The Graph excels at providing a standardized, decentralized marketplace for blockchain data. Its core strength is a robust network of Indexers and Delegators secured by the GRT token, offering high reliability and censorship resistance for production dApps. For example, major protocols like Uniswap and Aave rely on its hosted service and subgraphs to query on-chain data, leveraging a network that has processed over 1 trillion queries.
LABS
Comparisons
The Graph vs Subsquid
A technical comparison for engineering leaders choosing between The Graph's decentralized subgraph network and Subsquid's flexible, high-performance ETL framework for blockchain data indexing.
Chainscore © 2026
introduction
THE ANALYSIS
Introduction
A foundational comparison of two leading decentralized data indexing solutions, The Graph and Subsquid, focusing on their architectural philosophies and core trade-offs.
Subsquid takes a different approach by prioritizing developer flexibility and raw performance. Its strategy centers on a local-first, ETL (Extract,Transform,Load) framework that allows teams to run their own indexers, bypassing network fees and enabling complex data transformations. This results in a trade-off: you gain unparalleled control over data schema and processing speed, but assume the operational overhead of managing your own infrastructure.
The key trade-off: If your priority is decentralized, hands-off reliability for common EVM or non-EVM data patterns, choose The Graph. If you prioritize maximum performance, custom data aggregation, or cost predictability for a dedicated application, choose Subsquid.
tldr-summary
The Graph vs Subsquid
TL;DR: Key Differentiators
A data-driven comparison of the leading decentralized indexing protocols. Choose based on your stack's requirements for decentralization, performance, and developer experience.
01
Choose The Graph for Decentralized Security
Decentralized Network: Indexing and querying are performed by a permissionless network of Indexers, Curators, and Delegators secured by the GRT token. This matters for protocols requiring censor-resistant, blockchain-grade data availability and aligning with Web3 ethos. Supports GraphQL across 40+ chains including Ethereum, Arbitrum, and Polygon.
40+
Supported Chains
$1.5B+
GRT Securing Network
02
Choose Subsquid for Raw Speed & Flexibility
High-Performance Architecture: Uses a multichain data lake and parallel processing for faster historical queries and real-time data. This matters for high-frequency dApps, analytics dashboards, and backfilling large datasets. Developers write custom ETL pipelines in TypeScript, offering granular control over data transformation. Native support for EVM, Substrate, and WASM chains.
100k+
Blocks Processed/Hour
< 2 sec
Typical Query Latency
HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON
The Graph vs Subsquid: Feature Comparison
Direct comparison of key architectural and operational metrics for decentralized indexing protocols.
| Metric | The Graph | Subsquid |
|---|---|---|
Primary Architecture | Decentralized Network (Indexers, Curators, Delegators) | Decentralized Data Lake + Local Indexer |
Query Language | GraphQL | GraphQL & raw SQL |
Data Source Flexibility | EVM & Non-EVM via Firehose | EVM, Substrate, WASM, Cosmos |
Indexing Speed (Initial Sync) | Hours to days (network-dependent) | Minutes to hours (local processing) |
Query Cost Model | GRT payment per query | Free local queries; pay for data sourcing |
Native Support for Historical Data | ||
Developer Onboarding | Subgraph Studio & Hosted Service | Squid SDK & Self-Hosted |
pros-cons-a
PROS AND CONS
The Graph vs Subsquid
A data-driven comparison of the leading decentralized indexing protocol and its primary open-source alternative. Key strengths and trade-offs at a glance.
01
The Graph: Decentralized Network
Operates a robust, permissionless marketplace with over 500 Indexers and 10,000+ active subgraphs. This matters for protocols requiring censorship resistance and data integrity guarantees for mission-critical dApps like Uniswap or Aave. The GRT token secures the network.
500+
Indexers
10,000+
Subgraphs
03
The Graph: Cost & Complexity
Can incur unpredictable query fees and requires GRT for curation/indexer payments. This matters for bootstrapped projects or those with highly variable query loads, as budgeting becomes complex. Managing subgraph deployments and upgrades also adds operational overhead.
05
Subsquid: Performance & Cost Predictability
Architected for high-throughput historical data queries. Uses a multi-stage batch processor (Archives → Processor → Database). This matters for analytics dashboards, data lakes, or backtesting engines where querying terabytes of historical data is common. Hosting costs are fixed (your infra bill).
06
Subsquid: Operational Burden
You become the infrastructure operator. Requires expertise in DevOps, database management (PostgreSQL), and maintaining data pipelines. This matters for small teams without SRE resources, as downtime, schema migrations, and performance tuning are now your responsibility.
pros-cons-b
KEY DIFFERENTIATORS
The Graph vs Subsquid: Pros and Cons
A technical breakdown of strengths and trade-offs for two leading blockchain indexing solutions.
01
The Graph: Decentralized Network
Decentralized Indexing: Operates on a permissionless network of Indexers, Curators, and Delegators. This matters for protocols requiring censorship resistance and verifiable data provenance, like DeFi applications (Uniswap, Aave) and DAOs. The hosted service is being sunset, pushing users to the decentralized network.
1,000+
Active Subgraphs
$2.5B+
Network TVL (GRT)
02
The Graph: Standardized Queries
GraphQL API Standard: Provides a consistent, self-documenting query layer. This matters for frontend and analytics teams who need to quickly build and iterate on dApps without managing backend logic. The ecosystem of existing subgraphs for major protocols (e.g., Compound, ENS) accelerates development.
03
Subsquid: Custom Data Pipelines
Flexible ETL Framework: Developers write custom TypeScript handlers to transform on-chain data into any shape. This matters for complex analytics, event-driven backends, and migrating large datasets where raw performance and custom logic are critical. Supports direct database dumps (PostgreSQL).
10x-100x
Faster Sync Speed
04
Subsquid: Cost & Control
Self-Hosted or Cloud: Can be run on your own infrastructure (AWS, GCP) or via Subsquid Cloud. This matters for enterprise teams with strict compliance needs, high-volume applications, or those seeking predictable, lower long-term costs compared to decentralized network query fees.
05
The Graph: Consider If...
You prioritize decentralization and network effects. Ideal for:
- Public dApps needing trust-minimized data.
- Teams leveraging existing subgraphs for Ethereum, Arbitrum, or Polygon.
- Projects where paying query fees in GRT is acceptable.
06
Subsquid: Choose For...
You need performance, flexibility, and infrastructure control. Ideal for:
- High-frequency trading analytics or complex event processing.
- Migrating legacy database systems with custom schemas.
- Applications on newer or bespoke chains (often supported faster).
CHOOSE YOUR PRIORITY
When to Choose Which: A Scenario Guide
The Graph for DeFi
Verdict: The established standard for composable, multi-chain data. Strengths: Decentralized network ensures uptime and censorship resistance for critical financial data. Global query language (GraphQL) with a massive, shared schema library accelerates development. Battle-tested with over $50B+ in queries served for protocols like Uniswap, Aave, and Compound. Ideal for applications that require reliable, permissionless access to aggregated on-chain data across Ethereum, Arbitrum, Polygon, and other L2s.
Subsquid for DeFi
Verdict: Superior for complex, high-frequency analytics and custom data pipelines. Strengths: Raw execution speed via a multi-stage ETL pipeline and direct RPC access, enabling sub-second indexing for high-throughput chains like Solana or Sui. Full control over data schema allows for highly optimized, application-specific data models. Cost-effective for large-scale data processing, as you can run your own indexer or use a managed service. Best for building internal dashboards, risk engines, or novel DeFi primitives needing bespoke, real-time data aggregation.
verdict
THE ANALYSIS
Final Verdict and Decision Framework
A data-driven breakdown to help CTOs and architects choose the right indexing solution for their protocol.
The Graph excels at providing a standardized, decentralized data marketplace for public blockchain data. Its robust network of over 700 Indexers and 10,000+ active subgraphs offers proven reliability and a rich ecosystem of pre-built data APIs. For example, major DeFi protocols like Uniswap and Aave rely on The Graph for their subgraphs, which collectively serve billions of queries monthly. Its decentralized architecture, secured by the GRT token, ensures censorship resistance and aligns with Web3 principles for applications where data provenance and network uptime are non-negotiable.
Subsquid takes a fundamentally different approach by offering a high-performance, developer-centric framework for building custom data pipelines. By leveraging a multi-chain indexing SDK and a decentralized data lake, it provides raw, unprocessed data directly to your node. This results in a trade-off: you gain unparalleled flexibility and query speed (often 10x faster for complex joins) but must manage more infrastructure and data transformation logic internally. It's particularly powerful for indexing private chains, complex on-chain/off-chain data merges, or applications requiring bespoke data aggregation that a standard GraphQL API cannot provide.
The key trade-off: If your priority is deploying quickly on a major EVM or L2 chain with a battle-tested, hands-off API service, choose The Graph. It's the turnkey solution for standard blockchain queries. If you prioritize maximum performance, multi-chain flexibility, and the ability to index niche chains or process raw data for a custom data warehouse, choose Subsquid. It's the framework for teams with the engineering bandwidth to build a tailored data stack.
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No Sales Fluff10+
Protocols Shipped
$20M+
TVL Overall