Crypto has never been known for its user friendliness, but times are changing. 

Paying for everyday items with crypto is becoming more commonplace with token-linked Visa cards, and sending crypto overseas can now be as easy as knowing a recipient’s phone number.

At the same time, user experience remains one of the biggest challenges to mainstream crypto adoption. 

Dealing with long, complicated blockchain addresses and transaction IDs is confusing and prone to errors. Fortunately, ArNS (Arweave Name System on AR.IO's Permanent Cloud Network) and ENS (Ethereum Name System on the Ethereum Network) aim to fix that. They're like easy-to-use phone books for the blockchain, making crypto more accessible to everyone.

Why is my wallet address soooooo long?

Crypto wallet addresses are designed to be extremely unique and are typically 25 to as many as 93 characters in length. The uniqueness is so profound that the number of possible Bitcoin wallet addresses is greater than the number of grains of sand on earth.

A 🤯 number of possible addresses also exist for both Arweave and Ethereum. ArNS and ENS replace those long, messy blockchain identifiers with human-readable names. Think of them as domain names for crypto. Here's how they work:

• Instead of sending tokens to an address like 0xd8da6bf26964af9d7eed9e03e53415d37aa96045 just use vitalik.eth to simplify your crypto transactions and reduce errors 
  
  

• Give decentralized websites a friendly URL. You can visit vilenarios.ar.io or your-name.any-AR.IO-gateway instead of remembering a long, random-looking hash.
  
  

• They aren’t limited to wallet addresses but can be used for any transaction ID, making everything easier to use.
  
  

And if you're already comfortable using an Ethereum wallet, you can use it to buy an ArNS name seamlessly, bridging the gap between ecosystems and making adoption effortless.

Both ArNS and ENS are powerful, but there are also real differences between the two. ENS is the most well known, while ArNS is the relative newcomer.

ENS:  The OG of Decentralized Domain Name Systems

ENS, built on Ethereum, has been a pioneer in the decentralized naming space. 

ENS started with crypto wallet identities but have now been adapted to work for website addresses. It was the first significant effort to provide an alternative to the mainstream Domain Name System (DNS). 

By providing human readable identities, ENS has made sending crypto easier and enabled decentralized websites.

Some of the early wins from ENS are:

• Widely adopted: Lots of wallets and dApps already use ENS. They currently have over 1.9 million active domains and nearly 900,000 unique user addresses.
  
  

• Strong community: ENS has a big community governed by an active DAO.
  
  

• Good infrastructure: It's fairly easy to get started with ENS.
  
  
  

ENS Costs

Setting up an ENS domain will include costs for:

• Annual Registration Fee: Costs vary by name length.
  
  

• Gas Fees: Registration includes ETH gas fees, with renewals and updates, also, requiring additional gas.
  
  

• Ongoing Storage Costs for Content: Using IPFS for storage can involve costs for content ‘pinning’.
  
  

ENS costs have three components; the annual name registration (lease) fee, gas fees, and ongoing storage costs for content.

In summary, ENS can be an affordable option for longer domain names, but costs can add up when you take gas and other fees into account and remember that ENS names have to be renewed annually.  With ENS you can only ever lease a name, not own it.

ENS has a few other holes to explore below.

Persistent but not permanent

In other words, ENS names can be considered persistent but not fully permanent in the same sense as data on the Arweave network (including ArNS).

• Persistent transactions: The Ethereum blockchain is designed to be a persistent record of transactions: highly durable and tamper-proof.
  
  

• No Guaranteed Permanence: While blockchain data on Ethereum is highly resilient, it is not designed for indefinite permanence. Even “The Purge” proposed by Vitalik for Ethereum includes selective pruning, where some historical account information and transaction details of Ethereum transactions are deleted.
  
  

• Potential for Data Deletion: Since data is stored on decentralized blockchains such as Filecoin/IPFS that could lead to eventual data removal or modification.
  
  
  

Accessing ENS Content

ENS content requires compatible browsers like Brave or extensions to resolve ".eth" names. ENS redirects users to IPFS gateway URLs, meaning users visit a gateway rather than directly accessing name.eth. This dependency on fixed gateways can limit content accessibility and flexibility.

Third-party Gateways: ENS’s Centralization Issue?

ENS’s reliance on third-party gateways, such as Infura, to resolve ".eth" domains creates challenges:

• Service Consistency: Quality varies among gateways, affecting user experience.
  
  

• Availability Risks: If a gateway goes down, access to related sites is disrupted.
  
  

• Discoverability Issues: Without a standardized gateway system, users may need to find or input gateway URLs manually, complicating usability.
  
  

• Coordination Needs: As more sites adopt ENS, gateway traffic may increase, risking performance issues without a coordinated network.

ENS’s lack of a dedicated gateway network presents obstacles to seamless access and scaling.

Now that we have seen the good and bad of ENS let’s look at how ArNS addresses these holes.

ArNS: A Name System Newcomer

ArNS is a newer blockchain domain system, introduced after ENS, but it addresses some gaps left by ENS. While both aim for mass adoption, ArNS offers unique advantages:

• Broader Uses: ArNS is by design built for content addressing AND identities
  
  

• Permanence: Thanks to Arweave, the record of your name and its content are stored forever with no more broken links or lost data. ArNS enables the permaweb - a permanent internet where content never goes missing.
  
  

• Primary Names: Own a memorable name, unique to you, that works seamlessly across an entire ecosystem of apps, websites, and services. With ArNS, primary names are not just identifiers—they’re tools for composing your digital identity in a way that’s permanent, flexible, and universally recognized.
  
  

• Permanent purchase options: ArNS gives you the option to buy permanently or buy on lease.  
  
  

• A built-in gateway network: The AR.IO Network makes sure permaweb content is always available so websites load quickly and reliably.
  
  

• A utility token with rewards: The ARIO token is used for buying names and rewarding gateway operators, which helps the network grow.
  
  

• Dynamic pricing: ArNS prices change based on demand, ArNS prices adapt to market conditions - ensuring that they reflect supply, demand, and utilization.

As part of the Permanent Cloud network, ArNS plays a key role in creating an internet that combines decentralization, permanence, and resilience.

6 Ways ArNS is different from ENS

1. Built for the Long Haul

ArNS leverages Arweave for permanent data storage. Each ArNS purchaser will be given the choice of either: Lease or Permabuy.

Leasing an ArNS name is similar to ENS and other domains, where you will have to renew yearly.

However, permabuy means you buy the name permanently and once it is registered and linked, it’s accessible indefinitely without renewal concerns, ensuring data longevity.

And if you're already comfortable using an Ethereum wallet, you can use it to buy an ArNS name seamlessly, bridging the gap between ecosystems and making adoption effortless.

This level of permanence aligns with the broader mission of the Permanent Cloud—an internet where links don’t break, and data is preserved for future generations.

2. Decentralized Gateway Network

ArNS leverages the AR.IO decentralized gateway network for content accessibility, similar to a library system with multiple backups.

If one gateway fails, others keep the content accessible. ENS, by contrast, depends on third-party services or individual nodes, leading to possible inconsistencies in accessibility.

This built-in network makes ArNS a seamless part of the Permanent Cloud ecosystem, where access is decentralized and resilient.

3. ArNS Resolution Across TLDs

ArNS domains can resolve across multiple TLDs without depending on a specific one. In contrast, the .eth TLD is reserved for Ethiopia. If Ethiopia activates it for traditional internet use, ENS domains could face DNS conflicts, causing user confusion between Ethereum’s blockchain-based .eth domains and Ethiopia’s .eth domains on the web.

ArNS operates independently of any specific TLD, making it compatible across various DNS namespaces. This flexibility prevents potential conflicts and ensures seamless functionality across diverse naming systems.

4. ArNS Pricing

ArNS pricing algorithms are self-contained, immutable, and transparent whereas ENS name prices are fixed in USD terms by a governing body and require an external oracle dependency.

ArNS pricing is designed with user-friendliness in mind. Its dynamic pricing model, using a "Demand Factor," adjusts fees based on market demand, making names more affordable. And, again, you have the choice between leasing a name for a set period or buying it permanently ("permabuy").

5. Token Utilities

ArNS uses its own native token, ARIO, for all transactions. This token is not only used for buying and managing names but also fuels an incentive system that rewards gateway operators for accurately resolving names. This creates a robust incentive structure for the token that goes far beyond name purchases alone to a growing DePIN network of gateways.

Where do my tokens go?

• Proceeds from ArNS purchases go to a protocolized endowment that rewards gateway operators while ENS fees go to a human-controlled treasury subject to terms of a constitution: ETH Registrar
  
  
  

6. Building the Permaweb

ArNS is more than a naming system; it's a building block for a better internet. It’s helping build an internet where links don't die and data is preserved for future generations. 

As part of AR.IO’s Permanent Cloud Network, ArNS ensures that the permaweb becomes more than just an idea—it’s a functional, user-first internet built for resilience and trust.

The following table summarizes these findings:

Summary

Both ArNS and ENS have their strengths. ENS has first mover advantages and is well established within Ethereum, but ArNS offers a compelling alternative with its focus on permanence, a dedicated gateway network, and a user-centric approach.
 

ArNS is already being adopted for apps who want decentralized front ends, personal websites, and identities for the permaweb.

Would you like to try out ArNS for yourself?

It’s an easy and straightforward flow that will get you started quickly.

Make sure to secure your name now before it is gone.

Get your ArNS name!