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Crypto · head to head

Moralis vs Polygonscan

Moralis logo

Moralis

Crypto

The easiest way to build Web3 apps

From
$149/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Polygonscan logo

Polygonscan

Crypto

Polygon PoS chain explorer

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Polygonscan has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Moralis the free plan is metered daily at 40,000 compute units rather than monthly, so a quiet week cannot offset a busy day; Polygonscan the PolygonScan API page now redirects to Etherscan's unified multichain API pricing, so Polygon data is bought under Etherscan plans rather than a PolygonScan-specific one
  • They diverge on capability: Moralis covers NFT API, Polygonscan covers Block Explorer.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Moralis and Polygonscan actually diverge.

Attributes where Moralis and Polygonscan differ
AttributeMoralisPolygonscan
Starting price$149/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsApi, WebWeb, Api
Founded20202021

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 Moralis

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

Only in Polygonscan

  • Block Explorer
  • Transaction Tracking
  • Token Tracker
  • Contract Verification
  • Bridge Monitor
  • Polygon PoS
  • ERC-20 tokens

Both cover

  • Api support
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Moralis

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

Polygonscan

  • Exploring Polygon transactions, addresses and token transfersnot Moralis
  • Verifying and reading Polygon smart contract source codenot Moralis
  • Querying Polygon on-chain data through the explorer APInot Moralis

Where each one falls short

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

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

Polygonscan

  • The PolygonScan API page now redirects to Etherscan's unified multichain API pricing, so Polygon data is bought under Etherscan plans rather than a PolygonScan-specific one
  • The free API plan is capped at 3 calls per second and 100,000 calls per day and requires attribution
  • API Pro endpoints start at the Standard plan at $199 per month
  • Rate limits top out at 30 calls per second even on the $899 per month Pro Plus plan
  • Metadata CSV export and dedicated support require Metadata Enterprise, which is quoted by contact with no published price

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Polygonscan

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Block explorer
    • 5 API calls/sec
    • Token tracker
  • Pro$199/month
    • Higher rate limits
    • Advanced APIs

Which should you pick?

Choose Moralis if

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

Choose Polygonscan if

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

Questions people ask

Is Moralis or Polygonscan better?
Neither clearly leads. Moralis starts at $149/month and Polygonscan at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Moralis or Polygonscan?
Polygonscan has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $149/month for Moralis and Free for Polygonscan.
Does Moralis or Polygonscan run on more platforms?
Moralis runs on Api, Web. Polygonscan runs on Web, Api.
Can I use Polygonscan for free?
Yes. Polygonscan has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Moralis starts at $149/month.
What is Moralis best used for?
Moralis is most often used for querying blockchain data across chains through a unified api, building web3 applications without running node infrastructure. Of those, querying blockchain data across chains through a unified api and building web3 applications without running node infrastructure are not what Polygonscan is typically brought in for.
What can Moralis do that Polygonscan cannot?
Moralis covers NFT API, Token API, Wallet API, Streams. Polygonscan covers Block Explorer, Transaction Tracking, Token Tracker, Contract Verification. Both handle Api support, 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
Polygonscan: Does Polygonscan have a free API tier?

Yes. Polygonscan redirects to Etherscan's API pricing, which offers a free tier with 3 calls/second limit and up to 100,000 API calls/day on selected chains. Attribution is required for the free tier.

Source
Moralis: Is there a free tier?

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

Source
Polygonscan: What are the paid API tiers and their costs?

Etherscan offers six paid tiers: Lite ($49/month), Standard ($199), Advanced ($299), Professional ($399), Pro Plus ($899), and Dedicated (custom). All tiers offer discounts for quarterly (10%) or annual (15%) billing.

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
Polygonscan: What request limits apply to each tier?

Lite allows 5 calls/second and 100,000 daily calls. Standard provides 10 calls/second and 200,000 daily calls. Advanced offers 20 calls/second and 500,000 daily calls. Professional allows 30 calls/second and 1,000,000 daily calls. Pro Plus supports 30 calls/second and 1,500,000 daily calls. Dedicated offers unmetered calls.

Source
Polygonscan: Are subscriptions auto-renewed and can I get a refund?

Stripe billing auto-renews by default unless canceled before the renewal date. Payments are non-refundable and the provider does not issue refunds or credits.

Source
Polygonscan: Is there a minimum contract or can I cancel anytime?

No minimum contract is stated. Users can cancel anytime before renewal, though payments already made are non-refundable.

Source
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