Smart Contract Guide vs AI Builder: Which Path to Launch?
Creating a token involves either following a complex smart contract coding guide or using an integrated AI website builder. Manual guides require Solidity or Rust expertise, while platforms like Spawned.com handle the contract and provide a professional website instantly. The choice impacts your launch time, cost, and ongoing revenue from a 0.30% creator fee.
- •**Manual Guide**: Requires coding knowledge, hours of work, and separate website hosting.
- •**AI Builder**: Generates a token contract and website in under 2 minutes for 0.1 SOL.
- •**Creator Revenue**: Spawned offers 0.30% fee on every trade; manual guides offer no built-in revenue.
- •**Post-Launch**: Spawned provides 0.30% holder rewards and manages 1% perpetual fees via Token-2022.
Quick Comparison
The Real Challenge of a 'Complete' Guide
Coding the contract is just the first step.
A 'complete' smart contract guide typically walks you through writing a token contract in Solidity (Ethereum) or Rust (Solana). The guide ends when the code compiles. However, launching a real token requires far more: a website for buyers, a liquidity pool, marketing pages, and a system for fees and rewards. This is where guides fall short and creators lose weeks. For example, deploying a basic ERC-20 contract might cost $50 in gas, but you still need a $29/month website builder and a launchpad listing.
Feature-by-Feature Breakdown
Here's what you actually get with each approach.
| Feature | Smart Contract Guide | Spawned AI Builder |\n| :--- | :--- | :--- |\n| Time to Launch | 8+ hours (coding, testing, deploying) | < 2 minutes |\n| Coding Required | Advanced Rust/Solidity | None |\n| Website Included | No (requires separate service) | Yes, AI-generated with custom pages |\n| Upfront Cost | Variable gas fees + hosting | 0.1 SOL (~$20) flat fee |\n| Creator Fee | Must be coded manually (often 0%) | 0.30% on every trade, automatically |\n| Holder Rewards | Complex to implement | 0.30% distributed automatically |\n| Post-Graduation Fees | Your responsibility | Managed via Token-2022 (1% fee) |\n| Support | Community forums | Integrated platform support |
The Hidden Costs of a DIY Guide
Following a guide seems cheap, but costs add up quickly. After gas fees for deployment, you need a website. A basic Webflow or Squarespace site costs $29/month. You then need a launchpad; pump.fun takes 0% creator fees, so you earn nothing. To add a 0.30% creator fee, you must code and audit that mechanism, costing $5k+. In contrast, Spawned's 0.1 SOL fee includes the contract, website, and built-in revenue system. The AI builder alone saves $348/year in website subscriptions, directly offsetting the launch cost.
How to Launch in 4 Steps with an AI Builder
Using an integrated platform removes the technical burden. Here is the exact process on Spawned.com:
Why Built-In Creator Fees Matter
A contract from a guide has no native monetization. If your token trades $1M volume, you earn $0. With Spawned's 0.30% fee, you earn $3,000. This ongoing revenue funds marketing and development. Furthermore, the 0.30% holder rewards encourage holding, increasing price stability. After graduation to a DEX, the Token-2022 program ensures 1% in perpetual fees continue flowing to you. This economic model is operational from minute one, without any coding on your part. Learn more about token economics.
Final Recommendation for Crypto Creators
Stick to the guide only if you are a developer.
For 95% of creators, the AI builder is the superior choice. Use a smart contract guide only if you are an experienced Rust developer seeking complete, low-level control for a highly custom token. For everyone else—artists, influencers, community builders—the integrated AI builder delivers a market-ready token with a professional website and immediate revenue potential in under two minutes. The 0.1 SOL cost is less than one month of typical website hosting, and the built-in 0.30% fee creates a sustainable project. The time saved can be spent on community building, not debugging code.
Launch Your Token with a Full Suite
Stop piecing together guides, hosting, and fee contracts. Launch on a platform built for creator revenue. Visit Spawned.com to start. Enter your token idea, and the AI builder will generate your website and smart contract instantly. Pay just 0.1 SOL to go live with 0.30% earnings on every trade from day one. Compare other launchpad options to see the full difference.
Related Topics
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. When you launch on Spawned, the token smart contract is deployed to the Solana blockchain under your authority. You are the official creator and mint authority. The platform provides the tools to generate it, but the on-chain asset is entirely yours.
Yes, but it requires technical work. The base contract includes standard token functions, the fee mechanism, and holder rewards. To add complex custom logic (e.g., a novel staking system), you would need to hire a developer to modify or build a new contract that interacts with your original token. The AI builder is for rapid, standard-compliant launches.
No. The 0.30% fee on every trade is sent directly to a wallet you control. Spawned does not take a cut of this ongoing revenue. Our model is based on the initial 0.1 SOL launch fee and the 1% perpetual fee managed after graduation via the Token-2022 program.
The AI uses audited, battle-tested contract templates that have launched thousands of tokens. Your own code, unless rigorously audited, has a higher risk of vulnerabilities. The security trade-off favors the AI builder for standard tokens, as the template's behavior is well-known and secure.
It remains live and hosted by Spawned as part of the service. You can typically update text, images, and links through a dashboard. It serves as your token's permanent homepage, with no monthly hosting fees. This is included indefinitely, not just at launch.
No, you cannot launch the same token on two launchpads simultaneously. You must choose one initial launch platform. You can compare them: pump.fun offers 0% creator fees, while Spawned offers 0.30%. [See a detailed platform comparison](/compare).
After your token reaches certain liquidity goals on Spawned, it 'graduates' to be traded on open decentralized exchanges (DEXs). The Token-2022 program on Solana then enforces a 1% fee on all transactions, which is directed back to the project. This is managed by the protocol, not manually by you.
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