Software · head to head
Alchemy vs MetaMask
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; MetaMask metaMask's source code is publicly viewable on GitHub but is covered by a proprietary ConsenSys license that prohibits redistribution, modification, merging, or reverse engineering; it is not open source
- They diverge on capability: Alchemy covers Node APIs, MetaMask covers Wallet Management.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Alchemy and MetaMask actually diverge.
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 MetaMask
- Wallet Management
- Token Swaps
- Bridge
- dApp Browser
- Portfolio View
- Ethereum
- EVM chains
- Hardware wallets
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 MetaMask
- Backing a production web3 application without running nodesnot MetaMask
- Webhook-driven notifications for on-chain eventsnot MetaMask
- Scaling read throughput beyond self-hosted node limitsnot MetaMask
MetaMask
- Walletsnot Alchemy
- Web3not Alchemy
- Browser Extensionnot 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
MetaMask
- MetaMask's source code is publicly viewable on GitHub but is covered by a proprietary ConsenSys license that prohibits redistribution, modification, merging, or reverse engineering; it is not open source
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
MetaMask
Free- FreeFree
- Wallet
- Swaps
- Bridge
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.
Choose MetaMask if
- You need wallet management.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Chrome, Firefox.
- You also want token swaps.
Questions people ask
- Is Alchemy or MetaMask better?
- Neither clearly leads. Alchemy starts at Free and MetaMask at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Alchemy or MetaMask?
- Alchemy starts at Free and MetaMask at Free.
- Does Alchemy or MetaMask run on more platforms?
- Alchemy runs on Api, Web. MetaMask runs on Web, Ios, Android, Chrome, Firefox.
- 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 MetaMask is typically brought in for.
- What can Alchemy do that MetaMask cannot?
- Alchemy covers Node APIs, Enhanced APIs, NFT API, Webhooks. MetaMask covers Wallet Management, Token Swaps, Bridge, dApp Browser. Both handle Web support.