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Cryptocurrency & Blockchain · head to head

PancakeSwap vs Alchemy

PancakeSwap logo

PancakeSwap

Cryptocurrency & Blockchain

The most popular DEX on BNB Chain

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Alchemy logo

Alchemy

Cryptocurrency & Blockchain

The web3 development platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: PancakeSwap no custody of user funds, users must manage wallet security; Alchemy the free tier is capped at 30M compute units a month and 25 requests per second
  • They diverge on capability: PancakeSwap covers Token Swaps, Alchemy covers Node APIs.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PancakeSwap and Alchemy actually diverge.

Attributes where PancakeSwap and Alchemy differ
AttributePancakeSwapAlchemy
Pricing modelfreefreemium
PlatformsWebApi, Web
Founded20202017

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 PancakeSwap

  • Token Swaps
  • Yield Farming
  • Syrup Pools
  • Lottery
  • NFT Marketplace
  • CAKE Token
  • BNB Chain

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.

PancakeSwap

  • Definot Alchemy
  • Dexnot Alchemy
  • Bnb Chainnot Alchemy

Alchemy

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

Where each one falls short

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

PancakeSwap

  • No custody of user funds, users must manage wallet security
  • Decentralized governance means limited recourse for issues
  • Subject to cryptocurrency market volatility and regulatory uncertainty

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

PancakeSwap

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Token swaps
    • Farming
    • Lottery

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 PancakeSwap if

  • You need token swaps.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want yield farming.
PancakeSwap 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 PancakeSwap or Alchemy better?
Neither clearly leads. PancakeSwap 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, PancakeSwap or Alchemy?
PancakeSwap starts at Free and Alchemy at Free.
Does PancakeSwap or Alchemy run on more platforms?
PancakeSwap runs on Web. Alchemy runs on Api, Web.
Can I use PancakeSwap for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is PancakeSwap best used for?
PancakeSwap is most often used for defi, dex, bnb chain. Of those, defi and dex are not what Alchemy is typically brought in for.
What can PancakeSwap do that Alchemy cannot?
PancakeSwap covers Token Swaps, Yield Farming, Syrup Pools, Lottery. Alchemy covers Node APIs, Enhanced APIs, NFT API, Webhooks. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PancakeSwap: What blockchain does PancakeSwap use?

PancakeSwap was launched in September 2020 on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC). The platform also integrated trading services with BNB Chain, Base, and Arbitrum One to expand beyond its original network.

Source
PancakeSwap: What wallets does PancakeSwap support?

PancakeSwap supports several wallet options including MetaMask, Trust Wallet, WalletConnect, and Binance Chain Wallet.

Source
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Related pages

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