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Software · head to head

Uniswap vs Alchemy

Uniswap logo

Uniswap

Software

Swap, earn, and build on the leading decentralized protocol

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: Uniswap high gas fees on Ethereum network during congestion periods; Alchemy the free tier is capped at 30M compute units a month and 25 requests per second
  • They diverge on capability: Uniswap covers Token Swaps, Alchemy covers Node APIs.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Uniswap and Alchemy actually diverge.

Attributes where Uniswap and Alchemy differ
AttributeUniswapAlchemy
Pricing modelfreefreemium
PlatformsWeb, Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, OptimismApi, Web
Founded20182017

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 Uniswap

  • Token Swaps
  • Liquidity Pools
  • NFT Aggregator
  • Concentrated Liquidity
  • UNI Token
  • Multi-chain
  • Ios support
  • Android support

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.

Uniswap

  • Definot Alchemy
  • Dexnot Alchemy
  • Ammnot Alchemy

Alchemy

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

Where each one falls short

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

Uniswap

  • High gas fees on Ethereum network during congestion periods
  • Slippage can be significant for large trades in low-liquidity pairs
  • No order book, making it inefficient for large institutional trades
  • Front-running risk on public blockchain transactions

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

Uniswap

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Token swaps
    • Liquidity provision
    • NFT trading

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 Uniswap if

  • You need token swaps.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism.
  • You also want liquidity pools.
Uniswap 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 Uniswap or Alchemy better?
Neither clearly leads. Uniswap 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, Uniswap or Alchemy?
Uniswap starts at Free and Alchemy at Free.
Does Uniswap or Alchemy run on more platforms?
Uniswap runs on Web, Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism. Alchemy runs on Api, Web.
Can I use Uniswap for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Uniswap best used for?
Uniswap is most often used for defi, dex, amm. Of those, defi and dex are not what Alchemy is typically brought in for.
What can Uniswap do that Alchemy cannot?
Uniswap covers Token Swaps, Liquidity Pools, NFT Aggregator, Concentrated Liquidity. Alchemy covers Node APIs, Enhanced APIs, NFT API, Webhooks. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Uniswap: What are Uniswap's fee tiers?

Uniswap V4 removed fixed fee tiers. Pool creators can set fees from 0% to 100% in 0.0001% increments, with dynamic fees adjustable through smart contract hooks.

Source
Uniswap: How does Uniswap determine asset prices?

Uniswap uses an automated market maker (AMM) model with mathematical formulas to set prices based on liquidity pools, not traditional order books.

Source
Uniswap: Is Uniswap decentralized?

Yes, Uniswap is a fully decentralized exchange where liquidity providers earn fees pro-rata based on their active liquidity in price ranges.

Source
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Related pages

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