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EVM Smart contract deployment workflows: pain points and unmet needs
We're trying to understand where current evm smart contract deployment tools fall short, especially for teams using or evaluating hardhat-deploy. This survey takes less than 5 minutes.
What is missing from current deployment tools for your use case?
What do you build?
*
DeFi / finance
NFT / collectibles
Fully onchain game
Consumer app
Infrastructure / protocol
Other
What project(s) you are working on
What is your main deployment workflow today?
*
A
forge scripts
B
hardhat-deploy v2 / rocketh
C
MUD
D
custom scripts
E
hardhat-deploy v1
F
Hardhat Ignition
G
other
Which of these are part of your current setup?
*
Hardhat Ignition
Multi-contract system
Hardhat 3
Upgradeable contracts / proxies
MUD framework
Proxy for dev and immutable on mainnet
Frontend needs deployment data synced automatically
Foundry / forge scripts
hardhat-deploy v2 / rocketh
Fully onchain game requirements
hardhat-deploy v1
I am actively evaluating alternatives
Hardhat 2
Local-first or offline development matters
Other
Which best describes your hardhat-deploy usage?
*
A
I was not aware v2 existed
B
I know v2 exists but have not looked into it
C
I looked into it but migration cost was too high
D
I tried it and stayed on v1
E
I currently use v2
F
I used hardhat-deploy before, but not now
If you're on hardhat-deploy v1, what keeps you there?
*
It works, no reason to change
Features I rely on aren't in v2 yet
Migration path isn't clear
v2/rocketh API is too different
I wasn't aware v2 existed
Not applicable (I don't use v1)
Other
What matters in your deployment workflow?
*
Simplicity
Recovering from interrupted deployments
Reusing deployment logic in tests
Deterministic deployments
Speed
Declarative Proxy Deployment (no manual upgrade specification)
Flexibility for deployments
Local simulation / local-first workflow
Live reload (auto-redeploy on contract changes during dev)
Ability to execute deployment in browser
Frontend integration / exporting deployment data
independence of framework (foundry, hardhat) upgrades
Faster iteration during development
Contract verification
Stability of api
Repeatability across environments
Named accounts / role-based deployment configuration
Mud world contract support
Large Contract System Handling (Diamond, MUD world, router, ...)
Deploy tags for partial/selective deployments
Deployment tracking
Full TypeScript type safety for deployments
Other
Which best describes your position on Ignition?
*
A
I use it as my main deployment workflow
B
I tried it and did not adopt it
C
I investigated it, but did not try it seriously
D
I know about it, but have not evaluated it
E
It is not really on my radar
F
Other
If Ignition is not your main deployment workflow, why not?
*
Migration cost is too high
My current setup already works well enough
I tried it and it did not feel ready for my use case
I need stronger test and deployment reuse
I need better upgrade / proxy support
I need better frontend / app integration
I have not spent enough time evaluating it yet
I need more flexibility than the current model offers
I need better support for complex multi-contract systems (Diamonds, MUD world...)
Other
In the last few months, what have you spent time investigating as alternatives or changes?
*
custom deployment scripts
MUD framework
Hardhat Ignition
Moving from hardhat-deploy v1 to v2
no serious investigation recently
forge scripts
Other
What frustrates you most about your current setup?
*
Hard to manage multiple signers/roles across environments
Deployment state is brittle or gets corrupted
Test and deployment logic are duplicated
Large multi-contract systems are hard to manage
Migration cost is too high
Locked into a specific framework's contract architecture
Too much boilerplate
Tooling feels incomplete or unstable
Local development experience is weak
Docs / examples are not good enough
Frontend integration is painful
Upgrades / proxies are awkward
Other
Which of these capabilities, if production-ready today, would change how you deploy contracts?
*
Auto-synced frontend artifacts on every deploy
Run deployments directly in-browser
Deployment tracking/state management for forge scripts
Foundry test integration
Live reload without being locked into a specific contract architecture
Deployment logic that doubles as test fixtures with no duplication
Declarative proxy config (dev proxy → mainnet immutable, no code change)
Live reload: contracts redeploy automatically on save during dev
Framework-agnostic deployment library (works with Foundry, Hardhat, or any tool)
External deployment import (reference already-deployed contracts by address)
Declarative Diamond / large contract system management
None of the above
Other
Open to a follow-up conversation?
*
A
Yes
B
No
Submit