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Head-to-head · Blockchain Developer Platforms

Hardhat vs Alchemy

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score Hardhat #2 in Blockchain Developer Platforms 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 2 features Visit Hardhat
Alchemy #4 in Blockchain Developer Platforms 8.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 2 features Visit Alchemy

Hardhat leads on 0 checks, Alchemy on 0, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreHardhat · 8.7/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresAlchemy · 2 of 2

Hardhat scores higher on our rubric for blockchain developer platforms: 8.7 against 8.5 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #4.

Hardhat is the better fit for open-source Solidity projects using a plugin workflow. Alchemy is the better fit for apps needing multi-chain RPC, indexed data, and wallet APIs.

  • Hardhat fits best

    Open-source Solidity projects using a plugin workflow

  • Alchemy fits best

    Apps needing multi-chain RPC, indexed data, and wallet APIs

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Hardhat 8.7/10 Visit ↗ Alchemy 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.7 8.5
Ranking #2 in Blockchain Developer Platforms #4 in Blockchain Developer Platforms
Best for Open-source Solidity projects using a plugin workflow Apps needing multi-chain RPC, indexed data, and wallet APIs
Pricing model Free Free plan + paid
Starting price Free plan —
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted Cloud
Support Community, Docs Email, Tickets, Community
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Hardhat 0/2 · Alchemy 2/2
Data indexing Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Contract deployment Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Specs
Supported chains Not checked yet 100
Node access Not checked yet Rpc
Monthly request limit Not checked yet Not checked yet
Supported SDKs Not checked yet JavaScript SDK
Our review
Pros
  • Compiles Solidity and supports Solidity unit and TypeScript integration tests
  • Includes fuzzing, transaction debugging, and local network simulation
  • Extends tasks and tools through plugins, including deployment and verification
  • RPC, indexed token, NFT, portfolio, transfer, and pricing data APIs
  • Webhooks, WebSockets, wallet APIs, and account-abstraction tools
  • Integrates with Ethers.js, viem, web3.js, Hardhat, and Foundry
Cons
  • Requires local installation and command-line use
  • Does not include security analysis or a visual builder
  • Runs self-hosted, with support through documentation and community
  • Emphasizes infrastructure and data APIs over contract authoring and testing
  • Pay As You Go costs scale with Compute Unit usage
  • Cloud-hosted platform, rather than self-hosted node infrastructure
Our verdict

Hardhat is an open-source development environment for building Ethereum smart contracts and decentralized applications. Installed locally and used through the command line, it is aimed at Solidity developers and teams who want a…

Read the review →

Alchemy brings blockchain infrastructure and developer tools together for teams building decentralized applications. Its hosted APIs provide RPC access to read blockchain state and submit transactions, while indexed data endpoints cover…

Read the review →
  1. HardhatBlockchain Developer Platforms 8.7Free plan
  2. AlchemyBlockchain Developer Platforms 8.5Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Hardhat — where it wins

    • Compiles Solidity and supports Solidity unit and TypeScript integration tests
    • Includes fuzzing, transaction debugging, and local network simulation
    • Extends tasks and tools through plugins, including deployment and verification

    Where it doesn't

    • Requires local installation and command-line use
    • Does not include security analysis or a visual builder
    • Runs self-hosted, with support through documentation and community

  • Alchemy — where it wins

    • RPC, indexed token, NFT, portfolio, transfer, and pricing data APIs
    • Webhooks, WebSockets, wallet APIs, and account-abstraction tools
    • Integrates with Ethers.js, viem, web3.js, Hardhat, and Foundry

    Where it doesn't

    • Emphasizes infrastructure and data APIs over contract authoring and testing
    • Pay As You Go costs scale with Compute Unit usage
    • Cloud-hosted platform, rather than self-hosted node infrastructure
  • Hardhat8.7/10 · Free plan

    A command-line toolkit for compiling, testing, debugging, and deploying Solidity projects.

    Visit HardhatFull verdict →
  • Alchemy8.5/10 · Free plan

    Multi-chain RPC, indexed data, and wallet APIs, with usage-based pricing beyond the free tier.

    Visit AlchemyFull verdict →

More comparisons

All blockchain developer platforms comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update