How MetaMask Smart Transactions and Flashbots Protect differ on type, protection, rebates and what they’re built for.
| MetaMask Smart Transactions | Flashbots Protect | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Wallet feature | Private RPC |
| How it works | Submits your tx to a private “virtual mempool” and auctions it to trusted builders who are financially penalized if they don’t execute at the quoted price. It stays private until confirmed. | Sends your transaction privately to the Flashbots block-building auction. MEV-Share selectively shares hints so searchers can bid to back-run it, sharing the profit with you. |
| Protects against | Frontrunning + failed transactions (99.9% success rate) | Frontrunning, sandwiching & failed-tx reverts |
| Rebates | No direct rebate — back-run value funds the free service | 90% of back-run MEV + gas-fee refunds |
| Chains | Ethereum, Linea, Base, Arbitrum, BNB Chain | Ethereum |
| Setup | Toggle on in MetaMask settings | Add RPC rpc.flashbots.net to your wallet |
| Best for | MetaMask users who want zero setup | The conservative, battle-tested default |
Pick MetaMask Smart Transactions for metamask users who want zero setup; pick Flashbots Protect for the conservative, battle-tested default.