QuickNode vs Alchemy: which RPC provider fits you?

QuickNode sells fixed monthly plans with published overage; Alchemy has a large free plan, then pay as you go. Both fail over inside their own network. Crypto APIs' NodeGrid RPC, coming soon, routes each call across node providers instead.

Side by side

How do QuickNode, Alchemy and Crypto APIs compare?

Built only from each vendor's own public pages, checked 3 Nov 2026. Where they are ahead, we say so.

QuickNode
Alchemy
Crypto APIs
Positioning
RPC, Streams and Webhooks, marketplace add-ons, dedicated clusters
Node RPC, data APIs, smart wallets and gas sponsorship, rollups
Blockchain API (REST and webhooks) and AML API under one key; NodeGrid RPC coming soon
Free option
Free trial: one month, 10M API credits, 15 requests a second, no card
Free plan: 30M compute units a month, 15 requests a second
14-day free trial: mainnet and every feature, no card
Paid plans
Build $49, Accelerate $249, Scale $499, Business from $999 a month; Enterprise custom
Pay as you go at $0.52 per 1M compute units; Enterprise custom
Starter $49, Scale $299, Pro $799 a month, plus Custom
What is metered
API credits, weighted per method and chain
Compute units, weighted per method
Credits; each endpoint's cost is in the docs
When you go over your plan
Overage per plan: $0.62 down to $0.50 per 1M credits
Pay as you go, with an optional spend cap
With pay-as-you-go on, a prepaid pack (from $25) at your subscription's rate; calls keep working
Failover
Automatic regional failover in its own network
Multi-region failover in its own fleet
Routes each call to a healthy node provider and switches if it fails (NodeGrid RPC) Coming soonRequest access
Indexed data and webhooks
Streams, Webhooks, SQL Explorer, token and NFT APIs
Portfolio, Transfers, Prices, NFT and Token APIs, Webhooks
Blockchain API: balances, transactions, token transfers, xPub and webhooks
Sending transactions
Solana add-ons for Jito bundles and priority fees
Smart wallets, Gas Manager, bundler and paymaster APIs
Non-custodial: derive from an xPub, prepare unsigned, sign on your own server, broadcast
AML and wallet screening
Paid add-ons: an OFAC address check (from $49 a month), Scorechain and MistTrack risk scores
No AML or wallet-screening product in its docs
AML API: address and transaction screening, sanctions and exposure
Networks
76+ chains and 130+ networks
100+ blockchains
35+ networks
Annual discounts
Annual billing 15% to 30% below monthly, depending on the plan
No annual discount listed; volume discounts on Enterprise
Yearly billing at a lower monthly price
Security
SOC 1 Type 2, SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001
SOC 2 Type II report, through its trust center
ISO 27001
The main difference

What happens when a node provider fails?

QuickNode

Failover inside QuickNode's network

  • Global traffic routing with automatic regional failover
  • Shared and dedicated RPC, HTTPS and WebSocket
  • No routing across other providers claimed
Alchemy

Failover inside Alchemy's fleet

  • Multi-region infrastructure with autonomous failovers
  • WebSockets, archive data and dedicated clusters
  • No routing across other providers claimed
Crypto APIs

Failover across providers

  • NodeGrid RPC routes each call to a healthy node provider
  • If a provider fails or slows down, it switches automatically
  • Coming soon: request access to hear when it is live
Be fair

When should you choose QuickNode?

QuickNode is a good product. It is the better pick if one of these matters most to you:

  • You want fixed monthly plans with published overage rates
  • You need SOC 1, SOC 2 and ISO 27001 reports
  • You need broad coverage (76+ chains and 130+ networks claimed)
  • You want to pay or top up in crypto
  • You want an annual discount (15% to 30%, depending on the plan)
Be fair

When should you choose Alchemy?

Alchemy is a good product. It is the better pick if one of these matters most to you:

  • You want a large free monthly allowance (30M compute units)
  • You prefer pay as you go with no plan commitment
  • You want a hard spend cap on usage
  • You build smart wallets with gas sponsorship
  • You need portfolio, token, NFT and webhook APIs next to RPC
Our strengths

When is Crypto APIs the better fit?

Pick Crypto APIs if RPC is one part of what you build:

  • You want one endpoint per chain that fails over across providers (coming soon)
  • You want indexed balances, transactions and webhooks next to RPC
  • You sign every transaction yourself: xPub, prepare, sign, broadcast
  • You screen wallets for AML risk with the same key
  • You want to test every feature on mainnet, free for 14 days
  • You want a US company (Delaware) with ISO 27001, serving customers since 2018
Products

What you get with one key

Blockchain API

Data, xPub, prepare, broadcast and webhooks.

Explore

AML API

Screen addresses and transactions for risk and sanctions.

Explore
Coming soon

NodeGrid RPC

One RPC endpoint per chain, with automatic failover. Coming soon.

FAQ

QuickNode vs Alchemy questions

Is QuickNode or Alchemy better?

It depends on how you pay and what you build. QuickNode suits fixed monthly plans with published overage and SOC reports. Alchemy suits teams that want a large free allowance, pay as you go with a spend cap, and smart-wallet tooling.

How does QuickNode pricing work?

Monthly plans from Build $49 to Business from $999 include API credits and a throughput cap; usage above the allowance is billed at the plan's rate, $0.62 down to $0.50 per 1M credits. Annual billing is 15% to 30% cheaper, depending on the plan, and a one-month free trial gives 10M credits with no card. Facts from quicknode.com/pricing, checked 3 Nov 2026.

How does Alchemy pricing work?

A free plan with 30M compute units a month, then pay as you go at $0.52 per 1M compute units with no commitment and an optional spend cap. Enterprise gets custom pricing. Facts from alchemy.com/pricing, checked 3 Nov 2026.

Do QuickNode and Alchemy fail over to other providers?

Neither claims it. Both describe failover inside their own infrastructure: QuickNode between regions, Alchemy across its multi-region fleet.

What is NodeGrid RPC?

Crypto APIs' coming-soon RPC product: one endpoint per chain and one API key. It routes each call to a healthy node provider and switches automatically if it fails. Request access to hear when it is live.

Can I keep QuickNode or Alchemy and add failover?

Yes. Keep your provider as the primary and add NodeGrid RPC as the fallback, so your app keeps working when the main provider is slow, rate-limited or down.

Try Crypto APIs next to QuickNode or Alchemy

14-day free trial with mainnet, no card. Keep QuickNode or Alchemy while you test.