If you’ve ever built on Ethereum, you know the drill: every transaction costs gas paid in ETH. Tron is a bit different. Instead of gas, Tron uses a resource system with two key metrics: Bandwidth and Energy. At first it might seem confusing, but once you get it, you’ll see why Tron transactions are often way cheaper than Ethereum.
Bandwidth vs. Energy
On the Tron Blockchain, there are two types of resources a transaction might need:
- Bandwidth is about transaction size. Every transaction (TRX transfer, token transfer, etc.) takes up bytes on-chain.
- Energy is about computation. Calling smart contracts (TRC-20, TRC-721) uses Energy.
Every Tron account gets a small amount of free Bandwidth every day (~600 points). That’s enough for about 2 free TRX transfers daily. If you run out of free points, Tron will burn TRX to cover the bandwidth (rate: 1 TRX = 1,000 bandwidth points).
Energy is different: you don’t get any free Energy. If you call a contract without Energy, Tron burns TRX to buy it for you. The going rate is about 1 TRX ≈ 10.000 Energy (latest rates can be checked on tronscan)
Here’s the order Tron uses:
- Your staked resources (Energy/Bandwidth from frozen TRX).
- Your free daily Bandwidth (for basic transfers).
- If you’re still short → burn TRX from your balance.
That’s why an account with staked resources can often transact “for free,” while an empty account pays TRX each time.
TRX, TRC-10, TRC-20, TRC-721 – What’s the Difference?
1. Native TRX Transfers
TRX transfers use only Bandwidth, no Energy.
One transaction consumes about ~269 Bandwidth points.
Each account receives 600 free Bandwidth points per day, which allows about 2 TRX transfers for free every 24 hours.
If the free points are used up, Tron burns TRX at a fixed rate of 1 TRX = 1,000 Bandwidth points.
This means a TRX transfer without free Bandwidth will cost around 0.269 TRX.
2. TRC-10 Tokens
TRC10 is the native token standard of Tron, built directly into the protocol.
Sending TRC10 tokens consumes only Bandwidth, similar to TRX transfers.
There is no Energy consumption for TRC10 transfers.
Bandwidth usage is on the same level as TRX (~200–300 points per transfer).
If free Bandwidth is available, the transfer is free. Otherwise, the cost is less than 0.3 TRX.
3. TRC-20 Tokens (e.g. USDT)
TRC20 tokens are smart contract tokens.
They are the most widely used token standard on Tron and are the equivalent of Ethereum’s ERC20.
Popular tokens like Tether (USDT), HTX, and Dogecoin (DOGE on Tron) are TRC20 tokens.
TRC20 transfers consume both Bandwidth + Energy.
- Typical transfer: ~65,000 Energy + ~345 Bandwidth.
- If the receiver has never held this token, the contract must create a new balance → Energy cost doubles to ~130,000.
Without resources, TRX will be burned:
- 6–8 TRX for Energy (depending on current network rates).
- 0.2–0.3 TRX for Bandwidth.
This is why TRC20 transfers are the first place where developers feel Tron’s fee model.
4. TRC-721 NFTs
TRC721 is the NFT token standard on Tron.
It follows the same principle as TRC20 but the cost depends strongly on the contract logic.
Operations like minting or transferring NFTs always consume Energy + Bandwidth.
On average you can expect:
- ~90,000 Energy
- ~380 Bandwidth points
This equals a fee of around 12–18 TRX if no Energy is available.
Well-optimized contracts may use less, while complex NFT logic may require more.
How to Pay for Resources
7Every transaction on Tron consumes resources, either Bandwidth, Energy, or both. If an account doesn’t have enough, the network automatically burns TRX to fill the gap. For developers, that means you need a strategy to ensure transactions go through reliably without wasting tokens. There are three main ways to handle this: burning TRX as you go, staking TRX for daily resources, or renting resources from others.
Burning TRX is the most simple method. If you do not have enough Bandwidth or Energy, Tron will automatically burn TRX from your balance. A TRX transfer will cost ~0.269 TRX when no free Bandwidth is available.
Staking TRX (also called freezing) is the most efficient way. You lock your TRX and receive daily Bandwidth and Energy. For example, staking ~60,000 TRX will give ~650,000 Energy + ~98,000 Bandwidth per day. This is enough for about 10 TRC20 transfers without burning TRX. Staked TRX is locked for 14 days before it can be unstaked. Staking also provides voting power and ~4–6% APR rewards. This method is best if you send transactions every day.
Renting Resources is the flexible option. Instead of staking your own TRX, you can rent Energy or Bandwidth from others. The resources are delegated to your address for a small fee. This is cheaper than burning TRX and does not require locking large amounts. If you want to rent energy, we recommend eopen.io. They have affordable prizes and their platform is easy to use.
Tronfuel automates the process of renting Energy and Bandwidth
There is also a fourth way: TronFuel.dev. With TronFuel you do not need to manage Energy or Bandwidth at all. You sign your transaction locally and send it to TronFuel’s API. TronFuel provides the resources and broadcasts the transaction. This makes it possible to send TRX, TRC10, TRC20 or TRC721 transactions without holding TRX for fees. TronFuel can cut costs by up to 70% and is 100% non-custodial.
With our Tron Fee Calculator, you can check how much you can save