The Graph excels at providing a robust, decentralized network for indexing and querying data across major EVM chains like Ethereum, Arbitrum, and Polygon. Its strength lies in its battle-tested, permissionless network of Indexers, Curators, and Delegators, secured by the GRT token. For example, it supports over 40 blockchains and powers queries for major protocols like Uniswap and Aave, with its hosted service handling billions of queries monthly. Its GraphQL endpoint is the industry standard for decentralized application data.
LABS
Comparisons
The Graph vs SubQuery: Substrate & Multi-chain Indexing
A technical comparison of two leading open-source indexing frameworks. This analysis focuses on ecosystem maturity, Substrate-native support, multi-chain capabilities, and deployment models to help CTOs and protocol architects choose the right infrastructure.
Chainscore © 2026
introduction
THE ANALYSIS
Introduction: The Battle for Decentralized Data Access
A data-driven comparison of The Graph and SubQuery, focusing on their core architectures for indexing Substrate and multi-chain applications.
SubQuery takes a different approach by prioritizing developer flexibility and multi-chain support from day one, with a strong native focus on Substrate-based chains like Polkadot and Kusama. Its strategy centers on a fully-featured, open-source SDK that allows developers to run their own indexers or use the managed service. This results in a trade-off: while its decentralized network is still maturing compared to The Graph's, it offers superior customization and faster iteration for complex logic on non-EVM chains.
The key trade-off: If your priority is leveraging a proven, economically secure decentralized network for EVM-centric dApps, choose The Graph. If you prioritize rapid development, deep customization, and native support for Substrate or a diverse array of non-EVM chains, choose SubQuery.
tldr-summary
THE GRAPH VS SUBQUERY
TL;DR: Key Differentiators at a Glance
A data-driven comparison of the two leading decentralized indexing protocols, focusing on Substrate-native support and multi-chain strategy.
01
The Graph: Decentralized Network Maturity
Established Decentralized Network: 500+ Indexers, 8,000+ Delegators, and over $2B+ in secured stake. This matters for protocols requiring battle-tested, censorship-resistant data and a robust economic security model for mission-critical dApps like Uniswap and Aave.
500+
Indexers
$2B+
Secured Stake
02
The Graph: Broad EVM & L2 Dominance
Unmatched EVM Coverage: Native support for 40+ chains including Ethereum, Arbitrum, Polygon, and Base. This matters for teams building on mainstream Ethereum L2s who need a single, unified query endpoint and a massive existing subgraph ecosystem to fork and build upon.
40+
Supported Chains
04
SubQuery: Flexible Multi-Chain Data Aggregation
Unified Multi-Chain API: Index data from any combination of Substrate, EVM, Cosmos, and more into a single GraphQL endpoint. This matters for cross-chain dApps and analytics platforms that need to aggregate user positions or liquidity data from disparate ecosystems like Polkadot, Ethereum, and Cosmos seamlessly.
05
The Graph: Higher Complexity & Cost
Steeper Learning Curve: Requires understanding of Graph Node architecture, AssemblyScript, and the decentralized network's billing (GRT). This matters for smaller teams or rapid prototyping where developer velocity and predictable, simple costs are a priority.
06
SubQuery: Centralized Foundation & Emerging Decentralization
Foundation-Run Network: While the SQT token and decentralization are live, the network is newer and currently overseen by the SubQuery Foundation. This matters for projects with strict decentralization requirements that prioritize the proven, community-run security of a longer-established network.
THE GRAPH VS SUBQUERY
Head-to-Head Feature Comparison
Direct comparison of key indexing metrics and features for Substrate and multi-chain development.
| Metric / Feature | The Graph | SubQuery |
|---|---|---|
Native Substrate Support | ||
Multi-chain Indexing | ||
Decentralized Network (Mainnet) | ||
Query Language | GraphQL | GraphQL |
Avg. Indexing Speed (Blocks/sec) | ~100 | ~500 |
Supported Chains (Count) | 40+ | 100+ |
Pricing Model | GRT Query Fees | Flexible (Free Tier, Enterprise) |
CHOOSE YOUR PRIORITY
When to Choose: A Decision Framework by Use Case
The Graph for Multi-chain Teams
Verdict: The established standard for broad ecosystem coverage.
Strengths: Native support for 40+ networks via The Graph Network's decentralized indexers, including Ethereum, Arbitrum, Polygon, and Avalanche. Offers a unified query endpoint (graphql) and subgraph standard, simplifying development across EVM chains. GRT token economics incentivize reliable, censorship-resistant service.
Considerations: Subgraph deployment to the decentralized network has a learning curve and requires curation. For newer or non-EVM chains (e.g., Aptos, NEAR), support is still maturing.
SubQuery for Multi-chain Teams
Verdict: Superior flexibility for Substrate-based and custom chains. Strengths: First-class, native support for Polkadot, Kusama, and any Substrate-based chain. Also supports Ethereum, Cosmos, Algorand, and others. The SubQuery SDK allows for more complex data transformations and relationships within the indexing logic itself. Offers both managed and self-hosted options, giving teams full control over their infrastructure stack. Considerations: While multi-chain, its decentralized network is newer than The Graph's, so assess indexer decentralization and liveness for your target chain.
pros-cons-a
PROS AND CONS
The Graph vs SubQuery: Substrate & Multi-chain Indexing
A data-driven comparison of two leading decentralized indexing protocols, focusing on Substrate-native development and multi-chain strategy.
01
The Graph: Decentralized Network Strength
Operational Decentralization: Over 500 Indexers secure the network, with data validated by 10,000+ Delegators and Curators. This provides censorship resistance and aligns with Web3 ethos. It matters for protocols requiring maximum uptime guarantees and data integrity without a single point of failure, like DeFi protocols (Uniswap, Aave) and DAOs.
500+
Indexers
40+
Supported Chains
02
The Graph: Trade-off for Substrate
Substrate as a Second-Class Citizen: While The Graph supports Polkadot/Kusama via a dedicated Firehose, its primary architecture is EVM-optimized. Developing a Subgraph for a Substrate chain requires mapping to Ethereum-like entities, adding complexity. This matters for native Substrate/Rust teams who want to index custom pallets and storage items directly without an abstraction layer.
04
SubQuery: Trade-off in Decentralization
Hybrid Centralization Risk: While moving towards a decentralized network (SubQuery Network), the current default is a managed service. This offers speed and ease but introduces reliance on SubQuery Labs' infrastructure. It matters for projects with strict decentralization requirements or those who need immutable, permissionless access guarantees from day one.
pros-cons-b
The Graph vs SubQuery
SubQuery: Strengths and Trade-offs
A data-driven comparison of two leading indexing protocols, focusing on their architectural approaches and ideal deployment scenarios.
01
SubQuery's Core Strength: Substrate & Multi-Chain Specialization
Native Substrate SDK: Offers a first-class, type-safe development experience for Polkadot and Kusama parachains. This matters for teams building on the Substrate stack who need deep, native access to chain data without complex mapping logic. Multi-Chain Aggregation: Indexes across 100+ networks (EVM, Cosmos, Algorand, etc.) into a single API, enabling cross-chain dApps. This is critical for protocols like Acala or Moonbeam that need to aggregate data from multiple ecosystems.
02
SubQuery's Trade-off: Decentralization Maturity
Managed Service Focus: The SubQuery Network (decentralized) is newer, with lower staked SQT ($5M TVL) compared to The Graph's established network ($2B+ in delegated GRT). This matters for applications requiring battle-tested, cryptoeconomically secure data guarantees today.
Indexer Ecosystem: Has a smaller, growing set of independent indexers versus The Graph's extensive, competitive marketplace. This can impact query redundancy and price competition for end-users.
03
The Graph's Core Strength: Decentralized Network Scale
Established Decentralized Data Layer: Over 600+ Indexers securing subgraphs for networks like Ethereum, Arbitrum, and Avalanche, with ~$2B in economic security (delegated GRT). This matters for production dApps like Uniswap or Balancer that cannot rely on a centralized point of failure. Standardized Subgraph Schema: The Graph's schema and mapping language is a de facto industry standard, creating a larger talent pool and tooling ecosystem (e.g., Hardhat plugins).
04
The Graph's Trade-off: Multi-Chain Complexity
Chain-Specific Deployment: Requires deploying and managing separate subgraphs for each supported chain (Ethereum, Polygon, etc.). This matters for teams building omnichain applications who face operational overhead and fragmented APIs. Less Native for Non-EVM: While supporting non-EVM chains like NEAR or Cosmos, the tooling and community expertise are most mature within the EVM ecosystem, potentially creating friction for other tech stacks.
THE GRAPH VS SUBQUERY
Technical Deep Dive: Indexing Architecture & Substrate Support
A technical comparison of indexing architectures, native blockchain support, and multi-chain capabilities for protocol architects and engineering leaders.
SubQuery offers superior native support for Substrate-based chains. It was built specifically for the Polkadot/Substrate ecosystem, featuring first-class tooling like the SubQuery SDK for Substrate and direct integration with Substrate's storage layer. The Graph supports Substrate via a mapping handler, but it requires translating Substrate calls into Ethereum-like events, adding complexity. For native Kusama, Polkadot, or custom parachain development, SubQuery's architecture is more intuitive and performant.
verdict
THE ANALYSIS
Final Verdict and Strategic Recommendation
Choosing between The Graph and SubQuery hinges on your chain support strategy, development velocity, and decentralization requirements.
The Graph excels at providing a robust, decentralized indexing network for established EVM and non-EVM chains. Its core strength is its battle-tested, permissionless protocol with over 1,000 subgraphs and a $1.7B+ historical query volume, offering high reliability and censorship resistance for production dApps. For example, major protocols like Uniswap and Aave depend on its hosted service and decentralized network for critical on-chain data.
SubQuery takes a different approach by prioritizing developer experience and multi-chain flexibility from day one. Its strategy focuses on a fully-featured, open-source SDK that simplifies building custom data sources for Substrate, Cosmos, Avalanche, and others. This results in a trade-off: faster prototyping and easier chain integration, but with a currently more centralized hosted service model as its decentralized network, the SubQuery Network, continues its phased rollout.
The key architectural divergence lies in chain expansion. The Graph uses a canonical mapping requirement for new chains, which ensures security but can be slower. SubQuery's flexible data source definitions allow developers to index virtually any chain immediately, a critical advantage for teams building on emerging Layer 1s or app-chains.
Consider The Graph if your priority is deploying a high-value dApp on Ethereum, Arbitrum, or other supported majors where maximum uptime, a large existing indexer ecosystem, and progressive decentralization via its graphql endpoints are non-negotiable.
Choose SubQuery when you require rapid development on Substrate, Cosmos, or other non-EVM ecosystems, need to aggregate data across multiple heterogeneous chains into a single API, or value an all-in-one managed service with extensive developer tooling like the SubQuery Explorer and detailed documentation.
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