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Software · head to head

Alchemy vs Metabase

Alchemy logo

Alchemy

Software

The web3 development platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Metabase logo

Metabase

Software

Fast analytics with the friendly UX

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; Metabase row and column level permissions and SSO available only in Pro tier and above
  • They diverge on capability: Alchemy covers Node APIs, Metabase covers No-code Query Builder.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Alchemy and Metabase actually diverge.

Attributes where Alchemy and Metabase differ
AttributeAlchemyMetabase
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsApi, WebWeb, Self-hosted cloud
Founded20172014

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 Metabase

  • No-code Query Builder
  • SQL Editor
  • Interactive Dashboards
  • Alerts
  • Embedding
  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • MongoDB

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

Metabase

  • Business intelligence and data exploration for non-technical usersnot Alchemy
  • Embedded analytics for SaaS applicationsnot Alchemy
  • Self-service reporting and dashboard creationnot Alchemy
  • Integration with 40+ data sources including cloud warehousesnot 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

Metabase

  • Row and column level permissions and SSO available only in Pro tier and above
  • Advanced analytics features like multi-tenant embedded analytics require Pro tier or higher
  • AI-powered features incur additional usage-based costs: $3.75 per 1M tokens
  • Self-hosted deployment on Free/Open Source tier requires infrastructure management

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

Metabase

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Metabase 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 Metabase if

  • You need no-code query builder.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted cloud.
  • You also want sql editor.
Metabase review

Questions people ask

Is Alchemy or Metabase better?
Neither clearly leads. Alchemy starts at Free and Metabase at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Alchemy or Metabase?
Alchemy starts at Free and Metabase at Free.
Does Alchemy or Metabase run on more platforms?
Alchemy runs on Api, Web. Metabase runs on Web, Self-hosted cloud.
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 Metabase is typically brought in for.
What can Alchemy do that Metabase cannot?
Alchemy covers Node APIs, Enhanced APIs, NFT API, Webhooks. Metabase covers No-code Query Builder, SQL Editor, Interactive Dashboards, Alerts. Both handle Web support.
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