Cryptocurrency & Blockchain · head to head
Etherscan vs Compound
Etherscan
Cryptocurrency & Blockchain
The Ethereum blockchain explorer
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Compound
Cryptocurrency & Blockchain
Autonomous interest rate protocol
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
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; 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
- They diverge on capability: Etherscan covers Block Explorer, Compound covers Lending.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Etherscan and Compound actually diverge.
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 Etherscan
- Block Explorer
- Transaction Tracking
- Token Tracker
- Contract Verification
- Gas Tracker
- Ethereum mainnet
- Testnets
- Api support
Only in Compound
- Lending
- Borrowing
- cTokens
- Governance
- COMP Token
- Ethereum
Both cover
- Web 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 Compound
- Reading and verifying deployed smart contract source codenot Compound
- Pulling on-chain data into an application through the explorer APInot Compound
Compound
- Decentralised finance (DeFi) lending and borrowing protocol on Ethereumnot Etherscan
- Cryptocurrency collateral management for USDC borrowingnot Etherscan
- Interest earning through crypto asset supplynot Etherscan
- Algorithmic interest rate determination based on supply and demandnot 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
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
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
Compound
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Compound review.
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.
Choose Compound if
- You need lending.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Ethereum.
- You also want borrowing.
Questions people ask
- Is Etherscan or Compound better?
- Neither clearly leads. Etherscan starts at Free and Compound at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Etherscan or Compound?
- Etherscan starts at Free and Compound at Free.
- Does Etherscan or Compound run on more platforms?
- Etherscan runs on Web, Api. Compound runs on Ethereum.
- 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 Compound is typically brought in for.
- What can Etherscan do that Compound cannot?
- Etherscan covers Block Explorer, Transaction Tracking, Token Tracker, Contract Verification. Compound covers Lending, Borrowing, cTokens, Governance. Both handle Web support.