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Software · head to head

Alchemy vs Polygonscan

Alchemy logo

Alchemy

Software

The web3 development platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Polygonscan logo

Polygonscan

Software

Polygon PoS chain explorer

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; Polygonscan the PolygonScan API page now redirects to Etherscan's unified multichain API pricing, so Polygon data is bought under Etherscan plans rather than a PolygonScan-specific one
  • They diverge on capability: Alchemy covers Node APIs, Polygonscan covers Block Explorer.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Alchemy and Polygonscan actually diverge.

Attributes where Alchemy and Polygonscan differ
AttributeAlchemyPolygonscan
PlatformsApi, WebWeb, Api
Founded20172021

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), 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

Only in Polygonscan

  • Block Explorer
  • Transaction Tracking
  • Token Tracker
  • Contract Verification
  • Bridge Monitor
  • Polygon PoS
  • ERC-20 tokens

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

Polygonscan

  • Exploring Polygon transactions, addresses and token transfersnot Alchemy
  • Verifying and reading Polygon smart contract source codenot Alchemy
  • Querying Polygon on-chain data through the explorer APInot 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

Polygonscan

  • The PolygonScan API page now redirects to Etherscan's unified multichain API pricing, so Polygon data is bought under Etherscan plans rather than a PolygonScan-specific one
  • The free API plan is capped at 3 calls per second and 100,000 calls per day and requires attribution
  • API Pro endpoints start at the Standard plan at $199 per month
  • Rate limits top out at 30 calls per second even on the $899 per month Pro Plus plan
  • Metadata CSV export and dedicated support require Metadata Enterprise, which is quoted by contact with no published price

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

Polygonscan

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Block explorer
    • 5 API calls/sec
    • Token tracker
  • Pro$199/month
    • Higher rate limits
    • Advanced APIs

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 Polygonscan if

  • You need block explorer.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want transaction tracking.
Polygonscan review

Questions people ask

Is Alchemy or Polygonscan better?
Neither clearly leads. Alchemy starts at Free and Polygonscan at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Alchemy or Polygonscan?
Alchemy starts at Free and Polygonscan at Free.
Does Alchemy or Polygonscan run on more platforms?
Alchemy runs on Api, Web. Polygonscan runs on Web, Api.
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 Polygonscan is typically brought in for.
What can Alchemy do that Polygonscan cannot?
Alchemy covers Node APIs, Enhanced APIs, NFT API, Webhooks. Polygonscan covers Block Explorer, Transaction Tracking, Token Tracker, Contract Verification. Both handle Api support, Web support.
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