The direction matters more than the bridge
Between Ethereum and Arbitrum One, Arbitrum’s own bridge is asymmetric: deposits arrive quickly, while a withdrawal back to Ethereum has to wait at least seven days before the funds can be claimed (Arbitrum documentation). Third-party bridges do not go through that withdrawal, and each prices its own route. Coming into Arbitrum there is no such wait to avoid, so the difference between the quotes above comes from the providers themselves.
Arbitrum One and Arbitrum Nova are different networks
Both run Arbitrum’s technology, but One is a rollup and Nova uses the AnyTrust protocol with a data availability committee — they are separate chains with separate balances (Arbitrum documentation). The quotes on this page are for Arbitrum One. Sending to Nova from an exchange or a wallet that offers only “Arbitrum” will not put the funds where you expect them.
Gas is paid in ETH
Arbitrum charges transaction fees in ETH. A stablecoin balance that lands with no ETH next to it cannot be moved again until some arrives, so it is worth arriving with a little more than the transfer itself.
The exchange route
An exchange that lists Arbitrum as a withdrawal network moves the funds from its own reserves, so you never pay gas on a source chain at all. That row is in the table whenever the exchanges we track support the token and network, including when it is cheaper than every bridge; it does not account for getting the money onto the exchange in the first place.
Questions
How do I bridge to Arbitrum?
From Ethereum, either Arbitrum's own bridge or a third-party one; from any other network, a third-party provider, since Arbitrum's own bridge moves funds between a parent chain and a child chain, such as Ethereum and Arbitrum One. Compare what each delivers for your token and amount.
Is the Arbitrum bridge chain specific?
The official Arbitrum bridge connects Arbitrum and Ethereum. Coming from any other network means either going through Ethereum first or using a third-party bridge, which is what the quotes above compare.
How long does the Arbitrum bridge take?
Deposits into Arbitrum arrive quickly, while a withdrawal back to Ethereum through the official bridge waits at least seven days before it can be claimed. Coming in, each provider publishes its own estimate, shown in the Time column.
How do I bridge from Polygon to Arbitrum?
Polygon and Arbitrum are not connected by either chain's official bridge, so the transfer goes through a third-party provider. Select Polygon as the source network above to see which providers quote that route and what each one delivers.
How do I add Arbitrum to MetaMask?
Arbitrum is one of the networks MetaMask supports: if it is not already switched on, add it from "Additional networks" in the network selector rather than typing its details by hand. Tokens the wallet does not detect still have to be added by contract address.
Sources
- Arbitrum documentation — bridge quickstart · checked 2026-09-12
- Arbitrum documentation — Arbitrum chains overview · checked 2026-09-12
- MetaMask Help Center — how to add a network · checked 2026-09-13