> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.j.tools/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.j.tools/getting-started/fees-explained.md).
# Fees and the SOL you need
J Tools runs on Solana mainnet only. Every action is real and on-chain, so before you start you want a little SOL in your wallet to cover what it costs.
Here is where that SOL goes when you run a tool:
```mermaid
flowchart TD
You["You sign one transaction"] --> NF["Network fee"]
You --> PF["Platform fee"]
You --> RENT["Account rent, only when a new account is created"]
NF --> V["Solana validators set this"]
PF --> J["J Tools, set per tool"]
RENT --> R["Stays in your account, refundable"]
classDef brand fill:#EF2A2A,stroke:#EF2A2A,color:#ffffff,font-weight:bold;
classDef soft fill:#1f2937,stroke:#374151,color:#e5e7eb;
class You,NF,PF,RENT,V,J soft;
class R brand;
```
{% hint style="warning" %}
**About fees.** Every action has two costs: the Solana **network fee** paid to validators, and the **J Tools platform fee**. The platform fee always shows in the app before you confirm, and nothing is charged until you sign. Fees can change over time, so trust the in-app summary rather than a number you saw once.
{% endhint %}
## The two-cost model
When you confirm a tool, your wallet pays two separate things in the same signed transaction. Both are shown before you sign.
| Cost | Goes to | What it is |
| ------------ | ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Network fee | Solana validators | The on-chain charge to process your transaction, sometimes called gas. Set by Solana, not by us. It ticks up with a small priority fee when the chain is busy. |
| Platform fee | J Tools | The fee for using the tool, set per tool. Some utility tools (like Wallet Generator) carry none. |
We estimate the network fee so the total on the fee card is close to the real cost, but validators set the final number. The platform fee is exactly what the card shows, recorded against our own database value, never a figure sent from your browser.
{% hint style="info" %}
Some tools are free. You still pay the small Solana network fee on anything that touches the chain, because that part is never ours to waive. See the [Fee schedule](/reference/fee-schedule.md) for current values.
{% endhint %}
## Nothing is charged until you sign
The fee card shows the full breakdown (platform fee, estimated network cost, total) before any signature. Review it, and if the total looks wrong, stop. Closing the tab or declining the wallet popup costs you nothing. Only when you sign does anything leave your wallet, and the transaction your wallet shows you is the one that gets sent.
## Account rent is a deposit, not a fee
There is a third thing that draws SOL: rent. When a tool creates a new account for you (a token mint, a metadata account, an associated token account), Solana asks that account to hold a minimum deposit, the rent-exempt minimum, so it stays alive on-chain.
This is not spent. The SOL sits inside the account, and you reclaim it when you close the account.
{% hint style="info" %}
Empty token accounts pile up as you trade and receive airdrops, each holding a bit of your SOL. Reclaim it any time with the free [Close Account](/tools/utilities/close-account.md) tool, which finds empty accounts and sends the rent back to you.
{% endhint %}
## How much SOL to keep on hand
Keep a small buffer beyond the cost of the single action you are about to run. Network fees are tiny and rent for a typical mint is modest and refundable. What trips people up is having too little to cover all three at once, plus the priority fee when the network is busy.
{% stepper %}
{% step %}
### Check the fee card first
It shows the platform fee and estimated network cost before you sign.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Add a buffer for rent and priority
Creation tools need rent for new accounts, and a busy network adds a small priority fee. Keep a little extra so the transaction does not fail for being a hair short.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Top up for batches
Bots, multi-wallet sends, and bundled trades repeat the cost per action. Fund for the whole batch, not one row.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}
If a transaction fails with a not-enough-SOL error, top up and run it again. Nothing was lost, the action simply did not go through.
## FAQ
Why did my transaction need more SOL than the platform fee?
The platform fee is only one of three costs. You also pay the network fee and, for tools that create accounts, the refundable rent deposit. The fee card breaks the total down before you sign.
Can a fee be higher than what the card showed?
The platform fee is exactly what the card showed. The network fee is an estimate, so the real on-chain cost can land a touch above or below if traffic shifts between the preview and the signature. The platform portion does not move on you.
Can I get my rent back?
Yes. Rent sits inside the account as a refundable deposit. Close an empty token account with [Close Account](/tools/utilities/close-account.md) and the rent returns to your wallet.
Is there a testnet or devnet version?
The live tools run on Solana mainnet with real value. There is a free [Devnet Faucet](/tools/utilities/devnet-faucet.md) for grabbing test SOL on devnet, but the production token, LP, and trading tools all act on mainnet.
## Related pages
{% content-ref url="/pages/HfYyIOgWatge2th4v1Sb" %}
[Fee schedule](/reference/fee-schedule.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="/pages/tcfZtvMT2fZ8MMKcMlpF" %}
[Close Account](/tools/utilities/close-account.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="/pages/l7qpz78KpqXAZwvtDo7t" %}
[Quick start](/getting-started/quick-start.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}
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