Cryptocurrency & Blockchain · head to head
QuickNode vs Alchemy
The short version
- Each has a real cost: QuickNode rate limited by plan in requests per second, at 15 on the free trial, 50 on Build and 125 on Accelerate, so throughput is a paid feature separate from volume; Alchemy the free tier is capped at 30M compute units a month and 25 requests per second
- They diverge on capability: QuickNode covers Token API, Alchemy covers Enhanced APIs.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which QuickNode and Alchemy actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), platforms (Api, Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cryptocurrency & Blockchain), founded (2017).
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 QuickNode
- Token API
- Streams
- Functions
- 25+ blockchains
- Marketplace add-ons
Only in Alchemy
- Enhanced APIs
- Webhooks
- Mempool
- 35+ chains
- SDKs
Both cover
- Node APIs
- NFT API
- Api support
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
QuickNode
- Running blockchain node infrastructure without operating nodesnot Alchemy
- Querying chain data and broadcasting transactions over an APInot Alchemy
Alchemy
- Hosted blockchain node access across mainnets and testnetsnot QuickNode
- Backing a production web3 application without running nodesnot QuickNode
- Webhook-driven notifications for on-chain eventsnot QuickNode
- Scaling read throughput beyond self-hosted node limitsnot QuickNode
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
QuickNode
- Rate limited by plan in requests per second, at 15 on the free trial, 50 on Build and 125 on Accelerate, so throughput is a paid feature separate from volume
- Endpoints are also rationed, at 1 on the free trial and 10 on Build
- Credit overage is charged per million and only falls with plan, from $0.62 on Build to $0.50 on Business
- Support response time is sold as a tier, from a 24 hour SLA on Build down to 8 hours on Scale
- SSO and RBAC are Enterprise only
- The free offering is a trial rather than a standing free tier
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
QuickNode
Free- FreeFree
- 10M API credits
- 1 endpoint
- Core add-ons
- Starter$49/month
- 100M API credits
- 3 endpoints
- All add-ons
- Growth$299/month
- 750M API credits
- 10 endpoints
- Priority support
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 QuickNode if
- You need token api.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Api, Web.
- You also want streams.
Choose Alchemy if
- You need enhanced apis.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Api, Web.
- You also want webhooks.
Questions people ask
- Is QuickNode or Alchemy better?
- Neither clearly leads. QuickNode 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, QuickNode or Alchemy?
- QuickNode starts at Free and Alchemy at Free.
- Does QuickNode or Alchemy run on more platforms?
- Both run on Api, Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use QuickNode for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is QuickNode best used for?
- QuickNode is most often used for running blockchain node infrastructure without operating nodes, querying chain data and broadcasting transactions over an api. Of those, running blockchain node infrastructure without operating nodes and querying chain data and broadcasting transactions over an api are not what Alchemy is typically brought in for.
- What can QuickNode do that Alchemy cannot?
- QuickNode covers Token API, Streams, Functions, 25+ blockchains. Alchemy covers Enhanced APIs, Webhooks, Mempool, 35+ chains. Both handle Node APIs, NFT API, Api support, Web support.