DEV Community

Cover image for How to Get Free Solana Devnet SOL in 2026 (3 Methods Compared)
JUMPBIT
JUMPBIT

Posted on

How to Get Free Solana Devnet SOL in 2026 (3 Methods Compared)

If you're building on Solana, you'll need Devnet SOL to test your smart contracts, deploy programs, and experiment with dApps before going to mainnet. The good news? Devnet SOL is completely free.

In this guide, I'll walk you through Top 3 different methods to get Devnet SOL, compare their pros and cons, and help you choose the best option for your workflow.

What is Solana Devnet?

Before diving in, let's clarify what Devnet actually is:

  • Devnet is Solana's development network that mirrors mainnet functionality
  • Devnet SOL has no real monetary value — it's purely for testing
  • Devnet may be reset during major upgrades, so don't store anything permanent there
  • It's separate from Testnet, which is primarily for validator testing

Think of Devnet as your blockchain sandbox where mistakes cost nothing.

Why Do You Need Devnet SOL?

Every interaction on Solana requires SOL for transaction fees:

  • Deploying a program: ~0.5-2 SOL
  • Creating accounts: ~0.002 SOL per account
  • Token transfers: ~0.000005 SOL
  • NFT minting: ~0.01 SOL

Without Devnet SOL, you can't test anything. Let's fix that.
Disclaimer: Costs vary depending on program size, compute units, and current network parameters.

Method 1: Web Faucets (Fastest)

Web faucets are the quickest way to get Devnet SOL. Just paste your wallet address and click a button.

Jumpbit Solana Devnet Faucet

URL: https://jumpbit.io/en/solana/devnet-faucet

The Jumpbit faucet is my go-to for quick Devnet funding:

Steps:

  1. Go to Jumpbit Devnet Faucet
  2. Enter your Solana wallet address
  3. Select amount (0.5 to 5 SOL)
  4. Click "Get Free Devnet SOL"

Pros:

  • ✅ No signup required
  • ✅ No mainnet balance requirement
  • ✅ Multiple amount options (0.5, 1, 2, or custom)
  • ✅ Works with any Solana wallet (Phantom, Solflare, Backpack, CLI)

Cons:

  • ⚠️ Rate limited per wallet address

Other Web Faucets

Faucet Amount Rate Limit Requirements
Jumpbit 0.5-2 SOL Per wallet / Per IP None
Solana Foundation 2 SOL 2 per 8 hours GitHub for higher limits
QuickNode 1 SOL 12 hours 0.05 SOL mainnet balance
SolFaucet 1 SOL Varies None

Note: Limits may change over time.

Method 2: Solana CLI Airdrop

If you're comfortable with the terminal, the Solana CLI offers direct airdrops.

Prerequisites

Install the Solana CLI:

# macOS/Linux
sh -c "$(curl -sSfL https://release.solana.com/stable/install)"

# Verify installation
solana --version
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Configure for Devnet 

# Set cluster to devnet
solana config set --url https://api.devnet.solana.com

# Verify configuration
solana config get
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Request Airdrop 

# Airdrop 2 SOL to your default wallet
solana airdrop 2

# Airdrop to a specific address
solana airdrop 2 YOUR_WALLET_ADDRESS

# Check balance
solana balance
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Pros:

  • ✅ No browser needed
  • ✅ Scriptable for automation
  • ✅ Direct from Solana network

Cons:

  • ⚠️ Frequently rate-limited during high traffic
  • ⚠️ Requires CLI setup
  • ⚠️ Max 2 SOL per request

Troubleshooting CLI Airdrops

If you see Error: airdrop request failed, try:

# Use a different RPC endpoint
solana airdrop 2 -u "https://devnet.helius-rpc.com/?api-key=YOUR_KEY"

# Or use a web faucet instead
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Method 3: Web3.js Programmatic Airdrop

Building a dApp? You can request airdrops programmatically:

import { Connection, PublicKey, LAMPORTS_PER_SOL } from '@solana/web3.js';

async function requestAirdrop(walletAddress) {
  const connection = new Connection('https://api.devnet.solana.com', 'confirmed');
  const publicKey = new PublicKey(walletAddress);

  try {
    const signature = await connection.requestAirdrop(
      publicKey,
      2 * LAMPORTS_PER_SOL // 2 SOL
    );

    // Wait for confirmation
    await connection.confirmTransaction(signature);

    console.log(`Airdrop successful! Signature: ${signature}`);

    // Check new balance
    const balance = await connection.getBalance(publicKey);
    console.log(`New balance: ${balance / LAMPORTS_PER_SOL} SOL`);

  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Airdrop failed:', error.message);
    console.log('Try using a web-based Solana Devnet faucet');
  }
}

// Usage
requestAirdrop('YourWalletAddressHere');
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

When to use this:

  • Automated testing pipelines
  • CI/CD workflows
  • dApp onboarding flows

Setting Up Your Wallet for Devnet

Phantom Wallet

  1. Open Phantom → Settings → Developer Settings
  2. Enable "Testnet Mode"
  3. Select "Devnet" from the network dropdown
  4. Your address stays the same, but you're now on Devnet

Solflare Wallet

  1. Click the network indicator (top right)
  2. Select "Devnet"
  3. Ready to receive Devnet SOL

CLI Wallet 

# Generate a new keypair for testing
solana-keygen new --outfile ~/devnet-wallet.json

# Set as default
solana config set --keypair ~/devnet-wallet.json

# Get your address
solana address
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Quick Comparison: Which Method Should You Use?

Use Case Best Method
Quick testing Jumpbit Web Faucet
Automated scripts Web3.js requestAirdrop()
Heavy development CLI + RPC provider faucet
CI/CD pipelines Programmatic with fallback
Learning/exploring Any web faucet

Common Issues & Solutions

"Airdrop failed" Error

Cause: Rate limiting or network congestion

Solution:

  1. Wait 10-15 minutes and retry
  2. Use a web faucet like Jumpbit instead or any trusted web-based Devnet faucet
  3. Try a different RPC endpoint

"Insufficient funds" After Airdrop

Cause: Wallet connected to wrong network

Solution:

  1. Verify you're on Devnet in your wallet settings
  2. Check the correct address received the airdrop
  3. Use a Devnet explorer to verify: https://explorer.solana.com/?cluster=devnet

Wallet Shows 0 Balance

Cause: Wallet UI showing mainnet by default

Solution:

  1. Switch wallet network to Devnet
  2. The SOL is there, just on a different network

Devnet vs Testnet: Which Should You Use?

Feature Devnet Testnet
Purpose App development Validator testing
Stability More stable Can be unstable
Faucet availability Widely available Limited
Use case Smart contracts, dApps Protocol upgrades

For 99% of developers, Devnet is the right choice.

Best Practices for Devnet Development

  1. Keep a buffer — Always maintain 5+ SOL for unexpected deployments
  2. Reclaim SOL — Close unused programs to recover funds
  3. Bookmark faucets — Bookmark a reliable Devnet faucet for quick access.
  4. Use dedicated wallet — Don't mix Devnet and mainnet keypairs
  5. Automate funding — Add airdrop requests to your test setup scripts

Conclusion

Getting Devnet SOL shouldn't slow down your development. With web faucets like Jumpbit's Solana Devnet Faucet, you can get funded in seconds without any signup or mainnet requirements.

Quick links:

Happy building! 🚀

Have questions about Solana development? Drop a comment below!

Top comments (0)