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Software · head to head

Alchemy vs Etherscan

Alchemy logo

Alchemy

Software

The web3 development platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Etherscan logo

Etherscan

Software

The Ethereum blockchain explorer

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Etherscan the free API plan is capped at 3 calls per second and 100,000 calls per day
  • They diverge on capability: Alchemy covers Node APIs, Etherscan covers Block Explorer.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Alchemy and Etherscan actually diverge.

Attributes where Alchemy and Etherscan differ
AttributeAlchemyEtherscan
PlatformsApi, WebWeb, Api
Founded20172015

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

Only in Etherscan

  • Block Explorer
  • Transaction Tracking
  • Token Tracker
  • Contract Verification
  • Gas Tracker
  • Ethereum mainnet
  • Testnets

Both cover

  • Api support
  • 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 Etherscan
  • Backing a production web3 application without running nodesnot Etherscan
  • Webhook-driven notifications for on-chain eventsnot Etherscan
  • Scaling read throughput beyond self-hosted node limitsnot Etherscan

Etherscan

  • Looking up Ethereum transactions, addresses and token transfers in a block explorernot Alchemy
  • Reading and verifying deployed smart contract source codenot Alchemy
  • Pulling on-chain data into an application through the explorer APInot 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

Etherscan

  • The free API plan is capped at 3 calls per second and 100,000 calls per day
  • The free plan requires attribution and covers only selected chains rather than all supported chains
  • API Pro endpoints are withheld below the Standard plan at $199 per month
  • The $49 per month Lite plan raises the rate limit to only 5 calls per second and keeps the same 100,000 calls per day as the free tier
  • Rate limits top out at 30 calls per second even on the $899 per month Pro Plus plan
  • The Address Metadata endpoint requires Pro Plus at $899 per month and is limited to one app license
  • Metadata CSV export and dedicated support are only in Metadata Enterprise, which is quoted by contact with no published price
  • The 10% and 15% discounts apply only to quarterly and yearly prepayment

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

Etherscan

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Block explorer
    • 5 API calls/sec
    • Basic analytics
  • Standard$199/month
    • 10 API calls/sec
    • Advanced APIs
  • Pro$399/month
    • 30 API calls/sec
    • Priority support

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.
Alchemy review

Choose Etherscan if

  • You need block explorer.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want transaction tracking.
Etherscan review

Questions people ask

Is Alchemy or Etherscan better?
Neither clearly leads. Alchemy starts at Free and Etherscan at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Alchemy or Etherscan?
Alchemy starts at Free and Etherscan at Free.
Does Alchemy or Etherscan run on more platforms?
Alchemy runs on Api, Web. Etherscan runs on Web, Api.
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 Etherscan is typically brought in for.
What can Alchemy do that Etherscan cannot?
Alchemy covers Node APIs, Enhanced APIs, NFT API, Webhooks. Etherscan covers Block Explorer, Transaction Tracking, Token Tracker, Contract Verification. Both handle Api support, Web support.
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