan starts lower, at $19/month versus $19/month. Both also offer a free tier.
BscScan's main limitation is that bnb chain only — separate from etherscan and other chain explorers. For Arbiscan, closed-source and 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 BscScan leads on identical interface to etherscan — zero learning curve for evm developers and Arbiscan on canonical, best-maintained explorer for arbitrum, the two are often complementary rather than mutually exclusive.