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Crypto · head to head

Etherscan vs Sigma Computing

Etherscan logo

Etherscan

Crypto

The Ethereum blockchain explorer

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sigma Computing logo

Sigma Computing

Spreadsheets

Spreadsheet-style analytics that queries a cloud data warehouse directly with no extract layer

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Etherscan has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Etherscan the free API plan is capped at 3 calls per second and 100,000 calls per day; Sigma Computing every user interaction is a live warehouse query, so compute costs rise with adoption and land on the warehouse invoice rather than the BI line item, which routinely surprises the team that approved the purchase.
  • They diverge on capability: Etherscan covers Block Explorer, Sigma Computing covers Spreadsheet interface over SQL.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Etherscan and Sigma Computing actually diverge.

Attributes where Etherscan and Sigma Computing differ
AttributeEtherscanSigma Computing
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb
CategoryCryptoSpreadsheets
Founded2015Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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
  • Web support

Only in Sigma Computing

  • Spreadsheet interface over SQL
  • No extract layer
  • Input tables and write-back
  • Workbooks
  • Embedded analytics
  • Version control and dbt awareness

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 Sigma Computing
  • Reading and verifying deployed smart contract source codenot Sigma Computing
  • Pulling on-chain data into an application through the explorer APInot Sigma Computing

Sigma Computing

  • A finance or operations team that lives in spreadsheets and needs warehouse-scale data without exporting CSVsnot Etherscan
  • An organisation that has consolidated on Snowflake or Databricks and wants one governed access layer rather than several desktop toolsnot Etherscan
  • Planning and scenario work where users need to type assumptions back into governed tables rather than into a local filenot Etherscan
  • Embedding customer-facing analytics into a product where each tenant must only see their own rowsnot 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

Sigma Computing

  • Every user interaction is a live warehouse query, so compute costs rise with adoption and land on the warehouse invoice rather than the BI line item, which routinely surprises the team that approved the purchase.
  • It cannot work without a supported cloud data warehouse, so an organisation running analytics on an on-premises database or a plain application database has nothing to connect to.
  • Pricing is not published and seats are differentiated by capability, so budgeting requires a sales cycle and a headcount forecast before you can compare it with a tool you could simply buy.
  • Performance is only as good as the warehouse behind it, which means slow or badly modelled tables surface as a slow interface and the fix is a data engineering project, not a Sigma setting.
  • Statistical and scientific visualisation is limited compared with dedicated tools, so anything beyond standard business charting has to be done elsewhere and brought back in.

Pricing, plan by plan

Etherscan

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 calls per second rate limit
    • Up to 100,000 API calls per day
    • Selected chains with 90% coverage
  • Lite$49/month
    • 5 calls per second rate limit
    • Up to 100,000 API calls per day
    • All supported chains with community endpoints
  • Standard$199/month
    • 10 calls per second rate limit
    • Up to 200,000 API calls per day
    • API Pro endpoints access
  • Advanced$299/month
    • 20 calls per second rate limit
    • Up to 500,000 API calls per day

Sigma Computing

On request
  • Sigma Computing$undefined/year
    • Quoted per organisation
    • Seat types are differentiated by whether a user views, explores or authors
    • Warehouse compute is billed separately by your cloud data warehouse vendor

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 Sigma Computing if

  • You need spreadsheet interface over sql.
  • You also want no extract layer.
Sigma Computing review

Questions people ask

Is Etherscan or Sigma Computing better?
Neither clearly leads. Etherscan starts at Free and Sigma Computing at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Etherscan or Sigma Computing?
Etherscan has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Etherscan and On request for Sigma Computing.
Does Etherscan or Sigma Computing run on more platforms?
Etherscan runs on Web, Api. Sigma Computing runs on Web.
Can I use Etherscan for free?
Yes. Etherscan has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sigma Computing starts at On request.
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 Sigma Computing is typically brought in for.
What can Etherscan do that Sigma Computing cannot?
Etherscan covers Block Explorer, Transaction Tracking, Token Tracker, Contract Verification. Sigma Computing covers Spreadsheet interface over SQL, No extract layer, Input tables and write-back, Workbooks.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Etherscan: Is Etherscan API free to use?

Etherscan offers a free plan with a 3 calls per second rate limit and up to 100,000 API calls per day. The free tier provides access to selected chains with 90% coverage and requires attribution. Additional premium plans start at $49 per month.

Source
Sigma Computing: Does Sigma store a copy of my data?

No. Queries are executed on your warehouse and results are returned for display, which is why there is no extract refresh to manage.

Etherscan: What are Etherscan's rate limits?

Etherscan provides different rate limits based on plan: Free plan allows 3 calls per second, Lite allows 5 calls per second, Standard allows 10 calls per second, Advanced and Professional allow 20-30 calls per second, and Pro Plus allows 30 calls per second with up to 1,500,000 API calls per day.

Source
Sigma Computing: What does it actually cost?

The vendor does not publish prices. Expect an annual contract priced by seat type, plus a warehouse compute increase you should model separately.

Etherscan: Can I get a refund for Etherscan API payments?

No. Etherscan explicitly states that all payments made are non-refundable. Accounts are activated within 24 hours for API Pro accounts, and auto-renewal is enabled by default through Stripe.

Source
Sigma Computing: Can business users break the warehouse?

They can run expensive queries. Warehouse sizing, query limits and materialised tables are the controls, and they need configuring before a wide rollout.

Sigma Computing: Is it a replacement for a modelling layer like dbt?

No. Sigma works best on top of modelled tables and is usually deployed alongside dbt rather than instead of it.

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