SolScript vs Anchor: Which Should You Choose?

Two of the most common ways to build on Solana are Anchor (writing Rust directly) and SolScript (writing Solidity that compiles to Anchor). This article helps you choose.

The Short Answer

• Use SolScript if your team knows Solidity and wants fast development with less boilerplate.
• Use Anchor if your team knows Rust and wants maximum control.
• SolScript generates Anchor code, so the compiled output is identical in quality and performance.

Code Comparison

A counter contract in SolScript:

contract Counter {
    uint256 public count;

    function increment() public {
        count += 1;
    }
}

The same contract in Anchor:

use anchor_lang::prelude::*;

declare_id!("...");

#[program]
pub mod counter {
    use super::*;

    pub fn initialize(ctx: Context<Initialize>) -> Result<()> {
        ctx.accounts.counter.count = 0;
        Ok(())
    }

    pub fn increment(ctx: Context<Increment>) -> Result<()> {
        ctx.accounts.counter.count += 1;
        Ok(())
    }
}

#[derive(Accounts)]
pub struct Initialize<'info> {
    #[account(init, payer = user, space = 8 + 8)]
    pub counter: Account<'info, Counter>,
    #[account(mut)]
    pub user: Signer<'info>,
    pub system_program: Program<'info, System>,
}

#[derive(Accounts)]
pub struct Increment<'info> {
    #[account(mut)]
    pub counter: Account<'info, Counter>,
}

#[account]
pub struct Counter {
    pub count: u64,
}

SolScript: 8 lines. Anchor: 35 lines. Same functionality.

When SolScript Wins

1. Ethereum teams moving to Solana: No Rust learning curve
2. Rapid prototyping: Less boilerplate means faster iteration
3. Browser-based development: WASM playground for instant feedback
4. Automatic PDA handling: No manual seed/bump management

When Anchor Wins

1. Complex low-level optimizations: Direct Rust gives you more control
2. Ecosystem maturity: Larger community, more examples, more tooling
3. Custom account layouts: When you need precise control over account structure
4. Production DeFi at scale: Battle-tested in major Solana protocols

The Bottom Line

SolScript doesn’t replace Anchor — it generates Anchor code. Think of it as a productivity layer. Start with SolScript for speed, and drop down to Anchor when you need full control.

Read the full comparison for a detailed feature-by-feature breakdown.