The 12 Best Blockchain Node Providers (2026)

Blockchain nodes connect to a distributed network to receive, validate, and relay transactions and blocks. Depending on the node type, they store anything from block headers to the chain's full current state and history. For any onchain application to interact with a blockchain, it must do so through a node. Developers can run nodes themselves or use a provider, with options ranging from shared endpoints to single-tenant infrastructure.

What is a blockchain node provider?

A blockchain node provider operates nodes or coordinates access to node infrastructure for others to use, shifting the operational burden from individual developers and companies to a specialized service or network. Choosing to work with a blockchain node provider can reduce maintenance work and make redundancy, uptime monitoring, and support easier to manage.

Running a node independently is time-consuming, technically demanding, and resource-intensive. Keeping production nodes accurate, secure, and available requires sustained operational work. The complexity increases when an application supports multiple chains or Layer 2 networks, or needs archive data.

By using a blockchain node provider, developers and enterprises can reduce infrastructure costs, development time, and the operational risks of maintaining individual blockchain nodes. This frees teams to focus on building products.

Blockchain node providers can be chain-specific, such as Solana RPC node providers, while others support multiple blockchains. This article compares both multichain platforms and chain-specific services in 2026.

Who are the best blockchain node providers in 2026?

These are the twelve blockchain node providers included in this article:

1. Alchemy
2. Infura
3. QuickNode
4. Chainstack
5. Ankr
6. dRPC
7. Blockdaemon
8. Coinbase Developer Platform (CDP)
9. GetBlock
10. NowNodes
11. Pokt Network
12. InfStones

This article covers the most important traits to evaluate: pricing models, chain support, performance and uptime, developer tools, customer support, and enhanced APIs. Enhanced APIs provide indexed blockchain data or specialized node methods beyond basic remote procedure call (RPC) requests. Many providers now use compute unit (CU) or credit-based pricing, which makes apples-to-apples cost comparisons more nuanced.

1. Alchemy

Alchemy is a blockchain node provider for shared RPC access, dedicated infrastructure, and data APIs, with support spanning 100+ blockchains.

The platform is powered by Cortex, Alchemy's blockchain engine for routing, scaling, data consistency, and observability across the developer platform.

Infrastructure: Alchemy provides RPC API access, Dedicated Clusters for single-tenant infrastructure, Rollups to launch your own chain, Solana support for low-latency gRPC streaming and archive data, and Validator-as-a-Service infrastructure across multiple chains.

Orchestration & Data: Alchemy offers Gas Manager so apps can sponsor transaction fees for users, plus a data layer including Webhooks for streaming push notifications, Smart WebSockets for live blockchain data, and Token API for prices, balances, and more.

Alchemy customers include Visa, Circle, World, Polymarket, Stripe, Robinhood, Uniswap, OpenSea, and Chainlink.

Which blockchains does Alchemy support?

Alchemy supports 100+ blockchains, including Ethereum, Solana, Base, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism, Hyperliquid, Unichain, BNB Smart Chain, Avalanche, Starknet, ZKsync, Blast, Monad, Aptos, Bitcoin, Sui, Abstract, Sonic, MegaETH, and World Chain. See the chain API documentation for the current list.

How much does Alchemy cost?

Alchemy meters standard API usage in Compute Units (CUs), with different methods assigned different CU weights. Pricing includes a free tier plus Pay As You Go and Enterprise plans:

• Free Tier: $0/month, 30M free CUs per month, 500 compute units per second (CU/s), 5 dashboard apps and 5 webhooks, Alchemy-supported mainnets and testnets, archive requests within the monthly CU allowance, and standard support
• Pay As You Go: $0.45/1M CUs for the first 300M CUs per month, then $0.40/1M CUs, with 10,000 CU/s, 30 dashboard apps, 100 webhooks, priority support, and higher rate limits
• Enterprise: Custom pricing and throughput, up to 200 dashboard apps and 500 webhooks, advanced security controls, signed service-level agreements (SLAs), and premium support

Separate usage pricing applies to products such as Solana gRPC and Gas Manager.

Alchemy's free tier includes archive access within its monthly CU allowance. See the full breakdown on the Alchemy pricing page.

Alchemy Enhanced APIs

In addition to its core infrastructure and data products, Alchemy offers a comprehensive suite of APIs and developer tools:

• Prices API — real-time token pricing data
• Portfolio API — aggregated portfolio views across wallets and chains
• NFT API — instantly find, verify, and display any NFT across all major blockchains
• Transfers API — get transaction history for specific accounts over any block range
• Wallet API — full wallet lifecycle management
• Transaction Simulation — simulate transactions before submission
• Private Transactions — submit transactions with MEV protection (Pay As You Go and above)
• Bundler API — ERC-4337 & 7702 transaction support with bundled operations
• Trace API — gain low-level insights into transaction execution onchain
• Debug API — replay transactions under controlled network states

The platform also includes a multi-chain sandbox, request logs, custom error and usage alerts, a mempool visualizer, app and team analytics, and Composer for building and testing API calls.

Alchemy holds SOC 2 Type II certification and offers tiered support from standard (48-hour response) up to Gold premium support (2-hour response with a dedicated Slack/Telegram channel, named account manager, and named solutions engineer). See the Alchemy pricing page for full support tier details.

2. Infura

Infura remains one of the most established node providers in the blockchain space, now owned by Consensys and serving as the default backend infrastructure for MetaMask. In 2026, Infura transitioned to a credit-based pricing model and introduced its Decentralized Infrastructure Network (DIN) for improved reliability and decentralization.

Which blockchains does Infura support?

Infura supports 20+ blockchains including Ethereum (mainnet and testnets), Polygon PoS, Optimism, Arbitrum, Base, Linea, Mantle, Avalanche C-Chain, Starknet, Aurora, and IPFS/Filecoin. Infura's chain coverage continues to grow, especially across major EVM L2s, though it remains more focused on the Ethereum ecosystem compared to some multi-chain alternatives.

How much does Infura cost?

Infura switched to a credit-based pricing model, where each API method consumes a different number of credits. Key plan details:

• Core (Free) — 3 million daily credits, 500 credits/second throughput, 1 API key
• Developer — $50/month, 15 million daily credits, higher throughput
• Team — $225/month, 75 million daily credits, 40,000 credits/second, unlimited API keys
• Enterprise — Custom pricing with custom daily credits, autoscaling, enhanced SLAs, and crypto payment options

Infura also offers an add-on pack of 55 million additional credits for $200/month. Archive access is available on paid tiers. Infura's daily credit caps (rather than monthly quotas) can constrain bursty workloads but simplify day-to-day monitoring.

3. QuickNode

QuickNode has grown into a full enterprise-grade blockchain development platform, emphasizing performance, real-time data streaming, and a comprehensive compliance posture. QuickNode now supports 80+ chains with a 99.99% uptime SLA and is among the most feature-complete providers in the market.

Which blockchains does QuickNode support?

QuickNode supports over 80 blockchains including Ethereum, Solana, Base, Polygon, BSC, Arbitrum, Optimism, Avalanche, Bitcoin, Hyperliquid (with full HyperCore and HyperEVM support plus gRPC streaming), and many more.

How much does QuickNode cost?

QuickNode uses a credit-based pricing model with method-weighted compute:

• Free — $0/month, 50 million API credits
• Build — $49/month
• Scale — $299/month
• Enterprise — $999+/month with custom commitments

In March 2026, QuickNode introduced Flat Rate RPS pricing for high-volume workloads — starting at $799/month for 75 RPS on EVM chains with no credit metering and no overage risk. This is designed for trading bots, arbitrage workflows, and high-throughput applications.

QuickNode compliance and special features

QuickNode holds the full compliance trifecta: SOC 1 Type II, SOC 2 Type II, and ISO 27001 — audited by Grant Thornton and recertified in Q1 2026. No other major multi-chain provider matches this combination.

Key features include Streams for real-time blockchain data delivery to webhooks, S3, SQL, and Snowflake; Webhooks for on-chain alerts; and dedicated clusters for enterprise users.

4. Chainstack

Chainstack has established itself as a leading provider for teams that prioritize cost predictability, deployment flexibility, and enterprise-grade infrastructure. Chainstack is particularly appealing for enterprises because it allows deployment of dedicated nodes inside your own cloud environments (AWS, GCP, Azure) via its Hybrid Cloud feature.

Which blockchains does Chainstack support?

Chainstack supports 70+ protocols including Ethereum, Polygon, BSC, Avalanche, Solana, StarkNet, Base, Arbitrum, Optimism, Aptos, Monad, and many more.

How much does Chainstack cost?

Chainstack uses a simple request-unit (RU) model — 1 RU per standard call, 2 RU per archive or debug call, with no complex method weighting:

• Developer — $0/month + usage, 3 million RU/month, 25 RPS
• Growth — $49/month + usage, 20 million RU/month, elastic archive nodes, MEV API, dedicated nodes
• Business — $349/month + usage, 140 million RU/month, debug and trace APIs
• Enterprise — $990/month + usage, 400 million RU/month, custom configuration and monitoring

Chainstack also offers an Unlimited Node add-on — a flat monthly fee that unlocks unlimited requests at a chosen RPS tier (25–500 RPS), which eliminates per-request cost uncertainty entirely. The company holds SOC 2 Type II certification.

5. Ankr

Ankr operates as a decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN), serving billions of requests daily across 30+ regions. Ankr offers both public free endpoints and premium private infrastructure with one of the widest chain coverages available.

Which blockchains does Ankr support?

Ankr supports 80+ chains on its Premium tier, 65+ on Freemium, and 40+ on its free public endpoints. Supported chains include Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, BSC, Avalanche, Fantom, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, and many more.

How much does Ankr cost?

Ankr uses a credit-based model with per-method weighting (note: an eth_call costs approximately 200 Ankr credits, making effective per-request costs higher than headline credit numbers suggest):

• Public RPCs — Free, rate-limited endpoints across 40+ chains
• Freemium — 200 million API credits/month, public rate limits, 30 RPS cap
• Premium — Pay-as-you-go at $0.10/1M API credits, private endpoints, up to 1,500 RPS, debug/trace, WebSockets
• Enterprise — Custom pricing, flexible rate limits, and dedicated engineering support

Ankr announced SOC 2 Type 2 compliance in 2025. Archive data is included on all tiers, and Premium adds debug/trace namespaces and team accounts.

6. dRPC

dRPC is a newer entrant that has quickly gained traction with its decentralized approach and transparent pricing model. Rather than running its own nodes, dRPC aggregates infrastructure from 50+ independent node operators and routes traffic intelligently across 7 geo-distributed clusters.

Which blockchains does dRPC support?

dRPC supports 95+ blockchains including Ethereum, Solana, BSC, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, Avalanche, StarkNet, and many more.

How much does dRPC cost?

dRPC's standout feature is its flat-rate, method-agnostic pricing — every request costs 20 CU regardless of method complexity:

• Free tier — Public endpoints with rate limits
• Paid — $6 per 1 million requests across all methods, including archive and trace
• Custom/Enterprise — volume discounts and startup programs available

This pricing model is significantly more predictable than credit-weighted alternatives, making dRPC particularly attractive for workloads with heavy trace, debug, or log queries. The tradeoff is that latency can vary since traffic routes through third-party operators. Most teams use dRPC as a cost-effective secondary provider alongside a primary like Alchemy or QuickNode.

7. Blockdaemon

Blockdaemon is the institutional gateway to Web3, securing over $110 billion in digital assets for 400+ institutions including exchanges, custodians, and financial enterprises. Blockdaemon focuses on institutional-grade blockchain infrastructure spanning nodes, APIs, DeFi, staking, MPC wallets, and vaults.

Which blockchains does Blockdaemon support?

Blockdaemon supports 50+ chains including Ethereum, Polygon, Avalanche, Cosmos, Polkadot, Solana, Algorand, Cardano, Bitcoin, Chainlink, Dogecoin, Fantom, Near, Optimism, Stellar, Tezos, XRP, and more.

How much does Blockdaemon cost?

Blockdaemon starts with a free plan. Additional pricing is custom and not publicly published — interested teams must contact Blockdaemon directly for quotes.

Blockdaemon special APIs

Blockdaemon's Ubiquity API suite includes the Universal API for multi-protocol access, NFT API for on-chain and off-chain NFT data, Native Access API for deep protocol interaction, and Specialized APIs for extracting specific blockchain information. With SLAs, archive access, and advanced monitoring, Blockdaemon is well-suited for regulated and large-scale institutional environments.

8. Coinbase Developer Platform (CDP Node)

Formerly known as Coinbase Cloud (Query & Transact), Coinbase has rebranded its node infrastructure under the Coinbase Developer Platform (CDP). The platform now focuses primarily on Base, Coinbase's own Layer 2 blockchain, while providing broader developer tools including wallets, onramps/offramps, and staking.

Which blockchains does CDP Node support?

CDP Node currently focuses on Base Mainnet and Base Sepolia testnet, providing production-ready RPC access optimized for the Base ecosystem.

How much does CDP Node cost?

Starting January 2026, CDP Node requires a payment method on file. Pricing uses a billing unit (BU) model:

• Free tier — 10 million BUs/month (average call uses ~30 BU), rate limited to ~50 RPS
• Paid tiers — Pay-as-you-go beyond the free allocation

CDP Node benefits from Coinbase's institutional security infrastructure, audited custody, and compliance controls. It's an excellent choice for teams building primarily on Base who want tight integration with the broader Coinbase ecosystem.

9. GetBlock

GetBlock is a multi-regional Web3 infrastructure provider that has expanded significantly, now offering 100+ blockchains with geo-selectable endpoints and flexible pricing. GetBlock emphasizes transparent pricing, self-service dedicated node deployment, and strong documentation.

Which blockchains does GetBlock support?

GetBlock supports over 100 blockchains with recent integrations including Taiko, Core, Stellar, Sei, Gravity, Monad, and Zilliqa. Endpoints are available in Frankfurt, New York, and Singapore for optimized latency.

How much does GetBlock cost?

GetBlock uses a subscription-based model with Compute Units (CUs), and shared node usage is measured in CUs. Dedicated nodes offer unlimited scaling:

• Free tier — 50K daily requests
• Shared nodes — CU-based pricing with subscription tiers
• Dedicated nodes — Self-service deployment with unlimited requests and a range of free add-ons
• Discounts — Up to 20% off for multi-month and annual subscriptions

GetBlock offers SLAs on all paid plans, professional customer support at all tiers, and a feature-complete free plan that includes full chain and method access plus geo endpoints.

10. NowNodes

NowNodes continues to offer developers the choice between shared and dedicated nodes, with a focus on broad chain support and responsive customer service. They maintain a 99.95% API uptime guarantee and respond to support requests within 24 hours across all tiers, including free.

Which blockchains does NowNodes support?

NowNodes supports 40+ chains including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tezos, BSC, Avalanche, Polkadot, Cardano, Algorand, and more.

How much does NowNodes cost?

• Free — 150,000 requests/month
• Standard — $3 per 100,000 requests
• Pro — $200 per 30 million requests
• VIP — $500 per 100 million requests

NowNodes also offers dedicated nodes at custom pricing for teams that need isolated infrastructure and full node control.

11. Pokt Network

Pokt Network (Pocket Network) remains the leading fully decentralized node provider, operating a permissionless network of nodes maintained by operators who stake POKT tokens. Pokt's key value propositions are censorship resistance, decentralization, and broad chain support.

Which blockchains does Pokt Network support?

Pokt supports a wide range of chains through its decentralized node operator network, including Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, Avalanche, BSC, Fantom, FUSE, Gnosis Chain, Harmony, Near, Optimism, and more.

How much does Pokt Network cost?

Pokt does not publish traditional pricing on its website. The network provides free access up to certain request thresholds. Beyond those limits, users must contact Pokt for custom pricing. While the decentralized model allows Pokt to support many chains, the lack of dedicated client nodes can occasionally lead to variable performance and reliability.

12. InfStones

InfStones provides infrastructure for over 60 blockchains and has notable enterprise partnerships — Binance selected InfStones to provide its validation nodes and underlying Ethereum infrastructure support.

Which blockchains does InfStones support?

InfStones offers access to 60+ chains including Ethereum, BSC, Cosmos, and many more.

InfStones features

InfStones offers robust API security features including access control, whitelists, password protection, dedicated IP addresses, and cost caps for projects. Their advanced API logging helps developers track errors, response times, and project status around the clock.

How to choose the best blockchain node provider in 2026

The node provider landscape has matured significantly. Here are the key factors to consider when making your decision:

Pricing model transparency. In 2026, most providers use compute unit or credit-based pricing, but these units are not standardized. A single eth_call can cost anywhere from 1 credit to 200 credits depending on the provider. Always normalize costs to your actual method mix before comparing headline prices.

Chain coverage. If you're building exclusively on Ethereum, most providers will work well. But if your application spans multiple chains or includes newer Layer 2s, look for providers with comprehensive multi-chain support under a single API key and billing account.

Archive and trace access. Archive access enables queries against historical state that other node configurations may prune. It matters for applications that query older balances, contract state, or transaction execution. Some providers include archival requests in a free usage allowance, while others charge separately.

Performance and reliability. Top-tier providers routinely commit to 99.9–99.99% availability. Look at median (p50) and 95th-percentile (p95) latency in your target regions, compare live RPC provider benchmarks, and verify that uptime is backed by contractual SLAs, not just marketing claims.

Security and compliance. For regulated applications, verify SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, and other certifications. QuickNode currently holds the broadest compliance portfolio, while Alchemy and Chainstack also hold SOC 2 Type II.

Developer experience. Enhanced APIs for NFTs, tokens, webhooks, and transaction simulation can save hundreds of engineering hours. Evaluate whether the provider's tooling accelerates your specific development workflow.

Multi-provider strategy. Best practice in 2026 is to run at least two providers with automated failover. Use a high-performance primary provider like Alchemy or QuickNode, with a cost-effective secondary like dRPC or Ankr for redundancy.

Get started today

There are many strong options for choosing a blockchain node provider in 2026. Between reliability guarantees, pricing models, chain support, enhanced APIs, compliance certifications, and support quality, the right choice depends on your specific needs and workload. Spend time benchmarking with real traffic, and choose the partner best positioned to help you scale.

Get your free RPC endpoint from Alchemy today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a blockchain node provider?

A blockchain node provider operates nodes or coordinates access to node infrastructure for developers to use through APIs, reducing the need to run and maintain that infrastructure yourself.

Why should I use a node provider instead of running my own node?

Running your own node is time-consuming, difficult to manage, and resource-intensive. Node providers can reduce self-hosting costs and development time while adding features such as service-level agreements, certified security controls, and enhanced APIs.

What's the difference between shared and dedicated nodes?

Shared nodes serve multiple customers on pooled infrastructure, offering cost-effective access. Dedicated nodes reserve infrastructure for one customer, which can reduce resource contention and provide more predictable performance and configuration options at a higher cost.

What are archive nodes and when do I need them?

Archive nodes retain historical blockchain state that other node configurations may prune. You need archive access when an application must query older balances or contract state directly, although the exact retention and terminology vary by chain and client. Applications can also use indexed data APIs for many historical-data queries.

What are compute units and why do they matter?

Many providers measure API usage with weighted units such as compute units or credits. Each provider defines its own weights by method, so compare the effective cost of your expected request mix rather than comparing raw unit allowances.

Do blockchain node providers offer free tiers?

Yes, many major providers offer free tiers. Alchemy includes archive requests within its 30 million CU monthly allowance, while other providers publish allowances in credits or requests. Because those units are not directly comparable, check method weights, throughput limits, supported networks, and data access before deciding whether a free tier fits your application.

What should I consider when comparing blockchain node providers?

Key factors include supported networks, pricing model and effective cost per call, reliability and uptime SLAs, available enhanced APIs, customer support quality, compliance certifications such as SOC 2 and ISO 27001, and whether you need features like archive access, dedicated nodes, or multi-chain support.

What enhanced APIs do node providers typically offer?

Enhanced APIs provide indexed blockchain data or specialized node methods beyond basic RPC requests. Common examples include token balances, NFT metadata, token prices, webhooks, transaction simulation, and debug or trace endpoints. These APIs can reduce the custom indexing and infrastructure code a team needs to maintain.