Alchemy offers one of the most generous free tiers in the blockchain API industry. In February 2025, they introduced the Pay As You Go plan, making it even more affordable for developers. Here's everything you need to know about Alchemy pricing in 2026.
Pricing Plans Overview
Free
- 100M Compute Units/mo
- 25 requests/second
- 5 apps & 5 webhooks
- Discord support
- All testnets
Pay As You Go
- Pay for what you use
- No monthly fees
- From $0.40/1M CUs
- All mainnets & testnets
- Volume discounts
- 99.99% reliability
Growth
- 50M Compute Units
- 100 requests/second
- Priority support
- Enhanced analytics
- 10 apps
Scale
- 300M Compute Units
- 500 requests/second
- 24/7 engineering support
- Advanced analytics
- Custom rate limits
February 2025 Update
Alchemy introduced the Pay As You Go plan with the lowest pricing in web3 infrastructure. No minimum fees, no commitments - pay only for what you use. Rates start as low as $0.40 per 1 million Compute Units.
Understanding Compute Units
Alchemy uses a Compute Unit (CU) system to measure API usage. Different API calls consume different amounts of CUs:
| API Type | Compute Units |
|---|---|
| Simple ETH balance (eth_getBalance) | 4 CUs |
| Block by number (eth_getBlockByNumber) | 8 CUs |
| Transaction receipt (eth_getTransactionReceipt) | 20 CUs |
| Logs (eth_getLogs) | 50-100 CUs |
| Debug trace | 100+ CUs |
How to Choose the Right Plan
Free Plan - Best For:
- Learning and experimentation
- Small development projects
- Building MVPs
- Testing new blockchain networks
Pay As You Go - Best For:
- Production apps with variable traffic
- Projects scaling from free tier
- Cost optimization
- Startups with budget constraints
Growth Plan - Best For:
- Production dApps with steady traffic
- Projects needing higher throughput
- Teams requiring priority support
- Multiple applications
Scale Plan - Best For:
- Enterprise applications
- High-traffic platforms
- Mission-critical infrastructure
- Teams needing 24/7 support
Pay As You Go Pricing Details
The new Pay As You Go plan (launched February 2025) offers:
- No minimum - Start from $0
- No commitment - Cancel anytime
- Volume discounts - Rates decrease as you scale
- From $0.40/M CU - For high-volume users
Start Building for Free
Get 100M Compute Units every month with Alchemy's free plan.
Create Free Account →Alchemy vs Competition
| Feature | Alchemy | Infura | QuickNode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | 100M CU/mo | 100K req/day | 500K req/mo |
| Starting Price | $0 (Free) | $225/mo | $49/mo |
| Pay As You Go | Yes | No | Limited |
| Supported Chains | 20+ | 10+ | 80+ |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Alchemy's free tier really free?
Yes! Alchemy's free tier provides 100M Compute Units per month with no credit card required. It's sufficient for development, testing, and small production projects.
What happens if I exceed my plan limits?
On paid plans, you'll be charged for overages at the Pay As You Go rate. On the free tier, requests may be throttled.
Can I switch plans anytime?
Yes, you can upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time from the Alchemy dashboard.
Does Alchemy offer enterprise pricing?
Yes, Alchemy offers custom Enterprise plans with dedicated infrastructure, higher limits, and 24/7 engineering support. Contact their sales team for details.