Whether you like it or not, Blockchain development is going to be something most, if not all, businesses are going to have to incorporate to some level or at the very least understand.
In my opinion, Node Providers aren’t given enough credit for the amount of work they do for the developments in the blockchain space by mainstream media but are almost crucial to any future developments to be made.
Although a node can be run on a computer by developers, doing so can be very time-consuming, challenging to manage, and energy intensive. The blockchain node must also be dependable, accurate, and secure in order for an application to run successfully. Running one’s node on the said computer makes it challenging to achieve all three of these factors.
This is where a Node Provider comes into play. The responsibility of running nodes is transferred from the individual developer or business to the blockchain node service provider, who builds and maintains blockchain nodes for use by others. Working with a blockchain node provider can help reduce upkeep costs and increase dependability. Given that the blockchain industry is still developing and not having to worry about maintenance is very valuable, something like this is frequently seen as a benefit. Additionally, by using a blockchain node provider, developers and businesses can steer clear of the high expenses, delays, and reliability risks related to maintaining individual blockchain nodes.
Let’s take a dive into FIVE different providers you should keep an eye out for over the upcoming years.
- Alchemy
What is Alchemy?
“The most powerful set of web3 development tools to build and scale your dApp with ease.”
Alchemy is a blockchain scaling platform that enables developers to safely design, test and keep track of their decentralised applications (dApps). The platform offers dependable node management endpoints and network connectivity.
Alchemy enables developers to send users real-time push notifications for critical events based on blockchain activities, and their NFT API, which offers a suite of services allowing you to instantly find, verify, and display any NFT across multiple blockchains.
Alchemy has built a strong reputation as a blockchain node provider by providing high data accuracy and incredibly high reliability in comparison to rivals. And hence why I believe it belongs on this list.
Furthermore, Alchemy currently provides its services to many reputable customers such as Opensea (in support of the NFT API key feature).
Supported Blockchains
Ethereum, Polygon, Solana, Arbitum, Optimism, Flow, and Crypto.org.
Key APIs (Application Programming Interface)
- Instantly locate, validate, and display any NFT across all significant blockchains with the NFT API.
- The use of Webhooks with the Notify API.
- One way for apps to communicate automatically with other apps is through Webhooks.
- Gain low-level insights into how transactions were carried out on the chain using the Trace API.
- Get the transaction history for specific accounts over any block range using the Transfers API.
- Get complete transaction receipts for all fresh pending transactions using the Subscription API (Websockets).
- WebSocket API enables a user’s browser and a server to start a two-way interactive communication session.
Price
2. QuickNode
What is QuickNode?
“We make it simple to build blockchain applications and scale up as you grow. From elastic APIs to powerful tools and analytics, all at your command through a simple control panel.”
QuickNode aims to make running Blockchain nodes easy for developers, and hence allow them to fully focus on the development of their dApps.
Scalability, speed, and analytics tools are the three main value propositions that Quicknode highlights as a blockchain node provider. In areas around the world, Quicknode highlights that it is quicker than 65% of competitors.
Supported Blockchains
Since 2017, Quicknode has built from just Ethereum to now a wide chain support, supporting Solana, Polygon, Binance Smart Chain, Algorand, Arbitum, Avalanche, Bitcoin, Celo, Fantom, Harmony, Optimism, Terra, and major testnets.
Key APIs
One key API that QuickNode brings onto the table for developers is the ability to access NFT data from the Solana and Ethereum networks using Quicknode’s cross-chain NFT API.
Price
3. Infura
What is Infura?
“The world’s most powerful suite of high availability blockchain APIs and developer tools”
Infura was established in 2016 and later bought by ConsenSys, the parent company of Metamask.
With over 400,000 developers as members, Infura is another significant node provider in the blockchain industry. Infura offers an interface to track application operations, such as requests and their status, in a manner similar to Alchemy.
Supported Blockchains
Infura currently only supports Ethereum and Ethereum testnets. However, with an additional fee, Infura provides blockchain node support for Polygon, Optimism, and Arbitrum.
Key APIs
For your Ethereum projects, Infura offers a straightforward and trustworthy infrastructure. However, they also went a step further by developing the decentralised IPFS API, which allows for the storage and access of files on the blockchain.
Price
4. NodeReal
What is NodeReal?
“As a one-stop blockchain infrastructure and services provider, we provide scalable, reliable, and efficient blockchain solutions for everyone, aiming to support the massive adoption, growth, and long-term success of the Web3 ecosystem.”
Blockchain infrastructure and services are offered by NodeReal. In the early days of the BSC network, NodeReal first released their BSC validator RapToken. RapToken has since changed its name to NodeReal.
Customers all around the world trust NodeReal because of their dedication to blockchain technology and in-depth knowledge of infrastructure and security. Through each of their collaborations, they have remained true to their mission: To promote the uptake, expansion, and long-term success of the Web 3 ecosystem.
Supported Blockchains
BNB Chain, Ethereum, Polygon, Aptos (Testnet), and more.
Key Features
- Standard Interface that supports BSC Mainnet over HTTPS and WSS with client-compatible JSON-RPC.
- Reliability by operating with a least 99.8% uptime guarantee and the most recent network improvements.
- With just one line of code, you can instantly connect your application. No complicated settings or synchronising.
- Developer Dashboard to use NodeReal to configure, track, and evaluate your apps.
- Archive Data available to every single subscription tier.
Price
5. Blockdaemon
What is Blockdaemon?
Blockdaemon is a node provider that is present throughout the lifecycle of a blockchain project. Blockdaemon provides node operations and infrastructure tooling, including early testing, staking/reporting, clusters for exchanges and custodians, and APIs for developers.
Developers can purchase node access at Blockdaemon’s market price through the peer-to-peer node provider marketplace run by the company. With more than 50 chains currently available for node support, Blockdaemon’s main selling point is its support for a large number of chains.
Supported Blockchains
Ethereum, Polygon, Avalanche, Cosmos, Polkadot, Solana, Moonbeam, Kusama, Audius, Evmos, Algorand, Cardano, Bitcoin, Chainlink, Cronos, Dogecoin, Fantom, Filecoin, Harmony, Helium, Near, Optimism, Stellar, Terra, Tezos, XRP and several more.
Key Features
Ubiquity is a group of APIs that Blockdaemon offers. Multiple protocols can be accessed using the Blockdaemon Ubiquity Universal API. Here are some potential benefits that come with this:
- Data about NFTs may be accessed both on-chain and off-chain thanks to Ubiquity NFT.
- Developers can explore protocols more thoroughly thanks to the Ubiquity Native Access API.
- The Ubiquity Specialized APIs, in addition, enable developers to retrieve important data from the blockchain.
Price
Defers based on the Blockdaemon marketplace.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I don’t think any developer can go too wrong with using any of these node providers as they are all beneficial in their own way. However, I will mention a couple of factors I believe you as a developer should consider before making the decision
- COST – A lot of these node providers mentioned start from a FREE plan along with multiple numbers of upgrades. You must identify what exactly you’re trying to get out of the node provider and which plan will get you there the cheapest and/or alongside your budget.
- USER INTERFACE – All of this can be a lot of information for a first-time developer and a lot of work to understand. This is why a user interface that you are comfortable with and more importantly understand is crucial when it comes to developing your dApps.
- PURPOSE – Lastly and most probably the most important one. You must look even beyond this list to identify what node provider will satisfy your development needs best with a combination of APIs, cost, and supported blockchains. A good way to identify this is by looking at node providers’ current partnerships and identifying your development’s similarities to one.
