ICO Launch Cost in 2026: What You'll Actually Pay
The honest answer? A production ICO can be deployed for under $5. But the full cost depends on how seriously you take the supporting pieces.
Here's every cost bucket, what's mandatory, and where One-Shotted saves you money.
The Deployment: $0.30 to $4.50
This is the blockchain gas fee to deploy your token and sale contracts. On One-Shotted, there is zero platform fee — you pay gas only.
| Chain | Token deployment | ICO contract | Funding transfer | Total gas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethereum | ~$2.00–3.00 | ~$1.50–2.00 | ~$0.50 | ~$4.50 |
| TON | ~$0.10–0.15 | ~$0.10–0.15 | ~$0.05 | ~$0.30 |
That's it for deployment. Your ICO is live on the blockchain, listed on One-Shotted's Explore page, and ready for buyers.
Compare this to traditional ICO platforms that charge 2–5% of funds raised, upfront listing fees, or monthly subscriptions. On One-Shotted, you keep 100% of what you raise.
Platform Fee Comparison
| Platform type | Typical cost | One-Shotted |
|---|---|---|
| Custom development (Solidity/FunC) | $5,000–$50,000+ | Not needed |
| Managed launchpad (commission) | 2–5% of raise | $0 |
| Token creation service | $500–$2,000 | $0 |
| Total platform cost | $500–$50,000+ | $0 |
Beyond Deployment: The Real Cost Stack
Deployment is cheap. Everything around it is where budgets expand. Here's what you should plan for:
Legal & Compliance: $1,000–$10,000+
This is the ICO cost category most founders skip — and most regret skipping.
- Jurisdiction analysis for your token type
- Terms of sale / contribution agreement
- Risk disclosure documentation
- KYC/AML policy decisions
Minimum viable approach: At least get a legal opinion on whether your token is a security in your jurisdiction. Budget ~$1,000–$3,000 for a focused legal review.
Security Review: $0–$5,000
- For standard, proven contracts (like the ones One-Shotted deploys): built-in security features handle the basics — fixed supply, admin revocation, on-chain verification.
- For custom contract modifications: budget $2,000–$5,000 for an independent audit.
- For high-cap raises ($1M+): professional audit is strongly recommended.
Marketing & Distribution: $0–$10,000+
Your ICO is live. Now people need to find it.
Zero-budget launch:
- Share in your existing community channels
- Post on relevant forums and social media
- Leverage word of mouth
Growth budget ($1,000–$5,000):
- Content marketing and guides
- Community management (Telegram/Discord)
- Influencer partnerships
Scale budget ($5,000+):
- Paid media (where legally permitted)
- PR and press coverage
- Conference presence
Project Infrastructure: $0–$1,000
- Website or landing page: $0–$200 (basic site)
- Documentation: $0 (essential, but free to create)
- Logo and branding: $0–$500
- Domain name: ~$10–$15/year
Total Cost Scenarios
| Scenario | Deployment | Legal | Security | Marketing | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lean (TON) | $0.30 | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | ~$1,000 |
| Lean (ETH) | $4.50 | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | ~$1,000 |
| Standard (TON) | $0.30 | $3,000 | $0 | $2,000 | ~$5,000 |
| Standard (ETH) | $4.50 | $3,000 | $2,000 | $3,000 | ~$8,000 |
| Professional | $4.50 | $10,000 | $5,000 | $10,000 | ~$25,000 |
Notice that in every scenario, the deployment itself is the smallest line item. That's by design — One-Shotted eliminates the expensive part.
How to Cut Costs Without Cutting Corners
- Use a no-code platform — Skip the $5,000–$50,000 custom development. One-Shotted deploys audited contract templates.
- Start on TON — If cost matters, TON gas is 10–15x cheaper than Ethereum.
- Prioritize legal + security spend — These protect you and your buyers. Don't save money here.
- Go lean on marketing first — Build community organically before spending on ads.
- Ship a focused MVP — Don't over-engineer. Launch, learn, iterate.
Deploy Your ICO
→ Ethereum (~$4.50): one-shotted.xyz/eth/create → TON (~$0.30): one-shotted.xyz/ton/create
Platform fee: $0. Always.