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MakerDAO vs Alchemy

MakerDAO logo

MakerDAO

Software

The decentralized stablecoin protocol

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: MakerDAO makerDAO is governed as a decentralized autonomous organization by MKR token holder vote rather than a vendor, so it has no company-set price list, subscription tiers or sales contact; access and fees (stability fee, liquidation ratio) are set by on-chain governance vote rather than published as a product price; Alchemy the free tier is capped at 30M compute units a month and 25 requests per second
  • They diverge on capability: MakerDAO covers DAI Stablecoin, Alchemy covers Node APIs.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MakerDAO and Alchemy actually diverge.

Attributes where MakerDAO and Alchemy differ
AttributeMakerDAOAlchemy
Pricing modelfreefreemium
PlatformsWebApi, Web
Founded20152017

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 MakerDAO

  • DAI Stablecoin
  • Vaults
  • Stability Fees
  • Liquidations
  • Governance
  • MKR Token
  • DAI
  • Spark Protocol

Only in Alchemy

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

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

MakerDAO

  • Definot Alchemy
  • Stablecoinnot Alchemy
  • Lendingnot Alchemy

Alchemy

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

Where each one falls short

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

MakerDAO

  • MakerDAO is governed as a decentralized autonomous organization by MKR token holder vote rather than a vendor, so it has no company-set price list, subscription tiers or sales contact; access and fees (stability fee, liquidation ratio) are set by on-chain governance vote rather than published as a product price

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

MakerDAO

Free
  • FreeFree
    • DAI minting
    • Vaults
    • Governance

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 MakerDAO if

  • You need dai stablecoin.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want vaults.
MakerDAO 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 MakerDAO or Alchemy better?
Neither clearly leads. MakerDAO 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, MakerDAO or Alchemy?
MakerDAO starts at Free and Alchemy at Free.
Does MakerDAO or Alchemy run on more platforms?
MakerDAO runs on Web. Alchemy runs on Api, Web.
Can I use MakerDAO for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is MakerDAO best used for?
MakerDAO is most often used for defi, stablecoin, lending. Of those, defi and stablecoin are not what Alchemy is typically brought in for.
What can MakerDAO do that Alchemy cannot?
MakerDAO covers DAI Stablecoin, Vaults, Stability Fees, Liquidations. Alchemy covers Node APIs, Enhanced APIs, NFT API, Webhooks. Both handle Web support.
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