Top 7 Arbitrum APIs for developers (2025 comparison)

Compare the top 7 Arbitrum APIs for developers in 2025 - including free and real-time options like DexPaprika, Alchemy, and Moralis. Find the best fit for DEX data, RPC access, or wallet analytics.

Top 7 Arbitrum APIs for developers (2025 comparison)

Building on Arbitrum, an Ethereum Layer-2 network developed by Offchain Labs, requires reliable access to blockchain data - whether you're deploying a DeFi protocol, building a trading bot, or tracking on-chain activity. This guide compares seven top APIs and RPC providers, helping you choose based on your needs: raw blockchain access, real-time token prices, granular DeFi data, or all-in-one solutions. We focus on practical criteria: integration effort, free-tier options, and what data granularity you actually need.

Provider shortlist (Top 7 with URLs)

1. DexPaprika - Real-time DEX data API (liquidity pools, swaps, prices) - no API key required - dexpaprika.com
2. Covalent - Unified multichain data API (wallet balances, transactions, DEX info) - covalenthq.com
3. Moralis - Web3 data API & dev platform (tokens, NFTs, DeFi, plus RPC nodes) - moralis.io
4. Alchemy - Developer platform & RPC nodes with enhanced APIs (transfers, NFTs) - alchemy.com
5. QuickNode - Scalable blockchain nodes + add-ons (streams, indexed data, marketplace) - quicknode.com
6. Bitquery - On-chain GraphQL APIs (detailed blockchain & DEX analytics across chains) - bitquery.io
7. Infura - Reliable Ethereum/Arbitrum RPC provider (JSON-RPC endpoints & dev tools) - infura.io

All support Arbitrum One; several also support Arbitrum Nova and other networks. Official docs verify each provider.

Provider profiles

1. DexPaprika - Specialized real-time DEX data (no authentication)

DexPaprika is a focused DEX data API providing real-time token prices, liquidity pools, swap transactions, and candlestick data across decentralized exchanges. Uniquely, it requires no API key - the service is completely public. It's ideal for developers building DeFi dashboards, trading bots, and DEX analytics tools on Arbitrum.

Key features:

• Real-time DEX pool data (reserves, total liquidity, APYs)
• Per-swap transaction details (amount, price, timestamp)
• Token prices aggregated from all DEXes on Arbitrum
• Multi-interval volume and transaction count (24h, 6h, 1h, 30m, 15m breakdowns in one call)
• OHLCV candlestick data at configurable intervals (down to 5-minute granularity) - available for all 15.5M+ tokens across 27+ chains (source endpoint: /stats)
• Streaming for live price updates
• SDKs in TypeScript, Go, Python, and PHP
• MCP (Model Context Protocol) server mode for AI integrations

Integration: REST API (simple HTTP GET requests) and WebSocket for real-time subscriptions. No API key required – call endpoints directly. Response format is JSON. Ready-made code snippets and playground in docs. Multi-language SDKs speed development.

Free tier / Pricing: Completely free and public. No API key, sign-up, or paywall. All endpoints openly accessible. No formal tiering; fair-use expectations apply. For extremely high volume or enterprise needs, contact the team for custom arrangements.

Reliability: Emerging service (launched ~2024) with solid early performance and quick indexing. Leverages CoinPaprika's infrastructure. Active Discord community for support. Near real-time data indexing (data reflects latest blocks with minimal lag). As a free public service, be aware of rate limiting and potential future changes if usage grows significantly.

Best for: DeFi analytics and DEX explorers on Arbitrum. Perfect for building dashboards tracking liquidity trends, monitoring pool swaps in real-time, or running arbitrage analytics. Eliminates data engineering overhead – get immediate, multi-chain DeFi data via simple API calls. Ideal for researchers, indie developers, and cost-conscious teams. Also well-suited for AI agents needing direct access to trading data.

Full documentation & live API playground: docs.dexpaprika.com

2. Covalent - Unified multichain data for complex queries

Covalent is a unified blockchain data platform providing normalized on-chain data across 200+ chains, including Arbitrum One and Nova. It's ideal for developers building dashboards, analytics tools, or applications requiring wallet data, transaction history, and DEX information in a consistent format.

Key features:

• Wallet balances (ERC-20, ERC-721, etc.) and full transaction history
• All contract event logs and decoded transaction details
• DEX protocol data (liquidity positions, pool info, trading volumes)
• Multi-chain support with unified REST API (single endpoint serves all chains)
• Official SDKs in TypeScript, Go, Python, and other languages
• Time-series data for token prices and metrics

Integration: REST API (HTTP) with standard JSON responses. Developers append the chain ID (e.g., arbitrum-mainnet) in the URL to switch networks. No WebSocket support; data is pulled on-demand rather than pushed in real-time. SDKs available for rapid integration.

Free tier / Pricing: Free tier provides 100,000 API calls per month with an API key. Premium plans start at $50/month for higher rate limits and SLA. Rate limits: up to 5 calls/second on free tier.

Reliability: Built for enterprise-grade performance with full index reliability. Widely used in production by wallets and DeFi dashboards, indicating stable uptime. Backed by the CQT network for decentralized query fulfillment.

Best for: Data-rich applications needing normalized on-chain data without running custom indexers. Ideal for analytics dashboards, portfolio trackers, tax tools, or multi-chain queries in a single call.

3. Moralis - All-in-one Web3 data platform

Moralis is a Web3 API and development platform providing access to tokens, NFTs, wallet data, DeFi information, and RPC nodes across all major EVM chains, including Arbitrum. It's designed for developers who want convenience and speed in building Web3 applications without managing complex data infrastructure.

Key features:

• Wallet API: token/NFT balances, transaction history, address portfolio
• Token API: ERC-20 details, prices, metadata, holders, transfers, and liquidity
• NFT API: metadata, owners, collection information
• Streams feature: webhooks for real-time on-chain events
• RPC node endpoints (Speedy Nodes) for traditional JSON-RPC calls
• Supports DEX prices aggregated from multiple protocols on Arbitrum
• SDKs for JavaScript, mobile (Swift/Kotlin), and more

Integration: REST APIs (HTTP GET/POST) with JSON responses, authenticated via API key. Developers can test calls in the admin UI before deployment. Streams allow setting up webhooks that notify your app of specific events. JavaScript SDK available for web and Node.js; mobile SDKs for iOS and Android.

Free tier / Pricing: Free "Starter" plan includes approximately 40,000 Compute Units per day (roughly 1-3 million basic API requests monthly). Free tier also includes 2 free RPC node endpoints with rate limits. Paid tiers: Starter ($49/mo), Pro ($199/mo), Business ($490/mo), Enterprise (custom). All plans include access to all product types.

Reliability: Solid uptime with support channels for prompt updates. Used by many dApps, indicating production readiness. Data accuracy for indexed information is strong, though raw RPC responses historically showed minor inconsistencies (less critical for most use cases).

Best for: Web and mobile developers wanting an all-in-one toolkit. Ideal for portfolio trackers, gaming dApps showing user assets, NFT galleries, and projects needing speed to market without building custom indexing.

4. Alchemy - Enterprise-grade RPC + enhanced APIs

Alchemy is a blockchain developer platform providing both reliable RPC node access to Arbitrum and higher-level APIs for common tasks like fetching token info, NFT data, and transaction details. It's built for developers who need both raw blockchain access and convenient abstraction layers.

Key features:

• Rock-solid RPC node service with 100% data accuracy across millions of queries
• Enhanced APIs: Token API, NFT API, Transfers API, Debug/Trace APIs
• Notify feature: webhooks for address activity
• Real-time WebSocket subscriptions (new blocks, pending transactions, logs)
• Alchemy Dashboard: monitor usage, latency, success rates, replay calls
• Full archive data access (query historical states)
• Supports all Arbitrum-specific RPC methods

Integration: JSON-RPC API via HTTP and WebSocket. Standard Ethereum endpoints work directly for Arbitrum (EVM-compatible). Compatible with all Ethereum libraries (ethers.js, web3.py, web3.js, etc.) – simply plug in the Alchemy endpoint URL. Alchemy-specific SDK available for JavaScript with added convenience methods.

Free tier / Pricing: Most generous free tier in the industry. Free plan includes 300 million compute units per month (roughly 3.8 million transactions or equivalent), with no daily caps and no credit card required. This includes full archive access and all enhanced APIs. Paid tiers: Growth ($49/month with 400M CU), Scale (~$199/month with 1.5B CU), and custom Enterprise deals. Beyond free limits, pay-as-you-go pricing available (~$1.20 per million additional CU).

Reliability: 99.9%+ documented uptime with months of 100% uptime on record. Zero data inconsistencies across 1M+ queried blocks (internal metrics). Trusted by major dApps (OpenSea, GMX, Offchain Labs, etc.). Uses proprietary Supernode network with consensus layer ensuring data consistency.

Best for: Production dApps requiring scale, speed, and rich tooling. Excellent for DeFi protocols, NFT marketplaces, and applications needing reliable real-time and historical access. Strong support channels and debugging tools make it ideal for teams prioritizing stability.

5. QuickNode - Multi-chain nodes with built-in data pipelines

QuickNode provides scalable blockchain RPC nodes across 66+ chains including Arbitrum, plus additional tools like one-click data streaming and a marketplace of integrated APIs. It's positioned for developers who want both core RPC capabilities and flexibility to add specialized data services.

Key features:

• Fast, globally distributed RPC endpoints for Arbitrum
• One-click ETL "Streams": extract historical data to your database or webhook
• Pre-built backfill templates for Arbitrum (all ERC-20 transfers, Uniswap swaps, etc.)
• Marketplace with integrated APIs (DexPaprika, Covalent, CoinGecko add-ons)
• WebSocket support for real-time events
• Dashboard for usage monitoring and analytics
• Functions: serverless compute for on-chain event processing

Integration: JSON-RPC endpoints (HTTP and WebSocket) – drop-in replacement for running your own Arbitrum node. Compatible with all Ethereum libraries. Streams configured via web dashboard or API. QuickNode Marketplace allows enabling third-party data services in one account.

Free tier / Pricing: Free plan offers 10 million API credits per month (approximately 10 million requests) with up to 15 requests per second. Free tier includes some Streams and Functions usage. Paid plans: Starter ($10/month, 25M credits), Growth ($39/month, 75M credits), Business ($199/month, 300M credits), Enterprise ($999/month, custom limits). Additional usage charged at ~$0.35–$0.40 per million credits. Pay-as-you-go available for variable workloads.

Reliability: Established since 2017 with globally distributed node clusters. Reliable infrastructure supporting many heavy-load applications. Quick to support Arbitrum upgrades (Nitro, etc.) with minimal disruption.

Best for: Startups and developers wanting mix of speed and flexibility. Particularly suited for building custom analytics platforms via Streams (bulk data extraction into your own database). Useful for multi-chain deployments where one service covers many networks. Good choice for hackathons and MVPs due to generous free tier.

6. Bitquery - Advanced GraphQL analytics for custom queries

Bitquery is a blockchain data platform using GraphQL to query virtually any on-chain information. It provides raw flexibility for developers asking complex, custom questions about blockchain data. It's ideal for power users, data scientists, and researchers who need SQL-like control over their queries.

Key features:

• GraphQL API for fully customizable queries
• DEX trading data: every trade with buyer, seller, amount, price, protocol
• Token balances and transfers (ERC-20 and NFTs)
• Per-log/event granularity or aggregated stats (volume, count, average)
• OHLCV candlesticks computed on-the-fly with custom time intervals
• Real-time GraphQL subscriptions and Kafka stream integration
• GraphQL IDE for interactive query building and testing
• Covers 13+ major DEX protocols on Arbitrum

Integration: GraphQL endpoint (HTTP POST requests). Requires learning GraphQL syntax – not beginner-friendly but extremely powerful. API key authentication. GraphQL IDE available on their site for building and testing queries. Client libraries available but most usage involves direct GraphQL requests. Advanced users can export to SQL or flat data files.

Free tier / Pricing: Free "trial" plan offers 10,000 query points per month (limited to 1 month). Points consumed based on query complexity; simple queries use fewer points than data-heavy ones. After trial ends or reaching 10k points, paid plans required. Paid tiers start around $249/month with increasing point quotas. Enterprise custom pricing available. Point-based pricing means cost scales with actual usage.

Reliability: High data correctness with accurate indexing of blockchain events. Handles billion-record queries efficiently. Read-only analytics with stable results on repeated queries. Complex queries may timeout or need refining; Bitquery provides optimization guidance. Used by blockchain researchers and data firms, indicating reliability for serious analysis.

Best for: Customized, in-depth blockchain analytics on Arbitrum. Best when you have specific, non-standard questions about trading patterns, token flows, or on-chain activity. Excellent for historical data dumps and backfilling databases. Ideal for developers comfortable with GraphQL. High learning curve offsets by unmatched data control and flexibility.

7. Infura - Established RPC provider with traditional Ethereum integration

Infura is a long-established Ethereum infrastructure provider (since 2016) offering reliable RPC node access to Arbitrum and other networks. It's a straightforward choice for developers who primarily need raw blockchain access without higher-level data abstractions.

Key features:

• Managed Arbitrum RPC node service (no need to run your own node)
• Reliable transaction broadcasting and state reading on Arbitrum
• Consistent Ethereum JSON-RPC API methods (eth_call, eth_getBalance, eth_getLogs, etc.)
• Scalable throughput with rate limiting and stable performance
• Dashboard showing usage analytics and request monitoring
• Integration with developer tools (Hardhat, Truffle, MetaMask ecosystem)
• Archive data access on paid plans (query historical states)
• WebSocket support for pub/sub to new blocks and logs

Integration: JSON-RPC API via HTTP and WebSocket. Standard Ethereum endpoint format works unchanged for Arbitrum (EVM-compatible). Compatible with all web3 libraries (ethers.js, web3.py, etc.) – simply plug in the Infura endpoint URL. Most frameworks (Hardhat, Truffle) have built-in Infura support.

Free tier / Pricing: Free "Core" plan provides roughly 100,000 requests per day (approximately 3 million per month). Note: Arbitrum support may be restricted on the free tier or available as a paid add-on; verify current status. Paid tiers: Developer ($50/month with ~5-6M calls), Team ($225/month), Growth ($1,000/month). All paid plans include Arbitrum access. No pay-as-you-go; fixed tier pricing. Higher tiers allow more concurrent requests and higher burst rates.

Reliability: Proven uptime over nearly a decade of service. Widely trusted by MetaMask and other major services, handling massive traffic loads. Globally distributed infrastructure with high availability.

Best for: Developers needing core RPC infrastructure for reading and writing data on Arbitrum. Suitable if already using Infura for Ethereum (consolidate with one provider). Good choice for wallet developers or protocol engineers implementing custom data logic in-house. Appealing to teams valuing ConsenSys backing and ecosystem integration.

Comparison: Data & Granularity

_{Data current as of November 2025. Source: Official provider documentation.}

Comparison: integration & pricing

_{Data current as of November 2025. Source: Official provider documentation. *Note: Infura Arbitrum support may require paid plan.}

Free-tier summary

Each provider offers some level of free access:

Completely Free & Public:

• DexPaprika is 100% free and public. No sign-up, API key, or quotas enforced (beyond fair-use expectations). This is exceptional given it provides real-time DEX data usually requiring payment.

Generous Free Plans:

• Alchemy offers 300 million compute units per month – more than enough for most projects, including full archive data access. This is sufficient for small-to-medium applications.
• Moralis offers all APIs on a free plan (~40k units/day, equivalent to 1-3 million calls/month). Access to Streams and RPC endpoints included.
• QuickNode introduced a free tier (10 million requests/month, 15 RPS), useful for moderate workloads.

Limited/Trial Free Access:

• Covalent requires an API key but provides ~100,000 calls per month, suitable for testing and small-scale usage.
• Infura offers roughly 3 million calls per month on the free tier. However, Arbitrum usage may be restricted; verify if multi-chain support requires a paid plan.
• Bitquery has a free trial: 10,000 query points over one month. Expect to move to paid plans for continuous usage.

Strategy for Cost-Conscious Development: If your project is small or in exploration phase, you can avoid payment by combining: DexPaprika for granular DEX data (no auth needed) + Alchemy/Moralis/QuickNode free tiers for general blockchain and token data. Using a combination covers most needs before hitting limits. When scaling, seamlessly upgrade to the provider that best matched your needs during free usage.

How to choose

With several quality options available, the "best" Arbitrum API depends on your specific use case and priorities:

If you need Real-Time DEX & DeFi data:

Go with DexPaprika or Moralis. DexPaprika is purpose-built for live swap and pool data – crucial for trading bots and DEX aggregators. Moralis also streams real-time events via Streams webhooks, but DEX-specific depth is lower. If your primary need is displaying live trades and 5-minute price charts for Arbitrum token pairs, DexPaprika handles it nearly out-of-the-box.

If you need Raw RPC access for dApp transactions:

Use Alchemy or Infura (or QuickNode). These provide core blockchain interaction – deploying contracts, reading state, sending user transactions. Alchemy is often recommended for reliability and huge free quota. Infura appeals if already using ConsenSys stack. QuickNode is equally capable with better multi-chain tooling.

If you prioritize Ease of Use and Quick Integration:

DexPaprika stands out for DEX data – public API, plenty of tutorials, and you can make your first request within minutes (see docs.dexpaprika.com). Moralis and Alchemy are also very developer-friendly. Moralis abstracts complexity with extensive tutorials and no RPC thinking required. Alchemy's enhanced APIs save time with excellent docs and top-notch support. QuickNode is also easy with pre-built backfill templates. Conversely, Bitquery (GraphQL learning curve) and Infura (low-level requiring more code) require more effort.

If you need Multi-Chain support beyond Arbitrum:

All listed providers support multiple networks. Covalent (100+ chains) and Moralis (all EVMs) pride themselves on broad coverage. DexPaprika, QuickNode and Alchemy also support many, but Covalent pulls data in one uniform way across exotic chains. Helpful if expanding beyond Arbitrum to Nova, Polygon, BSC, etc. within one app.

If you have Strict Budget Constraints:

Go with DexPaprika (free, for DEX data) and Alchemy's free tier (for everything else). This combination goes far before costs incur. Leverage public RPC endpoints where reliability is secondary. For managed services, DexPaprika and Alchemy free are most cost-effective.

If you require Enterprise-level SLA and Support:

Alchemy and Infura have established enterprise histories. QuickNode and Covalent also offer enterprise plans. Alchemy's enterprise includes dedicated support and custom solutions. For mission-critical infrastructure (exchanges, large financial apps), use multiple providers for redundancy.

Summary by scenario:

• General dApp dev: Alchemy or Infura (plus maybe Moralis for easier data)
• DeFi analytics: DexPaprika (free, immediate) + Bitquery (custom deep dives)
• Hackathon/MVP: DexPaprika & Alchemy free (minimize setup and cost)
• Production trading bot: QuickNode (speed + streams) or Alchemy (reliability) + DexPaprika Streaming
• Extensive historical analysis: Bitquery or Covalent for large-scale queries

Quick tutorial: fetch Arbitrum DEX data with DexPaprika

Let's walk through a practical example using DexPaprika's public API – no setup required. Suppose you want to retrieve the latest price and 24h volume of a token on Arbitrum, say GMX (GMX exchange token). For more examples and detailed API reference, check docs.dexpaprika.com.

Step 1: Find the token address

GMX on Arbitrum has contract address 0xfc5A1A6EB076a2C7aD06eD22C90d7E710E35ad0a. You can also use DexPaprika's search endpoint to find tokens by name.

Step 2: Construct the API request

The token data endpoint:

https://api.dexpaprika.com/networks/arbitrum/tokens/0xfc5A1A6EB076a2C7aD06eD22C90d7E710E35ad0a

No API key needed – call directly.

Step 3: Make the request

Using curl:

curl -X GET "https://api.dexpaprika.com/networks/arbitrum/tokens/0xfc5A1A6EB076a2C7aD06eD22C90d7E710E35ad0a"

Step 4: Parse the response

The JSON response contains key data: latest price (~$42.30 USD), 24h DEX volume (~$520,000 USD), liquidity (~$31.5M across pools), and 24h transactions (890 swaps).

Step 5: Use the data

Display on a dashboard, feed into trading logic, or notify users. Because DexPaprika updates near real-time, your data stays current.

Why DexPaprika here? No keys, instant response, aggregates Arbitrum DEX data in one call. What would take interacting with multiple contracts or subgraphs is handled in seconds.

Frequently Asked Questions

_{Data current as of November 2025.}