Softwr

Software · head to head

Alchemy vs Fidelity

Alchemy logo

Alchemy

Software

The web3 development platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fidelity logo

Fidelity

Software

Building a better financial future

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Alchemy has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Alchemy the free tier is capped at 30M compute units a month and 25 requests per second; Fidelity options trades carry a 0.65 USD per contract fee on top of zero commission
  • They diverge on capability: Alchemy covers Node APIs, Fidelity covers Commission-free trading.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Alchemy and Fidelity actually diverge.

Attributes where Alchemy and Fidelity differ
AttributeAlchemyFidelity
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumtransaction
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsApi, WebWeb, IOS, Android
Founded20171946

Identical on both: 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 Fidelity

  • Commission-free trading
  • Retirement planning
  • Advisory services
  • Research tools
  • Bank accounts
  • Investment accounts
  • IOS support
  • Android support

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

Fidelity

  • Commission free trading of US stocks and ETFsnot Alchemy
  • Holding IRAs, 401(k) plans and taxable brokerage accountsnot Alchemy
  • Trading bonds, options and mutual funds from one accountnot 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

Fidelity

  • Options trades carry a 0.65 USD per contract fee on top of zero commission
  • Non Fidelity mutual funds carry a 49.95 USD transaction fee per purchase
  • Secondary market bonds cost 1.00 USD per bond, while new issues are free
  • A foreign settlement fee of 50 USD applies per trade
  • Margin rates are tiered by debit balance, from 11.825 percent below 25,000 USD down to 7.50 percent at 1 million USD or more, against a base rate of 10.575 percent effective 12 December 2025
  • Margin liquidation by the broker costs 32.95 USD per liquidation

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

Fidelity

On request
  • Brokerage$undefined/month
    • Commission-free trading
    • Research tools
  • Advisory$undefined/month
    • Personal advisor
    • Wealth management

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 Fidelity if

  • You need commission-free trading.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want retirement planning.
Fidelity review

Questions people ask

Is Alchemy or Fidelity better?
Neither clearly leads. Alchemy starts at Free and Fidelity at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Alchemy or Fidelity?
Alchemy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Alchemy and On request for Fidelity.
Does Alchemy or Fidelity run on more platforms?
Alchemy runs on Api, Web. Fidelity runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Alchemy for free?
Yes. Alchemy has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fidelity starts at On request.
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 Fidelity is typically brought in for.
What can Alchemy do that Fidelity cannot?
Alchemy covers Node APIs, Enhanced APIs, NFT API, Webhooks. Fidelity covers Commission-free trading, Retirement planning, Advisory services, Research tools. Both handle Web support.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Alchemy

More on Fidelity

Keep looking

Other head to heads