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Crypto · head to head

Alchemy vs Lido

Alchemy logo

Alchemy

Crypto

The web3 development platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lido logo

Lido

Crypto

Liquid staking for Ethereum and beyond

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; Lido no traditional pricing plans published
  • They diverge on capability: Alchemy covers Node APIs, Lido covers Liquid Staking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Alchemy and Lido actually diverge.

Attributes where Alchemy and Lido differ
AttributeAlchemyLido
Pricing modelfreemiumfree
PlatformsApi, WebWeb
Founded20172020

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

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 Lido

  • Liquid Staking
  • stETH Token
  • No Minimum
  • DeFi Composable
  • LDO Token
  • Multi-chain

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

Lido

  • Liquid staking of ETH and other proof of stake tokensnot 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

Lido

  • No traditional pricing plans published
  • APR and APY rates displayed instead of subscription fees
  • Liquid staking protocol with variable yield rates

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

Lido

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Liquid staking
    • stETH token
    • DeFi integration

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 Lido if

  • You need liquid staking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want steth token.
Lido review

Questions people ask

Is Alchemy or Lido better?
Neither clearly leads. Alchemy starts at Free and Lido at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Alchemy or Lido?
Alchemy starts at Free and Lido at Free.
Does Alchemy or Lido run on more platforms?
Alchemy runs on Api, Web. Lido 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 Lido is typically brought in for.
What can Alchemy do that Lido cannot?
Alchemy covers Node APIs, Enhanced APIs, NFT API, Webhooks. Lido covers Liquid Staking, stETH Token, No Minimum, DeFi Composable. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Alchemy: How much does Alchemy cost?

Alchemy offers a free tier with 30M compute units monthly, and a pay-as-you-go model at $0.45 per 1M compute units for the first 300M monthly, then $0.40 per 1M compute units thereafter. Enterprise plans with custom pricing and volume discounts are available for high-volume users.

Source
Lido: Does Lido have a cost?

Lido is a liquid staking protocol without traditional pricing. Users deposit ETH to receive stETH tokens. The protocol generates yields reported as APR/APY rates rather than subscription fees.

Source
Alchemy: Does Alchemy have a free version?

Yes, Alchemy's Free plan provides 30M compute units monthly at no cost, with access to all mainnets and testnets, up to 15 requests per second, and support for 5 apps and 5 webhooks.

Source
Lido: What are the current APR and APY rates?

According to the Lido homepage, stETH APR is 2.3%, EarnETH APY is 3.1%, and EarnUSD APY is 6.4%. These rates are subject to change.

Source
Alchemy: What is the difference between Alchemy's Free and Pay As You Go plans?

The Free plan offers 30M compute units monthly at no cost with 15 requests per second throughput and supports up to 5 apps. Pay As You Go provides higher throughput (300 requests per second), more apps (30) and webhooks (100), and premium endpoints with priority support, charged at $0.45 per 1M compute units.

Source
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