Step 3: Installing execution client
Your choice of either Besu, Nethermind, Geth, Reth or Erigon.
warning
Only one execution client is required per node.
Execution Client Diversity​
- To strengthen Ethereum's resilience against potential attacks or consensus bugs, it's best practice to run a minority client in order to increase client diversity.
- Find the latest distribution of execution clients here: https://clientdiversity.org
EL Diversity as of Dec 2024
Overview of Execution Clients​
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🛡 Recommendation 🛡: Nethermind or Besu
Nethermind​
- Nethermind: Open-source Ethereum client written in .NET Core.
- Fast sync speed: Boasts the quickest Execution client syncing performance and is designed so you can start following the chain and attesting while it downloads history in the background.
- Flexible configuration: Rich set of options tailored for node operators.
- Online pruning: Allows database pruning while still online, no need to turn off client.
- Resource-intensive pruning process: May result in noticeable performance degradation for low-power nodes during the process.
Besu​
- Hyperledger Besu: Open-source Ethereum client under Apache 2.0 license, written in Java.
- Distinctive features: Uses Bonsai Tries for state storage for enhanced performance and benefits.
- Maintenance-free: Does not require pruning, making it effectively maintenance-free.
Geth​
- Geth (Go Ethereum): One of the original Ethereum protocol implementations, written in Go and fully open source under GNU LGPL v3 license.
- Stable and reliable: Oldest and most widely-used Execution Client with a strong reputation.
- Multithreaded: Utilizes the entire CPU for enhanced performance.
- Adjustable RAM usage: Configurable down to 4 GB minimum for Mainnet, accommodating various system specifications.
Erigon​
- Erigon: High-performance Ethereum implementation focused on efficiency, faster synchronization, and optimized experience written in Go.
- Born as a Geth fork, completely rewritten for enhanced speed and storage savings.
- Faster archive node synchronization: Achieves full node synchronization in under three days with less than 2TB of storage.
- Supports several popular EVM-compatible blockchains and testnets.
- Efficient state storage: Utilizes a key-value database for improved performance.
- Separate JSON RPC daemon: Enables read-only calls without requiring the same system as the main Erigon binary, even from a database snapshot.
Reth​
- Reth: Execution layer (EL) Ethereum client, written in Rust, is compatible with all consensus layer (CL) implementations.
- Developed by Paradigm, licensed under Apache and MIT licenses.
- Capabilities: Sending/receiving transactions, querying logs and traces, and accessing/interacting with smart contracts.
- Prioritizing security, efficiency, and ease-of-use for consumer hardware.
Comparison of Execution Clients​
| Client | RAM Use | Minimum Database Size | Database Growth | Time to sync |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nethermind | 8 GB | 0.95 TB | 18 GB/week | Fastest, 2hrs+ |
| Besu | 12 GB | 1.2 TB | 10 GB/week | Medium, 16hrs+ |
| Geth | 8 GB | 1.2 TB | 8 GB/week | Fast, 8hrs+ |
| Erigon 3 | 8 GB | 0.92 GB | 8 GB/week | Medium, 16hrs+ |
| Reth | 10 GB | 1.2 TB | 4GB/week | Medium, 16hrs+ |
Notes:​
- Time to sync to a state capable beginning attestations depends on the IOPs of your storage drive.
- Initial sync is always resource intensive. Synced operation is relatively resource use light.
- Nethermind, Besu, Geth have the capability to prune the database.