Load-Balanced RPC vs Single Endpoint RPC

Distributed traffic across multiple nodes: Eliminates single points of failure. This matters for mission-critical dApps like DeFi protocols (e.g., Aave, Uniswap) where a 99.9%+ SLA is non-negotiable.

Horizontal scaling under load: Automatically routes requests to the fastest available node, preventing bottlenecks during peak traffic (e.g., NFT mints, token launches). This matters for high-TPS applications requiring consistent sub-100ms response times.

Single connection management: One URL to configure and monitor, reducing initial setup complexity. This matters for prototyping, staging environments, or low-volume dApps where operational overhead must be minimized.

Direct, persistent connection: Requests go to a single node, which can offer lower baseline latency if the node is geographically close and uncongested. This matters for real-time applications like gaming or arbitrage bots where connection stickiness is beneficial.

Automatic failover across multiple nodes prevents single points of failure. Services like Chainscore, Alchemy Supernode, and QuickNode's Load Balancer distribute traffic, achieving >99.9% SLA. This is critical for trading bots, perpetual DEXs, and any application where downtime equals lost revenue.

Horizontally scales to handle traffic spikes from NFT mints or token launches without rate limit errors. It intelligently routes requests to the fastest available node, maintaining sub-100ms p95 latency during congestion. Essential for consumer apps with unpredictable user growth.

Zero configuration overhead—just paste the URL and start building. Public endpoints (like Infura's mainnet) or a single dedicated node have fixed, predictable pricing. Ideal for prototyping, internal tools, or applications with steady, low-volume traffic where engineering time is a constraint.

All requests hit the same node state, eliminating consistency issues like nonce mismatches or stale data across a fleet. This simplifies debugging transaction failures and is preferred for sequential operations (e.g., complex DeFi strategies) and indexers that require a single source of truth.

Automatic failover across multiple nodes: Distributes requests to prevent single points of failure. This matters for mission-critical dApps (e.g., DEXs like Uniswap, lending protocols like Aave) where 99.9%+ uptime is non-negotiable. Downtime during a market crash can mean millions in lost opportunity.

Handles traffic spikes without degradation: Uses algorithms (round-robin, latency-based) to manage request load. This matters for high-TPS applications (e.g., NFT mints, gaming) where user experience depends on sub-second response times during peak events. Prevents the "rate limit exceeded" errors common with single endpoints.

Zero configuration overhead: A single URL is easier to integrate and manage for small teams. This matters for prototypes, internal tools, or low-traffic dApps where development speed and predictable, often lower, costs are prioritized over enterprise-grade resilience.

Guaranteed sequential request processing: All reads/writes go to one node, eliminating risks of state inconsistency (e.g., reading stale data after a write). This matters for complex transaction sequences (e.g., flash loans, multi-contract arbitrage bots) where nonce management and immediate state visibility are critical.