Cryptocurrency & Blockchain · head to head
Glassnode vs CoinMarketCap
CoinMarketCap
Cryptocurrency & Blockchain
The world's most-referenced price-tracking website
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Glassnode pricing tiers and free tier limitations not published on public website; requires direct inquiry; CoinMarketCap the free Basic plan gives historical data going back only 60 seconds, so it cannot answer any question about the past
- They diverge on capability: Glassnode covers On-chain Metrics, CoinMarketCap covers Price Tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Glassnode and CoinMarketCap actually diverge.
| Attribute | Glassnode | CoinMarketCap |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Unknown | freemium |
| Platforms | Web, API, CLI, Snowflake integration | Web, Ios, Android |
| Founded | 2018 | 2013 |
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 Glassnode
- On-chain Metrics
- Market Indicators
- Exchange Flows
- Whale Tracking
- Derivatives Data
- API
- Studio dashboards
Only in CoinMarketCap
- Price Tracking
- Market Cap Rankings
- Portfolio Tracker
- Crypto News
- API Access
- Binance
- Exchanges
- Ios support
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Glassnode
- On-chain cryptocurrency analyticsnot CoinMarketCap
- Bitcoin and Ethereum market researchnot CoinMarketCap
- Institutional crypto asset analysisnot CoinMarketCap
CoinMarketCap
- Cryptocurrency price and market capitalisation data over an APInot Glassnode
- Historical market data for analysis and backtestingnot Glassnode
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Glassnode
- Pricing tiers and free tier limitations not published on public website; requires direct inquiry
CoinMarketCap
- The free Basic plan gives historical data going back only 60 seconds, so it cannot answer any question about the past
- Three years of history requires the $29 Builder plan and all time history the $79 Startup plan
- Free is capped at 15,000 credits a month and 50 requests a minute
- Rate limits are tiered separately from credits, from 50 a minute on free to 1,200 on Professional
- Enterprise pricing is custom despite listing 30,000,000 credits
Pricing, plan by plan
Glassnode
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Glassnode review.
CoinMarketCap
Free- FreeFree
- Price data
- Charts
- Portfolio
- API Basic$79/month
- 10K credits/month
- Historical data
Which should you pick?
Choose Glassnode if
- You need on-chain metrics.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, API, CLI, Snowflake integration.
- You also want market indicators.
Choose CoinMarketCap if
- You need price tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want market cap rankings.
Questions people ask
- Is Glassnode or CoinMarketCap better?
- Neither clearly leads. Glassnode starts at Free and CoinMarketCap at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Glassnode or CoinMarketCap?
- Glassnode starts at Free and CoinMarketCap at Free.
- Does Glassnode or CoinMarketCap run on more platforms?
- Glassnode runs on Web, API, CLI, Snowflake integration. CoinMarketCap runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- Can I use Glassnode for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Glassnode best used for?
- Glassnode is most often used for on-chain cryptocurrency analytics, bitcoin and ethereum market research, institutional crypto asset analysis. Of those, on-chain cryptocurrency analytics and bitcoin and ethereum market research are not what CoinMarketCap is typically brought in for.
- What can Glassnode do that CoinMarketCap cannot?
- Glassnode covers On-chain Metrics, Market Indicators, Exchange Flows, Whale Tracking. CoinMarketCap covers Price Tracking, Market Cap Rankings, Portfolio Tracker, Crypto News. Both handle Web support.