Migrate from Launchtube

Switch your sponsorship infrastructure to Grat.

Launchtube was a valuable service for the Stellar ecosystem, but its deprecation by the Stellar Development Foundation has left a gap for developers who need reliable gas abstraction. Grat is the open-source, self-hostable replacement designed to fill that gap.

Why Migrate?

While Launchtube is no longer supported, Grat offers a modern architecture with native Soroban support and a permissive Apache 2.0 license. Migrating to Grat allows you to regain control over your sponsorship infrastructure and continue providing zero-gas experiences for your users.

Code Comparison

The integration logic remains very similar. Most changes involve updating the initialization and error handling.

Launchtube (Old)

import { Launchtube } from '@stellar/launchtube-sdk';

const tube = new Launchtube({
  network: 'testnet',
  user: 'your-project-id'
});

const result = await tube.sponsor(transaction);

Feature Comparison

Feature	Launchtube	Grat
Classic Payments	Yes	Yes
Soroban Support	Limited	Native & Full
Self-Hosting	No	Yes (Docker)
License	Proprietary	Apache 2.0
Credit System	Managed	Flexible

Migration Steps

1. Install the Grat SDK

   Replace the Launchtube SDK with the official Grat client.

   npm uninstall @stellar/launchtube-sdk
   npm install @grat-official-sdk/sdk
   
2. Update Imports and Constructor

   Change your imports and initialize the Grat client. On testnet, you no longer need a project ID or secret to get started.

   import { Grat } from '@grat-official-sdk/sdk';
   const grat = Grat.testnet();
   
3. Update Method Calls

   The core sponsor() method remains the same. If you were using Launchtube’s custom simulation logic, replace it with grat.simulate().

4. Test on Testnet

   Run your existing test suite against a local Grat relay to ensure that sequence management and sponsorship are working as expected.

5. Switch to Mainnet

   When ready, deploy your own Grat relay to production and update the SDK configuration to use your mainnet URL and API key.

FAQ

Do I need to change my transaction building code?

No. Grat works with standard Stellar transactions and fee-bump envelopes. Your existing logic for building and signing transactions with user keypairs remains exactly the same.

Is the API compatible?

While the REST endpoints are different, the core data structures (XDR strings, transaction results) are standard Stellar formats. The Grat SDK is designed to be a drop-in replacement for the most common Launchtube use cases.

Can I self-host?

Yes. Unlike Launchtube, Grat is fully open-source. You can run your own relay instance on your own infrastructure, giving you total control over costs and uptime.

What about Soroban?

Grat was built with Soroban in mind from day one. It handles resource fee estimation, simulation, and sponsorship natively, something Launchtube only partially supported.

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