A data-driven comparison of Figment and Infura, the established giants in Web3 node infrastructure, to guide strategic platform selection.
Figment excels at staking, governance, and multi-chain data because of its institutional-grade focus and deep protocol integrations. For example, its DataHub platform provides specialized APIs for over 40 networks like Cosmos, Solana, and Polkadot, with a strong emphasis on validator services and on-chain governance participation. This makes it a top choice for protocols building in proof-of-stake ecosystems or requiring advanced staking infrastructure.
Infura takes a different approach by prioritizing developer scale, Ethereum dominance, and seamless onboarding. This results in a trade-off of being more generalized but incredibly reliable for core EVM functions. Its infrastructure powers major dApps like MetaMask and Uniswap, handling billions of daily requests with a proven 99.9%+ uptime SLA. Infura's strength lies in its battle-tested, high-throughput node clusters for Ethereum, Polygon, and other EVM chains.
The key trade-off: If your priority is deep, chain-specific functionality like staking, governance, or cross-chain data aggregation for non-EVM chains, choose Figment. If you prioritize maximum reliability, developer tooling familiarity, and raw throughput for EVM-based applications at scale, choose Infura. Your chain selection and required service depth are the primary decision drivers.
Key strengths and trade-offs at a glance for enterprise-grade Web3 infrastructure.
Specific advantage: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 certified with dedicated enterprise SLAs. Offers private RPC endpoints and data residency controls. This matters for regulated DeFi protocols, institutional custody services, and public chains requiring the highest audit standards.
Specific advantage: Largest non-custodial staking provider with $10B+ in staked assets and deep protocol governance expertise (e.g., Cosmos, Ethereum, Solana). This matters for foundations, DAOs, and validators needing active participation in network upgrades, proposal voting, and reward optimization.
Specific advantage: Processes billions of daily requests with a massive, battle-tested global edge network. The default entry point for MetaMask (30M+ MAU) and major dApps. This matters for mass-market consumer applications, NFT platforms, and wallets requiring proven, hyper-scale reliability.
Specific advantage: Deepest integration with the Ethereum ecosystem (The Merge, EIP-4844). Offers transaction simulation and gas optimization tools. This matters for DeFi protocols, L2 rollups, and smart contract developers building on Ethereum, Arbitrum, Optimism, and Polygon who need cutting-edge tooling.
Direct comparison of key technical metrics and service features for enterprise blockchain infrastructure.
| Metric / Feature | Figment | Infura |
|---|---|---|
Supported Chains (EVM & Non-EVM) | 50+ (Solana, Cosmos, Polkadot, Ethereum) | 15+ (Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism) |
Enterprise SLA Guarantee | ||
Avg. API Latency (p95) | < 100 ms | < 250 ms |
Historical Data Retention | Full archival (no pruning) | 30-day standard, archival add-on |
Staking-as-a-Service | ||
DataHub Access (Unified API) | ||
Dedicated Node Provisioning | ||
Free Tier Daily Requests | 100,000 | 100,000 |
A data-driven breakdown of strengths and trade-offs for CTOs evaluating core infrastructure providers.
Specific advantage: Operates as a top-tier validator across 40+ Proof-of-Stake networks with a $5B+ staked asset portfolio. This matters for protocols and DAOs requiring deep-chain participation, secure delegation services, and expert governance support beyond basic RPC calls.
Specific limitation: While strong in PoS, its multi-chain RPC coverage (~40 networks) is narrower than Infura's. This matters for dApp developers building on emerging or niche L1/L2 chains where Infura's 100+ network support provides a more comprehensive, one-stop solution.
Specific advantage: Processes over 15 trillion requests annually with SDKs integrated into millions of dApps. This matters for mass-market applications like MetaMask, Uniswap, and Compound that require proven, hyper-scale reliability and the deepest Ethereum & L2 ecosystem tooling (e.g., The Graph, IPFS).
Specific limitation: As a core ConsenSys service, it represents a centralized failure point for Ethereum. This matters for decentralized purists and high-value DeFi protocols seeking to mitigate infrastructure risk, avoid single-provider outages, and align with credibly neutral principles.
Key strengths and trade-offs for enterprise-grade Web3 infrastructure in 2026.
Handles 100B+ daily requests with a proven 99.9%+ uptime SLA. This matters for high-traffic dApps like OpenSea or MetaMask, where global availability and resilience are non-negotiable. The infrastructure is battle-tested across DeFi, NFTs, and enterprise rollouts.
Plug-and-play API compatibility with Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, and 10+ other chains. This matters for teams needing to launch quickly without rearchitecting their stack. The comprehensive SDKs, instant API keys, and extensive documentation reduce time-to-market significantly.
Single-point-of-failure architecture and proprietary APIs can create dependency. This matters for protocols prioritizing censorship resistance or those planning a multi-provider strategy. An outage can impact all dependent services, as seen in past incidents.
Black-box node operations with no access to raw infrastructure. This matters for teams requiring custom indexers, specialized archive data, or compliance with strict data residency laws (e.g., GDPR). You are limited to the APIs and data models Infura provides.
$40B+ in assets staked with support for 70+ Proof-of-Stake networks. This matters for protocols like Lido or institutions like Coinbase Cloud that require non-custodial, white-label staking services, governance delegation, and slashing protection.
Hubble suite offers enriched data (e.g., decoded transactions, MEV data) and runs on AWS, GCP, and bare metal. This matters for analytics platforms like Dune Analytics or hedge funds needing deeper insights and infrastructure redundancy beyond standard RPC calls.
Verdict: The strategic choice for high-value, institutional-grade applications. Strengths: Unmatched security and compliance with SOC 2 Type II, dedicated enterprise support, and deep staking/validator expertise crucial for liquid staking tokens (LSTs) and governance. Offers data enrichment and MEV protection insights. Ideal for protocols like Aave or Compound where uptime and regulatory posture are paramount. Trade-off: Higher cost structure; less focus on ultra-high throughput for micro-transactions.
Verdict: The scalable, developer-first engine for high-throughput DeFi front-ends and aggregators. Strengths: Superior global reliability and low-latency API endpoints, essential for DEX aggregators like 1inch or wallet interfaces needing instant state updates. Offers transaction simulation and gas optimization tools. The "default" for rapid prototyping and scaling user-facing applications. Trade-off: Less tailored support for advanced staking operations and on-chain governance mechanics.
A data-driven breakdown of the core trade-offs between Figment's specialized staking services and Infura's comprehensive developer platform.
Figment excels at staking, governance, and data services for proof-of-stake networks because of its deep protocol specialization and non-custodial architecture. For example, its DataHub platform provides dedicated RPC endpoints, archive data, and indexing for over 40 networks like Solana, Cosmos, and Polkadot, with a proven 99.9%+ uptime SLA. This makes it the premier choice for protocols, validators, and institutions building on specific ecosystems who require reliable access to consensus-layer data and delegation services.
Infura takes a different approach by offering a broad, Ethereum-centric platform as a service. This results in a trade-off: unparalleled ease of use and integration for EVM development—supporting core networks like Ethereum, Polygon, and Arbitrum—but less depth for non-EVM chains. Its Transactions API and suite of tools abstract away gas management and node operations, which is ideal for dApp teams that prioritize rapid deployment and scalability over multi-chain staking operations.
The key trade-off: If your priority is deep integration with specific proof-of-stake ecosystems (e.g., Cosmos, Solana) for staking, governance, and tailored data, choose Figment. If you prioritize a battle-tested, full-stack developer experience for EVM chains with a focus on reliability, scalability, and reducing operational overhead, choose Infura. For hybrid strategies, consider using Figment for specialized chain services and Infura for primary Ethereum-layer execution and smart contract interactions.
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