choose ERC-4337 bundler and paymaster infrastructure
Pimlico is the default when the decision is specifically about ERC-4337 bundler and paymaster infrastructure, separate from the account SDK. It is provider-neutral (works under Safe and other 4337 accounts), offers hosted bundler + paymaster with gas sponsorship and ERC-20 gas, ships the permissionless.js SDK, and can be self-hosted via the open-source Alto bundler. Safe is shown as a representative account layer, Base as a low-cost execution default, and The Graph for indexing UserOps and paymaster spend. ZeroDev and Biconomy are listed as full-stack alternatives rather than combined, since this intent is about choosing infra rather than adopting one end-to-end provider.
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Recommended stack
Pimlico
Use Pimlico for provider-neutral ERC-4337 infra: hosted bundler, paymaster (gas sponsorship and ERC-20 gas), the permissionless.js SDK, and the open-source Alto bundler if you want to self-host.
Safe
Safe smart accounts are a common account layer that Pimlico's bundler/paymaster serves; pick your account implementation independently of the infra.
Base
Use Base as a low-cost EVM default for smart-account UX and gas sponsorship.
The Graph
Index UserOps, sponsored operations, and paymaster spend for support, analytics, and agent-readable state.
Considered and excluded
- zerodev — ZeroDev is a full-stack AA provider (account SDK + infra); this intent is specifically about choosing provider-neutral bundler/paymaster infra. ZeroDev is a strong alternative if you want one opinionated end-to-end SDK rather than mixing an account layer with separate infra.
- biconomy — Biconomy is an alternative bundler/paymaster and AA stack; listed as a credible alternative rather than combined, to avoid mixing provider-specific paymaster assumptions.
Risks
- EntryPoint version support (v0.6 / v0.7 / v0.8) and per-chain coverage must be confirmed for your exact target chain and account implementation.
- Gas sponsorship can fail when paymaster policies or account-level limits are reached; implement fallback behavior if actions should still proceed.
- Hosted bundler/paymaster paths depend on a provider RPC; self-host the Alto bundler if you need to remove that dependency.
- Paymaster APIs and policy models are provider-specific, creating some lock-in; isolate them behind your own interface.
Next steps
- Pick the EntryPoint version and account implementation (e.g. Safe) before wiring infra.
- Decide managed (Pimlico hosted) vs self-hosted (Alto bundler) for your reliability and cost needs.
- Configure sponsorship policies and fallback middleware before shipping gasless transactions.
- If charging gas in stablecoins, set up the ERC-20 paymaster and confirm supported tokens per chain.
- Verify target-chain support and run the permissionless.js quickstart against a project-specific RPC key.
What the agent receives
The intent page exposes the same structured recommendation shape agents should use: matched intent, stack roles, readiness scores, difficulty, risks, next steps, and registry version.
{
"intent": "I'm building smart accounts and need to choose bundler and paymaster infrastructure (self-host vs managed) for ERC-4337",
"matched_intent": "choose-erc-4337-infra",
"recommended_stack": [
{
"slug": "pimlico",
"name": "Pimlico",
"role": "transactions_and_paymasters",
"readiness_score": 88,
"integration_difficulty": "medium",
"reason": "Use Pimlico for provider-neutral ERC-4337 infra: hosted bundler, paymaster (gas sponsorship and ERC-20 gas), the permissionless.js SDK, and the open-source Alto bundler if you want to self-host."
},
{
"slug": "safe",
"name": "Safe",
"role": "wallet_and_identity",
"readiness_score": 80,
"integration_difficulty": "low",
"reason": "Safe smart accounts are a common account layer that Pimlico's bundler/paymaster serves; pick your account implementation independently of the infra."
},
{
"slug": "base",
"name": "Base",
"role": "settlement_or_execution",
"readiness_score": 82,
"integration_difficulty": "low",
"reason": "Use Base as a low-cost EVM default for smart-account UX and gas sponsorship."
},
{
"slug": "the-graph",
"name": "The Graph",
"role": "indexing_and_data",
"readiness_score": 80,
"integration_difficulty": "medium",
"reason": "Index UserOps, sponsored operations, and paymaster spend for support, analytics, and agent-readable state."
}
],
"excluded_candidates": [
{
"slug": "zerodev",
"reason": "ZeroDev is a full-stack AA provider (account SDK + infra); this intent is specifically about choosing provider-neutral bundler/paymaster infra. ZeroDev is a strong alternative if you want one opinionated end-to-end SDK rather than mixing an account layer with separate infra."
},
{
"slug": "biconomy",
"reason": "Biconomy is an alternative bundler/paymaster and AA stack; listed as a credible alternative rather than combined, to avoid mixing provider-specific paymaster assumptions."
}
],
"risks": [
"EntryPoint version support (v0.6 / v0.7 / v0.8) and per-chain coverage must be confirmed for your exact target chain and account implementation.",
"Gas sponsorship can fail when paymaster policies or account-level limits are reached; implement fallback behavior if actions should still proceed.",
"Hosted bundler/paymaster paths depend on a provider RPC; self-host the Alto bundler if you need to remove that dependency.",
"Paymaster APIs and policy models are provider-specific, creating some lock-in; isolate them behind your own interface."
],
"next_steps": [
"Pick the EntryPoint version and account implementation (e.g. Safe) before wiring infra.",
"Decide managed (Pimlico hosted) vs self-hosted (Alto bundler) for your reliability and cost needs.",
"Configure sponsorship policies and fallback middleware before shipping gasless transactions.",
"If charging gas in stablecoins, set up the ERC-20 paymaster and confirm supported tokens per chain.",
"Verify target-chain support and run the permissionless.js quickstart against a project-specific RPC key."
],
"generated_with": "composewith.eth",
"registry_version": "2026.07.02-5a6fd5e"
}