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Crypto · head to head

MakerDAO vs Moralis

MakerDAO logo

MakerDAO

Crypto

The decentralized stablecoin protocol

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Moralis logo

Moralis

Crypto

The easiest way to build Web3 apps

From
$149/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only MakerDAO has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Moralis the free plan is metered daily at 40,000 compute units rather than monthly, so a quiet week cannot offset a busy day
  • They diverge on capability: MakerDAO covers DAI Stablecoin, Moralis covers NFT API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MakerDAO and Moralis actually diverge.

Attributes where MakerDAO and Moralis differ
AttributeMakerDAOMoralis
Starting priceFree$149/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebApi, Web
Founded20152020

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Crypto).

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 Moralis

  • NFT API
  • Token API
  • Wallet API
  • Streams
  • Auth API
  • EVM chains
  • Solana
  • Aptos

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

MakerDAO

  • Definot Moralis
  • Stablecoinnot Moralis
  • Lendingnot Moralis

Moralis

  • Querying blockchain data across chains through a unified APInot MakerDAO
  • Building Web3 applications without running node infrastructurenot 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

Moralis

  • The free plan is metered daily at 40,000 compute units rather than monthly, so a quiet week cannot offset a busy day
  • API throughput is 40 requests per second on both the free and the $49 Starter plan, so paying does not raise the rate limit at the first tier
  • Doubling throughput to 80 requests per second requires the $199 Pro plan
  • Every published price assumes annual billing

Pricing, plan by plan

MakerDAO

Free
  • FreeFree
    • DAI minting
    • Vaults
    • Governance

Moralis

$149/month
  • Starter$149/month
    • 2 million compute units
    • 40 RPS throughput
    • 11.25 USD per million CU overage
  • Pro$249/month
    • 100 million compute units
    • 80 RPS throughput
    • 5 USD per million CU overage
  • Business$749/month
    • 500 million compute units
    • 200 RPS throughput
    • 4 USD per million CU overage
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Custom compute units and throughput

Which should you pick?

Choose MakerDAO if

  • You need dai stablecoin.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want vaults.
MakerDAO review

Choose Moralis if

  • You need nft api.
  • You work on Api, Web.
  • You also want token api.
Moralis review

Questions people ask

Is MakerDAO or Moralis better?
Neither clearly leads. MakerDAO starts at Free and Moralis at $149/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MakerDAO or Moralis?
MakerDAO has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for MakerDAO and $149/month for Moralis.
Does MakerDAO or Moralis run on more platforms?
MakerDAO runs on Web. Moralis runs on Api, Web.
Can I use MakerDAO for free?
Yes. MakerDAO has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Moralis starts at $149/month.
What is MakerDAO best used for?
MakerDAO is most often used for defi, stablecoin, lending. Of those, defi and stablecoin are not what Moralis is typically brought in for.
What can MakerDAO do that Moralis cannot?
MakerDAO covers DAI Stablecoin, Vaults, Stability Fees, Liquidations. Moralis covers NFT API, Token API, Wallet API, Streams. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Moralis: How much does Moralis cost?

Moralis pricing is 149 USD/month (Starter with 2M compute units), 249 USD/month (Pro with 100M CU), or 749 USD/month (Business with 500M CU). Annual billing required for cryptocurrency payment option.

Source
Moralis: Is there a free tier?

Moralis does not offer a free tier; all plans require payment starting at 149 USD/month.

Source
Moralis: What are the throughput limits?

Starter tier provides 40 RPS throughput, Pro tier provides 80 RPS, Business tier provides 200 RPS. Enterprise tier offers custom RPS limits.

Source
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