Infura
High-availability blockchain APIs and node infrastructure for Web3 developers
About Infura
Infura is Consensys's hosted node service that gives developers JSON-RPC API access to Ethereum and 40+ other networks without running their own nodes. It now sits under the MetaMask Developer brand, with docs and support hosted on MetaMask, and bills on a daily credit quota rather than raw request counts.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Free Core tier includes full archive data and 3 million daily credits, enough for prototypes and small dApps
- Long track record since 2016 as the default RPC provider behind MetaMask
- Broad network coverage across Ethereum, major L2s and other EVM chains from one API key
- Transparent, published pricing with a predictable daily credit quota
- Tight integration with the Consensys stack (MetaMask SDK, Snaps, Linea)
- Accepts crypto payments on paid plans
Cons
- Debug and Trace APIs are locked behind the paid Developer plan
- Credit costs vary by method (trace and block-receipt calls cost far more than basic calls), which makes usage harder to forecast
- New IPFS keys are no longer issued; IPFS is limited to pre-qualified and legacy customers
- Branding is split between infura.io and MetaMask Developer docs and support, which can confuse new users
- Fewer enhanced/indexed data APIs (NFT, token balances) than some competitors offer
Key Features
Multi-chain node APIs
JSON-RPC and WebSocket endpoints for Ethereum, Linea, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, Avalanche, StarkNet, opBNB and 40+ supported networks.
Full archive data
Query historical state at any block on every plan, including the free Core tier.
Debug and Trace APIs
Debug and trace methods for transaction analysis and smart-contract troubleshooting on the Developer plan and above.
Gas API (Expansion APIs)
Gas fee estimation and network-condition data delivered alongside the core node APIs.
Credit-based quotas
Each method carries a fixed credit cost by computational weight, drawn from a daily credit quota with a guaranteed per-second throughput.
Usage dashboard and notifications
MetaMask Developer dashboard shows request visibility (24 hours on Core, 30 days on paid plans) and usage alerts.
API key management and sharing
Multiple API keys with allowlists and sharing across team members; unlimited keys on Team and Enterprise.
MetaMask SDK integration
Infura APIs are accessible directly from the MetaMask SDK and Snaps, and power apps on the Linea network.
Crypto payments
Paid plans can be paid in cryptocurrency as well as by card.
Pricing
- 1 API key
- 3 million credits/day
- 500 credits/second
- 40+ supported networks
- Gas API
- Full archive data
- Community forum support
- Everything in Core
- 5 API keys
- 15 million credits/day
- 4K credits/second
- Debug / Trace API
- Settings override
- Ticketed support
- Everything in Developer
- Unlimited API keys
- 75 million credits/day
- 40K credits/second
- Prioritized ticket support
- Everything in Team
- Elastic auto-scaling
- Burstable throughput
- Enhanced support SLA
Best For
dApp backends
Read chain state and broadcast transactions from web and mobile dApps without operating Ethereum or L2 nodes.
Wallets and MetaMask Snaps
Power wallet balance lookups, transaction submission and Snaps through the same infrastructure MetaMask uses.
DeFi and analytics
Use archive data and trace methods to reconstruct historical positions, audit transactions and build analytics pipelines.
Smart-contract development
Deploy and test contracts on mainnets and testnets from Hardhat, Foundry, web3.js or ethers.js using an Infura endpoint.
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