Multi-chain RPC vs Dedicated Ethereum RPC

Unified API Endpoint: A single SDK or API key grants access to 50+ chains (Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, etc.). This eliminates the overhead of managing separate providers, credentials, and rate limits for each network. This matters for dApps and wallets like MetaMask or Rainbow that need to serve users across the entire ecosystem.

Optimized for High-Throughput Chains: Providers like Alchemy's Supernode or Chainstack often offer superior performance and lower costs on networks like Polygon PoS or Arbitrum One, where dedicated RPCs can be less common. This matters for gaming or high-frequency DeFi protocols where sub-second finality and low gas fees on L2s are critical.

Maximum Throughput & Uptime: Services like Infura's Ethereum API or a self-hosted Geth/Erigon node are engineered solely for Ethereum Mainnet, offering the highest possible request rates (often 10k+ RPS tiers) and 99.9%+ SLA guarantees. This matters for high-volume CEXs, institutional traders, and block builders where every millisecond and failed request carries significant cost.

Deep Protocol Access: Full, archive, and trace nodes (e.g., using Erigon or Nethermind clients) enable complex operations like debug_traceTransaction, which are essential for MEV analysis, smart contract auditing tools like Tenderly, and advanced indexers. Many multi-chain providers limit or premium-gate these intensive methods. This matters for developers building complex analytics or security tooling.

Single API endpoint for 30+ chains (e.g., Polygon, Arbitrum, Base). This eliminates the need to manage separate provider contracts, API keys, and failover logic for each network. This matters for dApps and wallets like Rainbow or Zerion that must serve users across multiple ecosystems.

Unified SDKs and tooling (e.g., Viem, Ethers.js adapters) reduce integration time. Teams can deploy on new L2s like Blast or zkSync Era without rewriting RPC logic. This matters for rapidly scaling protocols like Aave or Uniswap that expand to new chains quarterly.

Performance varies by chain. A provider's 99.9% SLA on Ethereum Mainnet doesn't guarantee the same for Solana or Sui. This can lead to tail latency spikes and inconsistent user experience. This matters for high-frequency traders on DEX aggregators like 1inch who need sub-100ms responses.

Pricing bundles can be opaque. While convenient, you may pay for chains you don't use. Migrating away requires re-integrating with multiple dedicated providers. This matters for budget-conscious teams where cost-per-request on high-volume chains like Polygon is a primary KPI.

Optimized infrastructure for a single chain. Providers like Alchemy and Infura offer dedicated nodes, mempool streaming, and advanced APIs (e.g., trace_block). This delivers consistent sub-50ms p95 latency and 99.99%+ uptime. This matters for NFT marketplaces like OpenSea and lending protocols like Compound that cannot tolerate chain-specific bottlenecks.

Specialized support for Ethereum's execution and consensus layer. Providers offer Archive data, Flashbots integration, and MEV protection. This matters for on-chain analytics platforms like Nansen and block builders that require deep, reliable access to Ethereum's state.

Guaranteed resource isolation: A dedicated node or cluster serves only your requests, eliminating "noisy neighbor" slowdowns. This is critical for high-frequency trading bots and NFT minting platforms where sub-second block latency directly impacts profitability. Services like Alchemy's dedicated tier offer >99.9% uptime SLAs.

Private endpoint and request isolation: Your traffic never mixes with others, reducing attack surface and data leakage risk. Enables custom configurations (e.g., archive depth, tracing) and compliance for institutional DeFi. Essential for protocols like Aave or Compound handling billions in TVL, where a single RPC failure is catastrophic.

Unified API for 20+ chains: A single endpoint (e.g., Chainstack, Ankr) with a unified API (EVM, Solana, Cosmos) drastically reduces integration and maintenance overhead. Pay-per-request models (e.g., $0.00001 per compute unit) are optimal for prototyping or applications with sporadic, multi-chain activity like portfolio dashboards.

Automatic failover across providers and regions: If an underlying node fails, the service routes requests to healthy backups, improving aggregate reliability. This geo-redundancy is vital for global consumer dApps (e.g., MetaMask, Rainbow) that cannot afford regional outages. However, latency can be variable.

Significant monthly commitment: Dedicated infrastructure (e.g., from Blockdaemon, Infura) often starts at $1,500+/month for enterprise-grade SLAs. This is a poor fit for early-stage startups or projects with unpredictable load. The cost only justifies if your application's revenue or TVL is directly tied to RPC reliability.

Shared resources limit peak throughput: During network congestion (e.g., an Ethereum gas war or Solana congestion), your requests compete with all other users on the shared pool. This leads to queueing and timeouts, making it unsuitable for latency-sensitive arbitrage or liquidations that require guaranteed capacity.