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Software · head to head

Polygonscan vs Alchemy

Polygonscan logo

Polygonscan

Software

Polygon PoS chain explorer

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: 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; Alchemy the free tier is capped at 30M compute units a month and 25 requests per second
  • They diverge on capability: Polygonscan covers Block Explorer, Alchemy covers Node APIs.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Polygonscan and Alchemy actually diverge.

Attributes where Polygonscan and Alchemy differ
AttributePolygonscanAlchemy
PlatformsWeb, ApiApi, Web
Founded20212017

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), 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 Polygonscan

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

Only in Alchemy

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

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Api support

What people use each for

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

Polygonscan

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

Alchemy

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

Polygonscan

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

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 Polygonscan if

  • You need block explorer.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want transaction tracking.
Polygonscan 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 Polygonscan or Alchemy better?
Neither clearly leads. Polygonscan 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, Polygonscan or Alchemy?
Polygonscan starts at Free and Alchemy at Free.
Does Polygonscan or Alchemy run on more platforms?
Polygonscan runs on Web, Api. Alchemy runs on Api, Web.
Can I use Polygonscan for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Polygonscan best used for?
Polygonscan is most often used for exploring polygon transactions, addresses and token transfers, verifying and reading polygon smart contract source code, querying polygon on-chain data through the explorer api. Of those, exploring polygon transactions, addresses and token transfers and verifying and reading polygon smart contract source code are not what Alchemy is typically brought in for.
What can Polygonscan do that Alchemy cannot?
Polygonscan covers Block Explorer, Transaction Tracking, Token Tracker, Contract Verification. Alchemy covers Node APIs, Enhanced APIs, NFT API, Webhooks. Both handle Web support, Api support.
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