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Cryptocurrency & Blockchain · head to head

Ledger Live vs Etherscan

Ledger Live logo

Ledger Live

Cryptocurrency & Blockchain

Manage your crypto securely

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Etherscan logo

Etherscan

Cryptocurrency & Blockchain

The Ethereum blockchain explorer

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Ledger Live ledger Live is designed to work with a physical Ledger hardware wallet plugged into the device by USB and does not function as a standalone software wallet; Etherscan the free API plan is capped at 3 calls per second and 100,000 calls per day
  • They diverge on capability: Ledger Live covers Portfolio Management, Etherscan covers Block Explorer.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ledger Live and Etherscan actually diverge.

Attributes where Ledger Live and Etherscan differ
AttributeLedger LiveEtherscan
Pricing modelfreefreemium
PlatformsDesktop, Ios, AndroidWeb, Api
Founded20142015

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 Ledger Live

  • Portfolio Management
  • Buy/Sell Crypto
  • Staking
  • Swap
  • NFT Gallery
  • Ledger hardware wallets
  • DeFi apps
  • Desktop support

Only in Etherscan

  • Block Explorer
  • Transaction Tracking
  • Token Tracker
  • Contract Verification
  • Gas Tracker
  • Ethereum mainnet
  • Testnets
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Ledger Live

  • Managing crypto assets and viewing balances alongside a Ledger hardware walletnot Etherscan
  • Signing transactions offline through a connected hardware devicenot Etherscan

Etherscan

  • Looking up Ethereum transactions, addresses and token transfers in a block explorernot Ledger Live
  • Reading and verifying deployed smart contract source codenot Ledger Live
  • Pulling on-chain data into an application through the explorer APInot Ledger Live

Where each one falls short

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

Ledger Live

  • Ledger Live is designed to work with a physical Ledger hardware wallet plugged into the device by USB and does not function as a standalone software wallet

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

Ledger Live

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Portfolio tracking
    • Buy/Sell
    • Staking

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 Ledger Live if

  • You need portfolio management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Desktop, Ios, Android.
  • You also want buy/sell crypto.
Ledger Live review

Choose Etherscan if

  • You need block explorer.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want transaction tracking.
Etherscan review

Questions people ask

Is Ledger Live or Etherscan better?
Neither clearly leads. Ledger Live 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, Ledger Live or Etherscan?
Ledger Live starts at Free and Etherscan at Free.
Does Ledger Live or Etherscan run on more platforms?
Ledger Live runs on Desktop, Ios, Android. Etherscan runs on Web, Api.
Can I use Ledger Live for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Ledger Live best used for?
Ledger Live is most often used for managing crypto assets and viewing balances alongside a ledger hardware wallet, signing transactions offline through a connected hardware device. Of those, managing crypto assets and viewing balances alongside a ledger hardware wallet and signing transactions offline through a connected hardware device are not what Etherscan is typically brought in for.
What can Ledger Live do that Etherscan cannot?
Ledger Live covers Portfolio Management, Buy/Sell Crypto, Staking, Swap. Etherscan covers Block Explorer, Transaction Tracking, Token Tracker, Contract Verification.
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