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Software · head to head

Etherscan vs Alchemy

Etherscan logo

Etherscan

Software

The Ethereum blockchain explorer

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Alchemy logo

Alchemy

Software

The web3 development platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Etherscan the free API plan is capped at 3 calls per second and 100,000 calls per day; Alchemy the free tier is capped at 30M compute units a month and 25 requests per second
  • They diverge on capability: Etherscan covers Block Explorer, Alchemy covers Node APIs.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Etherscan and Alchemy actually diverge.

Attributes where Etherscan and Alchemy differ
AttributeEtherscanAlchemy
PlatformsWeb, ApiApi, Web
Founded20152017

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 Etherscan

  • Block Explorer
  • Transaction Tracking
  • Token Tracker
  • Contract Verification
  • Gas Tracker
  • Ethereum mainnet
  • Testnets

Only in Alchemy

  • Node APIs
  • Enhanced APIs
  • NFT API
  • Webhooks
  • Mempool
  • 35+ chains
  • SDKs

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Api support

What people use each for

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

Etherscan

  • Looking up Ethereum transactions, addresses and token transfers in a block explorernot Alchemy
  • Reading and verifying deployed smart contract source codenot Alchemy
  • Pulling on-chain data into an application through the explorer APInot Alchemy

Alchemy

  • Hosted blockchain node access across mainnets and testnetsnot Etherscan
  • Backing a production web3 application without running nodesnot Etherscan
  • Webhook-driven notifications for on-chain eventsnot Etherscan
  • Scaling read throughput beyond self-hosted node limitsnot Etherscan

Where each one falls short

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

Etherscan

  • The free API plan is capped at 3 calls per second and 100,000 calls per day
  • The free plan requires attribution and covers only selected chains rather than all supported chains
  • API Pro endpoints are withheld below the Standard plan at $199 per month
  • The $49 per month Lite plan raises the rate limit to only 5 calls per second and keeps the same 100,000 calls per day as the free tier
  • Rate limits top out at 30 calls per second even on the $899 per month Pro Plus plan
  • The Address Metadata endpoint requires Pro Plus at $899 per month and is limited to one app license
  • Metadata CSV export and dedicated support are only in Metadata Enterprise, which is quoted by contact with no published price
  • The 10% and 15% discounts apply only to quarterly and yearly prepayment

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

Etherscan

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Block explorer
    • 5 API calls/sec
    • Basic analytics
  • Standard$199/month
    • 10 API calls/sec
    • Advanced APIs
  • Pro$399/month
    • 30 API calls/sec
    • Priority support

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 Etherscan if

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

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

Questions people ask

Is Etherscan or Alchemy better?
Neither clearly leads. Etherscan 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, Etherscan or Alchemy?
Etherscan starts at Free and Alchemy at Free.
Does Etherscan or Alchemy run on more platforms?
Etherscan runs on Web, Api. Alchemy runs on Api, Web.
Can I use Etherscan for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Etherscan best used for?
Etherscan is most often used for looking up ethereum transactions, addresses and token transfers in a block explorer, reading and verifying deployed smart contract source code, pulling on-chain data into an application through the explorer api. Of those, looking up ethereum transactions, addresses and token transfers in a block explorer and reading and verifying deployed smart contract source code are not what Alchemy is typically brought in for.
What can Etherscan do that Alchemy cannot?
Etherscan covers Block Explorer, Transaction Tracking, Token Tracker, Contract Verification. Alchemy covers Node APIs, Enhanced APIs, NFT API, Webhooks. Both handle Web support, Api support.
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