A blockchain API is a service interface that lets developers interact with blockchain networks (e.g. Ethereum) without running their own full nodes. Instead of syncing and maintaining heavy node infrastructure, you simply make HTTPS or WebSocket calls to the provider’s API endpoints. This abstraction greatly simplifies dApp development. APIs handle the underlying RPC calls to query balances, read smart contracts, and broadcast transactions, so developers can focus on building features rather than infrastructure.

Using a third‑party API provider instead of self‑hosting a node has clear benefits. Running an Ethereum node requires dedicated hardware (storage, RAM, bandwidth) and constant maintenance (updates, resyncs, backups). It also ties up engineering resources in infrastructure work. In contrast, an API provider manages uptime, scaling, and software updates for you. This means faster time-to-market and more reliable service; for example, small startups and dApps often find running a personal node “not an option” due to the expertise and expense needed. Providers also often spread traffic across many nodes and regions to ensure low latency and high availability.

[!TIP] Leverage APIs to save time and cost. Using a blockchain API abstracts away node syncing and maintenance, letting you focus on the dApp. Providers typically offer generous free tiers to start development and handle scaling automatically.

Key Features of a Good Blockchain API

A quality blockchain API should offer the following features to ensure your dApp is fast, reliable, and cost-effective:

[!INFO] Node vs. API trade-off: Running your own node can maximize decentralization and privacy, but it introduces maintenance overhead, scaling challenges, and potential downtimes. A hosted API offloads these concerns: you gain reliable, up-to-date infrastructure (often with SLAs), at the expense of trusting the provider. Choose the level of decentralization vs. convenience that fits your project’s needs.

We review leading Ethereum dApp API providers and summarize their features:

The table below summarizes key differences (quotas, throughput, features):

Provider

Free Tier

Paid Plan (Starting)

Throughput (Free / Paid)

Notable Features

Alchemy

100M Compute Units/mo

$5 for 11M CU (PayGo)

25 RPS free; 300 RPS paid

37+ networks; advanced APIs (NFT, Transfers); strong analytics tools

Infura

6M credits/day

$50/mo (Developer)

2000 credits/s free; 4000 credits/s Dev

Ethereum & major L2s (Polygon, Arbitrum); IPFS; long industry track record

QuickNode

10M credits/mo

$49/mo (Build plan)

15 RPS free; 50 RPS at $49

66+ chains; global multi-client network; supports WebSocket/streaming

Moralis

40k Compute Units/day

$199/mo (Pro)

(Starter has low throughput); 50 RPS on Pro

24 chains; built-in NFT/Wallet/Token/Price APIs; streaming events

Ankr

30 RPS (node RPC)

Paygo from ~$10 for 100M

30 RPS free; up to 1500 RPS PayGo

75+ chains; decentralized node network; also offers staking/oracle APIs

GetBlock

40k reqs/day

$29 for 5M/mo (Starter)

60 RPS free; 200 RPS at $29

50+ chains; 99.9% uptime & 24/7 support; dedicated node option available

(Self-Hosted)

N/A

N/A

Unlimited (limited by your hardware)

Full control (client choice, no 3rd-party); requires ops (Geth/Erigon maintenance)

Each provider has trade-offs. Alchemy and Infura excel in enterprise-grade reliability and ecosystem integration. QuickNode shines on raw speed and broad chain coverage. Moralis offers high-level APIs for NFTs and tokens. Ankr and GetBlock appeal for multi-chain reach and flexible pricing. The right choice depends on your dApp’s specific needs (see next section).

Choosing the Right API for Your dApp

Selecting the best API requires matching its strengths to your dApp’s requirements:

  1. Workload and Scalability: Estimate your traffic and peak load. For a DeFi or high-traffic application that requires constant low-latency access, prioritize providers with high RPS limits and global infrastructure (e.g. QuickNode, Alchemy, Infura). If you’re a small project or PoC, free tiers (Alchemy’s 100M CU, Infura’s 6M/day, etc.) may suffice initially. Always test response times from your target user regions. Providers like QuickNode even let you benchmark endpoints interactively.

  2. Specialized Features: If your dApp handles NFTs, blockchain data analytics, or indexing, specialized APIs matter. Alchemy and Moralis both offer NFT metadata endpoints and Web3-specific services. Moralis’s built‑in NFT and Wallet APIs can greatly reduce development work. For gaming or meta-universe projects, you may need not only Ethereum but also sidechains (Polygon, BSC, etc.); providers with broad multi-chain support (QuickNode, Ankr, GetBlock) are advantageous. For example, QuickNode and GetBlock support dozens of chains beyond EVM, which is useful if you plan to expand cross‑chain.

  3. Cost & Pricing Flexibility: Compare the costs at your expected scale. Some providers (GetBlock, Moralis) offer very high free/low-cost quotas which is great for startups. Others (Infura, Alchemy) may cost more at scale but provide advanced features. Consider pay‑as‑you‑go versus fixed plans – Infura and QuickNode have usage-based models, whereas Alchemy’s paid plans use compute units. Don’t overlook hidden costs: e.g. Infura’s free tier has a per-second cap (2k credits/sec) which may throttle bursty traffic. Tip: Use free tiers to prototype, but monitor usage closely; hitting free limits can halt your app unexpectedly.

  4. Reliability and Trust: For mission-critical dApps, you may require an SLA (service-level agreement) or enterprise support. Providers like Alchemy and Infura offer premium support and service guarantees on paid plans. If decentralization is paramount, remember that any centralized RPC can theoretically censor or block requests for certain addresses. In that case, either run your own node(s) or use a decentralized RPC network (like Pocket Network). A mix strategy is also common: use multiple providers as failover.

  5. Developer Experience: Evaluate documentation, SDKs, and community. Alchemy, QuickNode, and Moralis all supply well-documented SDKs (JavaScript, Python, etc.) and dashboards. Good developer portals can dramatically speed up debugging. For example, QuickNode’s dashboard shows node health, and Alchemy provides tooling like “Alchemy Build” for debugging calls. Also consider ecosystem adoption: if many dApps already use a provider, it’s likely battle-tested.

[!TIP] Test and compare. Don’t lock into one provider immediately. During development, try several APIs to compare real-world performance. Measure request latency and error rates under load. Also review how easy it is to switch networks or get help. Factors like OAuth integration, API key management, or IP whitelisting can affect your workflow.

GetBlock Positioning: Among these options, GetBlock offers a compelling balance of value and flexibility. Its free tier and entry plan (5M calls for $29/mo) are among the most generous at low volumes. It supports over 50 chains and promises 99.9% uptime with 24/7 support. GetBlock’s advertised “balance between cost, ease of use, and reliable access” makes it suitable for projects that need multi-chain access without a large budget. For example, a multi-chain wallet or NFT service might use GetBlock for less common networks (Tron, ETC, etc.) where larger providers don’t focus, while using Alchemy/Infura for Ethereum mainnet.

Conclusion

In summary, when choosing a blockchain API for an Ethereum dApp, the key factors are performance (latency & throughput), reliability (uptime & support), cost, security, chain compatibility, and developer tools. Alchemy, Infura, QuickNode, Moralis, Ankr, and GetBlock each offer different trade-offs: free quotas, pricing, and special features. Your ideal choice depends on your dApp type (DeFi, NFT, gaming, etc.) and scale. For example, DeFi apps generally demand high throughput and low latency (favoring QuickNode or Alchemy), while NFT apps may benefit from NFT-specific endpoints (Alchemy, Moralis).

As the Web3 ecosystem grows, we expect the RPC provider landscape to evolve. The market for blockchain APIs is expanding rapidly (projected ~18% CAGR through 2035). Providers will likely offer even more specialized and robust services. We may see increased focus on decentralized or multi-provider setups to avoid single points of failure, deeper integrations with indexing and analytics tools, and features tailored to emerging use cases. Choosing a scalable, secure, and well-supported API provider will be essential to meeting future dApp demands.