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Software · head to head

Alchemy vs Dune Analytics

Alchemy logo

Alchemy

Software

The web3 development platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Dune Analytics logo

Dune Analytics

Software

Crypto's data platform

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Alchemy the free tier is capped at 30M compute units a month and 25 requests per second; Dune Analytics free tier has 10-minute query execution delay versus 1-2 minutes on paid plans
  • They diverge on capability: Alchemy covers Node APIs, Dune Analytics covers SQL Queries.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Alchemy and Dune Analytics actually diverge.

Attributes where Alchemy and Dune Analytics differ
AttributeAlchemyDune Analytics
PlatformsApi, WebWeb
Founded20172018

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Alchemy

  • Node APIs
  • Enhanced APIs
  • NFT API
  • Webhooks
  • Mempool
  • 35+ chains
  • SDKs
  • Api support

Only in Dune Analytics

  • SQL Queries
  • Dashboards
  • Multi-chain Data
  • API Access
  • Spellbook
  • 20+ blockchains
  • Community wizards

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Alchemy

  • Hosted blockchain node access across mainnets and testnetsnot Dune Analytics
  • Backing a production web3 application without running nodesnot Dune Analytics
  • Webhook-driven notifications for on-chain eventsnot Dune Analytics
  • Scaling read throughput beyond self-hosted node limitsnot Dune Analytics

Dune Analytics

  • Analyticsnot Alchemy
  • Datanot Alchemy
  • Researchnot Alchemy

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Alchemy

  • The free tier is capped at 30M compute units a month and 25 requests per second
  • Free accounts are limited to 5 apps and 5 webhooks
  • Beyond the free allowance it is $0.45 per 1M compute units for the first 300M a month
  • Request cost varies by call complexity, from around 10 compute units to over 100, so spend is hard to predict from request counts alone
  • Signed SLAs and priority support require an Enterprise contract

Dune Analytics

  • Free tier has 10-minute query execution delay versus 1-2 minutes on paid plans
  • Decoded tables lag blockchain by 5-10 minutes on free tier
  • API rate limits on free tier capped at 40 requests per minute
  • Requires SQL knowledge to build custom queries; limited no-code dashboard creation

Pricing, plan by plan

Alchemy

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 300M compute units
    • 5 apps
    • Core APIs
  • Growth$49/month
    • 400M compute units
    • 15 apps
    • Enhanced APIs
  • Scale$199/month
    • 1B compute units
    • Unlimited apps
    • Premium support

Dune Analytics

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Public queries
    • Community dashboards
    • Limited executions
  • Plus$349/month
    • Private queries
    • CSV export
    • Priority execution

Which should you pick?

Choose Alchemy if

  • You need node apis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Api, Web.
  • You also want enhanced apis.

Choose Dune Analytics if

  • You need sql queries.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want dashboards.

Questions people ask

Is Alchemy or Dune Analytics better?
Neither clearly leads. Alchemy starts at Free and Dune Analytics at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Alchemy or Dune Analytics?
Alchemy starts at Free and Dune Analytics at Free.
Does Alchemy or Dune Analytics run on more platforms?
Alchemy runs on Api, Web. Dune Analytics runs on Web.
Can I use Alchemy for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Alchemy best used for?
Alchemy is most often used for hosted blockchain node access across mainnets and testnets, backing a production web3 application without running nodes, webhook-driven notifications for on-chain events, scaling read throughput beyond self-hosted node limits. Of those, hosted blockchain node access across mainnets and testnets and backing a production web3 application without running nodes are not what Dune Analytics is typically brought in for.
What can Alchemy do that Dune Analytics cannot?
Alchemy covers Node APIs, Enhanced APIs, NFT API, Webhooks. Dune Analytics covers SQL Queries, Dashboards, Multi-chain Data, API Access. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Dune Analytics: Does Dune Analytics have a free tier?

Yes. Dune offers a free tier with unlimited queries, up to 10-minute execution delays, public dashboards, and 100 MB storage. Paid plans (Plus at $399/month, Premium at $999/month) unlock faster execution and larger result sets.

Source
Dune Analytics: What blockchain networks does Dune support?

Dune supports over 130 blockchain networks including Ethereum, Polygon, Optimism, Solana, Bitcoin, and other EVM and non-EVM compatible chains with decoded transaction and event data.

Source
Dune Analytics: Can I export my Dune dashboards and data?

Yes. The free tier supports basic export. Paid tiers unlock CSV export and Datashare feature that allows you to stream curated blockchain data directly to Snowflake, BigQuery, or Databricks.

Source
Dune Analytics: What external tools can I connect to Dune?

Dune supports connections to Hex, Metabase, DBeaver, PowerBI, and other tools via its Trino warehouse connector, and can stream data to Snowflake, BigQuery, and Databricks. It also offers dbt integration and an API.

Source

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