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Software · head to head

Infura vs Lido

Infura logo

Infura

Software

Ethereum and IPFS APIs for developers

From
Free
Rated
-
Lido logo

Lido

Software

Liquid staking for Ethereum and beyond

From
Free
Rated
-

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; Lido lido takes a 10% fee on staking rewards, split between node operators and the DAO Treasury
  • They diverge on capability: Infura covers Ethereum APIs, Lido covers Liquid Staking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Infura and Lido actually diverge.

Attributes where Infura and Lido differ
AttributeInfuraLido
Pricing modelfreemiumfree
PlatformsApiWeb
Founded20162020

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 Infura

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

Only in Lido

  • Liquid Staking
  • stETH Token
  • No Minimum
  • DeFi Composable
  • LDO Token
  • Multi-chain
  • Web 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 Lido
  • Archive data queries without running an archive nodenot Lido
  • Backing a production dapp with managed RPC endpointsnot Lido
  • Debug and trace calls for contract development on paid tiersnot Lido

Lido

  • Liquid staking of ETH and other proof of stake tokensnot 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

Lido

  • Lido takes a 10% fee on staking rewards, split between node operators and the DAO Treasury

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

Lido

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Liquid staking
    • stETH token
    • DeFi integration

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.

Choose Lido if

  • You need liquid staking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want steth token.

Questions people ask

Is Infura or Lido better?
Neither clearly leads. Infura starts at Free and Lido at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Infura or Lido?
Infura starts at Free and Lido at Free.
Does Infura or Lido run on more platforms?
Infura runs on Api. Lido runs on 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 Lido is typically brought in for.
What can Infura do that Lido cannot?
Infura covers Ethereum APIs, IPFS Gateway, Archive Data, WebSocket Support. Lido covers Liquid Staking, stETH Token, No Minimum, DeFi Composable.

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