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Alchemy vs Looker

Alchemy logo

Alchemy

Software

The web3 development platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Looker logo

Looker

Software

Modern business intelligence platform by Google

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; Looker requires annual commitment with no month-to-month billing option
  • They diverge on capability: Alchemy covers Node APIs, Looker covers LookML Data Modeling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Alchemy and Looker actually diverge.

Attributes where Alchemy and Looker differ
AttributeAlchemyLooker
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsApi, WebWeb, Cloud (Google Cloud Platform)
Founded20172008

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

Only in Looker

  • LookML Data Modeling
  • Embedded Analytics
  • API Access
  • Version Control
  • Data Actions
  • BigQuery
  • Snowflake
  • Redshift

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

Looker

  • Business intelligence and interactive dashboards for data-driven decision makingnot Alchemy
  • Embedded analytics for integrating BI capabilities into third-party applicationsnot 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

Looker

  • Requires annual commitment with no month-to-month billing option
  • Conversational analytics will incur token overage charges ($3.00 per 1M input tokens, $20.00 per 1M output tokens) after October 1, 2026

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

Looker

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Looker 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 Looker if

  • You need lookml data modeling.
  • You work on Web, Cloud (Google Cloud Platform).
  • You also want embedded analytics.
Looker review

Questions people ask

Is Alchemy or Looker better?
Neither clearly leads. Alchemy starts at Free and Looker at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Alchemy or Looker?
Alchemy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Alchemy and On request for Looker.
Does Alchemy or Looker run on more platforms?
Alchemy runs on Api, Web. Looker runs on Web, Cloud (Google Cloud Platform).
Can I use Alchemy for free?
Yes. Alchemy has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Looker 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 Looker is typically brought in for.
What can Alchemy do that Looker cannot?
Alchemy covers Node APIs, Enhanced APIs, NFT API, Webhooks. Looker covers LookML Data Modeling, Embedded Analytics, API Access, Version Control. Both handle Api support, Web support.
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