Softwr

Cryptocurrency & Blockchain · head to head

Lido vs The Graph

Lido logo

Lido

Cryptocurrency & Blockchain

Liquid staking for Ethereum and beyond

From
Free
Rated
-
The Graph logo

The Graph

Cryptocurrency & Blockchain

The indexing protocol for Web3

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Lido lido takes a 10% fee on staking rewards, split between node operators and the DAO Treasury; 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: Lido covers Liquid Staking, The Graph covers Subgraph Indexing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lido and The Graph actually diverge.

Attributes where Lido and The Graph differ
AttributeLidoThe Graph
Pricing modelfreeusage-based
PlatformsWebWeb, Api
Founded20202018

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 Lido

  • Liquid Staking
  • stETH Token
  • No Minimum
  • DeFi Composable
  • LDO Token
  • Multi-chain

Only in The Graph

  • Subgraph Indexing
  • GraphQL API
  • Decentralized Network
  • Multi-chain Support
  • GRT Token
  • 30+ chains
  • Api support

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Lido

  • Liquid staking of ETH and other proof of stake tokensnot The Graph

The Graph

  • Indexing and querying blockchain data through subgraphs across 60+ networksnot Lido

Where each one falls short

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

Lido

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

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

Lido

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

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 Lido if

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

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 Lido or The Graph better?
Neither clearly leads. Lido 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, Lido or The Graph?
Lido starts at Free and The Graph at Free.
Does Lido or The Graph run on more platforms?
Lido runs on Web. The Graph runs on Web, Api.
Can I use Lido for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Lido best used for?
Lido is most often used for liquid staking of eth and other proof of stake tokens. Of those, liquid staking of eth and other proof of stake tokens is not what The Graph is typically brought in for.
What can Lido do that The Graph cannot?
Lido covers Liquid Staking, stETH Token, No Minimum, DeFi Composable. The Graph covers Subgraph Indexing, GraphQL API, Decentralized Network, Multi-chain Support. Both handle Web support.

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