Software · head to head
Glassnode vs Etherscan
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Glassnode pricing tiers and free tier limitations not published on public website; requires direct inquiry; Etherscan the free API plan is capped at 3 calls per second and 100,000 calls per day
- They diverge on capability: Glassnode covers On-chain Metrics, Etherscan covers Block Explorer.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Glassnode and Etherscan actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Glassnode
- On-chain Metrics
- Market Indicators
- Exchange Flows
- Whale Tracking
- Derivatives Data
- API
- Studio dashboards
Only in Etherscan
- Block Explorer
- Transaction Tracking
- Token Tracker
- Contract Verification
- Gas Tracker
- Ethereum mainnet
- Testnets
- Api 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 Etherscan
- Bitcoin and Ethereum market researchnot Etherscan
- Institutional crypto asset analysisnot Etherscan
Etherscan
- Looking up Ethereum transactions, addresses and token transfers in a block explorernot Glassnode
- Reading and verifying deployed smart contract source codenot Glassnode
- Pulling on-chain data into an application through the explorer APInot 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
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Glassnode
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Glassnode review.
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
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 Etherscan if
- You need block explorer.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want transaction tracking.
Questions people ask
- Is Glassnode or Etherscan better?
- Neither clearly leads. Glassnode starts at Free and Etherscan at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Glassnode or Etherscan?
- Glassnode starts at Free and Etherscan at Free.
- Does Glassnode or Etherscan run on more platforms?
- Glassnode runs on Web, API, CLI, Snowflake integration. Etherscan runs on Web, Api.
- 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 Etherscan is typically brought in for.
- What can Glassnode do that Etherscan cannot?
- Glassnode covers On-chain Metrics, Market Indicators, Exchange Flows, Whale Tracking. Etherscan covers Block Explorer, Transaction Tracking, Token Tracker, Contract Verification. Both handle Web support.