POKT Network excels at providing censorship-resistant, geographically distributed RPC access by leveraging a decentralized network of over 20,000 independent node runners. This architecture ensures high redundancy and eliminates single points of failure, a critical feature for protocols like Aave or Compound where uptime is non-negotiable. The primary cost model is based on a pay-per-relay system using the native POKT token, which can offer significant cost savings at scale compared to traditional metered APIs.
LABS
Comparisons
POKT Network vs Alchemy: Decentralized Protocol vs Premium Managed Service
A technical and strategic comparison for CTOs and architects evaluating RPC infrastructure. We analyze architecture, cost models, performance, and trade-offs between a decentralized protocol and a top-tier centralized provider.
Chainscore © 2026
introduction
THE ANALYSIS
Introduction: The Core Architectural Divide
A foundational comparison of POKT Network's decentralized infrastructure versus Alchemy's premium centralized service.
Alchemy takes a different approach by operating a premium, centralized infrastructure optimized for maximum performance and developer experience. This results in superior consistency, with >99.9% uptime SLAs, sub-100ms global latency, and advanced tooling like the Alchemy Notify webhook service and enhanced APIs for debugging. The trade-off is reliance on a single corporate entity and a pricing model that scales with usage, which can become expensive for high-throughput dApps like major NFT marketplaces or high-frequency DeFi applications.
The key trade-off: If your priority is decentralization, cost predictability at scale, and infrastructure sovereignty, choose POKT Network. If you prioritize developer velocity, guaranteed performance SLAs, and integrated tooling and are comfortable with a centralized provider, choose Alchemy.
tldr-summary
POKT Network vs Alchemy
TL;DR: Key Differentiators at a Glance
A direct comparison of a decentralized RPC protocol versus a premium centralized provider, highlighting the core trade-offs.
02
POKT: Predictable, Usage-Based Cost
Pricing Model: Pay with staked POKT tokens for unlimited relays per gateway. Cost becomes negligible at scale (<$0.000001 per request). This matters for high-throughput dApps (e.g., NFT marketplaces, gaming) where variable per-call API fees from centralized providers become prohibitive.
04
Alchemy: Superior Performance & Consistency
Performance Metrics: Offers sub-100ms latency and 99.9%+ SLA-backed uptime via optimized, managed infrastructure. This matters for consumer-facing applications (wallets like MetaMask, exchanges) where user experience and reliability are non-negotiable.
05
Choose POKT Network If...
- Your protocol values decentralization and censorship resistance as core principles.
- You have predictable, high-volume traffic and need cost certainty.
- You are building infrastructure-level services that must be resilient to provider failure.
06
Choose Alchemy If...
- Your team prioritizes developer velocity and advanced tooling.
- You require enterprise-grade SLAs and dedicated support.
- You are building a user-experience-critical dApp where latency and reliability directly impact growth.
HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON
POKT Network vs Alchemy: Feature Comparison
Direct comparison of decentralized and premium centralized RPC infrastructure.
| Metric / Feature | POKT Network | Alchemy |
|---|---|---|
Infrastructure Model | Decentralized | Centralized |
Uptime SLA | 99.99% (Network) | 99.99% (Service) |
Cost Model | ~$0.85 per 1M reqs (POKT) | ~$0.80 per 1M reqs (Pay-As-You-Go) |
Supported Chains | Ethereum, Polygon, Gnosis, Fuse, Avalanche | Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base |
Throughput (Requests/sec) | Uncapped (Network) | Uncapped (Enterprise Tier) |
Developer Tools | Pocket Portal, Public RPC | Supernode, Enhanced APIs, Notify, Mempool |
Censorship Resistance | ||
Free Tier | 1M reqs/day (Gateway) | 300M compute units/month |
DECENTRALIZED VS PREMIUM CENTRALIZED RPC
POKT Network vs Alchemy: Cost & Performance
Direct comparison of key metrics and features for infrastructure selection.
| Metric | POKT Network | Alchemy |
|---|---|---|
Pricing Model | Pay-per-relay (POKT token) | Tiered subscription (USD) |
Cost per 1M Requests (Ethereum) | ~$5 - $15 (market variable) | $350 - $1,200 (tier fixed) |
Infrastructure Type | Decentralized (85k+ nodes) | Centralized (managed clusters) |
Guaranteed Uptime SLA | 99.9%+ | |
Max Requests per Day (Free Tier) | 1,000,000 | 300,000,000 |
Advanced APIs (e.g., Transact, Debug) | ||
Primary Use Case | Cost-sensitive, censorship-resistant apps | High-throughput, enterprise-grade apps |
pros-cons-a
PROS AND CONS
POKT Network vs Alchemy: Decentralized vs Premium Centralized RPC
Key strengths and trade-offs at a glance for CTOs evaluating infrastructure dependencies.
01
POKT Pro: Decentralized Resilience
Architecture: A network of 15,000+ independent node runners across 30+ chains. This eliminates single points of failure and provides censorship resistance. This matters for protocols requiring maximum uptime and neutrality, like DeFi lending platforms (e.g., Aave, Compound) or cross-chain bridges.
02
POKT Pro: Predictable, Usage-Based Cost
Pricing Model: Pay with staked POKT tokens for per-relay pricing, leading to ~99% cost reduction vs. tiered SaaS plans at high volume. Cost becomes a predictable variable, not a scaling surprise. This matters for high-throughput dApps (e.g., NFT marketplaces, gaming) where monthly requests can exceed billions.
03
Alchemy Pro: Premium Performance & Latency
Optimized Infrastructure: Proprietary node software, global CDN, and mempool optimizations deliver sub-100ms p95 latency and 99.99%+ SLA. This matters for consumer-facing applications where user experience is critical, such as real-time wallet dashboards (e.g., Rainbow) or high-frequency trading interfaces.
04
Alchemy Pro: Enhanced Developer Tooling
Product Suite: Beyond core RPC, offers Alchemy Notify (webhooks), Enhanced APIs (Transfers, NFTs), and Debug Tools. This creates a full-stack environment that accelerates development. This matters for teams building complex products that need transaction simulation, real-time alerts, and rich data indexing without managing multiple vendors.
05
POKT Con: Operational Overhead
Management Burden: Requires managing POKT token economics (staking, bonding, unbonding periods) and monitoring node performance across a decentralized set. Lacks a single support SLA. This matters for lean engineering teams who want a fully managed "fire-and-forget" service with dedicated technical account management.
06
Alchemy Con: Centralized Cost & Lock-in
Vendor Risk & Pricing: Tiered SaaS model can lead to exponential cost growth with scale (e.g., $0-50K+/month). Dependency on a single corporate entity creates protocol risk and potential service changes. This matters for projects with strict budget predictability or those building credibly neutral infrastructure that cannot rely on a centralized gateway.
pros-cons-b
POKT NETWORK VS ALCHEMY
Alchemy: Pros and Cons
Key strengths and trade-offs at a glance for the decentralized vs. centralized RPC debate.
01
Alchemy: Premium Performance & Reliability
Enterprise-grade SLA: Guarantees 99.9%+ uptime with sub-100ms global latency. This matters for high-frequency dApps like NFT marketplaces (OpenSea) and DeFi protocols (Aave) where user experience is paramount. Offers advanced APIs like Transfers, Notifications, and Mempool streaming.
02
Alchemy: Superior Developer Tooling
Integrated platform: Combines RPC with analytics (Alchemy Monitor), debugging (Composer), and webhook services. This matters for teams needing observability and rapid iteration, reducing the need to integrate multiple disparate tools like The Graph or Tenderly separately.
03
POKT Network: Radically Lower & Predictable Cost
Pay-per-relay model: Costs ~$0.000001 per request, leading to ~90% savings vs. premium providers at scale. This matters for high-throughput, cost-sensitive protocols like data indexers (Covalent) or wallets needing billions of monthly requests without variable billing surprises.
04
POKT Network: Censorship-Resistant & Decentralized
16,000+ independent node network: No single point of failure or control. This matters for mission-critical DeFi and DAOs (like Compound or MakerDAO) where uptime and neutrality are non-negotiable, mitigating risks associated with centralized provider API key revocation or throttling.
CHOOSE YOUR PRIORITY
Decision Framework: When to Choose Which
POKT Network for Cost & Scale
Verdict: The definitive choice for high-volume, cost-sensitive applications. Strengths: Predictable, usage-based pricing (pay per request) eliminates surprise bills. Horizontal scalability is inherent; you can spin up multiple gateways to handle billions of daily requests without centralized rate limits. Ideal for data-heavy operations like on-chain analytics (Dune, Nansen), indexers (The Graph), and large-scale wallet providers.
Alchemy for Cost & Scale
Verdict: Premium pricing for premium, managed scale. Strengths: Guaranteed performance SLAs (99.9%+ uptime) and automatic scaling within your plan's limits. You pay for reliability and hands-off infrastructure management. Cost-effective only if your request volume aligns with their tiered plans; unpredictable spikes can lead to overage charges. Best for applications where developer time is more expensive than infrastructure cost.
verdict
THE ANALYSIS
Final Verdict and Strategic Recommendation
A direct comparison of the core trade-offs between POKT Network's decentralized infrastructure and Alchemy's premium centralized service.
POKT Network excels at providing censorship-resistant, cost-predictable access to multiple blockchains. Its decentralized network of over 25,000 nodes across 30+ chains ensures no single point of failure and aligns with Web3's permissionless ethos. For example, its flat-fee model, powered by the $POKT token, can be 5-10x cheaper for high-volume applications, making it ideal for protocols like Aave or Compound that require massive, reliable query loads without vendor lock-in.
Alchemy takes a different approach by offering a premium, managed service with deep tooling and superior developer experience. This results in higher reliability (99.9%+ SLA) and advanced features like the Mempool Visualizer, Enhanced APIs, and Webhooks, but at a centralized point of control and a variable, usage-based cost structure. Its infrastructure powers top-tier applications like OpenSea and 0x, where rapid iteration, top-tier support, and deep analytics are prioritized over decentralization.
The key trade-off: If your priority is decentralization, long-term cost predictability, and infrastructure sovereignty for a high-throughput dApp, choose POKT Network. If you prioritize developer velocity, enterprise-grade SLAs, and advanced tooling for a product where performance and support are non-negotiable, choose Alchemy. For many teams, a hybrid strategy using Alchemy for core development and POKT for production-scale data ingestion offers the best of both worlds.
ENQUIRY
Get In Touch
today.
Our experts will offer a free quote and a 30min call to discuss your project.
NDA Protected
Confidentiality24h Response
Time to ValueDirectly to Engineering Team
No Sales Fluff10+
Protocols Shipped
$20M+
TVL Overall