Softwr

Software · head to head

Infura vs Alchemy

Infura logo

Infura

Software

Ethereum and IPFS APIs for developers

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: Infura the free plan is capped at 3 million credits a day, 500 credits per second and a single API key; Alchemy the free tier is capped at 30M compute units a month and 25 requests per second
  • They diverge on capability: Infura covers Ethereum APIs, Alchemy covers Node APIs.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Infura and Alchemy actually diverge.

Attributes where Infura and Alchemy differ
AttributeInfuraAlchemy
PlatformsApiApi, Web
Founded20162017

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 Infura

  • Ethereum APIs
  • IPFS Gateway
  • Archive Data
  • WebSocket Support
  • Transaction Pool
  • Ethereum
  • IPFS
  • Polygon

Only in Alchemy

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

Both cover

  • Api support

What people use each for

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

Infura

  • Hosted Ethereum and multi-chain node access across 40+ networksnot Alchemy
  • Archive data queries without running an archive nodenot Alchemy
  • Backing a production dapp with managed RPC endpointsnot Alchemy
  • Debug and trace calls for contract development on paid tiersnot Alchemy

Alchemy

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

Where each one falls short

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

Infura

  • The free plan is capped at 3 million credits a day, 500 credits per second and a single API key
  • The Debug and Trace APIs are withheld from the free plan and need Developer at $50 a month
  • Support on the free tier is community forums only
  • Unlimited API keys require the Team plan at $225 a month
  • Auto-scaling and an enhanced SLA are Enterprise only

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

Infura

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 100K requests/day
    • Core APIs
    • 3 projects
  • Developer$50/month
    • 200K requests/day
    • Archive data
    • 10 projects
  • Team$225/month
    • 1M requests/day
    • SLA
    • 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 Infura if

  • You need ethereum apis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Api.
  • You also want ipfs gateway.
Infura 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 Infura or Alchemy better?
Neither clearly leads. Infura 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, Infura or Alchemy?
Infura starts at Free and Alchemy at Free.
Does Infura or Alchemy run on more platforms?
Infura runs on Api. Alchemy runs on Api, Web.
Can I use Infura for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Infura best used for?
Infura is most often used for hosted ethereum and multi-chain node access across 40+ networks, archive data queries without running an archive node, backing a production dapp with managed rpc endpoints, debug and trace calls for contract development on paid tiers. Of those, hosted ethereum and multi-chain node access across 40+ networks and archive data queries without running an archive node are not what Alchemy is typically brought in for.
What can Infura do that Alchemy cannot?
Infura covers Ethereum APIs, IPFS Gateway, Archive Data, WebSocket Support. Alchemy covers Node APIs, Enhanced APIs, NFT API, Webhooks. Both handle Api support.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Infura

More on Alchemy

Keep looking

Other head to heads