Software · head to head
Dune Analytics vs Alchemy
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Dune Analytics free tier has 10-minute query execution delay versus 1-2 minutes on paid plans; Alchemy the free tier is capped at 30M compute units a month and 25 requests per second
- They diverge on capability: Dune Analytics covers SQL Queries, Alchemy covers Node APIs.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Dune Analytics and Alchemy actually diverge.
| Attribute | Dune Analytics | Alchemy |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web | Api, Web |
| Founded | 2018 | 2017 |
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 Dune Analytics
- SQL Queries
- Dashboards
- Multi-chain Data
- API Access
- Spellbook
- 20+ blockchains
- Community wizards
Only in Alchemy
- Node APIs
- Enhanced APIs
- NFT API
- Webhooks
- Mempool
- 35+ chains
- SDKs
- Api support
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Dune Analytics
- Analyticsnot Alchemy
- Datanot Alchemy
- Researchnot Alchemy
Alchemy
- Hosted blockchain node access across mainnets and testnetsnot Dune Analytics
- Backing a production web3 application without running nodesnot Dune Analytics
- Webhook-driven notifications for on-chain eventsnot Dune Analytics
- Scaling read throughput beyond self-hosted node limitsnot Dune Analytics
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Dune Analytics
- Free tier has 10-minute query execution delay versus 1-2 minutes on paid plans
- Decoded tables lag blockchain by 5-10 minutes on free tier
- API rate limits on free tier capped at 40 requests per minute
- Requires SQL knowledge to build custom queries; limited no-code dashboard creation
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Dune Analytics
Free- FreeFree
- Public queries
- Community dashboards
- Limited executions
- Plus$349/month
- Private queries
- CSV export
- Priority execution
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
Which should you pick?
Choose Dune Analytics if
- You need sql queries.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want dashboards.
Choose Alchemy if
- You need node apis.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Api, Web.
- You also want enhanced apis.
Questions people ask
- Is Dune Analytics or Alchemy better?
- Neither clearly leads. Dune Analytics starts at Free and Alchemy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Dune Analytics or Alchemy?
- Dune Analytics starts at Free and Alchemy at Free.
- Does Dune Analytics or Alchemy run on more platforms?
- Dune Analytics runs on Web. Alchemy runs on Api, Web.
- Can I use Dune Analytics for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Dune Analytics best used for?
- Dune Analytics is most often used for analytics, data, research. Of those, analytics and data are not what Alchemy is typically brought in for.
- What can Dune Analytics do that Alchemy cannot?
- Dune Analytics covers SQL Queries, Dashboards, Multi-chain Data, API Access. Alchemy covers Node APIs, Enhanced APIs, NFT API, Webhooks. Both handle Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Dune Analytics: Does Dune Analytics have a free tier?
Yes. Dune offers a free tier with unlimited queries, up to 10-minute execution delays, public dashboards, and 100 MB storage. Paid plans (Plus at $399/month, Premium at $999/month) unlock faster execution and larger result sets.
SourceDune Analytics: What blockchain networks does Dune support?
Dune supports over 130 blockchain networks including Ethereum, Polygon, Optimism, Solana, Bitcoin, and other EVM and non-EVM compatible chains with decoded transaction and event data.
SourceDune Analytics: Can I export my Dune dashboards and data?
Yes. The free tier supports basic export. Paid tiers unlock CSV export and Datashare feature that allows you to stream curated blockchain data directly to Snowflake, BigQuery, or Databricks.
SourceDune Analytics: What external tools can I connect to Dune?
Dune supports connections to Hex, Metabase, DBeaver, PowerBI, and other tools via its Trino warehouse connector, and can stream data to Snowflake, BigQuery, and Databricks. It also offers dbt integration and an API.
Source