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Alchemy vs Google Pay

Alchemy logo

Alchemy

Software

The web3 development platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Google Pay logo

Google Pay

Software

Fast, simple and secure payments

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; Google Pay limited to Android devices and Chrome browser; lacks native support for iOS devices
  • They diverge on capability: Alchemy covers Node APIs, Google Pay covers Digital wallet.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Alchemy and Google Pay actually diverge.

Attributes where Alchemy and Google Pay differ
AttributeAlchemyGoogle Pay
Pricing modelfreemiumfree
PlatformsApi, WebAndroid, Chrome browser
Founded20172015

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Google Pay

  • Digital wallet
  • Contactless payments
  • Online shopping
  • P2P money transfers
  • Credit cards
  • Debit cards
  • Bank accounts
  • Android 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 Google Pay
  • Backing a production web3 application without running nodesnot Google Pay
  • Webhook-driven notifications for on-chain eventsnot Google Pay
  • Scaling read throughput beyond self-hosted node limitsnot Google Pay

Google Pay

  • Android users making contactless payments at supported retailersnot Alchemy
  • Chrome browser users utilising payment autofill at checkoutnot 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

Google Pay

  • Limited to Android devices and Chrome browser; lacks native support for iOS devices
  • International money transfer through third-party provider (Wise Inc.) with limited details on coverage

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

Google Pay

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Google Pay review.

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 Google Pay if

  • You need digital wallet.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Android, Chrome browser.
  • You also want contactless payments.
Google Pay review

Questions people ask

Is Alchemy or Google Pay better?
Neither clearly leads. Alchemy starts at Free and Google Pay at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Alchemy or Google Pay?
Alchemy starts at Free and Google Pay at Free.
Does Alchemy or Google Pay run on more platforms?
Alchemy runs on Api, Web. Google Pay runs on Android, Chrome browser.
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 Google Pay is typically brought in for.
What can Alchemy do that Google Pay cannot?
Alchemy covers Node APIs, Enhanced APIs, NFT API, Webhooks. Google Pay covers Digital wallet, Contactless payments, Online shopping, P2P money transfers.
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