Subgraphs vs Streams vs Core API

Build an ecosystem optimized for your goals while opening up new revenue streams.

Comparison Summary

Subgraphs, Streams and Core API 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 provides fast, reliable, and scalable blockchain infrastructure and developer tools to build and scale onchain applications. A Document Object Model for Web APIs designed to simplify API consumption and integration. Together, these tools serve different but overlapping user needs, making them valuable components in a modern web3 development stack.

	Subgraphs // Web3 Developer Tools // Indexing Tools // Web3 Data Tools	Streams // Web3 Developer Tools // Infrastructure Tools // RPC Node Providers // Web3 Data Tools	Core API // Web3 Developer Tools
At a Glance
Composability
Cross-Chain
Customizability
Developer Support
Ease of Integration
Performance
Key Features
Core Capabilities	Subgraphs, Substreams, Token API	Core RPC API, Streams - Real-Time and Historical Data, Dedicated Clusters, Yellowstone gRPC for Solana, Webhooks and IPFS Gateways	Dynamic API Discovery, Open Source Repositories
Chain Support	+46	+30	+40
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	—