Subgraphs vs Core API vs Streams
Build an ecosystem optimized for your goals while opening up new revenue streams.
Submit or update a toolComparison Summary
Subgraphs, Core API and Streams each address unique challenges in the web3 ecosystem, offering complementary strengths for builders. The Graph is a decentralized indexing protocol that organizes blockchain data and makes it easily accessible via GraphQL. Quicknode's flagship blockchain RPC API. Production-grade access to 80+ chains and 130+ networks from globally distributed edge endpoints with sub-50ms latency, archival data, WebSockets, and a 99.99% uptime SLA. Quicknode provides fast, reliable, and scalable blockchain infrastructure and developer tools to build and scale onchain applications. 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 | Subgraphs, Substreams, Token API | 80+ Chains, 130+ Networks, Sub-50ms Global Latency, Archival Data and WebSockets, 99.99% Uptime SLA, Free Tier, No Credit Card | Core RPC API, Streams - Real-Time and Historical Data, Dedicated Clusters, Yellowstone gRPC for Solana, Webhooks and IPFS Gateways |
| Chain Support | +46 | +40 | +30 |
| Best For | DeFi Developers, NFT Platform Developers | Infrastructure Developers, DeFi Developers | Infrastructure Developers, DeFi Developers |
| Pricing | |||
| Free Tier | Hosted Service | — | Free |
| Paid Features | 1 paid tiers | — | 2 paid tiers |
| Custom Plans | — | — | Enterprise plans |
