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Cryptocurrency & Blockchain · head to head

Compound vs Infura

Compound logo

Compound

Cryptocurrency & Blockchain

Autonomous interest rate protocol

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Infura logo

Infura

Cryptocurrency & Blockchain

Ethereum and IPFS APIs for developers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Compound compound is a decentralized, non-custodial protocol governed by COMP token holders rather than a company; interest rates on supplied and borrowed assets are set algorithmically by pool utilization rather than published as a price list, so there is no vendor pricing page to compare against; Infura the free plan is capped at 3 million credits a day, 500 credits per second and a single API key
  • They diverge on capability: Compound covers Lending, Infura covers Ethereum APIs.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Compound and Infura actually diverge.

Attributes where Compound and Infura differ
AttributeCompoundInfura
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsEthereumApi
Founded20172016

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

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 Compound

  • Lending
  • Borrowing
  • cTokens
  • Governance
  • COMP Token
  • Web support

Only in Infura

  • Ethereum APIs
  • IPFS Gateway
  • Archive Data
  • WebSocket Support
  • Transaction Pool
  • IPFS
  • Polygon
  • Optimism

Both cover

  • Ethereum

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Compound

  • Decentralised finance (DeFi) lending and borrowing protocol on Ethereumnot Infura
  • Cryptocurrency collateral management for USDC borrowingnot Infura
  • Interest earning through crypto asset supplynot Infura
  • Algorithmic interest rate determination based on supply and demandnot Infura

Infura

  • Hosted Ethereum and multi-chain node access across 40+ networksnot Compound
  • Archive data queries without running an archive nodenot Compound
  • Backing a production dapp with managed RPC endpointsnot Compound
  • Debug and trace calls for contract development on paid tiersnot Compound

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Compound

  • Compound is a decentralized, non-custodial protocol governed by COMP token holders rather than a company; interest rates on supplied and borrowed assets are set algorithmically by pool utilization rather than published as a price list, so there is no vendor pricing page to compare against

Infura

  • The free plan is capped at 3 million credits a day, 500 credits per second and a single API key
  • The Debug and Trace APIs are withheld from the free plan and need Developer at $50 a month
  • Support on the free tier is community forums only
  • Unlimited API keys require the Team plan at $225 a month
  • Auto-scaling and an enhanced SLA are Enterprise only

Pricing, plan by plan

Compound

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Compound review.

Infura

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 100K requests/day
    • Core APIs
    • 3 projects
  • Developer$50/month
    • 200K requests/day
    • Archive data
    • 10 projects
  • Team$225/month
    • 1M requests/day
    • SLA
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Compound if

  • You need lending.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Ethereum.
  • You also want borrowing.
Compound review

Choose Infura if

  • You need ethereum apis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Api.
  • You also want ipfs gateway.
Infura review

Questions people ask

Is Compound or Infura better?
Neither clearly leads. Compound starts at Free and Infura at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Compound or Infura?
Compound starts at Free and Infura at Free.
Does Compound or Infura run on more platforms?
Compound runs on Ethereum. Infura runs on Api.
Can I use Compound for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Compound best used for?
Compound is most often used for decentralised finance (defi) lending and borrowing protocol on ethereum, cryptocurrency collateral management for usdc borrowing, interest earning through crypto asset supply, algorithmic interest rate determination based on supply and demand. Of those, decentralised finance (defi) lending and borrowing protocol on ethereum and cryptocurrency collateral management for usdc borrowing are not what Infura is typically brought in for.
What can Compound do that Infura cannot?
Compound covers Lending, Borrowing, cTokens, Governance. Infura covers Ethereum APIs, IPFS Gateway, Archive Data, WebSocket Support. Both handle Ethereum.
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