The Graph Network vs. Self Hosting
The Graph’s decentralized network has been engineered and refined to create a robust indexing and querying experience—and it’s getting better every day thanks to thousands of contributors around the world.
The benefits of this decentralized protocol cannot be replicated by running a graph-node locally. The Graph Network is more reliable, more efficient, and less expensive.
Here is an analysis:
- 60-98% lower monthly cost
- $0 infrastructure setup costs
- Superior uptime
- Access to hundreds of independent Indexers around the world
- 24/7 technical support by global community
No contracts. No monthly fees. Only pay for the queries you use—with an average cost-per-query of $0.0002. Queries are priced in USD and paid in GRT.
Query costs may vary; the quoted cost is the average at time of publication (December 2022).
| Cost Comparison | Self Hosted | Graph Network |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly server cost* | $350 per month | $0 |
| Query costs | $0+ | ~$15 per month |
| Engineering time† | $400 per month | None, built into the network with globally distributed Indexers |
| Queries per month | Limited to infra capabilities | 30,000 (autoscaling) |
| Cost per query | $0 | $0.0005‡ |
| Infrastructure | Centralized | Decentralized |
| Geographic redundancy | $750+ per additional node | Included |
| Uptime | Varies | 99.9%+ |
| Total Monthly Costs | $750+ | ~$15 |
| Cost Comparison | Self Hosted | Graph Network |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly server cost* | $350 per month | $0 |
| Query costs | $500 per month | $750 per month |
| Engineering time† | $800 per month | None, built into the network with globally distributed Indexers |
| Queries per month | Limited to infra capabilities | 3,000,000+ |
| Cost per query | $0 | $0.00025‡ |
| Infrastructure | Centralized | Decentralized |
| Engineering expense | $200 per hour | Included |
| Geographic redundancy | $1,200 in total costs per additional node | Included |
| Uptime | Varies | 99.9%+ |
| Total Monthly Costs | $1,650+ | $750 |
| Cost Comparison | Self Hosted | Graph Network |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly server cost* | $1100 per month, per node | $0 |
| Query costs | $4000 | $4,500 per month |
| Number of nodes needed | 10 | Not applicable |
| Engineering time† | $6,000 or more per month | None, built into the network with globally distributed Indexers |
| Queries per month | Limited to infra capabilities | 30,000,000+ |
| Cost per query | $0 | $0.00015‡ |
| Infrastructure | Centralized | Decentralized |
| Geographic redundancy | $1,200 in total costs per additional node | Included |
| Uptime | Varies | 99.9%+ |
| Total Monthly Costs | $11,000+ | $4,500 |
*including costs for backup: $50-$100 per month
†Engineering time based on $200 per hour assumption
‡using the max query budget function in the budget billing tab, while maintaining high quality of service
Estimated costs are only for Ethereum Mainnet subgraphs — costs are even higher when self hosting a graph-node on other networks.
Curating signal on a subgraph is an optional one-time, net-zero cost (e.g., $1k in signal can be curated on a subgraph, and later withdrawn—with potential to earn returns in the process).
Some users may need to update their subgraph to a new version. Due to Ethereum gas fees, an update costs ~$50 at time of writing.
Note that gas fees on Arbitrum are substantially lower than Ethereum mainnet.
Zero setup fees. Get started immediately with no setup or overhead costs. No hardware requirements. No outages due to centralized infrastructure, and more time to concentrate on your core product . No need for backup servers, troubleshooting, or expensive engineering resources.
The Graph’s decentralized network gives users access to geographic redundancy that does not exist when self-hosting a graph-node. Queries are served reliably thanks to 99.9%+ uptime, achieved by hundreds of independent Indexers securing the network globally.
Bottom line: The Graph Network is less expensive, easier to use, and produces superior results compared to running a graph-node locally.
Start using The Graph Network today, and learn how to upgrade your subgraph to The Graph's decentralized network.