Launching a custom Layer 2 or Layer 3 used to require a dedicated DevOps team, deep cryptography knowledge, and millions in funding. Today, Rollup-as-a-Service (RaaS) providers have abstracted the infrastructure, allowing teams to deploy production-ready chains in hours.
But with so many providers—Caldera, Conduit, Gelato, AltLayer, and Zeeve—how do you choose the right one? Here is the framework for making the right architectural decision.
1. Framework Support: What execution environment do you need?
Your choice of RaaS often dictates your underlying framework.
- Conduit specializes heavily in the Optimistic ecosystem, offering battle-tested deployments for the OP Stack and Arbitrum Orbit.
- Caldera and Zeeve offer a wider, multi-VM approach, supporting the OP Stack and Orbit, but also adding zero-knowledge (ZK) frameworks like Polygon CDK and ZK Stack.
Rule of thumb: If you need Rust/C++ support (Stylus), ensure your RaaS supports Arbitrum Orbit. If you need ZK privacy or instant finality, filter for Polygon CDK or ZK Stack.
2. Data Availability (DA) Integration
Data Availability accounts for the vast majority of your monthly overhead. If your RaaS provider does not natively integrate with your chosen DA layer, your unit economics will fail.
- All top-tier RaaS providers support Ethereum Blobs (EIP-4844) and Celestia.
- If you are building a Restaked Rollup, AltLayer specializes in providing EigenDA integration combined with their native AVS security.
- If you are exploring Avail or NEAR DA, providers like Caldera, Gelato, and Zeeve have aggressively integrated these alternative lanes.
3. SLA, Support, and "The Enterprise Tier"
Not all support is created equal.
- Gelato and Zeeve have built strong reputations around enterprise-grade SLAs and ISO compliance, making them highly attractive to traditional fintech and institutional deployments.
- Conduit and Caldera excel in the crypto-native startup space, providing rapid auto-scaling RPCs and white-glove onboarding for high-growth DeFi and Gaming protocols.
4. Middleware and Interoperability
A chain without users or liquidity is useless. Look at what comes out of the box. Does the RaaS provider automatically provision a block explorer (Blockscout)? A native bridge? Indexing solutions (Goldsky/The Graph)? Gelato is particularly notable here for offering a massive suite of integrated Web3 services (like Account Abstraction and Oracles) alongside the core rollup.
Stop reading docs and start modeling. Don't guess which provider fits your stack. Use the RollupInfra Architecture Wizard to input your specific requirements (Throughput, DA priority, Framework) and instantly get a customized RaaS shortlist and partner-tier pricing routing.