Software · head to head
MetaMask vs Alchemy
The short version
- Each has a real cost: MetaMask metaMask's source code is publicly viewable on GitHub but is covered by a proprietary ConsenSys license that prohibits redistribution, modification, merging, or reverse engineering; it is not open source; Alchemy the free tier is capped at 30M compute units a month and 25 requests per second
- They diverge on capability: MetaMask covers Wallet Management, Alchemy covers Node APIs.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which MetaMask and Alchemy actually diverge.
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 MetaMask
- Wallet Management
- Token Swaps
- Bridge
- dApp Browser
- Portfolio View
- Ethereum
- EVM chains
- Hardware wallets
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.
MetaMask
- Walletsnot Alchemy
- Web3not Alchemy
- Browser Extensionnot Alchemy
Alchemy
- Hosted blockchain node access across mainnets and testnetsnot MetaMask
- Backing a production web3 application without running nodesnot MetaMask
- Webhook-driven notifications for on-chain eventsnot MetaMask
- Scaling read throughput beyond self-hosted node limitsnot MetaMask
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
MetaMask
- MetaMask's source code is publicly viewable on GitHub but is covered by a proprietary ConsenSys license that prohibits redistribution, modification, merging, or reverse engineering; it is not open source
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
MetaMask
Free- FreeFree
- Wallet
- Swaps
- Bridge
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 MetaMask if
- You need wallet management.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Chrome, Firefox.
- You also want token swaps.
Choose Alchemy if
- You need node apis.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Api, Web.
- You also want enhanced apis.
Questions people ask
- Is MetaMask or Alchemy better?
- Neither clearly leads. MetaMask 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, MetaMask or Alchemy?
- MetaMask starts at Free and Alchemy at Free.
- Does MetaMask or Alchemy run on more platforms?
- MetaMask runs on Web, Ios, Android, Chrome, Firefox. Alchemy runs on Api, Web.
- Can I use MetaMask for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is MetaMask best used for?
- MetaMask is most often used for wallets, web3, browser extension. Of those, wallets and web3 are not what Alchemy is typically brought in for.
- What can MetaMask do that Alchemy cannot?
- MetaMask covers Wallet Management, Token Swaps, Bridge, dApp Browser. Alchemy covers Node APIs, Enhanced APIs, NFT API, Webhooks. Both handle Web support.