Cryptocurrency & Blockchain · head to head
Infura vs The Graph
Infura
Cryptocurrency & Blockchain
Ethereum and IPFS APIs for developers
- 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; The Graph subgraph Studio's free tier caps at 100,000 queries per month; usage beyond that is billed at $2 per 100,000 queries
- They diverge on capability: Infura covers Ethereum APIs, The Graph covers Subgraph Indexing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Infura and The Graph actually diverge.
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 Infura
- Ethereum APIs
- IPFS Gateway
- Archive Data
- WebSocket Support
- Transaction Pool
- Ethereum
- IPFS
- Polygon
Only in The Graph
- Subgraph Indexing
- GraphQL API
- Decentralized Network
- Multi-chain Support
- GRT Token
- 30+ chains
- 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 The Graph
- Archive data queries without running an archive nodenot The Graph
- Backing a production dapp with managed RPC endpointsnot The Graph
- Debug and trace calls for contract development on paid tiersnot The Graph
The Graph
- Indexing and querying blockchain data through subgraphs across 60+ networksnot 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
The Graph
- Subgraph Studio's free tier caps at 100,000 queries per month; usage beyond that is billed at $2 per 100,000 queries
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
The Graph
Free- Free TierFree
- 100K queries
- Subgraph Studio
- Testnet
- Pay as you go$0.00004/query
- Unlimited queries
- Mainnet
- Multi-chain
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 The Graph if
- You need subgraph indexing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want graphql api.
Questions people ask
- Is Infura or The Graph better?
- Neither clearly leads. Infura starts at Free and The Graph at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Infura or The Graph?
- Infura starts at Free and The Graph at Free.
- Does Infura or The Graph run on more platforms?
- Infura runs on Api. The Graph runs on Web, Api.
- 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 The Graph is typically brought in for.
- What can Infura do that The Graph cannot?
- Infura covers Ethereum APIs, IPFS Gateway, Archive Data, WebSocket Support. The Graph covers Subgraph Indexing, GraphQL API, Decentralized Network, Multi-chain Support. Both handle Api support.