The four things that actually differ
Most token creators produce a near-identical SPL token. The differences are in what surrounds the mint.
Total cost, not headline cost
A low base price often excludes metadata upload, authority revocations, or the network fees themselves. Add up what a finished, launch-ready token costs. Our full breakdown is in creation costs.
Who holds the authorities
After minting, mint and freeze authority should sit in your wallet or be revoked entirely. If a platform keeps either, it can still change your token. See revoking authorities.
Custody during the mint
Non-custodial means you sign every transaction and your keys never leave your wallet. Anything that asks for a seed phrase or private key is not a token creator, whatever it calls itself.
What you own afterwards
A standard SPL token works everywhere and is yours outright. Bonding-curve launchpads give you something different: a position in their system, with rules attached until it graduates.