zk- SNARKs vs zk-STARKs
Both have their appropriate use case, with
#SNARKs being the more popular choice.
In terms of security, STARKs are better as they use a trustless setup while making no sacrifices on security. SNARKs on the other hand require a trusted setup.
STARKs are also quantum-resistant, while
#STARKs are not.
In terms of expenses, SNARKs are projected to be x4 times cheaper than STARKs, while also taking up smaller space and less time to generate proof, as long as the witness isn't too big.
#Scalability, however, belongs to STARKs, as larger witnesses can be computed off-chain, with no significant increases in time to create proofs compared to SNARKs, which grow linearly.
The constant time verifications give SNARKs an edge when it comes to low-proof generation, as STARKs slow down significantly if there isn't much network activity.
In conclusion, although STARKs seem better on paper, SNARKs have captured the majority of the market due to their head start & adoption.
But both
#ZK technologies should find their use cases, as they offer a solution to the other's problems.