Polkadot vs Virtual TestNets vs Subgraphs
Build an ecosystem optimized for your goals while opening up new revenue streams.
Comparison Summary
Polkadot, Virtual TestNets and Subgraphs each address unique challenges in the web3 ecosystem, offering complementary strengths for builders. Polkadot is a scalable, secure, and resilient Web3 platform enabling developers to build custom blockchains and interoperable applications with shared security and seamless connectivity. Virtually operated Web3 networks that replicate real blockchain networks for development, testing, and staging without using real assets. The Graph is a decentralized indexing protocol that organizes blockchain data and makes it easily accessible via GraphQL. Together, these tools serve different but overlapping user needs, making them valuable components in a modern web3 development stack.
| At a Glance | |||
| Composability | |||
| Cross-Chain | |||
| Customizability | |||
| Developer Support | |||
| Ease of Integration | |||
| Performance | |||
| Key Features | |||
| Core Capabilities | Parachains and Rollups, XCM Protocol, Substrate SDK, On-Chain Treasury and DAO, Elastic Scaling and Agile Coretime | Public and Admin RPC endpoints, Visual dashboard for management and monitoring, Integration with popular development frameworks | Subgraphs, Substreams, Token API |
| Chain Support | — | +21 | +46 |
| Best For | Infrastructure Developers, DeFi Developers | DeFi Developers, Infrastructure Developers | DeFi Developers, NFT Platform Developers |
| Pricing | |||
| Free Tier | Open Source | Free | Hosted Service |
| Paid Features | — | 1 paid tiers | 1 paid tiers |
| Custom Plans | — | — | — |
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